Chapter 8
“Scared?”
The woman tilted her head as if the answer surprised her.
Ricardo’s heart pounded loudly.
He was afraid she might notice that what he had just said was a lie.
Even more afraid than when he had faced that terrifying reaper earlier.
“You seemed fine just a moment ago.”
“Th-that’s because I was too shocked to think earlier. I’ve never… held that much money before…”
Why am I stuttering like an idiot?
Ricardo cursed inwardly.
The woman let out a quiet sigh, looking rather troubled.
“Well, ten billion gold is definitely too much for a child to manage.”
“E-even if someone isn’t a child, that’s still a huge burden.”
He added quickly, worried she might change her mind.
At this rate, if she decided he was already grown up, she might disappear at any moment.
Ricardo began fiddling with the cloak again.
Her cloak was incredibly warm.
So warm that he could barely remember how he had survived previous winters without it.
He never wanted to return to those days again.
He couldn’t allow someone to leave his side again.
…It’s not because I want to see this woman for longer.
Meeting her regularly was simply more beneficial than receiving ten billion gold all at once.
He could obtain far more things by staying near her.
Yes, that was the reason.
Ricardo calmed his restless heart with that thought.
Fortunately, the woman seemed to have made up her mind and nodded lightly.
“That’s unfortunate, but it can’t be helped. I thought it was a good solution.”
“So what will you do now?”
“I suppose I’ll keep coming every ten days like before. Ah, but you should still look for a house.”
She smiled softly.
Are all reapers like that?
Maybe they were born with the ability to charm people in order to collect souls more easily.
“You can’t come more often?”
“Coming every ten days is already a lot. I won’t come more often, so don’t worry.”
“Okay.”
Once every ten days…
That wasn’t very much.
Even while thinking that, Ricardo answered calmly.
Of course, he couldn’t completely hide his dissatisfaction.
The slight tremble at the end of his sentence gave him away.
Naturally, the woman noticed.
“Of course, that’s only if you’re healthy and nothing happens.”
“……”
“If something happens, I’ll run here immediately. So be careful.”
The woman seemed to think Ricardo didn’t really like these meetings.
While that assumption was fortunate, Ricardo felt an inexplicable sense of disappointment.
“Alright.”
“Good. Then I really have to go now.”
The woman took out her pocket watch again.
This time, there was a hint of urgency in her movements.
It seemed impossible to stop her now.
Just as she turned to leave, she suddenly stopped.
“Oh, I almost forgot.”
She turned back and bent down toward Ricardo.
At the same time, the scent of roses rushed toward him.
The same soft, gentle sensation he had felt before touched his forehead again.
Warm and slightly ticklish.
“I should repair the barrier.”
The heat that had been boiling inside his body gradually calmed.
Ricardo let out a sigh of relief as his body relaxed.
The woman smiled faintly.
Under the moonlight, her expression looked deeper somehow.
“Sleep well, Ricardo.”
His name slipped from between her lips.
No one had ever called him like that before.
Not his parents.
Not even his nanny.
Ricardo dropped the mask he had been trying to maintain and flinched.
He didn’t ask how she knew his name.
Instead, he grabbed the woman who was about to leave.
“What’s your name?”
“My name?”
“Yes. I think… it’d be good to know.”
For a moment, he wondered if she might dislike being asked that.
But the words had already left his mouth.
Fortunately, she didn’t seem bothered.
Still smiling slightly, she quietly spoke her name.
“Rosina. Rosina Winslet.”
After saying that, she turned around as if everything was finished.
The sound of her heels echoed softly in the empty space.
Creeeak.
The old door—sounding as though it hadn’t been oiled in decades—closed with a harsh noise.
The rich scent of roses that had lingered in the air disappeared as well.
But the moment when the woman—no, Rosina—introduced herself remained deeply engraved in his mind.
“Rosina Winslet…”
Left alone, Ricardo murmured her name.
The pronunciation flowed naturally from his lips, as if he had known it from the very beginning.
At that moment, Ricardo still didn’t realize something.
For someone who didn’t even know his own parents’ names—
remembering another person’s name carried a special meaning.
* * *
The next morning arrived.
Morning in Inferno looked almost identical to night.
The only difference was that the sky’s color was slightly lighter.
There’s really nothing about this place that I like.
Keeping a calm expression, I slowly cut the bread in front of me and placed it in my mouth.
At the opposite end of the long table sat Aslan Winslet.
