chapter 07
‘He’s really scarfing that down.’
Even though he was so wary of taking medicine, he still ate the clean, warm food the knight brought him. Well, being hungry is something he couldn’t help.
‘He’s cute.’
Right then, while he was focused on eating, Schluetz suddenly lifted his head. Through the dusty glass window, his eyes met mine. The happiness I’d been feeling little by little as I walked over suddenly exploded inside me.
I waved at Schluetz.
“Hi, Schluetz.”
The moment I greeted him, he froze completely. Clang! The spoon slipped from his hand, and his face turned bright red.
‘So cute.’
I giggled and turned away from him, continuing on. I spoke to the knight still standing by the door.
“Let me… know when… he’s done eating.”
“Yes, my lady.”
As I turned to step on the stone tiles laid before the door, there was a loud thud and the door flew open. It was Schluetz. With his face still bright red, he came running out.
“Schluetz?”
He looked right at me.
“Wh-why are you leaving just like that?”
I blinked in surprise.
“So you… can finish eating. I thought… I’d take a walk… and come back.”
“…Oh.”
Schluetz looked flustered and lowered his head. His red ears clearly showed how embarrassed he was. I felt all warm and fuzzy inside.
Actually, before coming here, I had thought to myself—
Schluetz Procyon.
He was someone I’d really liked in my past life. But still, that was in a past life. I’d spent years trying to survive here as the once-dead Blandea. People say that even deep feelings fade with time. I figured the emotions I once held for him had long been buried under layers of dust.
I told myself that saving Schluetz now was mostly just for my own survival. That that was the most important reason.
But after seeing him again like this, those old feelings started to come back, little by little. I was glad I came to see him.
‘I’ll slip the antidote into his food later.’
I’ll definitely save you. Smiling to myself at the thought, I said,
“Go finish… your meal.”
“I already did.”
“…Already?”
He still had plenty left when I saw him through the window earlier. I moved to check for myself, but Schluetz, flustered, grabbed my arm. Then realizing what he’d done, he let go just as quickly. Something about the moment felt strange.
With a slight frown, Schluetz said,
“…I left a little.”
“You shouldn’t… waste food.”
You need to eat a lot, remember? Seeing that he still hadn’t gone back, I added,
“I’ll be… waiting… for you.”
“……”
I liked serious Schluetz, but it was honestly adorable when he did as I said, too. As he turned back around, I tried hard not to smile like an idiot. I didn’t want him to think I was weird and start avoiding me. I quickly got my expression under control.
But before long, the door swung open again. Schluetz had returned, walking out like he had finished everything.
‘Did he drink the stew? I mean, yeah, it’s soup, but he still ate way too fast.’
Do kids even get indigestion at that age?
I didn’t have time to dwell on it long.
“Schluetz.”
Just seeing him made me smile without thinking. He stared at me again. Yeah, I guess I’d find it weird too if a seven-year-old kept smiling at me every time they saw me.
Since I didn’t know my way around this red district well, Schluetz walked a few steps ahead to lead the way. Then suddenly, he asked,
“What’s your name?”
Blandea.
And the fake name I started using after coming here—Enrique Ciedo.
I couldn’t tell him either name.
The first one — my real name — I couldn’t say because of a strict promise I made with my parents. And the second — the fake name I’d been using — I just didn’t want to tell Schluetz another kid’s name when I was standing right in front of him.
“They said… I’m not supposed to tell.”
“…Why?”
“You know… the orphanage…? The teacher said… if grown-ups find out we’re sneaking out for food… they’ll stop giving it to us. And then… it’ll be hard… to work…”
I spoke slowly, trying to explain in a way a child could understand. It came out a bit awkward, but Schluetz didn’t seem to mind. He just listened quietly, then asked,
“Then should I just call you ‘you’? But you’re a kid too, right? Don’t you have a nickname or something?”
Why couldn’t I have a more normal nickname? I fidgeted with my fingers before answering.
“Enri.”
“Enri?”
Schluetz gave a small smile for the first time since we met.
“That’s a pretty common name.”
“Enricor” was actually a rare name, but “Enrique” was often used among nobles. It used to be a male name, but recently it had become trendy to use it regardless of gender. Schluetz seemed to guess it was a shortened version of that.
‘Still, it matches “Enricor” well enough. That feels nice.’
It was a total coincidence, but still comforting.
I didn’t get to walk with Schluetz for long. After about ten minutes, I ran out of energy. The knight walking behind us finally said it was best if we headed back.
