BCDC 63

Attached to the lower part of it was a square food hatch, just a little larger than the span of an adult’s hand.

If I were to transform into a cat…!

She could pass through that food hatch.

And then, if she turned back into a human and unlatched the bolt—

I could escape with all the kids here.

If they hurried into the city, they would surely meet adults who could help them.

I could even ask Grandpa Namgung Ho to rescue Sorang!

But…

Hongseol bit her lip hard.

Then everyone here would find out that I’m a cat beastkin.

That fact was supposed to be a secret known only to the direct line of the Namgung family.

Especially Deung Soso, who came from a martial family in Hapbi City.

If word got out, it would reach the Myo family estate in no time.

What should I do…?

Just as Hongseol clenched her fist in anguish, the youngest boy among them came running and clung to her.

“Big sis, I’m scared.”

“C-come here.”

As Bing Yuhwa once had with her, Hongseol pulled the tiny child into her arms.

The boy’s body was trembling like an aspen leaf.

“A-am I the one who’s going to be taken next?”

At that, Hongseol couldn’t say a word.

Indeed, the ones most likely to be caught by the Black Drunkard’s iron claws were the slow-moving, younger children.

No matter how much they relied on each other, no one could go in another’s place.

“I—I miss my mom!”

At last, the boy burst into tears.

The sight shook Hongseol’s heart.

I was like that too…

Before meeting her death on Mount Daechok, the face she had wanted to see most was her mother’s.

Hongseol made up her mind.

Yes. At least give that child a chance to see his mother one more time.

Even if her identity as a cat beastkin was exposed, she would worry about that later.

Steeling herself, Hongseol gestured for the children to gather.

Only Yang Dojin, still fuming over his own weakness, remained leaning alone against the wall.

“Listen. We’re going to escape from here.”

Perhaps it was the first time Hongseol had said such a thing—everyone’s eyes lit up as they hurried closer.

“How?”

“I’ll open the door.”

“But how would you…?”

Deung Soso’s gaze stopped on Hongseol’s body. She was a little shorter, but not that different in build from herself—how could she possibly get outside to open the door?

“No. I can do it.”

Something about Hongseol’s oddly confident tone made hope bloom on the children’s faces.

“But you all have to promise me one thing.”

The children’s eyes widened as they crowded around her.

“What is it?”

“What do we have to do?”

“Until I open the door, you must keep your eyes closed.”

“That’s all?”

At the boy who had been crying just moments ago, Hongseol nodded.

“I promise!”

The boy raised his pinky finger and nodded eagerly.

“Me too!”

“I swear on my life!”

After getting their promises, Hongseol turned to Deung Soso and Yang Dojin.

“You two are the oldest here, so I need a different promise from you. You’ll have to lead the children together when we escape.”

Deung Soso’s eyes gleamed with curiosity.

“What kind of promise?”

“Never tell anyone about who I really am.”

“Who are you, anyway?”

“…Promise first, and I’ll tell you.”

“Oh, right. I promise, I promise!”

“I promise too.”

Only then did Hongseol whisper the plan to them.

“What—you’re a cat beastkin?!”

Deung Soso nearly toppled backward.

Scooting closer, she whispered in a tiny voice.

“…Could it be that you’re the child the Myo family said they lost?”

“Ah… y-yeah.”

“Where are you now? Don’t tell me you’re independent already?”

“No… I’ll tell you later.”

“You have to tell me, okay?”

It was only after hooking pinkies that Hongseol managed to escape Deung Soso’s relentless questioning.

Facing the children huddled around her, Hongseol spoke solemnly.

“We’ll escape at midnight. So everyone, get some good sleep.”

“Yes, Captain!”

“Okaaay!”

As if they had never been frightened, the children began flopping down one by one.

They trusted Hongseol, who looked so dependable.

In truth, Hongseol didn’t sleep a wink from nerves.

The moment she stirred and opened her eyes, she met the gaze of the beggar boy keeping watch.

