# Chapter 3
Unlike her pounding heart, her body couldn’t move properly.
Breathing was becoming difficult, as if someone was slowly strangling her neck, when a soft voice was heard.
> *“It’s alright. It’s me.”*
In the darkness, red eyes gleamed.
Relieved by that red light, Hiashel finally let out her wheezing breath.
> *“I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m sorry.”*
> *“……It’s fine.”*
As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see his face a little better.
Ciel smiled faintly and moved a little closer to Hiashel.
> *“I came back because I forgot to give you this.”*
Ciel held out a pocket watch that gleamed amber, the same color as her eyes.
As Hiashel reached out to take it, she glanced at the maid sleeping soundly in one corner of the room.
> *“Don’t worry, she won’t wake up.”*
> *“……Why?”*
> *“Hmm…… well…… because I decided so?”*
What on earth was he saying?
He only spoke in puzzling riddles, and Hiashel felt frustrated. As she pursed her lips with a sulky face, Ciel chuckled softly.
Come to think of it, she also remembered that he had just left her at the palace, so Hiashel puffed out her cheeks.
> *“I came to explain properly, but I see I wasn’t clear enough. I put them to sleep because I didn’t want others to know I visited this place again today.”*
> *‘You could have just said that from the beginning.’*
The child carefully took the pocket watch Ciel held out.
> *“What is this?”*
Instead of answering, Ciel gently stroked Hiashel’s coral-colored hair as she sat on the bed.
> *“Hiashel, I hope you live happily in this palace. That watch will be your strength.”*
Hiashel blankly looked down at the pocket watch in her hand. A heavy pocket watch engraved with a dragon. The carving was so delicate that the dragon seemed as if it might move at any moment.
> *“Dragons cannot harm you. For someone as lovely as you, this place will be the safest. This time, I truly hope…… that life is not short and futile.”*
His tone was as if he knew her past lives had been short.
When Hiashel raised her head again to ask about that, no one was there.
—
Several months had passed since Hiashel began staying at the palace.
The Dragon of Judgment treated her as if she didn’t exist.
Not that Hiashel minded—that was more comfortable for her.
Kahel rarely came out of his room, so even if Hiashel roamed the palace, they never crossed paths. Since they never met, she sometimes even forgot that this was the palace where the Dragon of Judgment lived.
> *“…….”*
But meeting him like this made it feel real again.
> *“……Why are you here.”*
Having quickly adapted to life in the palace, Hiashel had recently been exploring every corner of the palace. Of course, she had only started doing this after confirming over the past several months that Kahel rarely left his room.
Hiashel was padding down the corridor in a thick coat.
Until suddenly, Kahel appeared before her eyes.
He furrowed his brow slightly and glanced around. After confirming there was no one but Hiashel, the wrinkle between his brows deepened even more.
> *‘Is he mad that I was wandering around freely?’*
The Dragon of Judgment, radiating a cold atmosphere, was even more intimidating when he frowned.
Startled, Hiashel took a small step back.
Kahel, who had been silently staring at her, also stepped back.
> *“Albert!”*
Then he called the butler loudly.
Hiashel flinched at the sudden loud voice.
Kahel furrowed his brow and took two more steps back.
> *‘……We’re at a very awkward distance.’*
Thanks to that, the two ended up standing in the corridor with a very strange distance between them.
> *“Albert!”*
As Kahel called out again, Albert appeared from the end of the corridor. He approached hurriedly, then spotted Hiashel and came running.
> *“M-Master, you called for me?”*
> *“Why is that child wandering around alone?”*
At Kahel’s question, both Albert and Hiashel turned pale.
> *‘What, am I not supposed to wander alone? Was I being watched?’*
But if that were the case, she had been far too neglected.
Thinking she might be in trouble, Hiashel trembled down to her fingertips.
> *“I-I was just looking for the young lady downstairs.”*
Kahel stepped closer to Albert and lowered his voice. Still, Hiashel heard everything.
> *“Wasn’t it you who said a human child should not be left alone?”*
> *“……That was for very young children, but……”*
> *“She seems very young even now.”*
> *“Ah, of course she is still very young, but……”*
> *“Then it’s right that she should not be left alone, isn’t it?”*
> *“……You are correct, Master.”*
Under Kahel’s sharp gaze, Albert broke out in a sweat.
Hiashel quietly looked up at the two and fell into deep thought.
> *‘Should I just run away?’*
But this method had a high chance of causing problems later. On the other hand, if she apologized first, there was a chance she’d get scolded a little, but it seemed better in the long run.
> *“Hoo……”*
After quietly steadying her breath, Hiashel stepped closer to Kahel.
> *‘It’s not like I’m living just for today.’*
Hiashel tried to bow her upper body slightly toward Kahel, but noticing she had approached, Kahel stepped back two paces.
Hiashel, who had been about to apologize, felt a little strange.
> *‘……It’s my imagination, right?’*
Thinking that, Hiashel stepped closer to him again, but he moved back the same distance. Hiashel looked up at him with a shocked expression.
> *“Ahem……”*
Kahel cleared his throat awkwardly and avoided her gaze.
