RTBW CH 04

Posted by bed0zx_, Released on October 19, 2025

-Chapter 4-

Wow… what a vile human being.
How can someone like that even exist?
She said she’d make the kids look “pitiful,” but it’s obvious what she really means. She just wants to use them for her own greed!

I wanted to stay and hear her exact plan, but she started humming cheerfully, scribbling something down on paper.
That was enough to tell me—I wouldn’t learn anything more by staying here.

‘She’s lower than trash. A piece of human garbage.’

My teeth clenched so hard my jaw ached, but what could I do? I was only eight years old.

I wasn’t a savior or a saint.
And I wasn’t some long-lost daughter of a noble family either.
I knew exactly who my parents were—just ordinary people.

So the only thing I could do was try to survive.
And maybe, just maybe, give the future villains of this story—the twins—a slightly better childhood than the one they had in the novel.

‘Still… I can’t let them get hurt.’

I decided I’d have to keep a close watch from now on.
With that, I carefully made my way back to the twins.

***

The second time around, the path to the storage shed felt a lot shorter.
I squeezed through the little hole in the wall again, brushing off dust as I crawled inside.

The twins were still wary of me, but I shamelessly sat down right in front of them.

“Hey, it’s okay,” I said softly, trying to soothe them like puppies.

But instead of calming down, the one who usually growled at me scrunched up his face, giving me this are-you-for-real? kind of look.

“Hey, what’s that expression supposed to mean?”

“…”

“No food for you if you keep looking at me like that.”

“Grrr…!”

“Do you even know how hard it was to get this? And you’re giving me that look?”

It was petty, but my legs were still shaking just thinking about how close I’d come to getting caught by the director.

‘The director’s never laid a hand on me before, but I’ve heard plenty of horror stories.’

Kids who came back from her office in the summer would wear long sleeves, hiding bruises and cuts. Some limped. Some didn’t talk for days.

She was the kind of person who hurt children without a hint of hesitation.

Even remembering it made my stomach twist.

I sighed deeply—and that’s when it happened.

The one who’d been hiding behind the older twin peeked out cautiously.

“It’s okay,” I said gently. “Don’t be scared. I won’t hurt you. Come on out and eat.”

I smiled as kindly as I could… though judging by how both kids flinched, my smile might’ve been more terrifying than reassuring.

‘Do I really look that scary?’

Trying to laugh it off, I pulled out the bread and milk from my pocket and tossed them toward the twins.

Instantly, their caution melted into hunger.
They hurried over and snatched the bread without a second thought.

“You two can actually understand me, can’t you?”

“…”

Yeah, they totally could. But every time I asked, they’d just shake their heads like shy puppies caught in the rain.

And just like that—I softened again.

“Do you know what this is?” I asked, holding up the bottle. “It’s milk.”

My precious milk. I barely got to drink it myself.
Just the smell was enough to make my mouth water.

We only ever got milk when the director was in a good mood—which was almost never.

“Slurp…”

Oops. I quickly wiped away the drool that had slipped out, but the twins caught it immediately. Their heads tilted in unison toward me.

“I-I didn’t do anything!”

Their eyes shifted to the floor—specifically, the little droplet that had fallen there.

“It’s not what you think! I wasn’t drooling because I wanted the milk!”

“…”

“Anyway, it’s a bit cold now, but it’s really tasty. And nutritious! Just don’t drink it on an empty stomach, okay? Eat the bread first.”

I rambled to hide my embarrassment, but they just stared at the bottle. Then they started rolling it across the floor with their feet.

“Oh… you can’t open it, huh? Those long nails must get in the way.”

I really wanted to trim those claws for them, but for now, feeding them was the priority.

I crawled over, twisted off the cap, and handed the bottle to the closer twin.

“Kyaaah!”

“Wow, you could at least say thank you for opening it,” I muttered.

But of course, no answer came. The kid just snatched the milk and handed it to the other one so they could share it.

“Good, right?”

“…”

“Yeah… eat up.”

And then—

Growl!

My stomach betrayed me with a loud rumble.

The twins, who had been busy eating, turned their heads to stare at me.

“D-don’t mind that. My stomach just likes to… talk sometimes.”

I tried to laugh it off, secretly hoping they’d offer me at least a small bite. But they didn’t.

They really didn’t.

A tiny pang of disappointment hit me.

“Well… as long as you’re eating well,” I said with a sigh.

I sat cross-legged, chin propped on my hand, watching them devour the food.

Their sharp nails and dirty faces caught the dim light. There were scratches all over their arms and legs.

“Hey,” I said quietly, “that horrible director’s been hurting you, hasn’t she?”

“…”

“You know her, right? Big woman, hands like frying pans, walks like a bear?”

I mimed her waddling around, puffing up my cheeks, and—finally—a reaction.

The smaller twin nodded hard.

“Knew it,” I muttered. “When does she come down here?”

“…”

No reply. They couldn’t speak. It was frustrating.

‘Where do I even start? Food comes first. Then I’ll teach them to talk… No, wait, maybe I should find a safer place for them first…’

While I was lost in thought, something fell in front of me with a soft thud.

A piece of bread.

It was from the quieter one—the younger twin who always hid behind her brother.

When I looked up, she darted back behind him.

“…Is this for me?”

“…”

She didn’t answer, but her hair bobbed up and down as she nodded.

My chest tightened.

“Does this mean… we’re officially sharing food now?”

No answer, but that warm, unfamiliar feeling grew in my heart.

Until now, I’d only thought about earning their trust for survival’s sake. But now…

‘These kids aren’t just characters from a novel.’

They weren’t villains or tragic plot devices.
They were real.
Living, breathing, feeling children—who had already suffered so much, but still had kindness left in them.

“I’ve made up my mind.”

Both pairs of blue eyes looked straight at me.

Their hair was messy, their faces dirty, their eyes crusted with sleep—but there was still a sparkle of life inside.

“I’ll give you a normal childhood,” I said firmly. “The most ordinary, peaceful childhood anyone could wish for. I’ll make sure of it.”

I stood up. “So wait for me, okay? I’ll come back!”

There was no time to waste.

If food ran out here, I could go to the apple orchard thirty minutes away and bring back the fallen fruit.
If they needed water, I could fetch it myself.

Compared to these children—trapped like beasts—I was practically free.

I clenched my small fists tight and stepped out of the shed.

***

“See? Being good really pays off.”

I’d always considered myself a fairly well-behaved person.

The director might’ve been greedy, but thanks to my quick memory, I usually finished chores faster than anyone else.

The kids were made to produce decorative silk threads for pocket charms and folding fans.

The work wasn’t that hard—but for kids, it was endless and exhausting.

And the quality was awful, of course.

‘Even then, the director made us do fifty of them a day. Each. If you didn’t, she’d either starve or beat you.’

I was always the first to finish. Once I understood how to do it, it was simple enough. And after that, I’d help the slower kids finish theirs too.

“Here! You can have my shoes!”