Chapter 40
Katya’s deep blue eyes went wide.
Nina also opened her pale blue eyes wide, staring at Messi.
Messi continued, pretending to be embarrassed.
“They’re looking for a caregiver around Nina’s age now, but it seems it’s not easy to find a good one.”
“A caregiver…? Ah, you mean those noble kids who bring around playmates who also act like babysitters?”
“Yeah. If you’re confident, I could try setting something up — though, of course, Nina has to like them.”
“I’m fine with it,” Nina said quickly.
Though she just found out that they were looking for a caregiver, she thought it would be much better if Katya came rather than some unfamiliar kid.
More than anything, Katya had helped them yesterday to prevent a terror attack.
Despite her outward attitude…
Katya glanced dully between Nina and Messi, then hastily nodded.
“I’m confident. I’ve never done it officially, but I raised my younger siblings, and also…”
“There’s a more important problem than that,” Messi interrupted.
“What is it?”
Messi gave an ambiguous smile and tapped the front pocket that held the jewel Katya had returned earlier.
“Sticky fingers.”
“Hey…”
“If you hadn’t returned this today, I wouldn’t have even brought it up. You know what I mean, right? If you do that kind of thing while staying with Nina, I won’t be able to protect you.”
Even in the dim space, Katya’s face flushed red.
She looked like she was about to explode at any moment, but instead she sulked, lowered her head, and sighed.
“I’m desperate because I can’t even get a job that pays a pittance properly. It’s all because I’m fighting not to live like before. I made a mistake yesterday… But I won’t mess with my friends anyway.”
Nina blinked.
The word “friends” from Katya’s mouth felt both strange and sweet.
Even if it was a futile wish to expect friendship given her current situation, she had decided to enjoy every moment while staying here.
Someday she would part from all of this…
“Yeah, I don’t really have any valuables either—”
She only had a signet ring as a precious item, and even that was now kept by Lavian.
As Nina was thinking this and about to speak, suddenly—
“…Ugh!”
A bizarre scream came from outside, and the three kids quickly shut their mouths.
It seemed the seeker had found someone.
Holding their breath and listening carefully, no sound came for a while.
Only the pounding of their hearts could be heard.
Suddenly, Nina felt a panic rising inside her.
It was a completely unexpected and even ridiculous kind of panic.
‘Why am I like this…? Maybe because I saw Hameln’s knight earlier?’
Despite her efforts to stay calm, her chest tightened uncontrollably, and her breathing quickened.
She was puzzled by her own state but also felt a strange urge to run away immediately.
“Nina…?”
Sensing something odd, Messi whispered softly and gently grabbed Nina’s hand.
Then, noticing Nina’s palm was soaking wet with sweat, Messi gave a puzzled look.
“Why…?”
Then—
Bang! Bang!
The upper entrance shook violently, and in the next moment, a huge figure came crashing in with a strange scream.
“Oh nooo!”
“Eek!”
“Watch out!”
In the moment the danger was felt, no one knew who had pushed whom.
Soon after, the three kids and the large intruder tumbled down the spiral slide together.
Crash, crash, crash!
The spiral slide shook noisily.
Nina, pushed at the front, slid swiftly like a sled from the weight hitting her back.
Even in the midst of panic, she worried the book she held might get damaged.
“Whoa…!”
Finally, as the slide ended, everyone was thrown energetically outside.
Thud! Crash! Thump!
Then silence came.
Nina lay face down, clutching her book tightly to her chest, waiting for the pain to come—but no pain came.
Besides, something felt odd.
Could the sand floor really feel like this?
While Nina lay still, confused, a ridiculous voice dropped from above her head.
“Dead?”
“…Huh?”
Slowly raising her head, Nina came face-to-face with Lavian’s utterly absurd expression.
It took her a moment to realize she had landed on his lap.
“What are you doing here?”
At Nina’s dazed question, Lavian raised his eyebrows.
He had acted like he was desperately waiting, but now that he saw her, that was all he said.
What a cheeky little brat.
“Can’t you tell?”
Nina blinked blankly.
The sudden panic that had come earlier slowly receded, replaced by relief and a strange sense of déjà vu.
‘I feel like he said something like this before…’
When Lavian found the place where Hameln had hidden her.
Of course, it was a bit silly to compare those situations…
“Uncle, did you come looking for me?”
Lost in the sense of déjà vu, Nina asked dumbly.
Lavian answered gruffly.
“Do you think I came to look for anyone but you? What are you doing here? Trying to get hurt?”
Just then, a sorrowful sobbing came from behind.
“Sniff, the boss suddenly appeared without a word, so I was shocked and…”
The seeker, sprawled on the ground, spoke pitifully and trailed off.
A tender scene as the other two kids were safely pulled into the seeker’s embrace.
Messi, buried against the seeker’s broad chest alongside Katya, groaned painfully.
“The uncle smells…”
Of the remaining two participants in the hide-and-seek, no one knew since when, but both had been sitting quietly on their knees to one side.
Given the place, it wasn’t a very pleasant sight.
“Wow, scary uncles are getting scolded!”
“Hehehe! Serves them right!”
Lavian sighed deeply at his subordinates who were trying to show off but ended up getting laughed at by the kids.
What a ridiculous mess appeared while he briefly looked away.
“Seriously… Get up first. Let me see if anyone’s hurt. Not you guys!”
The subordinates, about to stand up with grateful eyes, quickly sulked and knelt down again.
Nina looked at Lavian, who was helping her up, with dazed eyes.
She wanted to say something but didn’t know what.
“Why did you come looking for me?”
Her sudden question made Lavian pause and look up.
Nina felt the urge to bite her tongue.
This wasn’t it. She didn’t want to ask such a foolish question, yet why was she doing exactly the same as last time…
‘What did I say last time?’
She couldn’t remember the last thing she said.
Despite everything, to him who came looking for her—unaware it would be their last meeting—she had said…
‘What did we say to each other in the end?’
Then Lavian spoke.
“I had too much time on my hands, so I came looking.”
“…”
A brief silence passed.
Lavian lowered his head again and examined Nina’s foot.
“Where did one of your shoes go?”
“I don’t know.”
It probably came off while falling earlier, but she had no idea where it flew.
As Nina muttered absentmindedly, the book slipped from her arms.
“Tsk, whatever, it’s fine… What’s this?”
Lavian clicked his tongue quietly and quickly caught the book falling on Nina’s instep.
“Duke of the North? That’s the outskirts. Since when did we have a duke I don’t know about?”
“…”
“Our whole family hates the cold, so who is this… Hm?”
