Chapter 16:
No answer came from Kirian.
She crawled toward him on all fours.
“Yan?”
She gently shook the blood-soaked Kirian. His eyes were tightly shut. His forehead was split open and bleeding.
“Kirian. Kirian!”
She placed a finger under his nose. Thankfully, he was still breathing.
“Uh… uh…”
What would Diana have done in a situation like this?
To her, Diana had always been a grown-up, dependable older sister.
When she fell off the swing and scraped her knee, Diana had washed the wound with clean water, applied medicine, and covered it with gauze.
“Wait. Kirian!”
She had seen water trickling down toward the village a few times before. She ran blindly toward the small creek.
“Ah!”
She tripped over a stone and rolled across the ground. Blood streamed down her scraped knee. But she didn’t cry. She had to protect Kirian.
As soon as she reached the creek, she soaked the handkerchief Kirian had given her and ran back to the cabin. Then she carefully wiped the wounds on his face, arms, and everywhere else.
“Hic… Kirian…”
How much must this hurt? And it was all because of her.
If she hadn’t lost Kirian, if she hadn’t been captured by those bad men, he wouldn’t have ended up like this.
She held back tears, blaming herself.
Stupid Franz. Idiot Yvonne…
She hated herself. Maybe her parents loved her less because she was like this.
The thought crept in.
“I’m sorry, Kirian. Please wake up.”
If he would just open his eyes, she would go home. She wouldn’t eat his wild berries anymore, wouldn’t cry and bother him. Just don’t die.
Swallowing her sobs, Franz wiped his face. The gaping wound must have hurt—though half-unconscious, he furrowed his brows.
Once she finished tending to Kirian’s wounds, she sniffled and buried her face between her knees.
Night came, dawn came, but Kirian did not wake.
Franz—Yvonne—thought everything was her fault.
The first thing Kirian saw when he regained consciousness was Franz.
Franz was curled up beside him, dozing off, and relief washed over him.
At least Franz was safe. At least he had protected this child.
Like a little angel.
His plump cheeks, perfect blond hair, even the shadowed eyelashes—when those lashes lifted, he would meet those sparkling blue-gray eyes.
But Franz wasn’t angelic because of his looks.
Though his face did show how gentle and pure he was, Franz’s very existence felt like a miraculous chance—like the scripture verses Kirian had read.
A salvation granted from the heavens. His angel, Franz.
“Ahem.”
His throat hurt—no voice came out. Kirian then noticed something tightly wrapped around his wrist. The handkerchief Franz had given him.
He must’ve gotten scratched badly by a nail sticking out of the floor.
“Ugh.”
When he tried to sit up, pain throbbed all over his body. As a terrible groan escaped his teeth, Franz woke with a start.
Franz shot upright and, still half-asleep, blinked at him.
“You’re awake! Are you okay? I thought you were going to die!”
“Why are you here? I told you not to come out until I said it was safe.”
Kirian snapped irritably. But Franz didn’t shrink back.
“How could I stay in there? You were hurt so badly you fainted.”
“Shut up. Since you came out without permission, forget about the letter.”
“That’s fine. What’s important is that you’re okay. I don’t care if I can’t write the letter.”
“You really are a stupid idiot. If you came out, you should’ve gone home. What’ve you been doing here all this time?”
“I’m sorry… but I couldn’t just leave. Does it hurt? Are you okay? You were bleeding so much…”
“Stop worrying and go home. I’m awake now.”
“…You’d rather I wasn’t here, right? You feel better if I go home, don’t you?”
Kirian was speechless.
What kind of parents treated their child in such a way that he believed that about himself?
He sensed a deep gloom in the small, hesitant Franz.
Kirian sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
What on earth are you…
Being with Franz gave him a strange sense of fulfillment. He suspected this might be what people felt from family.
But he wasn’t capable of taking care of someone yet. And Franz was a delicately raised noble child—he wouldn’t survive long in Frutera.
Three fistfights in two days. Franz can’t stay here.
“Yeah. So get lost.”
“Alright… Thanks for everything. Take care and… sniff… I hope your wounds heal soon.”
Franz sniffled as he stood.
Kirian didn’t feel good watching him go. His insides twisted. He felt like he was sitting on needles.
Franz walked past him weakly and left the cabin. Kirian had roughly told him the way yesterday, so he should be able to return to Münster safely. But…
“Wait!”
