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Episode 2
I tightly held the child’s hand, stood up, and smiled at the men.
“Thank you for looking after my little brother.”
“Uh, well….”
The men exchanged glances, hesitated, and eventually scratched their heads before turning away with a scoff.
“Ugh, you should watch your kid better. Do you know what the world is like these days?”
“Right, right. I lost sight of him for just a moment. Thank you so much!”
I bowed in thanks and didn’t take my eyes off them until they had completely disappeared, then I looked down at the child.
“Listen. You almost got kidnapped back there.”
“Ha….”
The child stared at me with a truly incredulous look. As if about to say something, his lips twitched, but he soon pressed them tightly together, his ears turning bright red. He must have been shocked to hear that he almost got kidnapped by the men who had been acting kindly.
I scooped the child up in my arms and patted his back.
“Don’t worry, I’ll help you. What’s your name? How old are you?”
“B….”
The child closed his mouth once before speaking again.
“Baron.”
“Baron?”
“Baron Elder Seven years old.”
Hearing his name, I was startled.
“What, you have a family name?”
“…Why? Is it strange to have one?”
“No, it’s not that. If you have a family name, that means you’re a noble.”
“That’s right.”
‘No wonder he had an air of nobility about him.’
I tried to remember if a child named Baron had appeared in the novel. But no matter how much I thought, that name didn’t exist. It seemed he wasn’t in the original story, even though he was one of the many children contributing to the public awareness of kidnapping cases.
‘Wait. If he’s a noble, maybe I can get some kind of reward for returning him?’
I didn’t save him expecting a reward, but if I could get money or a character reference, it would make life much easier. If he’s a noble, his identity would be verified, making it easier to find his home too.
But my expectations were brutally shattered.
“I… don’t have a mom or dad. I don’t have a home either.”
When I asked about his family, where and when he got separated, and where his home was, his answer left me speechless.
“The imperial family said… annihilation? Execution? Title stripped, assets confiscated. My nanny left me at an inn, saying she’d be right back, but she never came.”
“….”
No emotion showed in Baron’s eyes, and his voice was flat. It seemed he was already past being hurt, to the point of numbness.
‘You’ve suffered a lot because of your parents’ mistakes too!’
Fate had dealt him a cruel hand—at an age where he should be showered with love, he was wandering without a home, family, or support, even running into kidnappers.
Something welled up in my chest.
“Ahem, I’m sorry.”
“Huh? For what?”
“I’m sorry for asking something unnecessary. That must have been upsetting. I’m sorry.”
At the sincere apology, Baron seemed flustered and slightly bowed his head.
“Oh, n-no. It’s okay.”
Baron’s cheeks were slightly red. Was he embarrassed to receive an apology from an adult? I tilted my head briefly before understanding on my own. Well, this world wasn’t exactly kind to children. This might be his first time getting an apology.
Anyway… what should I do with him then?
Since I couldn’t possibly raise him myself, I agonized over it and then took him to the public office. An official told me to take him to an orphanage and gave me directions. It was about a thirty-minute walk.
Holding the child’s hand as we stepped onto the street, Baron asked me.
“Are you going to send me to an orphanage?”
“There, you’ll meet adults who can help you better.”
I took Baron’s hand.
“Let’s go for now. If your legs get tired on the way, I’ll carry you.”
“….”
Instead of answering, Baron just rolled his eyes around before asking me.
“You could just leave me and go, you know?”
“Hey, you need to say something that makes sense!”
I crouched down, held Baron’s shoulders, and met his eye level.
“If I leave you here, those kidnappers from before will take you.”
“I’m not scared.”
I was being serious, but Baron snorted.
Goodness gracious.
“No. You don’t know what happens if you get taken.”
“What happens?”
I recalled the original novel.
“You’d be thrown into magic stone mining, sold to pirates, or sold to nobles… Anyway, you’d become a slave.”
I left out the part about being used for organ trafficking or all sorts of illegal experiments, as it was too shocking for a child.
But upon hearing my words, one of Baron’s eyebrows rose in a way shocking a child.
“Are you sure? How do you know that?”
His defiant attitude was so absurd I let out a hollow laugh.
“You’re tiny but your tone is really cheeky. Are you interrogating me now?”
When I pretended to flick his forehead, Baron’s eyes went wide.
“?”
He had an expression of disbelief at what he had just experienced. Being born a noble child, even the gesture of a forehead flick seemed unfamiliar. Baron rubbed his own forehead, which I hadn’t even touched, pouted his lips, and grumbled.
“No, it’s because you talk like you know everything for sure.”
“It’s obvious what happens after a kid gets kidnapped. Anyway, let’s go, I’ll take you there. Tell me if your legs hurt.”
“Tell you if my legs hurt?”
“You have to walk for thirty minutes. You’re young, so it’ll probably be hard for you.”
I shortened my stride to match Baron’s pace.
After walking like that for a few minutes, Baron looked up at me and asked.
“Big sister.”
“Yes?”
“What happens if my legs hurt?”
“Huh?”
“If my legs hurt, I can’t walk, right?”
“….”
This poor kid. He really didn’t want to go to the orphanage, it seemed.
“You need to go there to sleep safely, eat meals, and be protected by adults.”
“I don’t need protection.”
“What are you talking about, how old are you? You almost got kidnapped earlier.”
“I said I don’t need it!”
“Really? How have you been managing to eat and live until now?”
“Well….”
Baron closed his mouth.
“Wasn’t it hard?”
There was no answer to my repeated question either.
I stared intently at Baron. After locking eyes with me for a while, Baron soon blushed and averted his gaze.
“W-well… it was. I-I couldn’t eat properly, and sleep… like you said… i-it was hard.”
It seemed he hated to admit it but couldn’t help it. His inability to lie was cute and innocent, making me laugh softly.
Ha, it would have been really nice if I could take him in and care for him myself.
“See.”
I slowly explained what would happen at the orphanage, and Baron soon became sullen and nodded.
“Even if my legs hurt… I still have to go to the orphanage.”
Baron said his legs hurt, but judging by how he was walking, it didn’t seem like they actually did. It seemed like he just didn’t want to go to the orphanage.
‘It’s going to get dark at this rate.’
There was no other choice.
I crouched down and showed him my back.
“Here, get on.”
“Huh?”
“You said your legs hurt. I’ll carry you.”
“…Y-you’ll carry me?”
“Yes. Or are you going to walk?”
Silence fell for a moment. When I glanced back, Baron, his face flushed, hesitantly leaned his body awkwardly against my back.
“O-okay, fine. My legs hurt, after all.”
I stood up with Baron on my back. But then Baron’s hands touched my back.
“You’ve never been carried like this before, have you?”
“…How did you know?”
“I can tell by your hands. You shouldn’t push against my back, you should hug my neck.”
“Huh? I have to cling that much?”
“That way I won’t have to strain, so hold on tight.”
Baron wrapped his arms around my neck. Soon, his body clung snugly to my back, creating a sense of stability.
“Good, hold on tight.”
I adjusted my hold on Baron and started walking.
‘Sigh, I need to get back home quickly to get something for dinner before it gets dark. Will the laundry I hung out be dry by now?’
Time was tight. I had to take Baron to the orphanage and then take care of my own tasks.
Feeling rushed, I quickened my pace.
After walking for a long while carrying Baron, I finally spotted the orphanage. The standalone two-story building was large, but even from a distance, it looked old and worn-out.
“What’s your name, big sister?”
As we walked toward the orphanage visible in the distance, Baron, who had been quiet the whole time, asked a question, and I answered without thinking.
“Kim So-jeong.”
