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Chapter 24
The Children Ran Away (1)
Jake only walked past the displays, casting nervous glances toward the glass window where the carriage was waiting.
Sensing something odd, I quickened my pace so I wouldn’t lose him. But then suddenly, he started pretending to look at toys again.
Did I imagine it?
Watching Jake closely, I also pretended to browse the toys with him.
Even without cars or guns, the toys here were all fascinating… There were carts with axes attached, swords with balls on them, and pulley-like contraptions that lifted things.
As I became absorbed in the toys, I heard a sudden ‘dadadadak’ sound.
Startled, I looked over to see Jake running. I quickly took off after him.
When he saw me following, he sped up even more, Past two display shelves, then three, until he finally reached a secluded spot and disappeared through a back door he’d found.
I ran with everything I had in my short legs. I didn’t know what he was thinking, but I couldn’t let him get away.
Once I got through the door, he was already across the main street. I darted across too, following the narrow path that continued on the other side.
I’d barely caught up, but Jake had already disappeared around the corner and a bad feeling welled up inside me.
My lungs burned and my heart felt like it might explode, but I didn’t stop running. I cursed the yellow dress Casey had dressed me in, saying I looked like a cute little chick…
If not for the bothersome skirt, I could’ve run faster…
Still, I was glad I’d trained hard enough for this moment. Jake was so fast it was hard to keep up, but I rounded the corner with all my strength.
And there he was—Jake, standing still. He glared at me with narrowed eyes. His expression seemed full of sadness and maybe a bit of resentment, but mostly sadness.
“Why are you following me?”
“Jake, are you running away from home right now?”
“It’s not that. I just wanted to be alone until dinner.”
So he was running away. I could understand a bit why he felt that way. To be ignored by the brother he idolized must’ve hurt terribly.
As someone partly responsible, I couldn’t let him go off alone.
“Then let’s go together.”
Jake looked at me like I was annoying. But I couldn’t help it.
This all started because of the wooden sword I gave him. If it had just burned up like in the original story, Jake wouldn’t be this hurt now.
“It’s my fault you’re like this. If I hadn’t given you the wooden sword, none of this would’ve happened. So… I’m sorry.”
I had to apologize, at the very least. My words wouldn’t comfort him, but I knew how heartbroken he was.
Jake turned his head quickly.
And in that moment, I saw the shimmering tears welling in his eyes.
He probably didn’t want me to see them. But I had already seen them, and after that, there was no way I’d let him go alone.
“Let’s go together. Honestly, I’m tired too. The eldest young master keeps trying to break off the engagement, it’s exhausting. Life really sucks.”
Jake stopped walking.
I threw out the complaints he didn’t say himself.
“You hate your big brother too, don’t you? He went too far this time.”
“Big Brother is always right.”
I thought he’d agree with me, but he didn’t. As expected of a true Rikael fanboy, even if he was running away from home, he still defended his brother.
I guess that’s better than being the type who switches sides depending on the situation.
But still, you’re clearly having a hard time right now. At least vent a little.
That’s how I felt, but Jake remained silent. I thought siblings grew up fighting, but here he was, just blindly believing in his brother.
I moved next to him and stood by his side.
Since we were already out, we might as well forget about his brother and enjoy ourselves.
“Let’s go already. Let’s get some bread and ice cream, and be back by dinner.”
“You like ice cream?”
“Of course. Do you like it too, Jake?”
“Yeah. It’s delicious. I know a good ice cream shop, but I don’t know how to get there.”
“Then let’s just go for now.”
Just then, an empty carriage passed by. Jake and I hailed it and told the driver to just head downhill.
The driver hesitated at first, but when Jake held out a gold coin, he immediately took off.
And it didn’t take long for me to realize that my simple but ambitious plan… was just a plan.
The driver took us far past the central district and dropped us off. Jake thanked him and handed over another gold coin.
Should he really be handing out gold coins like that?
In most romance-fantasy stories I’ve read, that’s a dangerous move.
“The one you already gave is more than enough. I can’t accept this.”
The round-nosed driver waved his hands apologetically.
He had a warm expression and didn’t seem like a bad person, so I felt a little more at ease.
“It’s fine. Just don’t tell anyone you saw us.”
“Ah, understood, young master. Thank you.”
Jake spoke down to the driver as if it was natural, and I looked at him with curiosity.
When we got out of the carriage, Jake helped me down like before. We had arrived near an arched bridge. A stream ran beneath it, and shops lined the stream’s edge.
The gently flowing water, ducks swimming along it, and the overgrown grass created a beautiful scene.
I stood there for a moment, mesmerized.
It reminded me of the Korean countryside. The world outside the duke’s estate was still full of charm. People passed by with their own business and didn’t pay much attention to us.
As I looked around peacefully, my eyes landed on a bakery in the distance. A savory smell wafted in the air at that moment, it must be coming from the bakery.
Romance was nice and all, but it didn’t suppress hunger. It had been a while since lunch, and I was getting hungry.
As if reading my mind, Jake asked first:
“Wanna get some bread from that bakery?”
“Sure.”
We went into the bakery and picked out what we wanted.
Jake chose two deep-fried croquette-like breads, while I picked a baked cheese bread and a sandwich.
When we went to pay, Jake opened his bag. Worried he might pull out another gold coin, I quickly grabbed the strap and peeked inside first.
Thankfully, there were silver coins too. Throwing gold around carelessly would make us targets for robbers, so from now on, I’d handle the money.
“I’ll pay.”
I turned to the shopkeeper at the counter and met his eyes.
He looked down at us with a puzzled expression. It must’ve seemed odd for two kids to be alone like this.
“How much is it?”
“Two silver, three copper.”
Wait, how much was that?
I fumbled and handed him three silver coins, then he returned a few copper coins as change.
I pocketed the coins responsibly, and Jake took the bag of bread. After that, we crossed the arched bridge, looking for somewhere to sit and eat.
Before the bridge, there had been a lot of people, but beyond it, the crowd thinned.
“Let’s eat around that corner.”
Jake pointed to a corner that led to a stone wall. Then he ran off, and I followed.
Around the corner, a wide street lined with stone walls came into view. Taking note of that, I sat next to Jake, who had already taken a seat.
“Yo-you… um… you’re… really fast…”
“You’re surprised I can run that well?”
“Uh… yeah. That’s it.”
Jake stuttered badly, then shyly admitted it. It seemed like a compliment, and I felt pleased.
Well, I’ve been working out non-stop every day, so it’s no wonder. However, from Jake’s point of view, it must’ve been surprising that someone so much younger than him could keep up.
“I had nothing else to do, so I just kept running.”
Jake nodded like he understood and handed me the cheese bread. The savory aroma tickled my nose, making me even more hungry.
Just as I was about to take a bite, I saw someone squatting across from us.
It was a boy around my age, but even at a glance, he looked scruffy and as if he hadn’t eaten in days.
