Chapter 50
“Alright, now go on.”
“Um…”
“What?”
Ravian turned his head slightly, frowning as if already annoyed.
Katya hesitated for a moment, then finally made up her mind and spoke.
“Why is something like this even necessary?”
“There you go again. Didn’t you already ask that back when we drew up the contract?”
“Well, yes… but if you’re curious about how Nina’s doing, can’t you just ask her yourself? Weren’t you close with her?”
Katya didn’t know exactly what kind of relationship Ravian and Nina had, nor could she guess what circumstances had led a girl like Nina to be living in Anubis’s den.
But just from watching them, even briefly, she was certain of one thing:
Ravian was soft on Nina.
No, not just soft—he outright spoiled her.
So Katya couldn’t understand why he was making her do something like this.
“Sure, I signed the contract too, but honestly, I just don’t get—”
“You don’t need to get it. Just do what I tell you.”
Ravian replied offhandedly, his eyes drifting toward the picture book he had tossed onto the table.
From the title alone, it looked like some storybook filled with dreams and hope.
The fact that such a weird story was popular nowadays… kids these days were really beyond comprehension.
“Then what about while you’re off in the capital? I’ve got a terrible memory, you know.”
“Oh, right. I almost forgot. During that time, write me reports.”
“…What kind of reports?”
Katya asked sourly. Ravian scratched at his temple as if searching for the right word.
“Ah, maybe I made it sound too complicated. Just write down what happened each day, and show it to me when I get back. Don’t let anyone else see it.”
“You mean… like a diary?”
“Yeah, a diary, I guess. But not about yourself—write it about Nina. Just like you were telling me earlier. What she does, what she eats, who she’s with, what kind of mood she seems to be in. Simple, right?”
Katya’s mouth fell open weakly.
She understood what he was asking now, but she hadn’t expected it to go this far.
Honestly, she had been hoping that after a few days Ravian would get bored and just drop the whole thing.
But now he wanted written records, not just verbal reports. This was going from bad to worse.
“And what guarantee is there that I’ll write honestly? Also—are you seriously telling me to spy on Nina?”
At the word spy, Ravian just chuckled.
It wasn’t unusual for a kidnapper to keep an eye on his hostage, after all.
But what Ravian had in mind wasn’t quite as simple as that. More than anything, the remnants of a dream clung stubbornly to his mind, refusing to fade.
“Think whatever you like. Of course it’s going to look like spying to you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“She’s a delinquent brat, remember?”
“…”
“Oh, scary. Don’t glare at me like that, you’ll haunt my dreams.”
Ravian teased, his smug expression making Katya boil inside, though she barely managed to hold it back.
“I really don’t see what that has to do with this. And for the record, Nina’s my friend. Even if I am just some hired help—”
“That’s exactly why I asked you to do it.”
“…What?”
“You’re a girl about her age. How the hell is an old man like me supposed to understand the complicated feelings of a six-year-old girl? That’s why I need you to translate them for me.”
Ravian shamelessly rattled off his excuse while pouring himself another drink.
Katya felt like she was being swept along by his words, but she still pushed back firmly.
“Still, I’m Nina’s friend. This just feels… wrong.”
“Such burning youthful friendship! If you’re really her friend, then don’t you ever drag her into that sewer again.”
Katya froze, completely blindsided.
Ravian’s lips curled into a crooked smile. His expression said he found the whole thing laughable.
“Like that day you three showed up together at the casino.”
“That was…”
“I don’t care about the reason. The reason doesn’t matter. That day I let it slide because the underlings were watching, but that was the first and the last time. Never take Nina anywhere near your neighborhood again.”
His voice was flat, almost casual.
Katya felt her face heat up.
If he’d scolded her harshly, it would’ve been less humiliating.
The truth was, the reason the three of them had taken that shortcut through the slums was partly because Messi had asked, but Katya herself had also wanted to do it.
More specifically, she had wanted to help Ravian, to keep him from getting into danger.
And now, hearing him of all people give her such a warning, she should have felt resentment or sadness.
But what hit her first and strongest was sheer shame.
“…Why?”
She blurted it out almost like a challenge.
It was true the slums were dirty and dangerous.
But still—
“That’s my neighborhood. If it’s such an unworthy place, why’d you hire me in the first place? You’ve got plenty of men from the slums under your command besides me.”
“And?”
“…And? What do you mean, and? I mean—”
“Do you think they are the same as her?”
Ravian looked at her like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
Katya found she had no words left.
* * *
In the corridor leading from the penthouse entrance to the lift, men disguised as security guards took shifts on watch.
When Nina came out with Messi, nobody stopped them.
This was a stark contrast to the other day, when she had tried to leave with Katya and been blocked. Instead, several of the disguised guards now followed discreetly behind, as if providing them an escort.
Since Messi didn’t seem to care, Nina didn’t either.
She only noticed Gunter among the followers and gave him a little wave.
Gunter, looking shy, waved back.
“I kind of want to rip that mask off him.”
Messi muttered suddenly, startling Nina.
“He’d probably get mad if you did. He’s proud of his fashion, like the head of security.”
“…True enough.”
The sight of a boy and girl wandering a luxury hotel trailed by “security guards” gave the wrong impression to other guests.
The misunderstanding grew and spread until, by midday, the hotel’s service center was flooded with inquiries all asking the same thing:
What kind of membership level did you need to have personal security escorts like that?
Completely oblivious to the stir they were causing, the group’s first stop was the hotel’s attached library.
It was connected to the lounge, its classic décor giving it a refined look. Though smaller than the imperial palace library Nina remembered, it felt much brighter and more welcoming.
The staff were also very kind.
Nina, on a whim, checked to see if the storybook My Dad is the Northern Grand Duke was available—and found one copy left.
“Perfect! Who knows when Ravian will return it, so I’ll just borrow this one. I’ll read it too while I’m at it.”
“Yeah, Messi, you should definitely try it. But… can I borrow other books here too, later?”
“Of course. Take whatever you want, whenever you want.”
Encouraged by Messi’s gentle reply, Nina picked out several more books.
Most were simplified sociology and humanities texts aimed at young readers.
Messi looked genuinely surprised when he saw her choices.
“You read things like this? They look pretty difficult.”
“They’re not… that hard. They’re made for kids.”
“Still, that’s amazing. Nina, you really are different.”
He seemed a bit bewildered by the contrast between the whimsical fairy tale about the “Northern Grand Duke” and these scholarly works.
It was true—most children Nina’s age wouldn’t have chosen such books.
But Nina deliberately picked them because of what she had realized after the “Sally Juice incident”: she lacked even the most basic common knowledge.
Especially since living with Katya, Nina had noticed this even more. For example, Nina hadn’t known that it was very wrong for adults to do lewd things in front of children—something even Katya, raised in the slums, had understood instinctively.
‘…Maybe I chose too many?’
