Chapter 8
It all happened in an instant.
Derek, the pickpocket, was running toward us. Behind him, Harry was desperately calling out Finn’s name. And Finn—eyes wide open—stood frozen, watching as Derek was about to crash into him.
And then…
“Lady Hartmann!”
In the middle of Risman Central Market, I rolled across the ground while hugging Finn tightly.
It was an instinctive reaction.
I had only one thought:
I need to protect this little boy.
At this moment, I felt I had to keep Finn safe.
[I have an illness.]
[The doctor said I might not live long.]
Maybe I saw myself in him.
Both in my previous life and this one, I remembered the despair I felt when I was given a terminal diagnosis.
How would a seven-year-old child feel being told he had little time left?
I couldn’t save him completely.
But I didn’t want to just stand by and do nothing.
Even if I couldn’t change his fate entirely, I wanted to help so he could suffer a little less. I wanted to protect that beautiful smile of his for as long as I could.
It was my duty as an adult.
Truthfully, I didn’t even have time to think. My body had simply moved on its own.
“Damn it! I told you to get out of the way!”
Derek spat a curse and changed direction, fleeing the scene.
“Lady Hartmann! Oh my goodness!”
Sophie rushed over to me and Finn, who had fallen to the ground.
She looked deeply shaken, knowing about my terminal condition.
“Lady Hartmann, are you okay? You can’t afford to get hurt!”
“Finn! Lady Hartmann!”
Harry, who had been chasing Derek, also rushed over, breathless and clearly rattled by what had just happened.
“Are you all right?”
“…Yes, I’m fine.”
I stood up and looked at the two of them.
I really was fine. Because I had held onto Finn tightly, we had simply rolled on the ground from the impact. I wasn’t hurt.
But more importantly…
I looked down at the boy who was still clinging to my chest, gasping for air. I gently lifted his brown hair to see his small face.
“Finn, are you okay?”
“…Y-yes.”
Finn’s voice was dazed, as though he hadn’t processed what had happened. He placed a trembling hand over his chest.
“I was just… surprised…”
“Finn!”
His eyes fluttered shut. I caught him in my arms before he collapsed.
I carried Finn back to the departing train at Risman Station.
I laid him on the bed in my first-class cabin. It seemed better than putting him in the crowded third-class bunks. Then I asked Sophie to call a train attendant.
A short time later, there was a knock at the door, and a staff member entered.
“Excuse me, miss. I heard you called for assistance.”
“A child has collapsed. He has a heart condition. Is there a doctor on board?”
“Oh no, the boy collapsed?”
The staff member approached and checked Finn’s condition before replying.
“There is no doctor among the train crew, only first-aid supplies… but we will ask among the passengers to see if anyone can help.”
In both my previous and current life, doctors were a stable and well-paid profession.
Chances were high that any doctor traveling would be in at least a second-class cabin or higher, as ordinary commoners could rarely afford those tickets.
“If you bring a doctor who can examine this child, I promise a large reward. Of course, the doctor will also be rewarded.”
“Thank you for your generosity. I will check immediately. Please wait a moment.”
The staff member bowed respectfully and left.
When I turned back, Harry was sitting by the bed, holding Finn’s small hand.
His hand trembled faintly.
“I asked them to find a doctor as quickly as possible. Try not to worry too much,” I said softly.
“Thank you, Lady Hartmann. I don’t know how I can ever repay this kindness…”
Harry looked more vulnerable than I had ever seen him before.
His long lashes and lips trembled as he stared at Finn.
This must be the true face he hid from his brother.
“Finn asked me for the first time ever,” he whispered. “He wanted to go on a trip. So I spent everything I had to take him on this train.”
“….”
“But I never imagined something like this would happen. It’s all my fault.”
Honestly, there wasn’t much I could say to comfort him.
I already knew Finn’s fate. He would die eventually. That was a fact that wouldn’t change.
But because I knew his fate, I could at least say this:
“…Don’t worry too much. Finn will wake up safely.”
At the very least, Finn wasn’t going to die today.
Even if we couldn’t find a doctor, I was certain he would wake up.
For now, I chose to focus on that fact.
“You can stay with him until he regains consciousness,” I said.
“…Thank you.”
“I have something I need to take care of, so I’ll step out for a bit.”
I patted Harry on the shoulder and left the cabin.
As I stepped into the corridor, the train’s horn blared, signaling its departure. The floor vibrated faintly as the train began to move.
My expression had grown cold.
“…He must have boarded the train by now.”
I still had unfinished business.
I needed to catch the culprit.
I hadn’t wanted to interfere, worried about altering the original story, but my mind had changed.
Now that Finn was in this condition, it was no longer just about whether or not the thief got away.
I wanted to catch the man who had done this to Finn.
“Deon,” I called to my bodyguard, who was standing behind me.
“Yes, my lady.”
“You said they haven’t caught the pickpocket yet, right?”
“That’s what I heard.”
“…Then listen carefully, Deon.”
I motioned for him to come closer. He stepped up to me, recognizing the signal I only used for secret orders.
“I saw the criminal holding a train ticket earlier. It was a third-class ticket for the Ramier Express.”
“…!”
“You know what that means, right?”
Derek, the pickpocket who had caused all this chaos today, was on this train.
Derek sat quietly in a corner of the third-class carriage.
The carriage was small, overcrowded, noisy, and stifling.
He had pulled his hood low over his head, which naturally drew some glances from the passengers.
Derek exhaled irritably through clenched teeth.
‘Damn it… I thought I’d get away clean.’
From the moment he entered the market, he had felt unlucky.
The bad feeling had started when he locked eyes with some woman.
As a pickpocket, it was never a good sign to feel like someone was watching you.
And sure enough, he had been caught mid-theft.
Some man had stepped forward, claiming he had seen Derek, and began helping the knights.
A composite sketch was drawn in no time, and before he knew it, Derek was on the run.
Thankfully, he had managed to escape…
But now his face had been exposed, and he was constantly on edge, worried someone would recognize him.
‘…Damn it. I’ll have to get off at the next station and board another train.’
The problem was that it would take a full day to reach the next stop…
Still, Derek resolved to hold out somehow.
If he could escape safely, the cash in the wallet he had stolen would all be his.
‘…I’m exhausted. I should get some sleep.’
His tension had eased a little, and fatigue washed over him.
Derek yawned and was just about to close his eyes when—
