Chapter 139: Children Who Had to Grow Up (5)

[139] 22. Children Who Had to Grow Up (5)

Sir Franz Sinclair spots Amy being dragged away by the hunter. Her hair was clutched in his fist, and blood flowed steadily from an arrow wound in her left thigh.

“Let go! You motherless bastard! I said let go!!”

But far from being scared, Amy lunged at the hunter. She bites into his thick leather glove and pounds her fist against his solid thigh.

*WHAM-*

It was perhaps inevitable that the hunter’s patience would reach its limit.

“Ugh…!”

Amy falls face-first to the ground with a harsh thud. Even though blood drips from her lips, her eyes remain fierce as she glares at the hunter

“Does your father beat you like this too? No wonder you turned out such a bastard, guess you got a shitty parenting, huh?”

“You damn brat…!”

“Stop this!”

Just as the hunter is about to teach Amy a harsh lesson, he turns around. At the sight of Sir Sinclair, his face instinctively contorts.

“…Sir Sinclair.”

“What in the world are you doing to a child? Don’t you feel any pity for her?”

Sir Sinclair steps in between the hunter and Amy. Though the hunter grits his teeth, he has no choice but to lower his head.

“She’s not a child, but a thief who snuck into the Baron’s estate.”

“Is there really such a big difference between the two? Enough to justify brutal violence on your part?”

…Just like the other servants of the estate, the Hunter also disliked this young knight who had appeared three months ago.

He always appeared in every situation, preaching about honor and knighthood, poking his nose into their affairs. Who could possibly like that?

Had it not been for his ‘Sir’ title, he would have been roughed up more than once by now.

But regardless of any personal feelings, he was a knight appointed by the Emperor. Even though he had retired, he had been a part of the Central Knights.

“…It is my duty to protect this estate.”

Meaning, the hunter had no choice but to swallow his anger.

“As is mine. And the Baron has appointed *me* as the one in overall charge of that duty, not you.”

“…I understand.”

“Furthermore, I cannot tolerate such a barbaric approach. Bring me a potion at once. We need to treat this child.”

At those words, the hunter involuntarily clenches his fist.

“She’s the same thief who came by last year. And back then, she wasn’t alone. I’m sure there’s another one lurking right now…”

“I told you there’s no one else! You asshole! I’m alone! Alone!”

Amy, who had been observing the situation, suddenly yells out. The hunter’s patience is once again pushed to the edge.

“This damned little brat…!”

“Cromer!!”

At the sound of his name, the hunter’s shoulders tremble. Glaring at the hunter, Sir Sinclair grabbed the hilt of his sword.

“Bring me a potion before my sword turns towards you! Is that understood?”

“…Understood.”

Swallowing his rage with difficulty, the hunter turns away. Sir Sinclair keeps a close watch on his back until he’s out of earshot.

“…Are you alright? Are you in much pain? Can you walk?”

He then looks at Amy with a gentle expression. She watches him with distrustful eyes, then turns her gaze away.

“I can get up by myse… Ugh…!!”

Sir Sinclair manages to catch Amy’s swaying arm just as she’s about to fall.

“Don’t push yourself too hard. With the arrow having pierced your thigh, without support, walking would be…”

Just then, Amy’s disheveled hair shifts aside, revealing her face.

“Would be…”

Though it was a face smeared with dirt and tears, within it Sir Sinclair could discover longing. A very painful longing.

“…What.”

Wearing a sullen expression, Amy glares at the dumbfounded Sir Sinclair. Only then does he snap out of it, giving his head a shake.

“It’s just…”

For a moment, concern flashes across Sir Sinclair’s face. And as that choice of words implies, it does not last long.

Sir Sinclair spoke with an expression impossible to tell if he’s laughing or crying.

“That, that is… Won’t you come to my home for a while? I swear on my honor as a knight, I will not harm you in any way.”

***

The greatest tragedy of life isn’t the inevitable arrival of death, but the fact that it constantly flows. The happiness we desperately wish to hold in our hands, and the beauty we never want to erase, all of it eventually flows away.

In the face of that tragedy, all we can do is pray. That the flow will not be too fast, not too abrupt, and that we’ll have the time we need to adapt.

