TSPCOB Chapter 45

Chapter 45

I was trying to remember something when the child suddenly picked up a map that had blown away in the wind.

Her round eyes narrowed slightly, and her tiny lips parted.

“What’s this? This is… our house?”

“This is your house?”
I pointed to the spot marked with an X on the map and asked.

The child nodded eagerly, staring up at me.

“But, did you draw this?”

I nodded proudly.
If a kid could understand it, maybe I was good at drawing…

“Pfft, this is so badly drawn.”

My smiling lips drooped instantly.

This little brat is teasing an adult…
I almost gave her a light flick on the forehead but held back.

Instead, I smiled kindly, acting like a mature adult.

“Hey, can I ask a favor? Can you show me the way to your house?”

“Why do you want to go to my house?”

Her wide, curious eyes looked suspicious.
Of course — a stranger asking about her house wasn’t something to trust easily.

I cleared my throat, trying to think of something quickly.
I felt guilty lying to a kid, but…

To someone like me —who was hopeless with directions — this child was like an angel guiding a lost lamb.

“Well, I’m actually looking for the house marked on this map. I need to retrieve something from there.”

“You’ve been to our house before? I’ve never seen you.”

“I’ve never been inside, but a long time ago, your grandmother borrowed something of mine.
She had white hair and black eyes… that’s your grandma, right?”

“Yeah! So, you’re friends with Grandma Nanny?”

“Huh? Friends? Right! We know each other, so yeah, we’re friends.”

I nodded quickly with a small smile.
So the old woman I saw in the vision orb was the nanny. Then this child… who is she?

I noticed the kid staring at my bag.
Maybe she was hungry. I pulled out my secret weapon and held it out.

“This is a candied sweet potato I made. Want to eat it with me on the way? You’re heading home anyway, and I need to grab my stuff too.”

The shiny, sweet-smelling snack…
She looked at it like it was a rock.

Then—

“I don’t eat stuff like that.”

—And she turned and walked away.

What? That didn’t work?
Even a giant wolf like Silver fell for it!

Stunned, I just stood there and crunched down on a stamina pill.
They say dealing with kids is the hardest — I could feel my energy draining.

“Are you a doctor?”

The child turned slightly and spoke.
I was surprised — I thought she had just left.

“No, I’m an herbalist.”
I smiled brightly.

She blinked slowly, then began walking ahead with her short legs.

“Follow me. I’ll take you to my house.”

“…Huh? Oh, okay. Thanks.”

I popped the sweet potato into my mouth and chewed as I followed her.
She was thin, wearing dirty clothes, her hair was messy — it didn’t look like she was being cared for properly…

Lost in thought, I looked up and realized we’d arrived at the house from the vision orb.

“This is it. Press the doorbell and wait a little.”

She stood with her hands behind her back, watching me.

So bossy. It’s your house, kid — why aren’t you ringing the bell?

Was this a test? To see if I really knew her grandma?

Smart little thing…

I glanced at her, then pressed the doorbell.

It must’ve been broken, because it took several tries before I heard a ding-dong.
But no one answered for a while.

Getting frustrated, I glanced at the girl — she just stared silently at the door.

“…Who is it…?”

A weak old voice came from inside, likely after checking through the peephole.

“Um… I’m here looking for someone. I’m Aselin, from the Evern region.”

“Why would someone from a big city be looking for me…?”

Suspicion laced the old woman’s voice.

I had to get her to open the door and confirm whether she was the nanny from the vision.

I looked at the child again — still silent. I sighed and spoke up.

“I met your child just outside, and she said you might be the nanny I’m looking for.
Could you please open the door so I can see if you’re the person I’m searching for?”

Before I could even finish, the door creaked open.

Through the gap, I saw a deeply wrinkled old face.
The woman quickly smoothed her messy hair.

Her hands trembled — probably from illness.

“Did you say… what just now…?”

“Ah… Sorry. I think I might have the wrong house.”

I bowed slightly and took the lead.
It was the woman from the vision, but getting the answers I wanted would take time.

I needed to hold out — let her drop her guard first, before she caught my lie.

“I thought you were someone I knew… but I think I was wrong. Sorry to trouble you.”

“Oh dear, no need to apologize to someone like me, miss. It’s fine.”
Even while coughing harshly, she kept bowing with her bent back.

The child just watched, not saying a word or entering the house.

Her silence was strange, and I was about to speak when—

The old woman suddenly coughed up blood.

Startled, I ran to support her, but she quickly covered her mouth with a handkerchief and stepped back.

“…Forgive me… showing you such an awful sight, my lady…”

My lady? I never told her I was nobility.

I widened my eyes, looking closely at her.

Cough, cough…

She continued coughing violently, as if she’d spit out all her blood.
Then she collapsed.

A patient passing out after vomiting blood is extremely serious.

I immediately carried her inside.
The child followed and pointed to the room on the right.

I laid her on the bed and checked her breathing.

Ragged wheezing from deep in the lungs, pale skin, fever…

It all pointed to tuberculosis.

I adjusted her pillow so she could breathe easier and stood up.

She had lost so much weight from the illness — clearly, she had passed the stage where treatment could help.

It wouldn’t be surprising if she died tonight.

The heaviness in my chest was real, but I had to return before nightfall.

I didn’t feel right bombarding someone so close to death with questions either.

I opened my bag and placed several medicines on the table.

“This one helps her breathe. This one calms the bleeding. And this is a painkiller — a narcotic, actually.
It’s okay for her to take them all at once.
Give them to her with water when she wakes up.
The bottles are labeled, so don’t mix them up. And…”

“…”

“Stay with her tonight. Don’t leave her alone, okay?”

“…”

“I’m going now. Take care.”
I slung my bag over my shoulder and gave a small smile.

The child followed me to the door and asked,

“You’re just… leaving?”

“Yeah. I have to go home too. Just like you came home.”

I reached out to pat her head goodbye, but she flinched and stepped back.

“We’re friends, right?”
The child clenched her little fists.

“If we’re friends, you should help. You can’t just leave like this!”

“I’m sorry, but you heard earlier. I came to the wrong house. I don’t really know your nanny.”

“Still! Help her! I showed you the way — now you save her!”