> *‘Why…… why is he avoiding me? Why does it seem like he’s running away……?’*
Her confused gaze turned to Albert, but he too only avoided her eyes.
Feeling stubborn, Hiashel padded closer. But the same thing repeated.
Finally letting out a deep sigh, she bowed her upper body while keeping her distance.
> *“I’m sorry for wandering around alone.”*
> *“…….”*
Both Kahel and even Albert looked at Hiashel in surprise, saying nothing.
> *‘Hmph, I’m a lady who knows manners.’*
Feeling proud of herself for apologizing properly, Hiashel straightened up. Both of them looked surprised, but Kahel’s face was especially worth seeing.
> *“……Quite polite.”*
He muttered to Albert, as if still in shock.
And it made sense—the only humans Kahel had seen, aside from those who lived in the palace, were sinners.
> *“……The young lady has been polite since the day she first arrived. Did she not greet you first, Master?”*
The butler had been just as surprised, but he spoke with pride as if stating a fact he had always known. Since Hiashel mostly stayed with Lisa or Yuri, Albert hadn’t seen much of her either.
Hiashel scratched her cheek and looked at the two, then drooped her eyebrows.
> *‘The most pitiful face possible.’*
Pressing her palms together, she looked up at Kahel and Albert with an expression that was clearly disappointed.
> *“I’ll go to my room……”*
> *“Ah, no……”*
Confirming that he seemed a little flustered, Hiashel secretly smiled.
> *“Ah!”*
Then she tripped and fell in a place where there was absolutely nothing.
Thud—she fell, and lifting her upper body slightly from the floor, the child frowned as much as she could.
> *‘That hurts so much……’*
She had anticipated it and deliberately staged it, but perhaps due to lack of skill, it hurt quite a bit.
> *“Ah, young lady, are you alright?”*
Seeing Albert trying to help her up, Hiashel composed herself and slightly shook her head. Then she purposely let out an “Ugh” sound and got up on her own.
> *“I’m fine……”*
At that pitiful sight, Kahel’s red eyes wavered.
> *‘……The Dragon of Judgment is softer-hearted than I thought.’*
Having successfully obtained useful information, Hiashel acted dejected until she turned the corridor corner and was out of their sight.
> *‘I should ask Yuri for a snack~.’*
Of course, once she turned the corner, she quickly ran off with a cheerful step.
—
Life at the northern palace was more satisfying than ever before.
She didn’t shiver from cold, didn’t go hungry, and had no reason to tremble in fear. Moreover, everyone at the palace adored Hiashel.
Being quick to adapt, Hiashel soon grew accustomed to their kindness. Having always survived in harsh environments, getting used to those who showed her goodwill was easy.
She had never been doted on like this before.
In this fourth life, she had thought she would die again soon without living long.
Yet strangely, she was still alive, and living in such a luxurious place.
The voices of the past suddenly brushed past her ears.
> *‘It must be because that child is in this village……!’
> ‘But what wrong has this child done……!’
> ‘Are you planning to kill all the villagers?’
> ‘So you’re telling us to…… this child……’
> ‘It can’t be helped if we all want to live!’*
She still remembered those voices vividly. And her parents, who had tried to protect her at first—though that was only the first time.
The village where Hiashel was born was a small farming village. She was chosen as a sacrifice to the god because of a plague that struck the village. No one objected.
And just before her death, she was rescued by Ciel.
> *“Young lady, where are you going?”*
Yuri, having spotted Hiashel pattering down the corridor, quickly approached and asked.
> *“A walk!”*
When Hiashel looked up with wide, round eyes and answered, Yuri smiled warmly.
> *“Even the way you answer is pretty. How can you be this adorable?”*
At the gentle touch stroking her head, Hiashel smiled shyly.
It was an affectionate touch she had never received even while cycling through death and life. Of course, the fact that her appearance in this life seemed the best among all four lives also played a part.
> *“Shall I come with you?”*
> *“Yes!”*
Hiashel, eyes sparkling and beaming, was unbearably cute. When Hiashel reached out her hand first, Yuri’s expression melted into a gooey smile.
> *“Ah, there you were!”*
Just as Yuri, overcome with emotion, covered her mouth, Lisa and Albert approached quickly from the other end of the corridor.
> *“Yuri, you need to step out with me for a moment.”*
> *“Excuse me? I was just about to go for a walk with the young lady……”*
> *“Come on, let’s go, hurry!”*
Yuri, whose walk with Hiashel had just been ruined, whined as she was dragged away by Lisa’s hand.
> *‘Hmm? Why is she acting like that?’*
Having never seen Lisa behave like that once during her stay at the palace, Hiashel tilted her head.
> *“Young lady, how about reading a book instead of taking a walk?”*
Left behind, Albert bowed his upper body and tried to smile as kindly as possible. In his hand was a folded piece of paper. Hiashel stared at it quietly, then asked back.
> *“A book?”*
> *“Yes. The master is not in the study right now, so you may use it.”*
> *“Really?”*
> *“Yes. We’ve also prepared some picture books for you in the study.”*
The child’s eyes immediately sparkled. In all her past three lives, she had never disliked books.
> *‘I should go see what kind of books are there.’*