However, why is it that most prayers rarely reach their destination.

“A knight?”

“Yeah, not those tin cans wearing armor and acting all high and mighty, but a *real* knight. One that’s been appointed by the Emperor.”

Amy takes a bite of the apple she brought and swings her leg. The wider the swing, the more excited her voice becomes.

“Anyway, when I went along to his place, all of a sudden that knight started being super nice to me. He got me food from the kitchen, gave me a bath with hot water. Look, he even treated my injury, you see?”

Amy pulls up her skirt to show her thigh. In the center of it, the spot where new flesh has formed is clearly visible.

“…Why?”

“That’s what I’m saying. At first, I didn’t know why, either? But then the knight’s wife saw me and started bawling her eyes out. ‘Cassie, oh Cassie…’ she kept saying.”

At last, the boy grasps the situation. It’s a rather cliché story, if you think about it.

“They must’ve had a daughter who died.”

“Yep, and she looked exactly like me. I was shocked when I saw the portrait.”

Amy shudders as though creeped out. Then, tapping the basket she brought, she flashes a mischievous grin.

“Anyway, that’s how this older sister took advantage of their guilt and got all this food. All I had to do was put on a bit of an act, and they were practically ready to give me all they owned.”

Saying so, Amy giggles. Then she notices something odd and asks the boy a question.

“But Rem, why aren’t you eating? Aren’t you hungry? You said you didn’t eat anything while you were waiting for me.”

“Oh, r-right. I should eat…”

Only then does the boy seem to notice the bread in his own hand. He awkwardly takes a bite.

It was undoubtedly the most delicious bread the boy has ever tasted. Unlike the hard rye bread, it was as soft as biting into a cloud.

But the boy’s face doesn’t brighten. He forces a strained smile as he chews.

“Anyway, now that we’ve gotten the food, we don’t have to go back there again, right?”

“What are you talking about? Of course, I have to go back.”

Amy, perhaps having become excessively shrewd, replies nonchalantly.

“Didn’t I tell you, Rem. We’ve found ourselves a real sucker now? If I just act all pitiful a few times, I can bring food like this every day!”

Anyone would see that it was a reasonable plan. Had the boy been in her shoes, he likely would have come to the same conclusion.

But despite that, the boy shook his head vigorously.

“Sister, don’t you remember what the orphanage director used to say? There’s no such thing as kindness without reason. What if that knight is being nice to you for some ulterior motive?”

At that, Amy unconsciously furrows her brow.

“Rem, do you really believe that bastard’s words? The one who beat you nearly to death?”

“I just think what he said made some sense. There are so many bad people in the world.”

“…Don’t worry. These people are real suckers. The wife’s hobby is playing cat’s cradle, and the knight prays every night before bed.”

“Sister, you can’t be sure just from that. What if they’re plotting something by treating you so well…”

“Eh, if that’s the case, I’ll just bite my tongue and die.”

“Sister!”

It had been a long time since the boy had shouted like that. Though Amy was startled, she smiled upon feeling the worry within it.

“Rem, I’m grateful that you’re worried, but this sister is really fine. Besides, I’m not planning on going in and out of that mansion forever.”

Amy gently strokes the boy’s head. His sulking face melts away, relaxing as she does so.

“…Then?”

“Just until the next market day. Only until then. After that, we won’t have days where we can’t eat, right?”

“….”

It was a compromise he couldn’t refuse. Finally, the boy hangs his head with a completely dejected expression.

“…Fine. Just… be careful, Sister. If something happens to you, then I…”

Though the boy trails off, Amy already knows what his next words would have been. She trembles, then, unable to hold back, pulls him into a tight hug.

“What, Rem, you wouldn’t be able to live without your sister? Hmm? Hmm?”

“…Le-let go…! It’s hot…!”

“Look at you, acting all shy. You were sobbing in my arms just a moment ago.”

“I-I did not…!”

“Don’t worry. For a good while, I’ll be right here! Stuck to you like this? I mean, where else would I go without you…”

“I said it’s hoooot…”

***

From that day on, whenever they ran out of food, Amy would visit the couple. It was more profitable than any thievery.

