TCS - Chapter 12
'But that man probably wasn't a knight.'
His fingertips, which had briefly brushed against mine, felt incredibly soft for a knight. Unlike my second brother's hands, rough and calloused from constantly gripping a sword, that man's hands had been elegant.
Unconsciously making a comparison, I looked down at my own hand. However, perhaps because I was currently young, my hand looked chubby and stubby compared to his.
As I found myself imagining just how much larger his hand might have been than mine, I caught myself and felt my face flush red.
"'Have I lost my mind...?'" Thinking about a strange man whose name and face I didn't even know! Of course, he couldn't possibly know I was having such thoughts and be offended, but still, it wasn't proper.
Feeling a sense of shame, as if I'd become some sort of rake, I was fanning my flushed face with my hand to cool it down.
Just then, the real unruly rake was approaching from over there.
It was Pedro. Perhaps the shock from the blow I'd dealt him earlier had worn off, because he now wore a furious expression, craning his neck this way and that, clearly looking for me.
I could have taught him another harsh lesson, but wasting my attention and time on such a pest felt like too much of a waste, so I slipped away once more.
Having already distanced myself from the lodging while avoiding him earlier, evading him again led me to a point where the trees completely obscured the building from view.
"'Is it really okay to have come out this far?'" Hmm... It should be alright, right? Since the family knights are patrolling the area around the lodging and the edge of the forest, nothing terrible is likely to happen even if I'm a little ways off.
Truthfully, I was a little concerned, but that was overridden by the thought that this was still better than turning back and running into Pedro again.
Watching him from my hiding spot, he seemed thoroughly furious and was searching for me with grim persistence, leaving me no choice but to venture deeper into the woods.
"'...Going any further than this seems risky.'" Eventually, I reached a nearby stream and halted. It occurred to me that rather than continuing to avoid the nuisance, perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to teach him a lesson so firm he wouldn't dare trifle with me again.
"'If I clearly demonstrate the difference in our strength, he surely won't act up anymore.'" He was, after all, a textbook example of someone who bullies the weak and cowers before the strong. Perhaps my quiet avoidance made me seem like an easy target, encouraging him to act out even more.
My parents would likely be appalled by their formerly quiet young daughter's capacity for violence, but considering all the trouble we'd endured because of that family, they probably wouldn't get truly angry.
'Anyway, if I can just get through this family trip safely, this ill-fated connection with Pedro will finally be over.'" Never again! I wouldn't set even the tip of my toe in this Saxon territory ever again. I wouldn't even turn my head, let alone my gaze, in this direction.
Having made this resolution, I braced myself, waiting for Pedro's inevitable approach. However, true to his pathetic nature, the pest must have given up the chase, because he never showed up.
"'What the...?'" I felt strangely deflated.
In any case, without the irritable Pedro, who threw tantrums whenever things didn't go his way, the surroundings were peaceful. That is, aside from the gentle gurgling sound of the shallow stream, its water so clear you could see the bottom, and the soft chirping of mountain birds nearby.
Savoring the peacefulness and wishing that my future life could be filled only with such tranquility, I gazed at the water's surface for a moment before stepping closer to the stream's edge, thinking I might dip my feet in.
Just as I stepped onto the gravel, heading towards the water's edge.
"Huh?"
Someone was lying collapsed nearby. It was a child, around my own age.
Hurrying over, I saw he didn't appear to be injured anywhere; it seemed more likely he were either asleep or had fainted.
'Looks like a noble,' I thought. He was remarkably handsome, with an air of nobility about him. If Pedro had been here, he might have gone mad with jealousy the moment he saw this child's face.
My assessment wasn't based solely on his facial features, however. The material of the clothes the child was wearing was exceptionally high-quality. It was just a plain, unadorned shirt and trousers, so one wouldn't know just by looking, but although it must have been cotton, the sensation against my fingertips felt like silk.
'Why is he wearing indoor clothes?' The shirt and trousers looked comfortable enough, but they were far too simple to be considered outdoor attire. For a commoner, perhaps, but a noble dressed like this would surely be criticized for lacking dignity.
However, the only places nearby were the Saxon estate and the lodging where my family was staying, making it difficult to believe he had simply wandered out for a stroll near his home.
Whatever the circumstances might be, I couldn't just leave the child lying on the cold gravel ground.
