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Chapter 45
The Assassination Team
“Thank you.”
Raul finally rose and bowed deeply to the duke. Then he gave me a small bow as well. Perhaps it was the difference in rank, but his gaze toward me wasn’t the same as before.
That night, Raul and Radan were given a vacant two-person room in the knights’ quarters.
And Raul became a page of the order. If he proved himself, he could one day rise to squire, and eventually to full knight.
The knights of Arcades were stronger than any order. The thought that Raul might become one of them filled me with pride.
Everything seemed to be going well, except for one thing.
The truth was, I hadn’t slept well last night. Even after saving Raul and Radan, sleep wouldn’t come easily.
Because I couldn’t forget the man who had guarded Atero.
The way he had stared at me in the night market… those eyes haunted me all night.
Who was he?
If he knew who I was… If he was someone I needed to know…
That possibility wouldn’t leave my mind.
They said I resembled my mother more. If they knew my mother, Irene, then anyone who saw me would surely be reminded of her.
If he was my uncle’s man, he might report to Viscount Nopert. If he was a temple tracker, he could inform the High Priest.
My magic hadn’t even manifested yet—would they really risk opposing the duke just to find me?
Maybe not. But who could say for sure?
It never hurt to be prepared.
“What are you thinking so hard about, summoning me here like this?”
Lost in thought, I hadn’t noticed Samit already standing before me.
“When did you get here?”
“Just now. You were so deep in thought you didn’t even notice me enter.”
“It’s nothing. Sit down first.”
I straightened up from the sofa’s backrest.
I had sent Lisa and Casey out to talk privately, but like Rikael, Samit had slipped in without a sound.
Perhaps his swordsmanship training even influenced the way he walked.
“You brought the children here? You can’t pass by pitiful kids without helping, can you?”
“They’re… special.”
“Special? In what way?”
“Hm?”
His question jolted me.
Even if the duke’s mansion was safe, no one could learn about Radan’s secret.
“I met them under the Torre Bridge. They let me and Jake rest a while, even escorted us to the bridge since it was getting dark. That kind of kindness makes them special.”
“Ah, I see. In that sense, I must be special too.”
Samit chuckled at his own joke.
“Of course. That’s why I called you, I have a favor to ask.”
“Say the word. I’ll do anything.”
I wanted to entrust someone with a personal task, but there was no one. Raul was too young to send outside the mansion, and the knights were all busy.
But Samit had saved my life. I trusted him.
“I already told the duke that you’d be running errands for me, so he won’t mind you going outside.”
“Oh! That’s great news.”
He sounded like a man on holiday. I guessed he liked roaming about.
“Yesterday at the night market, I met a red-haired boy—Atero Giolit. He asked to be my friend. Can you look into his family? And also the long-haired blond man guarding him. I can’t just accept his friendship without knowing who he is.”
“You took a liking to Atero and that blond man?”
“Not exactly. It’s just… I need friends too, right?”
In truth, I didn’t need friends. And I already knew who Atero was. But I couldn’t admit that. Using ‘friendship’ as an excuse seemed safer.
“What about me, then?”
“You’re already my friend. That’s why I can ask you for this favor.”
“Really?”
I nodded, and his bright smile was pleasant to see.
“But… little one, are you really five years old?”
“Why?”
“You’re so thorough and cautious. Nothing like a five-year-old. Honestly, aside from your babyish lisp, nothing about you feels five.”
It was like being struck by lightning.
He was right. Everyone else doted on me so much that I’d done whatever I pleased without restraint. But I was still only five.
Yet Samit… he was watching me more sharply than anyone.
After all, what kind of five-year-old asks about a boy’s family background and his adult bodyguard? It was odd.
‘I’d let my guard down too much lately.’
‘Better to brush it off vaguely.’
“This is a secret, but… I’m a genius. My thinking’s just a little ahead of other kids. And I picked up a lot before I came to the duke’s mansion.”
“Ah, so that’s the secret.”
Samit smiled faintly and played along with my words.
“Samit, don’t you have any secrets?”
“Of course I do.”
“What are they?”
My curiosity was suddenly piqued.
The way he had appeared out of nowhere that day, like he’d fallen straight from the sky, to help me—it had always seemed mysterious.
“But… isn’t a secret supposed to stay secret?”
“What? Then I’m the one losing out here.”
“That’s what makes it a secret.”
“Hmph. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
I puffed my cheeks out in protest. When one of Samit’s fingers reached toward my cheek, I swatted it away with a little fist.
He pulled back with an awkward look and muttered sullenly.
“Don’t be so cute. I’ll get attached.”
“Fine. Get out.”
It wasn’t like I’d lost anything, but the way he said it was annoyingly smug. With a teasing grin, Samit bent at the waist, gave a little bow, and left the room.
Come to think of it, I knew almost nothing about his past. Everything about Samit was practically a secret.
Next time I saw him, I’d have to ask what he’d been doing all that time wandering around.
Even though I’d read the original story, there were still so many things I didn’t know.
In fact, I didn’t even know the ending properly. I only assumed it would be a happy one because of the spoiler that Rikael killed Ramel and crowned Chris as emperor.
But wait, Rikael did punish the High Priest too, didn’t he?
That was the real completion of poetic justice. After all, the High Priest had been the one pulling all the strings behind the worst of the crimes.
As I mulled over the original story, the door opened and Casey came in.
“Little miss, it’s time for your milk.”
She set the glass of milk on the table and tilted her head at me.
“Little miss, did something happen yesterday?”
“Yesterday? What do you mean?”
“The knights were talking about forming an assassination squad. They said they had to get rid of a boy named Atero.”
“Atero? Why?”
“They said he had wicked intentions toward you.”
‘Ha! The world is wide, but there’s no shortage of fools. Still, why did it have to be my knights acting like this?’
Honestly, those guys really needed to be run ragged on the training grounds to get their heads straight.
“Casey. Give Cherto and Arthur my exact words.”
“What should I tell them?”
“Tell them they’d better straighten up and train hard before I come after them myself.”
Casey could be a little emotional at times, but she was a loyal maid. She relayed my message to the knights exactly as I’d said it, and thankfully the assassination plot was dropped.
