Chapter 41

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: The Super Shy Kid is Looking for Dad 137

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Tiye dashed to the entrance and gaped.

"Gasp, real poison needle bombs...!"

At the entrance.

Eight servants lay sprawled out in front of the stairs where the cart had been parked.

Thorns were densely embedded in their arms and legs, making them look just like chestnut burrs.

"No wonder their eyes looked like pups starved for weeks."

Veil sauntered leisurely toward the cart.

Beneath the sacks of gold coins in the cart, the two poison needle bombs he had planted sat activated and burst wide open.

"Head Maid!"

"Sister!"

Lea and Helga, who had chased after Tiye's group, collapsed to the ground.

It was right in front of the head maid, sprawled out closest to the cart.

"Sister! What's wrong? Are you okay? Hey?!"

But the head maid didn't answer.

Her face rigid, she only wheezed faintly through clenched teeth, her eyes rolling about.

Veil spoke calmly.

"She can't answer. It's a paralyzing poison."

Lea and Helga's faces drained of color.

"W-what did you say? Are you insane?! You trying to kill them all?!"

But Veil didn't so much as blink.

"Yeah. That a problem?"

"What the—!"

"You lot tormenting an innocent kid is fine, but me tormenting you a bit isn't?"

"Th-that's...!"

The servants' lips quivered as if at a loss for words.

Veil turned to Tiye.

"Kiddo. You tell me. I'll follow your lead—you're the squad leader, after all."

Tiye wore a troubled expression.

People lying there, only able to roll their eyes, unable to move.

It was a little scary, sure,

but

'If it's dangerous, don't worry—just use it, Tiye. It's just a handy weapon I'm putting in your bag for you. This poison's paralyzing, no threat to life, and the antidote clears it right up.'

According to Basto, the poison needle bombs weren't dangerous enough to kill.

Just a sting if it hit, and temporary paralysis?

"Hurry up and say it. What do we do?"

Tiye pressed her cheeks with both hands, agonizing.

But in that moment, the hands of the fallen servants entered her view.

Each clutched a fistful of gold coins pilfered from Tiye's cart.

Tiye's face slowly grew grave.

'...They're really, really bad people!'

The house servants hadn't just tormented Selina—they'd tried to steal Tiye's money too.

She could forgive the money thing a hundred times over; she could earn more.

But

'Grown adults bullying a child—that's a crime!'

Tiye's eyes widened with resolve.

"Selina, did you know? A needle thief becomes a gold thief."

"Gold thief...? What's that?"

"Yeah, it means thieves who steal Tiye's gold coins all started with tiny stuff like needles!"

Selina's eyes widened.

Soon, the girl's face darkened as she spoke up.

"Yeah. Actually..."

But Selina trailed off, hunching her shoulders.

'Why... why can't I breathe all of a sudden?'

The fear she'd bottled up was suddenly surging forth.

At first, she hadn't wanted to worry her parents.

But at some point, even when she wanted to confess the truth, she couldn't.

Facing the servants made her chest tighten, her breath catch.

Hallucinated echoes buzzed in her ears.

'Nothing will change. Not now, not ever.'

Her body felt like it was sinking into deep mire; just as her legs were about to give out,

"Selina, look at Tiye."

Tiye gripped Selina's hand tightly.

Then, as if reading her heart, she said,

"Don't be scared, okay? Tiye'll bring the whole squad and stand in front to protect you from now on! Yeah?"

Selina couldn't say a word.

Tears welled up unbidden.

'...She said she's a mercenary.'

Was that why?

Tiye was brave and kind.

More refined than the other noble kids at the imperial academy, more composed than her, a year older.

Selina suddenly recalled the day Tiye moved next door.

The evening of the festival in full swing.

The night all the servants had abandoned her and rushed out to the streets.

Gazing out the window that day, Selina spotted Tiye for the first time.

The mansion ablaze with lights.

People crossing the garden to greet the child, surrounded densely by beaming faces.

Everyone around Tiye gazed at her with loving eyes.

They stroked her head tenderly; every gesture to scoop her up brimmed with affection.

That's why, the next day, Selina had climbed over the fence into Tiye's yard.

The warmth enveloping Tiye had looked so enviable, so cozy.

Just once—just one time—she'd wanted to feel it too.

'Our daughter—is she doing okay? The head maid said so. Eating well, going to the academy fine! Mommy's so proud and thinks you're so pretty. Mommy'll come once I snag this contract, so wait just a bit, okay?'

'Selina! Our precious girl! Daddy bought tons of presents for you. I love you always, Selina. Just a few more years of this, and you—you and your kids—can settle fully in the capital. We've suffered, but...'

Selina's parents despised poverty with a passion.

They'd been dirt poor when she was born, apparently.

Her mother once said that when Selina was a newborn, she barely had milk, so she'd had to venture into monster-infested woods.

That's why her father was missing one arm.

Even after losing it to a monster, her father kept entering the woods to forage herbs.

Only by brewing those into gruel could her mother and Selina eat something.

But young Selina had fallen gravely ill after one bowl of that gruel.

Her back covered in boils, she'd nearly died.

That's when her parents started working like demons.

Her father threw himself into dangerous jobs he'd never tried, with his crippled body.

Her mother too.

By the time Selina started walking, they moved every few weeks.

From the capital's outskirts inward, then back out, then to the center.

And finally, to House Rosewell.

Thanks to her parents' trading company impressing high church officials, Selina suddenly became a baron's daughter.

'We're safe now, dear! Finally, we can raise our girl in a secure place...!'

'Sob... Selina!'

That day.

Selina watched her parents weep with joy.

Saw her father's empty sleeve flap with each sob.

Selina told herself over and over.

This is a good thing.

So I should be happy and grateful.

Everything came from Mom and Dad's hard work all those years.

But...

Whenever they returned from trips only to leave again soon after, she wanted to say,

I don't want money.

I don't care about being a baron's daughter.

What I want... is just to be with you, Mom and Dad.

Tears flowed.

Astie wiped them away.

"Se-Selina... Don't cry..."

She'd spent so long stifling her sobs alone.

From scrapes by the servants' hands, from hunger, from loneliness.

"Tiye's gonna cry too..."

But this moment felt different.

Selina wiped her eyes clumsily while looking at Tiye.

She hadn't known having someone beside her could give such courage.

'Tiye's... my friend.'

Tiye was Selina's friend.

The friend she'd longed for and tried so hard to make, finally hers.

Selina parted her lips.

And with a tiny, hiccuping voice,

"Tiye. The truth is... the head maid... she took my expensive stuff, saying she'd clean it for me."

Her voice trembled, but she pushed to speak clearly.

"And, sob, she never gave it back. It was mine—Mom and Dad gave it to me!"

Pent-up tears poured anew.

Tiye's lips parted slightly.

Soon, she turned to Veil.

Her face flushed with anger.

Tiye spoke loud enough for all to hear.

"...Hey, big bro Veil. If we don't give them the antidote, the poison needle bomb victims all go to heaven, right?"

The servants flinched, and Veil's expression turned peculiar.

Because Veil and Tiye knew best that poison needle bombs didn't kill.

'And yet she says that...'

Veil grinned with intrigue.

"...Damn, kiddo. You've really become a true commander now?"