‘I guess I really haven’t been sleeping well lately.’
They had found more bodies recently. I couldn’t sleep properly — afraid of nightmares, and honestly just scared.
Before the knight carried me back to the orphanage on his back, I looked back at Schluetz. The way he quietly watched me made him look a little lonely. But there was nothing I could do.
‘I can’t bring him to the orphanage.’
And the orphanage was a busy place. Right now, Schluetz couldn’t see — bringing him there would only make him uncomfortable. And he wasn’t the type to complain.
So it was better to leave him here. I’d already assigned a knight to guard his house anyway.
I decided that next time, I’d come earlier and have lunch with him. Based on today, I was pretty sure… he wouldn’t mind.
I glanced down at the arm he had grabbed earlier. For some reason, it made me smile.
A few days later.
The work to organize the orphanage was coming along smoothly. After exchanging a few intense letters with my mother, I finally got a moment to breathe. So I went to see Schluetz.
And I immediately realized I had come at the wrong time.
“Schluetz… is taking a bath?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Then… I’ll just… wait.”
I looked around the house.
In just a few days, the inside of Schluetz’s house had changed completely. The nice furniture from his mother’s side of the family had all been looted by thieves, making the place feel cold and empty. But now, the knights had brought in new furniture. It was still a little messy since they hadn’t finished unpacking…
‘But it’s starting to feel like someone actually lives here again.’
Once I saw that one of the knights had stepped out after being called away, I quietly snuck toward Schluetz’s bedroom. I knew I shouldn’t go into someone’s room without permission, but there was something I really wanted to check.
I looked under the bed, then quickly stood back up.
‘No corpse. Good.’
Only then did the unease I’d been carrying melt away, and I felt relieved.
But then I had a new worry.
‘Is this a weird habit now?’
I told myself it was just temporary — because I’d been shocked from lying on top of a dead body before. Hopefully, it will go away. But in this child’s body, I didn’t feel very sure. I really hoped I wouldn’t keep doing this even as an adult.
I quickly rushed out of the room.
“…I said I can do it myself…!”
It happened just then. The bathroom door at the end of the hallway burst open, and Schluetz came out. I froze in the hallway like a thief who’d been caught sneaking out of a room. We ended up face to face.
He looked a little grumpy, like he’d just been arguing with a knight — like a sulky little kitten. But when he saw my face, his expression froze for a moment.
I spoke quietly.
“Schluetz?”
“……!”
In an instant, Schluetz spun around and rushed back into the bathroom.
A moment later, it was the knight who came out instead. At this point, I couldn’t tell if this place was an orphanage or part of the knight order, since the knights kept taking turns caring for Schluetz.
“Oh, my lady. When did you arrive?”
“Just now… What about Schluetz?”
“His face turned as red as an apple. He must’ve been surprised to see you.”
“Why… surprised? He was wearing… a bathrobe.”
The knight laughed.
“My lady, you don’t quite understand a young boy’s heart.”
‘I do, actually.’
But he was fully covered! Why would that be embarrassing?
Anyway, I looked toward the bathroom door that was now shut tight.
“My lady.”
At that moment, the knight leaned closer and whispered,
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
“Hm?”
He led me over to the living room, then lowered his voice even more.
“That boy… I don’t think he can see.”
“…What?”
I couldn’t believe my ears.
“What do you mean… all of a sudden?”
“Just the other day, when we were repairing the bathroom, we brought him to the orphanage to wash up. He kept walking along the wall, feeling it with his hand.”
“………”
“I don’t think he’s told the doctors either. He’s hiding it completely. I pretended not to notice, too. He seems like the kind who really hates showing any weakness—”
The knight suddenly straightened up.
Almost at the same time, Schluetz walked out from around the hallway corner. Unlike earlier, his neck was now wrapped completely with a towel.
‘Maybe… he didn’t want me to see his scars?’
Was he not totally blind? Or maybe he only recently lost his sight?
Whatever the case, I wanted to break the tension.
“I’m… hungry.”
Knights were too straightforward for this kind of thing — it had to be me. The knight quickly nodded.
“Ah, of course, my lady. I’ll get food ready right away.”
I walked over and stopped right in front of Schluetz. His black hair was still damp. His blue eyes looked straight at me.
He was looking right at my face. If he was blind… how?
He hadn’t even stumbled once when we took a walk earlier…
As I watched him, I let out a quiet sigh in my heart.