All she had to do was walk to the couple’s house, and she’d come back with a basket full of food. Pretending to be pitiful was no trouble for her.

Amy and the boy were able to overcome the barley hump with less difficulty than ever before.

But even so, the boy couldn’t shake off his unease. Rather, the more he saw Amy return safely, the more his anxiety grew.

Each time clean and lovely clothes began to pile up in their cottage,

Each time Amy’s humming got louder on the mornings she went to visit the couple,

Each time a rosy glow returned to Amy’s once-pale cheeks,

Each time Amy changed.

Perhaps the boy had already known. That when two people drift apart, it’s not usually some sudden fight, it’s something that happens gradually as their paths diverge.

Maybe the boy had sensed the fork in the road approaching before him and Amy.

But despite the boy’s fear, the earth slowly turned golden.

Finally, in August, when the sky grew high and the traces of hardship fell away like old leaves, and when life returned to the faces of the villagers, who were now as ripe as wheat.

At last, the market opened again.

It was the end of the time period Amy had promised.

“Now, I think I’ll stop going there.”

Amy suddenly muttered one day, even though the boy didn’t ask. The boy, trying hard to hide his relief, asks back.

“Huh? Stop going where?”

“To those suckers. I’ve already taken enough from them. I should stop before they realize.”

Amy’s tone was strangely blunt. But the boy, drunk on relief, didn’t notice.

“Sister, you’re right. What if they have some ulterior…”

“But first, just one last time, I’m going to squeeze some more out of them.”

The boy looked on in confusion as Amy stood up. Amy went into the cottage and began gathering the clothes she received from the couple one by one.

“R-right now? And why the clothes…?”

“I have to pay for the trouble I’ve caused.”

Again, that blunt tone. This time, the boy senses something off. But before he can think of the right question, Amy leaves.

“I’ll be right back. Just wait here for a bit.”

The boy stares blankly at Amy’s receding figure. He blinks a few times, then violently shakes his head, as though to banish a sudden thought.

“No, she said today would be the last time. Let’s just… wait. That’s all I have to do.”

And for a while, the boy does just that, he waits. Amy clearly said today was the last time. And his sister was not someone who broke promises she made with him.

But anxiety is like ivy clinging to a wall. Even when you think you’ve pulled it away, by tomorrow afternoon it’s covering your heart all over again.

The more you try to remove it, the tougher it grows, until it finally coils around your heart.

In the end, the boy stands up. Without fully realizing it, he starts walking in the direction Amy had gone.

Not even knowing what it was he wanted to confirm.

Catching up to Amy is not difficult for the boy. Even though he doesn’t hurry after her, he still manages it easily.

It’s simply because Amy has to stop frequently along the way.

“Amy, going to see that knight again? What’s with all those clothes?”

“Amy? Today you’re not dressed in your pretty outfit. Is something wrong?”

“Amy! You’re off to see the knight again, right? Could you ask him again to take me on as his disciple… Huh? What’s with your clothes today?”

It’s because the villagers who recognize Amy gaze at her with worry in their eyes. The very people who, only a few months ago, looked down on her and the boy with scorn.

In truth, there’s a rather complicated situation behind this that the boy isn’t aware of.

As mentioned before, the barley hump that year was particularly severe. Some poor families even had to sell their precious heirlooms to afford a single meal.

And Sir Sinclair was far too righteous a man to simply stand by and watch. Not only did he personally share his wealth, but he even persuaded the baron to open his storage shed.

Sir Sinclair didn’t even need a speech to become the village hero.

And Sir Sinclair showered Amy with exceptional affection. The boy, who stayed mostly in the woods, didn’t know this, but the knight even walked Amy to the edge of the forest.

Naturally, it wasn’t strange for the villagers’ goodwill to extend to Amy.

Isn’t it hypocritical for them to look down on her when she was a beggar? Maybe. But who would have guessed the ragged thief from before is the same pretty young girl now?

They simply thought she was a poor girl taken in by Sir Sinclair.

In other words, it was kindness born of goodwill and a little misunderstanding. A warm-colored flower that bloomed after a long winter of poverty.

But how must that scene have looked to the boy, who knew nothing of the backstory?

