Episode 4
Eventually, the director came to a stop.
“My apologies for keeping you waiting.”
He bowed deeply toward the carriage door, and it opened.
Inside sat the man in the robe.
The director positioned himself in front of Lapia, as if to block her from view—making it clear he wouldn’t hand her over until the sponsorship agreement was signed.
Thanks to his stance, Lapia was able to scan the surroundings more easily for possible escape routes.
‘I need to go left.’
She made her decision.
Whether it was because she had behaved obediently or because Yuri couldn’t be bothered, there were very few people keeping watch over her.
Lapia gently bit her lower lip.
‘Not yet.’
She held her breath, waiting silently for the right moment.
“Once again, thank you deeply for visiting our orphanage and generously sponsoring us. Surely, this child will have a far more joyful and meaningful life under the care of such a noble benefactor, compared to staying in this shabby place.”
The director bowed again toward Yuri in the carriage, clearly trying to win favor.
But Yuri showed no interest in idle talk.
He lazily extended a hand from the carriage.
“The sponsorship contract?”
“Ah, yes. Of course, I have it right here.”
The director quickly slid a clipboard under the papers and handed them into the carriage.
“And how will you make the payment?”
“In full. In cash.”
“Goodness! All of it in cash?”
The director gasped, overwhelmed, then quickly nodded and offered a quill. Just as Yuri took the pen—
‘Now!’
Lapia clenched her teeth and bolted left.
‘Don’t stop, no matter what!’
Her sudden action caught the director and the two guards completely off guard, and they stared blankly as her back disappeared into the distance.
“What is she doing?!”
A clearly irritated voice rang out from the carriage. The director came to his senses first.
As soon as he realized Lapia had escaped, his face twisted in fury.
“What are you all doing just standing there?! Go get that brat, now!”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
Lapia knew full well that no matter how hard she ran, she couldn’t outrun two adult men chasing her seriously.
So she grabbed a large oak barrel—used for storing food—and knocked it over with all her strength.
Luckily, the alley was paved with uneven cobblestones.
The spilled food sloshed onto the stones, creating a slippery mess.
The men chasing her stumbled and flailed, trying to keep their balance on the slick ground.
“You idiots! She’s already halfway gone!”
The director’s furious voice echoed behind her like a dark shadow.
While the men struggled in the food waste, Lapia kept putting distance between them.
Just as she had hoped, the left path narrowed the farther she went.
It was a run-down district, where alleyways were extremely narrow and the buildings haphazardly built, creating a maze-like layout.
To make things worse, garbage and large discarded items were strewn everywhere, making the path disgusting and difficult to navigate.
Slipping swiftly through the trash, Lapia became harder and harder to catch, slowing the men down significantly.
‘I need to find a sewer entrance.’
It was better to get her body dirty than to have her entire life ruined. But the passage she was looking for was nowhere in sight.
Gasping, she pushed herself onward. Her breath hitched painfully, her teeth aching from the cold air.
She had long since lost her shoes but didn’t bother turning back for them.
Her feet burned, but she didn’t stop running.
‘I have to run faster. I can’t get caught.’
The wind brushing her cheeks, her own ragged breathing—it all roared in her ears.
‘If they catch me again, I’ll die again.’
Tears of fear blurred her vision.
Lapia clenched her fists and wiped her wet eyes with the back of her hand.
“Where did she go?”
“Damn it. She’s fast for such a tiny brat.”
Despite all her running, the pursuers were still close—she hadn’t gotten far.
“There she is!”
The men finally spotted her.
Panicking, Lapia tried to flee again, but her last escape route was already blocked.
Crouching like a frightened cat, she glared warily at them.
The men clicked their tongues and began threatening her.
“Damn it, you little runt. Isn’t this enough already? Come here while I’m still being nice.”
They sounded tired and irritated.
Lapia shrank back even more and bit her lower lip until it bled.
‘I have to use my power. It’s the only way out.’
She took a deep breath, then slowly opened her eyes.
Her power was extremely limited. She had to choose her words very carefully to make the greatest impact.
The men closed in on her, casually, like they were herding a cornered rat.
Kicking trash out of their way, they cursed under their breath.
“Why isn’t she moving? Don’t you understand when adults speak?!”
The taller of the two snapped, clearly losing patience.
“Hey, take it easy. She’s just a kid.”
“She’s got no charm! That’s the problem!”
The tall man stomped closer to her.
‘Please, let it work.’
She took a short, desperate breath.
Then she opened her eyes wide and stared straight at the two men.
In the darkness, her red eyes glowed.
“W-What the—?”
The moment they saw that vivid crimson, a chill ran from their feet to the tops of their heads.
But they didn’t want to admit fear—especially toward a child half their size—so they pressed on stubbornly.
Strangely, the closer they got to her, the more nauseated they felt.
‘What’s happening? Is it from chasing her around?’
Their chests felt tight, like something was stuck inside.
They tried to retch, but it brought no relief.
“Let’s just grab her already!”
“Yeah!”
Lapia pressed her back to the wall. Then she opened her mouth and spoke:
[Do not come any closer.]
A strange resonance echoed in her voice.
“Huh? What… what the hell?”
The two men froze in confusion.
Just as Lapia commanded, their feet felt rooted to the ground—they couldn’t move.
It was as if her voice had become invisible ropes binding them in place.
“Urgh…”
Lapia gritted her teeth.
Pain surged through her—payment for using Word Magic.
“Ugh…”
She groaned, furrowing her brow. A metallic taste filled her mouth, as if her flesh had torn.
Meanwhile, the men grabbed at their thighs, trying to pull their legs forward with brute force.
“Damn it! What is this?!”
“I can’t move either!”
No matter how hard they struggled, their legs wouldn’t budge.
“Damn it! Grab her before she runs again!”
“Let’s do it!”
It was a narrow alley—just an arm’s length separated her from them.
If they could just reach out, they’d be able to grab her hair.
As the men lunged forward, Lapia opened her mouth again:
[Do not touch me.]
Their arms suddenly froze in mid-air.
“H-Huh?”
“What the hell is going on now?!”
Just like their legs, their arms—and even their fingers—refused to move.
“Is she doing this?!”
“What is she?! She’s not just some ordinary kid, is she?!”
“I don’t know either!”
Now the only thing they could move was their mouths.
They started hurling curses, their angry shouts almost painful to hear.
Lapia considered silencing their mouths too.
‘But I don’t know how long this will hold.’
With her weak power, the spell’s duration would be short.
She had to make her final command count—for her own safety.
“Both of you…”
But she couldn’t finish.
A powerful wave of nausea rose from deep within her.
“Ugh!”
Her complexion grew worse than before.
Unable to bear it, Lapia bit down hard on her lip to stop herself from vomiting.
“You little brat! What the hell did you do to us?!”
The two men, frozen in awkward puppet-like poses, snarled with twisted faces.
“Undo this right now!”
Lapia ignored their shouting, exhaling slowly.
She had only spoken two commands, but her strength was already nearly gone—much faster than expected.
‘Not yet… I just need… one more…’
Her furrowed brow showed how desperate she was.
Trying not to lose focus, she forced her eyes open.
Her red pupils locked onto the men’s.
Then, with trembling lips, she whispered:
[Both of you… pass out… and fall.]
But unlike before, this time her command didn’t seem to work.
The men glared at her with full alertness, completely unaffected.
“What the hell are you babbling now?!”
Frustration colored their loud voices—anger mounting because they still couldn’t move.
‘I thought I could say three words… did I miscalculate?’
The fact that her spell didn’t work meant her power had completely run out.
A wave of anxiety crashed over her.
‘I have to try… just once more…’
Summary
