FPLNC 04

Chapter 4

Gloria, Marsha, and Ellen rode together in the carriage, with Ellen pressed right up against the window the whole way to the Karzel estate.

Since it was her first time leaving the mansion, she didn’t even spare time to blink, determined to soak in every detail outside.

After living in a place surrounded by tall buildings, it was refreshing to see such an open view.

The sky is so wide here, and the land’s so vast. Back in Korea, the sky was wide but the land felt cramped.

Lost in the rural scenery and the scent of grass, Ellen didn’t notice the time passing as the carriage sped along toward Karzel.

Even after passing through the front gate, they traveled quite a distance before stopping.

This house is just as big as ours, Ellen thought, still glued to the window, taking in the sights.

The carriage finally halted, and a Karzel servant opened the door. Following the butler’s guidance, Ellen took her mother’s hand and headed toward the garden.

There, in a beautifully arranged garden with a shaded tea table, sat the gentle-looking Lady Karzel.

“Lia! It’s been so long,” Lady Karzel greeted warmly, approaching Gloria and taking her hand before leading her personally to the tea table.

“It really has, Diana. How’s Roil?”

“He’s completely recovered. And Ellen seems healthy now too. I was so worried.”

Ellen, who had been awkwardly standing there unsure when to greet her, seized the moment when her name was mentioned. She bent her knees slightly and said,

“Hello, Lady Karzel. Thank you for your concern.”

“Hello, Ellen. Roil passed his illness on to you, and you ended up suffering too. I’m so sorry. I’m glad you’re better now. But why so formal all of a sudden? Have you decided not to call me Aunt Diana anymore?”

Seeing the woman smile kindly and pat her head, Ellen suddenly realized—

Oh right, I used to call her Aunt.

“Hehe, no. Auntie, where’s Roilet?”

She laughed awkwardly, wanting to leave quickly before making any more mistakes. It seemed safer to be with Roilet—after all, if she made a blunder, it’d be less obvious in front of a kid.

“Hm? He was here just a moment ago. You know the evergreen tree in the back garden? Try looking under that mottled tree. I think he’s there.”

Mottled tree? Ellen grumbled internally—now she had to learn tree names too? Still, she ran in the direction Lady Karzel had pointed.

Even without knowing the name, she spotted it immediately: a huge tree with thick, green leaves proudly standing despite it being autumn.

And beneath it sat a boy, eyes closed, leaning against the trunk.

That must be Roilet.

She had imagined a noisy, hyperactive boy running around like a puppy or kitten. Instead, he seemed quiet and well-behaved, which was a relief. She approached.

Up close, she saw him whistling softly, tilting his head slowly from side to side. Ellen froze a few steps away.

Someone came to mind.

Eun-ho used to whistle like that. Whenever he had a lot on his mind, he would whistle and tilt his head lazily, just like this—eyes closed, as if an invisible wall shut out the world.

When she didn’t want to disturb his thoughts, Hye-seo would simply sit quietly in front of him, matching her breathing to the rhythm of his head movements, until drowsiness overtook her. Then, once he’d finished thinking, Eun-ho would gently nudge her to wake her up.

The memory of her dear friend brought a shimmer to Ellen’s eyes.

She slowly stepped closer to Roilet, then, just as she would with Eun-ho, sat quietly in front of him and whispered softly, “Eun-ho.”

Roilet’s eyes snapped open instantly. Did… did he hear that?

He blinked twice, his face quickly turning to surprise.

“Elenoa, w-why are you crying?”

She hadn’t even realized she was crying until then. Wiping her tears quickly, she blurted out,

“Your whistle sounded sad.”

“Uh… sorry. Do you want some chocolate cake?”

Though he had no reason to apologize, Roilet scratched his cheek awkwardly. It was obvious he was thinking, I have no idea what to do—better give her something tasty.

Not bad for a little kid. She couldn’t help but puff out a laugh through her nose.

“Sure. Let’s go.”

✿ ✿ ✿

When Roil raised his hand, the boy in the mirror did the same.

Dark brown hair, eyes the same color as he remembered from before. It wasn’t an uncommon combination, even back in Korea, so in the few days since arriving here, the face in the mirror had started to feel familiar.

Still, the low line of sight and short limbs were things he hadn’t yet gotten used to. Sometimes he’d flinch when jumping down from a bed or reaching for something.

I am Roilet. Roilet Karzel.

Roil—no, Eun-ho—repeated it to himself countless times in the mirror. If he didn’t keep it in mind, he might slip up in front of guests.

Since morning, the whole household had been in a bustle over the news of visitors. Roil rubbed the back of his neck, watching the busy servants—none of them could imagine that the soul inside this small boy’s body belonged to someone else.

Waking up to a strange ceiling. Waking up to strange foreign parents.

Eun-ho was still struggling to adjust to the constant string of unfamiliarities.

He hadn’t even fully settled into this house yet, and now there were guests? This felt like a high-level mission, especially when it had only been a few days since he’d regained his composure.

And apparently, these guests were his parents’ closest friends. The moment he heard that, he’d rushed to find a book on etiquette—but since he couldn’t read the words, he’d set it down immediately.

Instead, he’d asked the nanny for advice on what to watch out for. She’d patted his head fondly and said,

“Just do as you always do, young master.”

…And what exactly is “as I always do”?

They had a daughter a year younger than Roilet. Maybe he just had to play with her.

He’d always thought having a younger sister might be nice, but now that he was actually in a situation where a little girl was coming over to play, he had no idea what to do.

In the end, he decided to treat her like his niece from his previous life and stopped worrying.

Accepting this new life was hard enough as it was. He hadn’t even sorted out his own feelings yet.

Overnight, his body, family, and even the world had changed. He wasn’t sure if he should adapt—or if he even could.

“Young master, the guests will arrive soon,” the butler announced suddenly, snapping him out of his thoughts.

For now, I am Roilet. Roilet Karzel.

Adjusting his cravat, Roil repeated it to the boy in the mirror.

He’d waited with his mother in the garden for the guests, but eventually escaped to the mottled tree in the back garden. He knew it wasn’t polite, but he decided to hide behind the excuse of being a child.

Meeting outsiders when he wasn’t even sure of himself yet felt exhausting. The more people who saw him as the “real Roilet,” the heavier and scarier it felt.

Leaning against the tree, he mulled over his situation.

Do I have to keep pretending to be Roilet forever? I’d feel guilty deceiving these people… but if I left, it would mean their precious son vanished overnight. And if I stayed, I’d always feel like I was walking on nails.

Tap, tap.

Footsteps approached—light, but energetic. The steps of a child. Still, he kept his eyes closed.

Not that it matters. Even if I decide not to adapt, it’s not like I can go back to my old life. What am I going to do—just not adapt?

He was almost amused at himself for agonizing over a question with such an obvious answer. Opening his eyes, he found a little girl right in front of him—one who looked as if a single poke might make her burst into tears.

Yikes. Is she crying because I kept ignoring her?

He had planned to treat her like a niece, but in truth, he had never comforted a crying child before. What was he supposed to do?

Then he remembered something Hye-seo had once told him—a tip that worked on others as well, not just her.