Starting the day by seeing that face was nothing short of torture.
“Rosina.”
A low, familiar voice called out.
I gathered my thoughts and raised my head.
Eyes the same dark color as my own hair stared directly at me.
“I heard the leader experienced something unpleasant at the celebration banquet.”
He meant: Why didn’t you report it immediately?
The incident had happened days ago.
I couldn’t believe he was asking only now.
How had someone like this even become one of Windsor’s close aides?
Still, I smiled gently without showing any irritation.
“I’m sorry, Father. I forgot to tell you that day. I was tired after dealing with the aftermath.”
In truth, I had simply left the banquet hall.
But in that chaos, no one would have noticed.
Aslan’s sharp aura gradually softened.
“Those pests. No matter how much they struggle, they can be torn apart in a single moment.”
“That’s true. I should’ve done that too. I guess I still have a long way to go before I can match you, Father.”
“Yes. Honestly, Rosina, you’re too soft.”
I barely suppressed a laugh.
Soft?
If there was one word that least suited Rosina Winslet, it was that.
Reapers and softness simply didn’t belong together.
A faint flash of red appeared in the hand holding my knife before disappearing.
Screams rang in my ears.
I casually brushed my arm and cleared my mind.
Then I looked at Aslan.
There had to be another reason he called me.
As expected, after finishing his meal neatly, Aslan wiped his mouth and spoke.
“The leader gathered the heads of each family yesterday.”
“Yes, I heard there was an emergency meeting.”
“Perhaps because of what that worm said at the banquet… a certain name came up again.”
I stopped mid-movement while adjusting my napkin.
“Ricardo.”
“….”
“Do you remember?”
My heart thumped loudly.
But I quickly composed myself while folding the napkin.
“Oh, you mean the child that the former leader of Chelus gave birth to about ten years ago.”
“So you remember. Yes, that foolish leader of Chelus carried Inferno’s child and ran away.”
Aslan laughed, seeking agreement.
This time I smiled back.
Not just acting—part of me genuinely agreed.
A love that couldn’t even protect its own child…
They left such a small child behind.
How meaningless.
What was so great about love that it caused such chaos?
For a moment, I thought of Ricardo living alone in the Midrealm.
I had told him to find a house.
Would a child manage that alone?
Still, humans won’t easily harm him.
Even if something happened, I would know immediately.
I touched my ear lightly.
If Ricardo were hurt, a signal would reach me.
“But why bring it up now? I heard that child died long ago.”
I asked calmly, pretending ignorance.
The plates were cleared away, replaced by a steaming cup of tea.
“Everyone thought so. But while surveying the Midrealm, the leader seems to have sensed something.”
“Are you saying he might be alive?”
“Surprisingly, that possibility exists.”
…That’s faster than I expected.
I took a sip of tea to hide the tension rising inside me.
Meanwhile, Aslan continued excitedly.
“If he’s really alive, we must bring him here before Chelus does. Wouldn’t it be amusing to see the blood of Chelus’s former leader rolling around in Inferno? Imagine how those fools would react.”
“Is the leader planning to use whatever Chelus power that ‘half-blood’ might possess?”
“You’re sharp as always, Rosina.”
Apparently pleased by the term half-blood, Aslan burst into laughter.
Disgust and satisfaction twisted together inside me.
I idly traced the rim of my teacup.
“Finding that half-blood must absolutely be done by the Winslet family. You understand?”
“Of course.”
“From now on, we must watch the Midrealm closely. Have you heard anything during your duties?”
Of course I had.
I had just visited Ricardo yesterday.
But instead of answering, I tilted my head slightly and smiled.
“I’m not sure.”
“Well, there must be a reason that rat hasn’t been discovered until now.”
I never said I didn’t know, Father.
But Aslan had already drawn his own conclusion.
After finishing the meal, he stood up slowly.
I stood as well, smoothing my dress.
Aslan was leaving the mansion for work, so I accompanied him to the entrance.
“By the way, your birthday is coming soon, Father.”
“There are still months left. Bringing it up already… are you preparing something?”
“Of course. You can look forward to it.”
I spoke warmly as he climbed into his carriage.
Then I turned around after seeing him off.
That was when it happened.
BEEEEEEEEP—
A piercing noise struck my head.
Recognizing what it meant, I moved immediately.
My heart began beating faster.
The thing I had hoped would never happen—
even when I placed the barrier on Ricardo—
The signal had been triggered.
