Chapter 12
“What?”
“You said it earlier. That other reapers are after me.”
Ricardo spoke more clearly this time.
“But… you’re a reaper too. If you act differently from the others, doesn’t that put you in a difficult position?”
I didn’t answer immediately and stayed silent.
To be honest, I was a little surprised.
‘He’s sharper than I thought.’
Usually, if you tell a child that reapers are after them, they’d tremble in fear.
But Ricardo didn’t. In the short time he could spend worrying about his own safety, he was already probing the problem.
It wasn’t that he was fearless. I noticed his hands trembling slightly.
‘How strange.’
Why would he suppress his fear just to worry about me?
Even if all the other reapers were after him, why wouldn’t he suspect a trap? Why trust someone who suddenly appears and insists on protecting him without explanation?
I had hoped Ricardo would open his heart to me, but I hadn’t expected him to want this much, so I was a little taken aback.
When I still didn’t answer, Ricardo continued.
“I don’t like that. So I’ll do what I can do.”
“What you can do?”
“Yes.”
Ricardo lifted the corners of his mouth in a slight smile.
It was a smile he had never shown me before.
Before he could hide it, I noticed his eyes widening.
“You saved me even though I asked you to kill me. So now, I’ll do as I please too.”
I gave a hollow laugh at the meaning behind his words.
In other words, he planned to continue his antics. Stubbornness like this was remarkable.
“You said you’d come to me whenever I signaled, right?”
He was good at leaving me speechless, too.
And now, the situation had become unnecessarily troublesome.
I rubbed my throbbing temples and changed the topic.
“Did you stay home all day today?”
“Yes, it might have been dangerous.”
“What did you do at home?”
“I just practiced controlling my power.”
“And yesterday?”
“Practiced all day yesterday too.”
“And before that…?”
I stopped myself from asking further.
It was obvious.
For a child whose only conversation partner is me, it was strange to suddenly do anything else.
Yes, that was the problem.
‘I need to divert his attention a bit.’
“Ricardo, get ready to go out.”
“Yes… where to?”
I didn’t answer directly and just smiled.
“You’ll see when we get there.”
“Hello.”
I knocked lightly on the door, then smiled gently at the woman who answered.
Before leaving, I had changed into a suitable dress and adjusted my appearance so normal humans could see me.
The slightly older woman looked startled by the sudden visitor. She half-stepped out of the doorway, holding the door, and spoke.
“Who…?”
Her gaze fell to Ricardo holding onto my skirt. Her eyes widened as if she suddenly remembered something.
“Oh! Are you the ones who moved in next door recently?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Of course! My child mentioned someone new moving in next door—a child with snow-white hair.”
Her guard fully lowered as she stepped out, bending slightly to Ricardo’s height.
Ricardo flinched and hid behind me, and she chuckled softly.
“I was worried the child lived alone, but it seems that’s not the case.”
“I’m often away from home because of work. So my younger sibling is alone quite often.”
I casually lied.
Ricardo looked up at me with a gaze that was hard to describe—half confused, half incredulous.
“So you’re siblings! No wonder both of you are so beautiful. I’m not exaggerating; I’ve never seen a young lady as lovely as you. How could her hair be so beautiful too?”
“Thank you.”
It wasn’t the first time I had received such a compliment.
Rosina Winslet was considered beautiful even within Inferno. She had drawn unwanted attention more times than she could count. Such praise was almost tiresome.
But somehow…
‘Not unpleasant at all.’
A natural smile formed on my lips.
It seemed I had come to the right family.
Yes. I intended to have Ricardo interact with the neighbors, so he wouldn’t cling only to me.
That was why I went through the trouble of revealing myself to a human.
‘It’s enough if they can’t ignore me.’
From my observations, this family seemed decent. The proximity was good, and it minimized the risk of being spotted by other reapers if we wandered outside.
Most importantly, the child here could become Ricardo’s friend. It was perfect in every way.
“I know this is sudden, but could I ask a favor?”
“What is it?”
“I’m going on a business trip, and I’m worried about leaving my younger sibling alone. Could you check in on him occasionally?”
“Uh…”
The woman looked a little flustered at the sudden request.
Ricardo frowned, noticing the unusual situation.
“Why all of a sudden…”
He seemed to understand my intentions and quietly protested. But his protest was drowned out by my words to the woman.
“I know it’s a lot to ask, but I really have no one else to leave him with.”
The woman, seemingly moved by my words, teared up slightly and nodded.
“Oh my! Of course. I’ll even make sure he eats properly, so don’t worry.”
“You don’t have to go that far.”
“I insist. A child needs proper food to grow healthy.”
She fussed over Ricardo, noting how thin he was and that he needed to eat well to grow tall.
I had worried she might refuse, but thankfully, she didn’t.
Then she clapped her hands as if she had just remembered something.
“Oh my! We haven’t even introduced ourselves!”
She smiled warmly and extended her hand.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Eliza.”
I briefly looked at her sturdy hand before reaching out. As our hands touched, I felt a warmth different from Ricardo’s, large and comforting.
“I’m Rosina, and my brother is Karl.”
I deliberately changed Ricardo’s name.
Eliza smiled even more and stepped aside.
“Rosina, would you like to come in? I’ll make some tea and introduce my family.”
“Thank you.”
Normally, I would have declined such trouble, but today, just this once…
I nodded and followed Eliza inside. Ricardo tugged at me.
“Why all of a sudden? And can you really show yourself like this to humans?”
“Of course. I can’t maintain it for long, though.”
Of course, I rarely did this. Reapers revealing themselves to humans wasn’t exactly beneficial.
For different reasons, other reapers likely avoided showing themselves too.
“If you can’t keep it for long, why bother…?”
“You already know why I’m doing this, don’t you?”
Ricardo couldn’t answer immediately. His small lips pressed tightly together, and his face twisted slightly in displeasure.
After a while, he murmured quietly.
“I don’t need anyone else.”
Does this child realize how incredible that statement is?
The protagonist’s excessive attention is unwelcome.
I planned to use Ricardo, but this just made me uncomfortable. Some distance was necessary.
I exhaled softly and said,
“For the next week, don’t get hurt. Try to get along with the neighbors until I come back.”
“You said I could do as I please…”
“If you behave well with them, I’ll take you to the festival. Together.”
“Really?”
Ricardo, who had been indifferent moments ago, now looked at me in shock. His blue eyes sparkled.
‘I knew it…’
A while ago, when we were house hunting, I had noticed him staring at a festival poster in the street.
It was an announcement for a festival in Laeta, the capital of the Glexinia Empire.
I knew from his gaze that he wanted to go.
‘He pretended not to care… but clearly he did.’
For a child who had been trembling alone in an abandoned house far from the city, even watching a festival would have been a luxury.
“Of course. But we have to stay wrapped in robes so no one notices us.”
“That’s fine. It’s cold even during the day now, so no one will find it strange.”
Ricardo dashed into the house, seemingly determined to get along with the neighbors.
I was about to follow when he suddenly turned back.
“Um… just thinking, there might be exceptions, right?”
“Huh?”
Curious, I tilted my head, and Ricardo quickly added,
“The condition about not getting hurt for a week… it only counts if I don’t do it on purpose, right?”
“Huh?”
“I mean… it could really happen by accident!”
Having said that, Ricardo casually ran inside as if nothing happened.
I stared after him, then chuckled quietly.
Ah… perhaps…
‘Living like this isn’t so bad after all.’
I saw Eliza gesturing for me to come in quickly.
I grabbed the door handle and stepped inside.
Click.
The door closed, letting a warm breeze sweep in.
