episode_0022

If each person’s tastes and preferences are things that gradually settle into the body over a long period of time, or things that suddenly appear at a certain moment that we eventually forget, then Christie’s obsession with ‘stealing’ can be seen as the latter. When Christie was just entering puberty, her father left her and her mother after a long illness.

For a family that was already struggling financially, caring for a sick father for a long time was no easy task, and her mother, who had grown attached to her father from an early age and could not even move a single step from his bed, remarried less than three days after the funeral.

While her mother was busy erasing all traces of her ex-husband from the house, changing her last name along with her daughter’s, just three years younger than Christie, Christie often wandered out of the house because she didn’t want her mother to call her by her full name.

The young groom, who had married an older woman who was more like a money-related contract, had no desire to feel parental affection for a girl his own age, and Christie felt awkward with him and sometimes even resented him, feeling as if he had taken away her normal life.

Even on that spring day, when the seeds of obsession were just right for them to sprout, Christie would leave the windows wide open and let the little wild animals out into the yard to eat her stepfather’s favorite plants. She would occasionally glance at her stepfather’s bedroom window as he slept through the night.

“… … .”

One thing is certain: before she climbed the stairs and opened the bedroom door, she had only been trying to give a nagging, lazy, and spoiled brat a piece of advice. What she didn’t know at the time was that even such a small emotional rift was not enough to stop her impulsive attraction.

Immediately after committing the crime, her mind, which had been alert since childhood, began to work quickly and calmly as the excitement subsided and the temperature gradually cooled. She ended up touching her mother’s companion, her only blood relative. If this person opened his mouth, it would only be a matter of time before she would be abandoned and become a loner in this world forever.

Christie looked down at the man panting beneath her with eyes full of anxiety and fear, and placed a hand on his slender neck.

Rattling

“I left my pass behind. Honey, can you check my shirt pocket for me?”

Suddenly, the front door downstairs opened wide and the voice of her mother was heard. The two boys and girls on the bed froze at the same time. At that moment, when all her thought circuits were producing a hopeless result, her new father slowly brought his index finger close to her lips.

“I’ll look for it! Just wait there for a moment.”

Even more than when she heard the noise from downstairs, Christie was greatly surprised by her new father’s calm expression and the way he shouted so nonchalantly, even snickering. She pushed Christie away, who looked flustered, and after adjusting her clothes, she went downstairs and kissed her wife’s cheek with the lips she had been longing for just before. As she watched him, Christie felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

Since then and up until now, their secret affair has not been discovered, and Christie has been able to resolve revenge on her father, her love, and other pleasures all at once without losing her mother.

Affection, love, pleasure. You don’t have to make all kinds of efforts to build them up. You just have to squeeze through the cracks in the high walls of the castle that others have built.

Please work hard for me, my pretty beloved. I will eat the sweet fruit first.

“… … Ron? Juan Ron?”

“Ah… Excuse me for a moment.”

Uriel calls herself by her new father’s last name, which is also the name that reminded her of the pleasure of stealing.

“I understand your loyalty, but I think you should also consider your health. I want to keep capable people by my side for a long time. For the time being, I think I should give you a job that is not too difficult.”

“Thank you for your consideration, but… … .”

For now, he must build more trust by her side. He must act loyally, even if it means doing something difficult. Until she trusts him more and more and invites him into the strong fortress where her prince is.

When Christie showed signs of being considerate, she felt even more impressed with her loyal subordinate, smiled cheerfully, and patted Christie on the shoulder.

“Hoohoohoohoo… Just because something isn’t hard doesn’t mean it’s always unimportant. The King and Queen have a successor. It’s my job to watch over that child and report to me after making sure he doesn’t do anything stupid. Can I trust you and leave it to you?”

“… I will do as you instructed.”

Christie walks through the labyrinthine interior of the palace, the longsword clanking on her waist, and opens the door to the room she has been guided to.

“Ah… Shh, Princess!”

“Come behind me, Prince! ”

The little ones are terrified of the sight of Christie armed and stand guard in a corner of the room.

“You came all the way here without permission, are you planning to harm us after all? You bunch of traitors…!”

Crown Prince Arsul (♀) shouts at Christie while hiding his fiancé behind his back. But soon, the soldier standing tall in front of them without saying anything and looking at them with a bloodless face, thinking that he might really pull out his sword and swing it at any moment, makes Aesong’s face, which had been showing recklessness for a moment, gradually turn pale.

“… … .”

“Ugh… … … .”

Her gaze lingered for a moment on her fiancé, who was hiding behind the crown prince, before suddenly smiling brightly.

“My name is Christie Juaron, and I am in charge of protecting the Crown Prince and his wife.”

The two children tilted their heads, half-off guard, at the sight of her kneeling and responding with a cold smile.

***

“Inspiration. I came back after a walk. And I brought some guests.”

The front door opens slightly and Holt sticks his head out. He glances at Mila and Ray, who are standing behind him, at Algaet’s words, and then opens the door.

“Okay, okay. Make yourself comfortable. There are a lot of empty rooms for two people. Are you hungry? Huh? Oh, right. I should go change some clothes.”

Algaet, slightly excited about welcoming the guests, leads the two to the reception room and walks up the stairs.

“Sniff sniff… It doesn’t stink as much as before.”

“In the end, I decided to give up on making it myself. That ignitable powder. The amount I got was too little compared to the effort I put in. ”

Algaet leans forward and responds to Ray’s words as he goes upstairs. Her coat seems to have already been taken off, revealing a bit of her bare shoulder.

“Oh, hurry up and change your clothes… .”

Mila, who has been doing business with the mansion for several years but has never actually entered the mansion, is looking around the reception room. Unlike the mansion owner’s eccentric impression, the atmosphere is neat and clean.

“Please take a seat. There is some leftover food from last night, if that’s okay.”

Holt Inspiration recommends Mila to take one chair. Mila thinks that this guy might be the one who has the hardest time here.

“I’m sorry for suddenly interrupting you.”

Formal treatment requires formal reciprocation. The old man smiles and turns around to head to the kitchen. Ray sits on the chair across from him, staring blankly at Mila.

“… … What’s on your face?”

“I was surprised at how suddenly his speech changed.”

She smiled as she skillfully arranged the plates on the table in the proper positions for table manners. For the first time in her life, she had the experience of being liked as a wandering merchant, which was more valuable than anything else. She wondered what kind of expression this child, who had been relying on her purely without any particular ulterior motives, would make if she revealed her true identity. She thought that this child might react a little differently, but she decided to hold back for the time being, fearing that she might once again show her face soaked in dirty materialism.

“I came back from getting some fresh air and I’m really hungry. Have you been waiting long? Come on, eat quickly.”

Algaet, who appeared wearing white silk pants and a black outer garment with a long hem that flowed down the back, sat down in the largest chair and spoke. Old Man Holt ladled out what looked like poultry meat stewed in spicy spices and poured it onto each of their plates. Algaet first tore the bread in half, picked up the meat with her bare hands, and put it between them before taking a bite.

Mila coughs in vain to give Ray a hint as he tries to secretly imitate her eating style after seeing that sight.

Ray watched Mila eat with a fork and knife and then started to copy her.