“Hey, wake up.”
I shook him gently. Maybe he was in a deep sleep, but he didn’t wake up.
I sat quietly in front of him, thinking.
“Can I even drag him back to the lodging?”
After a moment’s thought, I decided to try. When I reached out to grab his hand to pull him up, his eyes suddenly snapped open and, as if reflexively, he swung his arm.
Smack!
The palm that hit me stung sharply. The child quickly scrambled to his feet and took a step back, as if to escape.
Even though he had just hit my hand, he looked more surprised than me, his eyes wide and trembling.
I was startled by the fierce rejection in his expression and attitude, but I understood his reaction.
“You were probably scared because a stranger suddenly appeared. I’m sorry.”
I tried to soothe him by explaining why I acted that way, but the fear didn’t leave his face.
Was he so startled he might be having a panic attack? Worried, I stepped closer, but he hesitated and took a step back.
No fool would fail to notice that he was being guarded against.
'But why?'
I didn’t quite understand. It embarrassed me to say it aloud, but I was pretty. Not “sort of pretty,” just pretty.
So pretty that even Pedro, who didn’t like me much, had to admit my face’s beauty.
Usually, being young and pretty helped to disarm people and open their hearts—unless I was acting violently or bullying someone.
“What's wrong? I’m not scary.”
To show I meant no harm, I held up both palms, open and empty. At this point, he should have lowered his guard, but the child still puffed up like a frightened cat.
If I were an ordinary kid, I might have been hurt by his attitude, sulking and going back to the lodging alone, whether he stayed or not.
But I was an adult, so I just felt sorry, wondering what kind of hardships this kid must have gone through to be so wary.
“It’s okay.”
I took a cautious step forward. The child flinched and trembled as if startled but didn’t step back like before.
Another step. And another. Slowly, I closed the distance and stood in front of him.
“It’s okay.”
Repeating the words, I gently placed the back of my hand on his. Surprised by the sudden touch, his eyes widened, but he didn’t show the same rejection as before, so I softly held his hand. His eyes trembled slightly.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
He nodded. When I asked about his parents, he shook his head—not in a “no” way, but meaning he didn’t know.
I’d said being young and pretty made people let their guard down, but that seemed true for me too. Seeing the faint sadness on his face made me worry.
“Strange… I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before.”
It was déjà vu, the feeling you get when a deeply buried memory almost comes back but doesn’t quite.
There was no way I would forget such a pretty face. As I agonized silently, a scent brushed past my nose.
A fresh fragrance mixed with the child’s unique smell, ending with a faintly cool minty note. It was that person I’d seen only once in my first life and never again.
“How is it that we keep crossing paths like this?”
I stared in wonder, and the child blushed shyly. His cheeks looked like apples, so I poked one with my finger, and the soft flesh dimpled under my touch.
Maybe he had never experienced this before, or perhaps he was embarrassed because we hadn’t known each other long, but he blinked without pushing me away or refusing.
“What’s your name? I’m Seiana.”
“...Ray.”
The child, Ray, mumbled his reply. He was shy but clearly able to speak.
Ray stared at the hand I was holding. I wondered if it was uncomfortable for him, but although he seemed embarrassed, he didn’t pull away, so I kept holding his hand.
“What were you doing here, Ray?”
I asked, curious if he remembered what happened before he collapsed or if he had some illness, but he just shook his head.
His face was pale, and he still didn’t look well, so I decided to take him back to our lodging.
“Let’s go back to our lodging first. I’ll ask the adults to help you get home…”
Before I finished speaking, I heard the rustling of bushes, so I turned my head and frowned at the suspicious figures appearing on a nearby path.
Several sturdy adult men, all wearing black hooded cloaks with swords hanging at their waists.
'Could they be the knights sent to find Ray…? No, that can’t be.'
Seeing their grim expressions, I felt uneasy. Ray’s hand tightened around mine—until now, I’d been holding him, but now he gripped me firmly, either scared or startled.
The appearance of suspicious people was definitely not a good sign.
“…Run!”
I pulled Ray’s hand and took off running. Sounds of running footsteps behind us told me they were chasing us.
“What should I do?”
I wasn’t confident in my speed. Especially with a child’s body, there was no way i could outrun adult footsteps.
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