He couldn’t let him go just like that. Worry aside, he wanted to stay with Franz a little longer.
Kirian forced himself up and limped after him.
His whole body screamed with pain, but he pretended to be fine.
“I’ll take you to the edge of the forest. Since we’ve spent some time together.”
He spoke gruffly, as if pretending to be kind, but he watched Franz’s reaction anxiously. What if the boy pushed him away?
Luckily, though startled, Franz accepted it easily.
They walked in awkward silence. Their footsteps and the buzz of insects were the only sounds. Kirian was the first to speak.
“Don’t ever come here again.”
“…Not even with my parents?”
“No.”
“Even when I’m big? When I’m an adult?”
“Still no.”
This place didn’t suit someone as untainted as Franz.
“But…”
“No buts.”
“What if… I miss you?”
Kirian was struck dumb.
There was such pure affection in that question that a lump rose in his throat.
Even his own mother had never said she missed him—yet this boy offered affection without conditions.
“…Write to me.”
“But I don’t know your address.”
“Then memorize it.”
He rarely stayed at home, but he decided he would return regularly now.
After memorizing the address Kirian gave him, Franz couldn’t hide his smile.
“What’s your name?”
“What’s yours?”
“I’m…”
Franz glanced up at him nervously. Fearing that telling his real surname would distance Kirian, he lied.
“Franz Bernike.”
Franz Bernike was the name of a hero from an adventure novel he once read.
“Kirian Heger.”
“Heger…”
Franz repeated his surname—one he had inherited from the mother he despised. He had always wanted to throw it away, but hearing Franz say it somehow made it sound… not so bad.
“When’s your birthday?”
“…January 30th.”
“That’s a long way off.”
“Don’t get weird ideas.”
“I won’t. I’ll write to you. Will you… write back?”
He could only just read now. Learning to read in a single day had already been impressive.
Kirian wondered if there was anyone who could teach him. He needed to learn to write too. And then there was ink and paper—where would he even get those? His head hurt imagining it.
“We’ll see.”
“Mm… Kirian, then does this mean we can’t ever see each other again?”
Kirian thought.
“If you stop crying, I’ll visit you sometimes.”
It was easier for him to go to Franz than for the younger boy to travel here.
“Do you know a place called Fen in Münster?”
It was close to where Franz lived.
“I’ll wait in front of the temple in Fen on the last Sunday of every month.”
Franz’s face lit up.
“Really? You promise?”
“Yeah.”
Kirian’s eyes softened at the sight of Franz bouncing with joy.
So this is what it must feel like to have a little brother. Without noticing, he reached out and ruffled Franz’s hair.
“Waaah!”
Franz tried to escape, claiming Kirian was making his hair even messier, but Kirian was faster.
He grabbed Franz by the scruff and tousled his hair wildly.
“Eeeeek, stop it!”
Playing around like that, they eventually reached the edge of the forest.
Seeing the wide field open before them, they felt the moment of parting draw near.
They had only spent a few days together, yet the thought of separating from Franz made him unexpectedly sad.
With bright, shining eyes that didn’t match his dusty, soot-covered appearance, Franz looked at him.
“Kirian, take care. See you in Fen!”
“Go.”
“You have to get better soon, okay?”
“Just go already.”
“Okay.”
Suddenly, Franz jumped at him and hugged him tightly. His hugs were warm and gentle—just like him.
Kirian awkwardly returned the embrace, stiff and unsure—completely unlike the natural way Franz clung to him.
But Franz didn’t mind. Rubbing his cheek against Kirian’s rigid body, he showed his innocent affection.
“Oh, and you’d better know this. I don’t hate you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. You’re not an idiot or a fool. So don’t live like you’re worthless. Don’t care what your parents say. Don’t shrink just because that Daniel kid only pays attention to you sometimes. Got it?”
“Mm.”
“Don’t just say you understand.”
“Don’t worry, Kirian. You’re a really good person. Thank you for staying with me. Let’s meet again.”
Whispering that, Franz stepped back and walked away.
His back looked strong and determined. For some reason, watching his figure grow smaller made Kirian feel like crying.
So he quickly turned around and rushed back into the forest.
Otherwise, he would’ve stood there crying like a helpless baby as he saw him off.
