Chapter 9: CH 8

The Broschte estate did not have any knights. 

In terms of security, all the servants had to do was guard the door and call it a day off.

Naturally they would sit down and doze off so Shuel and I were able to leave the house without any struggle.

However, we soon ran into a new problem. I didn’t have any cash to spend right now.

But I quickly found a solution.

‘I need to cut my hair and sell it.’

Beautiful silver hair that flows like silk. My mother had always cherished my silver hair as if it was her road to success.

But…was it even possible to marry into a powerful family with only fine silver hair?

I had thought I could cut and sell it if there was ever a situation where I needed money quickly. 

There was no other situation than the current one where funds were needed as desperately as now.

Since it was long, soft, and the color was rare, I could sell it for a really good price.

However, it cannot be sold within the Broschte estate.

Silver hair was rare among the commoners and I was the only girl with silver hair in this territory.

There was no one in this small estate who didn’t know that my parents valued that silver hair more than their own daughter. I couldn’t sell my hair here.

Fortunately the neighboring estate, Undern, was much larger than Broschte’s. They would not have a way to verify whether or not the young lady of the Broschte had silver or white hair.

The Undern Estate was close enough that it could be reached within three hours on foot.

Even if you walk at a child’s pace, you would arrive in one night.

But the problem was that we had to climb over a mountain…

A dark mountain with no source of light.

“…..”

My life…

On second thoughts. Maybe this wasn’t going to end well.

Ah-woo. I heard a howling noise. It sounded like a wolf.

Summer was a prosperous season. Wild beasts with plenty of food, such as rabbits and squirrels, wouldn’t have to eat two tiny creatures with strange smells.

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Since many locals around here often climb this mountain, there were barely any cases of wild animals attacking people.

I knew that, but I was still terrified. With just the sound of grasshoppers chirping, the mountain seemed as if it could swallow me up at any moment.

I clenched my hand together in cold sweat and looked back.

Shuel, whose white face was still pale, was holding onto my skirt very tightly.

Yeah… I was going to bring this kid home safely no matter what.

With that thought in mind, it made me feel a little less scared.

For the sake of preserving my skirt, I reached my hand out to Shuel and he grabbed onto it as if he had been waiting for it.

This kid. If you were scared, you should have told me…..

With a grin, I faced Shuel with a determined face. Though I had no choice but to smile anyway.

Anyone who saw it would think I was ready to defeat a monster.

“Are you scared?”

“No. I am not scared.”

A bold answer was returned in the form of a weakened tone.

Before I could say anything back, Shuel took a step forward in front of me.

I was startled and was about to pull the child back behind me but Shuel stayed firmly in place. He spoke again but this time, with determination in his voice.

“Don’t be afraid. I will protect you.”

I was startled for a moment and my mouth was left agap.

What did he just say?

“This little kid….”

The words flowed out before I could take them back. Shuel, who was moving forward, turned his head back at the words and let out a sigh.

“Geez, am I not taller than you?”

It was very cute that the first subject the innocent child was annoyed with was regarding his height.

Come to think of it. Shuel does seem taller than me.  

For a moment, I was engulfed in a strange feeling.

I am…very small.

That’s right. In this life, I was only nine years old.

I was still young.

Once again, I thought that my life was quite strange. How could I have lived through two lifetimes?

I raised my head again. Shuel’s back was full in sight.

The back that was leading the way could hardly be considered large, but it radiated warmth. I chuckled.

There were probably more animals that would attack from the back than they would from the front.

“Thank you.”

“….Hmph.”

Though his tone remained sulking, you could almost feel that it was full of glee. 

Shuel and I continued walking through the night. It wasn’t as difficult as I originally thought as we followed the signs marked by the people who had traveled this path before.

After nearly spraining my ankle a few times and running around hysterically when a bug sat on my shoulder, the sky at last began to light up with a blue tinge.

For a while, it was pitch black but soon the sky began to brighten up. It was enough to see the beginning of a new day.

We had walked hand in hand for quite a while, but suddenly we stopped and stood still without facing each other.

The horizon began to turn blue. The sun slowly rose and the surroundings gradually became clear.

The eerie stillness of the night disappeared with the approach of dawn.