Betrayal? No, that would be too extravagant a word for the boy. Had Amy demanded the boy’s heart, he would have willingly offered it.

Rather, it was… yes, it was like a television.

It’s been a while since the boy last recalled something from his world.

The CRT TV that had been in the middle of the messy living room. Though the people on the screen were clearly human, he never felt they were the same kind of human as he was.

Because inside that TV, people were all smiles, shining and happy. Meanwhile, he was curled up in a heap of trash.

They were supposedly the same species, but there was no way they could be so *different*.

Deep down, he believed they must be an entirely different race, eating different food, breathing different air, living differently. Like aliens.

And now.

The glass wall that had separated those ‘aliens’ from him now seems to separate him from Amy once again.

Even though just before waking up this morning, he had been holding her tightly in his arms.

Losing his sense of reality, the boy staggers along, following Amy. He piles up more things that have yet to hurt, chasing after her.

And so, the boy finally arrived at the couple’s house.

Did you know? That every orphan carries an ideal home in their heart. Even a child who claims they don’t need adults at all. In fact, that type of child needs it even more.

A wounded heart loves building houses.

Sir Sinclair and his wife’s house was such an ideal home.

Its roof was a cheerful orange, its walls clean white. There was a meadow nearby to run around in, and a little farther on, a lake to splash in. And when you breathed in, there was the bitter scent of grass leaves… the sweet smell of baking bread…

And there at the front door, Sir Sinclair and his wife stand waiting.

Like a scene from a movie.

Amy runs toward them with a beaming smile. The couple smiles just as brightly and embraces her. Sir Sinclair’s large hand covers Amy’s head like a lid, while Mrs. Sinclair’s gentle hand wipes the splattered mud off her face.

And so, to the boy, it looks all too distant.

The boy looks down at the ground. It must have rained yesterday, as there’s a puddle at his feet. The rippling surface reflects the blue sky above.

In that reflection, a person-shaped blot of filth is visible.

When the boy raises his hand, the filth also raises its hand. When the boy lowers his head, the filth also bows its head. And when the filth’s shoulders tremble, the boy buries his face in his hands.

Some people might hope that if he just washed up, it would all be different. If only he could take a proper bath and wear clean clothes, he, too, could join that movie-like scene.

But for the boy, there remained a filth that wouldn’t wash away, no matter how hard he tried.

[Seojun-ah, you have to stay right here. You can’t follow Mommy, okay?]

A filth that wouldn’t be erased even if he spent his entire life trying to cover it.

That day, for the first time, the boy realized just how much another’s happiness, someone precious to him, could hurt.

***

Amy came back to the cottage late into the night. Though she had broken her promise to be right back, the boy was grateful.

Had she come back sooner, he might have lost face by sobbing into her arms again.

But while the sun went down and the moon rose, he was able to sort out his emotions. You could say he accepted the truth.

The truth that he and Amy were vastly different people, and thus would inevitably grow apart one day.

So even when Amy returned, visibly excited, biting into an apple, the boy managed an awkward smile.

“Sorry I’m late…! I had to get confirmation, so it took a little longer…”

“No, it’s okay, Sister. I also needed some time to gather my thoughts…”

“But more importantly, Rem!!”

Amy strides right up and grabs the boy’s shoulders. She’s wearing a smile brighter than he’s ever seen before.

“I’ve got some really, really, really!! Really good news!!”

‘Already.’ The thought stabs the boy’s heart. Instinctively, he turns his head, trying to stave off the goodbye that seems near.

“Sister, I’m tired today…”

“No way! You have to hear this right now!!”

Amy cups the boy’s cheeks firmly with both hands, preventing him from turning away. Suddenly, he feels as if he might burst into tears.

“So, the good news is…”

God, why do you have to rush things so. Could you have given us more time? At the very least, some time to adjust…

“Those suckers said they’re going to adopt both of us!!”

…The boy’s eyes that had been welling up with tears were now filled with confusion. Amy, sensing that something was off, stammers in confusion.

“Ca-can’t you hear me, Rem? We, we don’t have to live in a place like this anymore?”

The boy blinks for a while before finally managing to ask.

“B-both Sister and me…?…”

“Yes!! We’re going to become real siblings!!”