CHAPTER 11
Though getting to the market together had been rough, in the end, she felt it was worth bringing him along.
“Woooow!”
The market was bustling, lively voices calling out from all directions.
“Apples are cheap! Three for 3 shillings!”
“Fresh vegetables here!”
“Special deals! Lots of fine fabrics!”
“Fresh juice! Only 1 shilling!”
Having been holed up at home for so long, the sharp, piercing noise was overwhelming. But Aslan looked thrilled. He sparkled at every new stall and person, bouncing with excitement.
“Mom! What’s that? I hear music from over there!”
“That’s a music box.”
“What about that? It smells super sweet!”
“That’s cotton candy.”
Aslan gave her an eager look—it was clear he wanted some. She shook her head firmly.
“No food.”
“Why not?!”
She was worried about hygiene.
She’d been cautious with Aslan’s food since he was little, so street food made her uneasy.
“I’ll buy you anything else.”
“Boo…”
Aslan looked visibly disappointed. But not for long.
Hearing cheerful music from somewhere, Aslan tugged her hand.
“Mom! Let’s go over there!”
“Okay! Okay, we’re going! My arm’s gonna fall off.”
Such a tiny thing, but so strong. She tightly held his small hand as they walked in the direction he pulled.
Following the music, they arrived at the town square where a traveling band was performing.
The crowd had already gathered, and they blended in naturally.
“A band performing in this tiny village? That’s rare.”
Still, seeing Aslan so happy made it worthwhile.
He watched the instruments curiously and asked,
“Is that a music box too?”
“No, those are instruments.”
“What’s the difference?”
“A music box plays automatically with a music sheet. But those are played by people.”
“That’s so cool! People can do so many things!”
True enough. No other species could use such strange tools like humans.
But children’s attention spans are short. Just as Aslan seemed absorbed in the music, he turned away and pointed to a stall in the corner.
“Mom, I want that!”
This time it was a plush doll—a strange mix between a lion and a cat, looking just like Aslan.
They approached the stall. Up close, even its eye color was identical to Aslan’s. Her own eyes widened.
“Wow, we have to buy this.”
She told Aslan,
“Wait here a second.”
“Okay!”
“How much for this doll?”
Seeing their attire, the vendor’s bored face instantly lit up.
“Three silver coins.”
…Should’ve dressed more like a commoner. That was clearly overpriced.
Still, it was pocket change for her. She let go of Aslan’s hand to pay.
That was the mistake.
As soon as she turned around with the doll…
“Hey!”
“Waaah! Mom!”
Aslan was being snatched away by a stranger, getting farther and farther from her.
“Mom! Help me!”
“Aslan!”
Aslan reached toward Minerva, who was chasing after him with a pale, desperate face. But it was hopeless. The crowd had gathered to watch the band at the exact worst time.
Using the confusion, the man easily lost Minerva.
Shoving people aside, the man snickered.
“This one’ll fetch a fat ransom!”
A lucky find.
A mother and son without a servant, dressed so finely—this was a jackpot.
How could making money be this easy?
He went deep into an alley to show off his “catch” to his gang.
“Hey, guys! Look what I brought back!”
The others were speechless.
“Are you insane?! That’s a noble’s kid!”
“How noble can they be if they’re walking around here without a single guard?”
“I hope you’re right…”
One of them eyed Aslan. Never before had he felt such a filthy gaze. He flinched.
The man rubbed his chin and grinned.
“Cute too. If they can’t pay, we can always sell him.”
“No one’s going to fight back—this is the countryside.”
“A noble child should go for a high price.”
They all laughed, dreaming of easy money. Aslan, listening to everything, trembled in fear—but then scowled and shouted,
“You’re just trying to hurt my mom, you evil bastards!”
The man grabbed Aslan by the collar and laughed.
“Of course! Nobles live off our taxes! A little suffering is fair!”
“Get your ugly face away from me! Hiiisss!”
Aslan snarled like a beast and scratched the man’s face furiously.
“AHH! You little brat, what are you doing?!”
“Let me go, you jerk!”
“Damn brat! Ow! That hurts!”
He scratched so hard, blood beaded on the man’s face.
In that moment of pain, the man’s grip loosened—and Aslan landed perfectly and ran.
“G-Get her!”
“Stop, you brat!”
They chased, but couldn’t catch him. Aslan even ran on all fours.
Trusting his instincts, he turned a corner and kept going.
Once he felt far enough, he stopped, panting, and looked around.
“They’re not following anymore, right?”
No footsteps. Whew. He let out a relieved sigh—and then froze.
“Wait… Where am I?”
It was far from the market. No smells, no noise.
He’d escaped—but was even farther from Minerva now. He began to cry.
“What do I do… I lost Mom again…”
What if he couldn’t get home? He never should’ve asked to come here.
He should’ve listened when Minerva said the outside was dangerous.
Aslan crouched, about to cry—when soft footsteps approached.
A child wearing delicate shoes, like his own, came near.
“Hey… Did you lose your mom?”
“…Mm?”
A kind, young voice. Aslan looked up.
A girl with shining silver hair and sky-blue eyes, like a doll.
She seemed his age but carried herself way too maturely.
“Did you lose your mom?”
Mom said not to talk to strangers…
But she looked young too, so maybe it was okay. And she didn’t have a mean face like those bad men.
Aslan nodded.
“Do you remember where you lost her?”
He shook his head with teary eyes. The girl frowned.
“Oh no…”
Seeing her troubled expression, Aslan began crying harder.
“I wanna see Mom… Waaah!”
“Hey, hey. Don’t cry, okay? Want to try saying ‘shhh’?”
She pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his tears. Just as he began crying even more at the kindness, a deep voice approached them.
“Ayla. I told you not to wander off.”
Gasp. A stranger!
A tall man with a deep voice. Definitely dangerous.
Could he be with those ugly men?
Aslan looked up in fear—but froze.
This man was handsome, not scary-looking, and carried himself like Minerva.
And the girl, Ayla, brightened at the sight of him and called warmly,
“Father! This child lost his mom.”
“He lost his mom?”
The man looked at Aslan.
Hic. Aslan hiccupped and hid behind Ayla.
“Huh? Why are you hiding?”
Ayla looked puzzled, while the man, used to this reaction, showed no surprise—until he properly saw Aslan’s face.
Then his expression shifted.
“…You lost your mother, huh?”
Gulp. Aslan swallowed hard.