Yang Dojin spoke quietly.

“It’s deep into the night. Since there’s no sign of anyone, it should be the Hour of the Ox—between one and three a.m.”

As expected, his hearing was extraordinary.

Hongseol gently shook Deung Soso, who was curled up asleep beside her.

“Soso, wake up.”

“Mmnn…”

After groaning for a bit, Deung Soso finally forced herself up.

It took a while for the three of them to wake all the whining children.

Soon, the awakened children’s gazes gathered on Hongseol.

How is she going to open the door?

Those questioning eyes sparkled as they stared at her.

Feeling the attention, Hongseol blushed.

“Um… we promised, so could you please stop staring like that?”

“Everyone, face the wall and close your eyes! Hurry!”

At Deung Soso’s words, the children turned to the wall one by one and squeezed their eyes shut.

Steeling herself, Hongseol did a quick somersault.

In an instant, the eight-year-old girl vanished, replaced by a tiny pink kitten no bigger than a handful.

“Wow.”

Deung Soso gaped, murmuring in awe.

Yang Dojin tried not to show it, but his widened pupils betrayed his shock.

Deung Soso even looked as if she were about to pick Hongseol up in a daze.

Flustered, Hongseol waved her front paw.

Don’t!

“Ah—right. We’re in the middle of an escape.”

Coming to her senses, Deung Soso carefully set Hongseol down.

Resolute, Hongseol scampered toward the iron door.

Creeeak.

When Deung Soso opened the food hatch’s cover, Hongseol poked her tiny head outside and looked around.

“There’s no one.”

The beggar boy, Yang Dojin, spoke toward the back of Hongseol’s furry head.

“I checked by sound. There’s no one nearby.”

He was right.

In the long corridor beyond, not even an ant could be seen.

Hop!

Hongseol swiftly squeezed through the food hatch.

“We did it!”

From inside came Deung Soso and Yang Dojin’s muffled cheers.

Outside, Hongseol did another somersault and returned to her small human form.

“Here goes.”

The bolt was set higher than her height, but standing on tiptoe, she barely managed to reach it.

Creeak.

“Ah!”

Startled by the sound of the bolt falling, Hongseol hunched her shoulders—but nothing happened.

“Come on, hurry out!”

When she opened the iron door, the children came pouring out in a rush.

“Wow, it really opened!”

“We’re really escaping!”

After carefully checking that no one was left behind, Deung Soso asked Hongseol,

“Where do we go now?”

“Dojin will guide us.”

Yang Dojin carefully pressed his ear to the ground, then gestured for them to follow him.

“This way.”

The children lined up and followed him cautiously.

Deung Soso stayed in the middle, while Hongseol took the rear, making sure none of the younger children lagged behind.

Here, they acted like adults—but outside, Yang Dojin, Deung Soso, and Hongseol were all children who should have been protected.

They merely endured their fear, pretending to be brave out of responsibility for those even younger.

The cave they had been imprisoned in was like a maze.

That’s why they didn’t post guards at the iron door.

Without Yang Dojin’s sharp hearing, they would have escaped only to get hopelessly lost inside.

They stumbled over tree roots a few times, but thankfully, no one was hurt, and they made it to the exit.

Breathing in fresh air for the first time in ages, the children inhaled deeply.

“Pwah!”

“We’re alive!”

They were halfway up an unknown mountain.

By the light of the full moon, they could see a city in the distance, with torches flickering here and there.

Recognizing a few large buildings, Deung Soso muttered,

“That’s probably Hapbi.”

At her words, Yang Dojin nodded.

In a low voice, he said,

“If we go straight down, we’ll soon enter Hapbi City.”

“Great!”

Unlike Deung Soso, who nodded eagerly, Hongseol tilted her head in confusion.

Why does it sound like he isn’t planning to go with us?

While the others rejoiced at the sight of Hapbi below, Hongseol couldn’t take her eyes off Yang Dojin.