INRWH 09

Chapter 09

21 Glova Street, right?”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Great. Thanks for your hard work!”

Waving cheerfully, Winter returned to the ducal estate with Meidilion.

After shooing Meidilion into his room and telling him to hurry up and wash, Winter herself took a refreshing bath with the help of the maids.

Once she emerged looking fresh and clean, she paced around her room anxiously before finally heading to Meidilion’s room.

“…M-Miss?”

Startled by the door flying open, Meidilion instinctively stepped back.

Walking in as though it were her own room, Winter frowned slightly when she saw his hair was still dripping wet.

“I told you to dry your hair properly. You’ll catch a cold if you don’t.”

She had a maid bring over a towel, sat Meidilion down in a chair, and carefully dried his hair.

Her rough, quick hands moved as though she were drying the fur of a puppy, causing his head to sway back and forth, yet Meidilion obediently kept both hands folded neatly on his lap.

“Mei, want to skip sword practice today and go out with me instead?”

Winter placed the towel aside after drying most of the moisture from his hair.

Meidilion blinked for a moment before his face lit up.

“Yes! I’d love to!”

Anyone could tell he’d completely ignored the part about skipping sword practice and was simply thrilled at the thought of spending time with Winter.

Not long afterward, the two little children quietly slipped out of the ducal estate without the servants noticing.

They escaped through the same hole in the wall that Meidilion occasionally used whenever he ran away from Taig’s bullying.

“Wow!”

The moment Winter crawled out through the hole and reached the main street, she let out an excited gasp.

Originally, Winter had hated leaving the estate almost obsessively. She claimed she refused to walk on the same streets as commoners.

There had never been any reason for her to leave anyway.

Anything she needed could be brought by servants, and tailors came directly to the mansion whenever she wanted new clothes.

But now that she remembered her previous life, the outside world felt like an entirely different paradise.

Up until now, all she’d done inside the ducal estate was read books, take medicine, eat meals… and watch Meidilion.

Of course, she could watch Meidilion all day without getting tired of it.

Still, if she simply sat around comfortably forever, she’d never obtain what she truly wanted.

Winter didn’t have much time left.

“Mei.”

“Yes?”

“I came fully prepared today.”

She shook the pouch filled with coins and smiled brightly.

The innocent smile made Meidilion’s cheeks flush pink.

“W-What are you planning to do with all that?”

“We’re going to look around and eat lots of delicious food.”

Meals served inside the castle were always healthy, lightly seasoned dishes carefully balanced for nutrition.

She knew they were good for her body.

But sometimes people simply craved greasy, unhealthy junk food.

“B-But if you eat things like that carelessly, Miss—”

“Tsk.”

Worried something might happen to her, Meidilion hesitantly began to protest, only for Winter to cut him off.

“When we’re outside, don’t call me ‘Miss.’ People will figure it out immediately.”

“Then… what should I call you?”

“Just call me Winter.”

“Wi… Wi…”

Meidilion stammered in shock.

How could he suddenly call her by name?

Knowing exactly what was going through his head, Winter grinned mischievously and stepped right up to him.

“Go ahead. Try it.”

“T-Try what?”

“Call me Winter, Mei.”

The sudden request made Meidilion inhale sharply.

For some reason, Winter’s golden eyes sparkled even more brightly than usual, filled with anticipation.

After hesitating and taking half a step backward, Meidilion avoided her gaze and muttered quietly,

“…ter.”

“Hm? What was that? I couldn’t hear you.”

“W-Winter!”

Squeezing both eyes shut, Meidilion shouted her name.

Silence followed.

When Winter didn’t respond as she normally would, Meidilion cautiously opened one eye.

Standing before him was Winter, smiling more radiantly than he had ever seen.

Without realizing it, his lips parted.

“Heh…”

The joy shining in her curved golden eyes struck him strangely deep in the chest.

“Yes, Mei.”

Only after meeting his gaze did Winter nod and answer gently.

Her warm voice made his ears burn.

“Looks like we’re all set now.”

“So… shall we go have some real fun?”

Overflowing with excitement, Winter grabbed Meidilion’s hand and started running.

“W-Wait, slow down, Mi—… I mean, Winter!”

Apparently hearing him call her by name made her happier than anything.

Winter laughed brightly as she dashed through the streets.

Although Meidilion had looked troubled at first, a smile soon spread across his face as well.

His heart pounded pleasantly inside his chest.

But not long afterward, that smile vanished.

“Um… Winter.”

“Hm?”

“If you keep eating like that…”

You’ll end up making yourself sick.

Meidilion deliberately left the sentence unfinished.

Winter tilted her head in confusion.

Her cheeks were stuffed full of bread she’d bought from one of the market stalls.

Her arms overflowed with snacks, toys, and all sorts of trinkets.

Naturally, Meidilion’s own hands were already loaded down with nearly as many purchases.

