Chapter 28
The book flapped and appeared, flipping through its pages busily as it checked on Lorr.
“Book…!”
[Oh my! Lorr…]
Lorr hugged the book tightly.
“Naah….”
The book wiggled. A soft light glimmered from inside it, showing that new words had been written.
Although Lorr wanted to hold it forever, curiosity about what the book had to say made her release it.
[You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?]
“…Mm…”
Lorr nodded up and down repeatedly. Tears welled up once more. The book gently patted Lorr’s shoulder with its cover.
“Huuh… Hhh! I-I’m bad… That’s why oppa hates me…?”
In fairy tales, villains were hated by everyone. It was natural for them to be hated because they were bad.
But my oppa hates me. That means I’m the bad one…
Tears rolled down her rosy cheeks.
[No, Lorr. You’re not bad.]
The book gently stroked Lorr’s cheek. Lorr rubbed her eyes with the sleeve of her pajamas.
“R-Really…?”
[The world isn’t divided strictly into good and bad.]
“So, bad things are hated… and good things are kind?”
As Lorr sniffled, the book fluttered and brought over a handkerchief from the drawer.
Lorr took it and blew her nose.
[You like strawberries, don’t you?]
“Uuuh…!”
Even while sniffling, the thought of sweet, tangy strawberries made her mouth water.
Strawberries were the favorite fruit of both Lorr and her mother.
[But Alcade hates strawberries.]
“Daddy?”
Ka-boom!
Lightning struck in Lorr’s mind.
[Yes. Unfortunately, your daddy hates strawberries!]
“Huh!”
The book emphasized again, and Lorr could only stare at it, stunned.
[So, Lorr, does that make Alcade a bad person?]
“N-No! Daddy’s not bad!”
Daddy gives me cheesecake, strokes my hair, and pats my bottom when I dance!
So Daddy can’t be a bad person!
[Exactly. That’s why instead of calling it ‘bad,’ we say it’s ‘different.’]
“Different…?”
[Yes. That means neither Reikal nor Lorr are bad.]
“Mm… not bad… just different.”
Even as Lorr nodded, her expression remained gloomy.
‘Still… oppa hating me doesn’t change.’
That thought seemed to pull her heart down, down.
“Haaah…”
A small sigh escaped between her lips.
[Still feeling upset?]
“Mm…”
Seeing Lorr’s face darkened, the book cautiously suggested:
[Then… shall we go for a nighttime walk?]
“Night… walk…?”
Lorr’s eyes widened at the suggestion.
[The moonlight is bright tonight. Perfect for a nighttime walk.]
Looking out the window, the garden shone under the moonlight just as the book said. White flowers glimmered beautifully.
The round moon hung in the night sky, surrounded by scattered stars, and if you looked down, fireflies fluttered among the trees and flowers.
It looked like a garden where fairies lived.
“B-But… going out at night makes me a bad child, right?”
Lorr wanted to be a good child…
[Even fairy tale heroes sometimes do what adults tell them not to! Are they bad?]
“N-No!”
Lorr opened her eyes wide.
Right. Legendary hero Afuka, Princess Helen the Lion—none of them listened to their parents’ warnings and went on adventures! And in the end, they were all praised as heroes!
Lorr’s face brightened with anticipation, and the book displayed tiny words as if whispering:
[Don’t you want to go out, Lorr?]
“Mm… I want to go!”
She would go on an adventure into the moonlit garden!
The life that had shone in her green eyes dimmed slightly again.
“But… there are the older sisters… and the knights in the hallway…”
If they caught me, they’d scold me, and I couldn’t even go to the garden…
[Don’t worry about that!]
The book spun boldly and sprinkled light dust around Lorr.
“Woah?! Pretty!”
[Now, you’re invisible! Look!]
When the book pointed toward the mirror, Lorr jumped up and ran over.
“Really!”
Though she stood before the mirror, her reflection didn’t appear. Lorr laughed as if she had never been crying.
[You’ll be invisible for a while! Now, shall we go to the garden?]
Lorr walked confidently down the hallway.
Her heart pounded as she passed the maid, but there was nothing to worry about. Neither the maid nor the knight noticed her.
“Waaah…!”
Finally in the garden, Lorr raised her arms and hopped up and down.
She was on a grand adventure!
The cool night air filled her lungs, making her heart race.
Moonlight reached every corner of the garden, on the dewdrops hanging from leaves and even over Lorr’s outstretched head.
The heavy weight on her heart had vanished.
She bounced around, the night air refreshing her.
Crack!
She stepped on a fallen branch. In the quiet night, the sound echoed loudly.
“Hey, what’s that?”
The rough voice startled Lorr, who turned her head.
“Who’s there?”
A sharp, cautious tone, yet somehow familiar.
Lorr opened her slightly puffy eyes wide.
“Eh!”
It was the boy with black hair she had rescued.
“I heard a sound over here.”
He scanned his surroundings warily.
Sure enough, the sound of the breaking branch lingered…
‘Did I hear wrong?’
Tilting his head, he spotted the broken branch a little further away.
‘There’s definitely something here!’
The boy wrinkled his nose. The wind carried faint warmth and a sweet scent—someone was nearby.
“I know you’re there.”
He crouched and bared his teeth, growling.
“Come out, show yourself!”
Feeling around, his hand caught the necklace.
‘Keep wearing that necklace. It’ll help control your power.’
The man who had given the necklace had a cold, stern face and voice.
The only time he had looked gently was at the girl…
The girl who had cried from the sharpness of his nails.
Her name was Lorr. He probably meant to be careful only around her.
But there was no way such a little girl would wander outside at night.
Kainel didn’t trust the Grand Duke’s mansion as safe, so he had left the room to find an escape route.
The knights guarded the doors, but not the windows.
Kainel sneered and jumped out the window.
Just as he started exploring, he heard something suspicious.
Determined not to let a suspicious person roam, he hesitated to throw off his necklace.
“It’s… me!”
At that moment, Lorr appeared.
“Sorry for startling you…”
“Ah…”
Appearing suddenly from thin air, the boy tensed, wary.
But Lorr felt relieved.
His golden eyes gleamed sharply in the dark, but his long claws were not visible.
Earlier, she had been scared they’d grow again if the book let the boy see them.
‘The claws didn’t come out!’
Hehe. Lorr stepped forward, feeling safe.
Bang! The world spun in a flash.
“Don’t come closer!”
“Eeek!”
The boy pushed Lorr in anger, and she fell onto the grass.
“Hhiccup!”
Surprised, she hiccupped.
The boy’s eyes widened in panic.
Luckily, his hands were normal human hands, but he quickly hid them behind his back.
“Hhh….”
At that moment, Lorr’s face crumpled and tears poured out.
“Uuuh… Hhhhaaah…!”
