Episode 35
Still unsure, Astrid glanced around nervously.
Just then, Maddie suddenly waved her hand and pulled out a card in the blink of an eye.
“Ta-da! One card! Two cards! Three… huh? Where’s the third one? Oh look, it came out from the back of Astrid’s head!”
As Maddie waved her hand through the air, more cards rained down.
They were the alphabet cards Astrid always played with.
Her eyes grew round as marbles.
Her mouth dropped open.
“Auntie’s good at magic, huh?”
Clutching the back of her head as if the cards had really come from there, Astrid nodded so hard it looked like her head might fall off.
This woman had fought off scary people, knocked out the nanny who bullied her, used amazing magic, and even understood the things she couldn’t say out loud.
This new nanny was awesome!
(She’s not a stepmom. Definitely not.)
A fairy godmother who could make anything come true!
(She doesn’t look like a grandma, though. More like a mom.)
A wizard who could do everything!
(But how did the cards come out of my head? Hmph.)
“I’m not a bad person, really. I’m your uncle’s friend. But listen. You should never go with someone who says things like this. Never. Except this time, you have to come with me. Okay?”
Already completely won over by Maddie, Astrid nodded eagerly.
“Great! Let’s head out!”
Maddie scribbled something on a piece of paper and dropped it beside the unconscious nanny.
“Should we go out through the door? Or do you want to be like me and go through the window? But let’s not use that window. There’s a weird half-naked lady lying out there. Total pervert, I think.”
Astrid’s eyes widened in shock. She slapped a hand over her mouth, then quickly covered her eyes with both hands.
Then she shook her head hard.
“You don’t wanna meet a pervert either, right? Let’s take the front door. Let’s go on a bold adventure. Been a while since you’ve been outside, hasn’t it? Is it okay if I carry you?”
As if she’d been waiting, Astrid stretched her arms wide.
“Aww, how precious! Where’d this little cutie roll in from?”
Maddie scooped Astrid up with a laugh.
[Don’t ever go outside.]
[No one must know who you are. That’s the only way to survive.]
[I told you not to look out the window!]
The words of Uncle Crockton and the nanny flashed through Astrid’s mind.
She looked up at Maddie, worry pulling at the corners of her eyes, and lightly tugged at her collar.
She hung her head and squirmed gently, as if asking to be put down.
But Maddie didn’t seem to notice. Instead, she hugged Astrid tighter.
“You’ve got such a round little head. Bet you’d look even cuter with your hair tied up.”
Astrid, frustrated that Maddie wasn’t getting the message, started kicking her feet in protest.
“Don’t worry. I’m really strong. Remember the people who had swords at your neck? I beat all of them. I’ll protect you. I swear! Let’s go see the world.”
Astrid’s bright blue eyes widened even more.
Really? they seemed to ask.
“Of course! Sure, I lie a lot—it’s part of the job—but I do what I say when it counts. Don’t worry. Protecting just you? That’s easy.”
Maddie placed her scarred hand gently on Astrid’s soft cheek, looking only at her.
She didn’t want the girl to see the blood pooling on the floor.
“You listen well, but you don’t talk, huh? Must be a reason for that, right? It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. I’ll figure it out. Piece of cake. You just stay still and look at me. Gosh, you’re adorable. How can anyone be this cute? And that nanny—how dare she chop up your pretty hair like this? Should I go back and chop her hair too? Or maybe her head instead?”
Startled, Astrid smacked Maddie on the cheek again.
Then she looked up anxiously, as if expecting scolding.
But Maddie just smiled and apologized.
“Sorry! That was bad language, wasn’t it? You’re right. I need to fix this mouth of mine. Astrid, bad habits are hard to break, you know?”
Watching Maddie carry on like that, Astrid gave a shy little grin, her face a bit more relaxed than before.
The two boldly opened the front door and stepped outside.
The night wind brushed against Astrid’s cheek.
The breeze she’d only felt faintly through the window before had seemed cold and distant.
But now that it hit her full on, it came with all kinds of smells and sounds.
It felt like the world was alive, brimming with energy.
There was the smell of bread, rotting fish, and even dog poop.
She heard people laughing nearby—and others arguing loudly.
Astrid’s eyes sparkled as she soaked it all in.
It had been three years since she last felt the outside air.
At that very moment when Astrid felt alive—
Maddie’s eyebrow twitched. She sensed someone nearby.
“Sweetie. Stay here just for a sec, okay?”
She gently put Astrid down in the yard and winked at her with one eye.
Astrid giggled and slipped like a kitten into the bushes.
Even as Maddie stepped back inside, she kept throwing winks and finger hearts toward Astrid.
Astrid’s face, hidden in the grass, was all smiles.
But once back inside, Maddie’s face turned grim. She grabbed the hair of a man collapsed in the hallway.
“You’re lucky you’re not dead. So tell me.”
“Wh-What…?”
“Where were you supposed to meet the guy who sent you here? You were probably waiting for the rest of your payment, right? Where’s the pickup spot? Nobody pays everything up front these days. Talk.”