As though making up for everything she’d never been able to eat or enjoy before, Winter bought and sampled practically everything she saw.

The merchants naturally welcomed the little customer who spent money without hesitation.

If they didn’t know she was the notorious troublemaker of House Vladimir, Winter looked exactly like an adorable little angel.

Beside her stood the doll-like Meidilion, who was just as lovable.

Watching the two little children walking around hand in hand, the merchants looked at them with expressions that practically screamed they wanted to pinch their cheeks.

Well, anyone would adore children who ordered everything from the first item on the menu to the last.

Thanks to that, the two little ones received generous bonus treats everywhere they went.

Their arms full of purchases, they wandered happily through the marketplace.

Winter gleefully spent money and enjoyed every second of it.

Meanwhile, Meidilion continued following behind her with worry written all over his face.

“I-If you keep going like this… you’ll get a stomachache…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s all food people eat anyway.”

What Meidilion meant wasn’t that the food itself was unhealthy.

He meant eating so much at once would upset her stomach.

But Winter completely misunderstood him.

He had no idea how all that food fit inside her tiny body.

Yet Winter continued eating and enjoying everything around her as though today were the last day of her life.

“Little miss, how about a cup of watermelon juice too?”

“Mmm… sure! Two cups, please.”

Winter readily accepted the merchant’s invitation and had just received two cups of watermelon juice.

Then…

At exactly the same moment, both children noticed something.

Their expressions instantly turned cold.

“Mei.”

“…Yes.”

“You felt it too, didn’t you?”

“I did. Behind us…”

“Shh. Don’t turn around.”

Winter whispered quietly.

There had been too many people earlier for them to notice.

But it seemed someone had been following them for quite a while now.

“Should we head somewhere else?”

“Sounds good.”

As though they’d rehearsed it beforehand, both children suddenly bolted forward.

Behind them came a small curse, followed by the loud crash of someone stumbling into something.

Still holding hands tightly, they darted through one narrow alley after another.

Unfortunately…

Neither Winter nor Meidilion knew the imperial capital’s marketplace very well.

Although they desperately tried to lose the thugs chasing them, they eventually found themselves trapped in a dead-end alley.

“Tch.”

Clicking her tongue softly, Winter realized they’d been deliberately herded here.

Just then, a group of five or six men stepped into the alley entrance, blocking the only exit while snickering among themselves.

Apparently they were notorious local scum.

Every passerby hurried away, pretending not to notice them.

Clicking her tongue once more, Winter stepped forward.

One of the grinning men spoke first.

“Well now. Looks like we’ve got ourselves some rich little nobles. Walking around dressed all fancy like that… of course our Wyvern Gang would take an interest in you, little miss and little master.”

The Wyvern Gang?

What kind of childish name is that?

Winter’s face twisted in disgust.

She looked like she might throw up.

“Fancy? What are you talking about? I deliberately picked the plainest outfit I own.”

“…What?”

Instead of showing fear, Winter answered with complete indifference.

The man frowned.

Without another word, Winter plucked one of the gold buttons from her sleeve and tossed it toward him.

“There. That should satisfy you, right? Don’t overestimate yourselves and lose a hand trying something stupid. Take it and disappear.”

The gold button rolled across the ground.

The man’s grin widened.

With a small nod from him, a skinny man behind him hurried over, chuckling as he picked it up.

Apparently the burly, bug-eyed man standing at the front was their leader.

Rubbing his hands together greedily, the bug-eyed man smacked his lips.

“Afraid that won’t do. I’m planning to earn a nice fat ransom by selling you two back.”

“Hey, Toad. Keep getting greedy, and you’ll lose your head.”

“Hah! You really don’t know when to stop talking for such a little girl.”

The bug-eyed thug grabbed Winter by the collar.

Her small, slender body lifted effortlessly into the air.

“Don’t touch Miss—!”

“Let her go!”

The moment Winter was grabbed, Meidilion panicked.

He lunged at the thug’s arm.

His face resembled an enraged kitten with every hair standing on end.

Then he sank his teeth hard into the man’s arm.

“Agh! You insolent brat!”

Crying out in pain, the thug released Winter.

Then he spun around, grabbed Meidilion by the hair, and hurled him violently onto the ground.

“No, Mei!”

The instant violence erupted, Winter’s expression turned icy.

The calmness disappeared from her eyes.

In its place emerged a chilling, murderous gleam.

“You actually dared lay a hand on my Mei.”

“You’ve just crossed a line you can never come back from, idiot.”

“Hahaha! Such empty threats from a little girl.”

“Do you really think anyone’s coming to save you?”

“Why wouldn’t they?”

“…W-What?”

“Surely you didn’t think a young lady from a noble house would wander around without making any preparations?”

Those words made every member of the Wyvern Gang hesitate.

Smiling sweetly with the face of an innocent angel, Winter whispered,

“You people really are hopelessly careless.”