Chapter 52………………………..
“What is that?”
What I thought was the decisive reason might actually be just one step in the process.
And what I thought was just a step in the process might actually be the decisive reason.
“This is so hard.”
I stopped my thoughts and let my shoulders slump.
My child brain just can’t handle this yet…
Per looked at me with a playful smile, then continued in a slightly gentler voice.
“Anyway, the important thing is that this person might aim for the same target again.”
“The same target… you mean Grandma?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
Then he rolled his distinctive red eyes and muttered.
“She’s not dead yet, so she could still be a useful card.”
“That’s an awful thing to say.”
I immediately took a step back at his words.
It felt like the emotional distance between us had widened—he was just too cruel…
“Well, I’m only saying this from that person’s point of view.”
As if reading my thoughts again, he relaxed the corners of his eyes and drew a line under it.
“It’s not my opinion.”
“Uh-huh…”
Still, he said it awfully naturally.
Fine. Let’s go with that for now.
“Thanks for telling me.”
I stood back up and offered a sincere thank you.
My head got even more tangled, but somehow I felt I’d caught a little more of a lead.
If I’d been alone, I’d probably still be wasting time worrying whether it would be poisoning or a surprise attack.
“I’ll keep your idea in mind and work hard to gather evidence.”
“Evidence?”
Per cocked his head as if he couldn’t understand my words.
“Do you really have to gather evidence?”
“Of course, don’t you think so?”
I tilted my head in confusion at him.
“If we gather this, we can catch that person before anything happens.”
“Can’t we just catch them first and think about it later?”
“I’d like to if I could…”
But how could I do that?
No matter what, you can’t just jump on someone who hasn’t done anything yet.
If I overreacted and caused a scene, I’d be the one to suffer.
“The best thing is to find their plan and evidence before anything happens and stop it.”
“Can’t you just raid the scene once it happens? If you catch them in the act, people will believe you even without evidence.”
“That’s harder than gathering evidence.”
You’d have to know the plan exactly, and time the raid to when they commit the crime.
There’d also need to be people around so others could verify what happened.
If I tried to catch them alone, public opinion would probably turn against me.
And above all…
“What if something goes wrong and someone dies or gets hurt?”
If I just sat on a pile of evidence and waited to catch them at the scene—
If I was one step too late, or they suddenly changed their plan.
If Grandma and Mom were killed right before my eyes…
“I told you before, I don’t want to see someone die.”
Whether it’s my mother or my grandmother.
Even Bertolt… as long as it doesn’t happen in front of me, that would be best.
“You’re bound to see it at least once while you live here.”
Per, whose head had been tilted, returned to his normal posture and spoke.
‘What an old-soul thing to say.’
He’s as young as me, but speaks as if he’s already lived through the whole world.
“Still…”
Per stared at me for a moment, then continued.
“I agree.”
“…”
“Watching someone die is truly awful.”
I met his gaze and briefly stopped breathing.
His eyes looked so pained when he said that.
As if he’d already experienced it once before…
“Per.”
Had he seen someone die in front of him too?
And not an enemy like in my case, but someone dear he’d lost?
If so, how hard that must’ve been for him.
Unconsciously, I moved slowly closer to Per.
Just as my hand was about to reach his head—
“It doesn’t matter anymore.”
He smoothed his expression as if nothing had happened and shrugged.
At the same moment, I quickly dropped my awkwardly outstretched arm.
What—so I didn’t have to comfort him?
“You can keep doing that, you know.”
Per mischievously narrowed his eyes.
“I don’t know what you mean?”
I turned my head sharply and pretended not to know.
After acting like a lost puppy, and now he says it doesn’t matter.
Fine by me!
“Well, anyway.”
Per shifted the topic in his playful voice.
“But like I keep saying, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. You’ve already twisted things up a bit. You’re doing it even now.”
“Do you really think so…?”
I turned my head back and looked at Per.
He was gazing at me with unwavering eyes.
It’s strange when you think about it.
“You seem to trust me too much.”
We’d only met three times.
And those encounters were as brief as a summer breeze.
Why does Per trust me so much?
Why is he helping me?
“Because you’re someone worth trusting.”
Per softened the corners of his eyes and said.
“Would you rather I didn’t believe you?”
“No.”
I immediately shook my head.
It feels awkward, but still—
“Because someone believes in me, I somehow feel like I can believe in myself too.”
Maybe there’s a reason he trusts me this much.
Maybe I can do better than I think.
‘Maybe I’m not completely wrong?’
It was strange, but every time Per said something like that, those feelings bubbled up inside me.
Maybe it’s because he’s an old soul and seems to know more than me.
Whatever the reason, it’s still a comfort.
“That’s enough.”
The mysterious little old soul smiled playfully again.
“Come here for a second.”
Come here?
I’m already here.
“Closer?”
“Yeah, closer.”
Under Per’s prompting I reluctantly moved closer to the window.
He wasted no time and reached out to stroke my hair.
“You’re brave.”
“Hey!”
I yelled out at once.
He keeps putting his hand on my head since before!
He’s treating me like a little sibling!
‘And he’s only a tiny bit taller than me!’
I’m not a kid—well, I am, but—
You are a kid, too!!
“Is something the matter, miss?”
Just then, the maids who’d been waiting outside burst in.
Apparently my voice had been too loud.
I hurriedly shielded Per with my body and gave a sheepish smile.
“Huh? What? Nothing’s wrong at all?”
As if to tease me, Per reached behind and gently tugged my hair.
I quickly sent one hand back and smacked the back of his hand.
Is this the time for playful antics?
‘I’m trying to protect you, you know!’
If word got out that a suspicious child had slipped into the palace, it would cause an uproar!
“…By the way, where is your big father, miss?”
The maid looked around the room and asked, suspicious of my reaction.
Come to think of it, the maids don’t know that Derrick’s father has left.
“Ah, Derrick’s father?”
He went out this way through the window.
“We’re playing hide-and-seek in the room.”
“Then why is the lady standing at the window…?”
“I thought maybe my dad was hiding here. Heh heh.”
“…”
“It’s just that he hid so well I felt like screaming for a moment…”
Don’t you have days like that too, maid sister?
Days when everything goes wrong and you want to scream.
Let’s just say it was something like that.