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It was a new morning.

＊  ＊  ＊

“Thank you.”

“Alright. Have a nice trip.”

Poor thing. A warm-hearted woman smiled at me as she wiped away her tears.

I smiled pitifully like a child with a sob story, before turning around and walking away.

My hair that was shortened just below my ears, felt refreshing as it fluttered behind me.

There were quite a few places to sell women’s hair in the Undern’s estate, and fortunately, I met a good owner and sold my hair at a good price.

Twenty gold pieces. I had received additional money from the store owner thanks to my tearful appeal of heading to the capital in search of my mother.

With this much, we could sleep in a good inn and ride a carriage.

A smile made its way onto my lips.

However, that smile soon disappeared the moment I saw Shuel. He had been standing in the vacant lot for a while but now he has guests with him.

Two robed adults stood in front of Shuel.

Anyone who saw them would deem it suspicious, but many left the place in a hurry without meddling. They fear that a dispute would arise out of nowhere and be caught in the crossfire.

Right across me, Shuel was staring at them with a dumbfounded face void of any fear.

Then one of the robed people fell down suddenly as if he had collapsed.

“Oh my goodness. Shuel, darling….!”

It was a heartbreaking tone. Before I could even stop them, he hugged Shuel tightly.

I was startled and ran to Shuel. I didn’t need to think about anything else but going to him.

The man called out Shuel’s real name. Which meant that he had to be aware of Shuel’s identity.

If they kidnapped the young master of Sebrirua…

Suddenly, my urgent stride stopped one step before reaching Shuel.

It was because the hair of the man after the hood was removed was the exact same platinum blonde as Shuel’s.

I stared at him blankly, then raised my head and turned my gaze towards the other person standing next to him.

A woman with black hair, that contrasted with the man’s platinum blonde, was looking down at them with warm magenta eyes.

The two of them, one standing and one kneeling down, and hugging Shuel. The sight was oddly familiar to me somehow…

“…..Huh?”

The contents of the novel then flashed through my mind.

Duke Kendrick de Sebrirua was described as a man with platinum blonde curls and dark brown eyes. While Duchess Marius Sebrirua was portrayed as a woman with black hair and magenta eyes.

They were the Duke and Duchess of Sebrirua.

What? How? Why were they here?! 

The timeframe was resolute. How could they possibly be here? 

My mind blanked out from the incredulous event I saw before me.

The Duke and Duchess of Sebrirua couldn’t possibly be here now. But yet here they are?

Shuel glanced at the face of the man who was holding him in his arms.

The child’s eyes slowly widened.

“D-Dad?”

With that single word, the thoughts running through my head ceased to exist. I exhaled the breath I had held in.

‘I guess it’s true…’

There was no way Shuel wouldn’t be able to recognise the faces of his own parents.

I did not know the reason, but regardless it was fortunate they were here.

It was clear that it would be much safer to be under the protection of the Duke of Sebrirua than for two children to set off on a journey to the capital.

“D-Dad….”

“Yes, yes, darling. Daddy is here.”

A subtle sense of salvation and destitution emerged simultaneously.

I stared blankly at Shuel’s back as he cried in his parents’ arms.

In his parents’ embrace, Shuel cried in abundance.

No matter how confident and mature he had been so far, he was still only a seven years old child.

He must have been so relieved to be able to see his parents after all the time that passed.

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Tears were already forming in the corners of Duke Kendrick’s eyes while he was hugging his child. Duchess Marius was also silently embracing her husband and son tightly.

I watched them from a distance and lowered my gaze.

Parents who love their child and a child who deserves to be loved by his parents.

It was such a dazzlingly warm and perfect family scene that no one could interfere with.

Something I would never have…

‘It simply was like that.’

There were things in this world that couldn’t be changed no matter how hard you try.

I won’t covet what I can’t have.

I exhaled deeply. It was a sigh of relief.

My job was over.

Shuel has safely reunited with his parents, and now he will live happily with them without the memories of this traumatic event.

He has followed me well up until now, but once he heads back to the capital and grows up amongst the high-ranking nobles, he would hardly remember me.

Everything went back into its original place, but the aftertaste was still quite bitter.

I didn’t realise we would part ways this soon…

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