Chapter 74
The problem was Den and Charlotte. Especially Den, who still seemed afraid of Katya and Charlotte, so he naturally ended up practicing alone with Nina.
Messi and Katya weren’t too pleased about that sight.
“That little brat…”
Keith, sitting on the bench, also didn’t like the way Den was stuck right next to Nina.
The only reason he was restraining his temper for once was simple: if he caused another commotion here, Nina might actually tell him to leave for real this time.
“Ugh, I disappointed my baby…”
Cheshire, who had just returned with a drink, cautiously spoke to Keith, who was sniffling.
“Don’t tell me… Keith, are you scared of rides?”
“W–Who said that! I’m just keeping an eye on our baby, that’s all!”
“I see. Well, I can look after them, so why don’t you go enjoy yourself?”
“Why would I? Why should I trust you with anything?”
Cheshire only shrugged and sat down gracefully next to Keith, crossing his legs.
Sitting here like this, he looked like some staff member taking a break after working at the haunted house attraction across the park.
Maybe that’s why—contrary to expectations—inside the amusement park, people rarely seemed afraid of Cheshire.
His pale lemon-colored eyes glimmered as he looked across the skating rink at the girl holding hands with a black-haired boy.
The girl said something, tossing her head back so that her golden curls flew out in the sun.
The dazzling sunlight scattered across her hair.
Cheshire’s eyes narrowed.
That strange, creeping feeling that had been lingering for a while suddenly hardened into certainty.
“Where have I seen her before…?”
“Look at this! The Root Demon King is finally showing his true colors! Why are you suddenly acting like you know our baby? What, are you even trying to steal our baby now?!”
Keith, feeling oddly guilty, growled as if he were about to pounce on Cheshire.
Cheshire calmly replied,
“No, nothing like that. I just really feel like I’ve seen her somewhere.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! And even if you did, you must be mistaking her for someone else. Kids all look the same anyway!”
Keith snapped back irritably.
He was lashing out because he felt uneasy, but realistically, the chance of Cheshire having any connection to Nina was as nonexistent as Keith’s own.
Even so, Cheshire still looked puzzled.
“Really? That’s strange. I usually don’t forget faces.”
“Ever heard the saying ‘even monkeys fall from trees’?!”
“…It’s actually ‘even monkeys fall from trees,’ not ‘trees drop monkeys.’”
Meanwhile, inside the skating rink, the children were warming up and the atmosphere was much friendlier than before.
“Wow, Messi, you’re amazing! And Katya, you’re really good too!”
“Nina, you’re good as well. Is this really your first time?”
At Nina’s admiration, Messi answered modestly.
Katya, on the other hand, raised her chin and laughed smugly.
“This isn’t much different from walking around in our neighborhood.”
“Really…? Charlotte, you should try letting go too.”
After a few tries with Nina, Den was starting to get used to it, but Charlotte still clung tightly to the wall with both hands, unable to muster the courage.
Her voice trembled.
“But… what if I fall…?”
“You won’t. Katya will help you so you don’t fall.”
When Nina looked at Katya, Katya obediently nodded and held her hand out to Charlotte.
“Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll help you. Let’s try a lap together.”
“Mm…”
Perhaps because Nina had scolded her earlier, Katya was being unusually kind to Charlotte.
Charlotte, too, finally took Katya’s hand and started moving slowly.
Nina then turned to Messi.
“Messi, can you help Den for a bit in my place?”
“Huh?”
Messi blinked blankly at Nina and Den’s clasped hands.
“Me?”
“Yeah, I need to go to the bathroom.”
“Alone?”
“Well, who else would I go with?”
When Nina retorted in disbelief, Messi scratched his cheek and glanced toward the bathroom.
It was right next to the skating rink entrance—close enough to see from here, with staff nearby. It seemed safe enough for kids to go in and out alone.
“It’s fine, right?”
Nina looked at the two boys with sparkling eyes.
Den blushed faintly and nodded.
“I’m fine. As long as Messi’s okay with it…”
“Then I’ll leave him to you!”
Nina grinned and pressed their hands together, making Messi’s eyes tremble slightly.
She didn’t notice and turned away.
As she headed for the bathroom, she glanced back and spotted Cheshire sitting with Keith on the opposite bench.
‘So he’s the boss of the Wildcats.’
She was sure she’d never met him before today.
His appearance had been so striking that she hadn’t connected the dots until she’d heard his name.
‘He doesn’t seem like a bad person though.’
She had no memory of meeting him, but she had heard of both the Wildcats and Cheshire.
After Lavian had fallen into a coma, she’d learned bits and pieces about the group’s activities.
The Wildcats had become a refuge for the scattered Anubis members.
And they’d clashed with the new gangs from across the sea, from the Three Kingdoms.
Refuge… which really meant absorption.
But the details were murky, making it hard to judge Cheshire.
‘Ugh, my head hurts!’
Feeling like her head might burst, Nina splashed cold water on her face several times before leaving the bathroom.
‘When is Lavian coming back?’
She’d been trying not to think about it, but maybe from exhaustion, an anxious emptiness welled up.
Meeting Den, coming to an amusement park for the first time, skating with friends—it was all fun. Yet a hollow unease lingered in her chest.
If Lavian went to the palace and something happened, if he never came back like in her dream…
‘Stop imagining stupid things!’
This situation was completely different now.
And she knew well enough that once she let herself fall into ominous thoughts, she wouldn’t be able to stop.
‘It’s just overthinking. No matter what changes happen, my goal is still just one. I just need to focus on that.’
Exactly.
From the very beginning, Nina had only one goal.
As long as she could achieve it, she didn’t care about Hamelin’s change of heart or any other variables.
Because she had already died once.
Even if Hamelin killed her again, if it was after she reached her goal, it wouldn’t matter.
Steadying herself, Nina left the bathroom and was just about to step back into the skating rink when—
“Nina, wait a moment.”
“Huh?”
She froze. Cheshire was standing beside the bathroom building.
But just a moment ago, he had been on the bench.
She glanced that way and saw that Mira had returned with unconscious men in tow and was now scuffling with Keith.
“Are you here to use the bathroom too, Mister?”
Cheshire shook his head and pulled a handkerchief from his inner pocket.
‘Lavian does that too… gangsters sure like carrying handkerchiefs.’
The silly thought flickered in Nina’s mind just as she flinched at the soft fabric brushing her face.
“You’ll catch a cold like this, kid.”
“Ah…”
“You went in just to wash your face?”
“Not exactly…”
Why was he asking that?
Confusion flickered in Nina’s eyes.
Cheshire, bending down to look at her, also wore an unreadable expression.
“Geez… now I feel like some kind of creep.”
“Huh?”
“Hey, Nina… where’s your hometown?”
“The capital.”
“The capital, huh. Then it shouldn’t be possible…”
Cheshire kept mumbling incomprehensibly, tilting his head.