Before he could answer, she slammed his head into the floor.
The assassin, bleeding from his forehead, nose, and mouth, finally croaked out,
“Ghah… y-you think I’ll just tell you?”
“Ugh! Dummy! Knew you’d be stubborn.”
Maddie slammed his head again, then pounded her fist on the floor next to him.
The man writhed in pain.
“Culderon Street! Tam Avenue!”
“Is it 8th? 3rd? Speak clearly. You got no teeth or what—oh, looks like you did lose a few. Let me ask again. 8 or 3?”
She pounded her fist again like she’d break through the floor.
The man screamed, eyes bulging.
“Tam! Tam! Tam Avenue, Tam!”
“What’s Tam mean, genius?”
The man weakly raised three fingers, tears in his eyes.
“Ah, 3rd. Got it. If you want revenge, come find me. I’ll send you off properly then.”
He must’ve figured out that all his buddies were already dead.
His pupils trembled violently.
Blood still dripping down his face, he shook his head.
“Smart choice. Living is better.”
With that, Maddie nimbly jumped out the window.
“Kiddo! Did you wait long?”
Astrid shook her head bravely.
“My goodness! No tears? You’re too sweet and smart and brave and cheerful!”
Her cheeks were red from the cold wind.
“Uh-oh! Someone’s coming! Let’s play hide-and-seek! We need to celebrate your first time out!”
Astrid tilted her head, confused.
“Okay! You hide in the yard while I count to ten! Don’t come out no matter what! That guest is the seeker. First one found gets tickled for 30 seconds. One, two!”
Astrid squealed and quickly turned to run.
The hem of her old dress fluttered in the wind.
Maddie watched her crouch behind a pile of straw and then turned serious again, slipping behind the house.
She’d sensed someone lurking earlier. They must be back.
‘Astrid’ was a card Crockton would never give up.
Maddie held her breath and watched the yard quietly.
Through the straw, she spotted Astrid’s curly silver hair.
Even though both she and Yulikian had silver hair, Yulikian’s was sleek and blade-straight, while Astrid’s soft curls reminded Maddie of a puppy.
Just as Maddie was smiling to herself—
Crockton stepped into the yard.
He barged through the front door and stormed inside.
Opening each room, he finally came upon the bloodied, unconscious assassins.
His face twisted into a scowl.
“…Pathetic bastards.”
One of them twitched, but Crockton cut him down without hesitation.
Soon, he found the nanny passed out in the innermost room.
A small note lay on her chest.
[Dear Client,
If you want your child back, prepare three times the agreed amount and show up at the meeting spot. Come alone.]
Crockton read the note and threw it into the fireplace.
Then he kicked the nanny hard in the stomach, waking her up with a gasp.
He glared down at her.
“Who the hell was it?”
“W-What…?”
“Who took Astrid?”
“Didn’t… didn’t you send them?”
“Do you not understand words? Why would I go through all that trouble if I was taking her myself? Who was it?!”
“Th-Then it must’ve been someone from that organization. I heard their boss wasn’t happy about all the side jobs being done behind his back for extra cash. He said he’d send someone… but he told me it was under your orders…”
Crockton sighed, done listening to her excuses.
“So, some punk got greedy, didn’t want to share the money, killed everyone, and took Astrid. That it?”
Without a second’s hesitation, he stabbed the nanny in the neck.
Not even a blink.
He straightened and looked around the room slowly.
Judging by the blood trails, he was probably estimating his opponent’s skill.
Just like me, he thought.
“AAAAARGH!”
Crockton roared in frustration and swung his sword wildly.
Blood sprayed everywhere.
It must’ve been quite the headache.
Maddie watched silently from the balcony ledge, smiling faintly.
So, he thought he could save Astrid and play the cool uncle card.
Traumatizing a kid just to look heroic?
What a joke.
Trying to act?
Too bad. She was a professional con artist.
She’d met Harban at a gambling den years ago.
They’d spent a week taking turns winning and losing money until they became close.
“That guy had a good hand. Wonder if he still shuffles cards the same way.”
Maddie stroked her fingers, lost in memory.
It wasn’t easy finding a worthy opponent at poker.
“But I won the last pot.”
She remembered Harban buying her drinks over a year ago, bragging about growing his organization, and saying the five dots on his hand were his symbol.
She hadn’t expected to use that tidbit—until now.
Watching Crockton storm off in a rage, Maddie muttered,
“You’re just a petty thug. You think you can fight someone who’s survived the filthiest gutters?”
Mad Maddie, who rolled in from nowhere and made a place for herself in the back alleys.
To survive in that world, being ‘bad’ wasn’t enough.
You had to be the worst. The most twisted. You had to never let anyone see your cards. Never miss a thing.
You had to be completely unhinged.
Because survival depended on it.
From Maddie’s point of view, Crockton was no more threatening than a newborn bug.
Smiling sweetly, she blew a kiss at the back of his head.
See you again, little worm.
Your next surprise is already waiting.
