Chapter 8: I’ll Take Responsibility (1):
“It’s my mother’s keepsake.”
“…A keepsake?”
Astein’s right eyebrow arched slightly. He looked dissatisfied, as if it wasn’t the answer he was expecting—or more accurately, he didn’t believe her at all.
“Whether you believe it or not, that’s your choice.”
Elluciana snatched the necklace hanging from Astein’s finger.
“This has been passed down in the Tuberose Count family for generations. So, could you move aside now?”
“What?”
“I don’t know what you were planning to do with me, but don’t you think your posture is a bit too blatant?”
“My… posture?”
“Surely you weren’t actually trying to do something with that scrawny body of yours?”
“What are you talking abo—huh?!”
Startled, Astein jumped off her, his legs having been straddling her waist.
The child, now some distance away, looked down at his own hands, visibly flustered.
“Astein?”
At her call, he flinched and slowly lifted his gaze. For some reason, his cheeks seemed faintly red.
‘It’s hard to see clearly in the dark, but…’
He didn’t protest like he usually would—normally, he’d argue ten times over. That probably meant her guess was right.
Elluciana couldn’t help but chuckle faintly.
‘So, he is a boy, after all.’
Whatever his story was.
Maybe it was time to learn more about the child—deeply.
“Astein?”
“My name is As—…”
Just as Astein was about to say his real name, an old memory popped into his head.
‘Young Master Aster. You must hide your identity until you come of age. Forget your family, your name—everything. When the time comes, I’ll…’
The moment that memory returned, his lips shut tightly on their own.
Elluciana tilted her head in confusion at his sudden silence.
“What about your name?”
She leaned in, peering at him with narrowed eyes.
“Is there some story behind your name?”
“…My name is Astein.”
“I know. You told me that the first time we met.”
“…”
“That’s it? Nothing more to add?”
“…No.”
“I doubt that…”
Squinting, Elluciana studied Astein’s expression carefully. Then she clicked her tongue and continued.
“Well, fine. But aren’t you curious about anything? About me? Or maybe there’s something you want to say?”
She flicked her hair and lifted her chin triumphantly, gently brushing her now-clear eye area and smiling sweetly.
See? I’m really pretty, right? Don’t be shy, just say it!
But Astein only stared at her with indifference and stayed silent. Feeling a little awkward, Elluciana cleared her throat softly.
“Hem-hem. Or how about our family? Don’t you wonder about that? Or what’s going on outside?”
“…”
“Hm, Astein?”
“…”
“Excuse me?”
She thought he was finally opening up… Maybe she’d overwhelmed him with too many questions?
Like when a sudden flood hits and you don’t know how to respond—maybe that’s what was happening in his mind.
Sighing, Elluciana looked across at him.
‘Still, he seems much less guarded than before.’
But that didn’t mean she could leave empty-handed. She still hadn’t figured out the real reason he kept refusing to eat.
If this continued, even though she’d vowed to take responsibility for him, there would be no choice but to let him go.
She couldn’t let a child she’d nursed back to health starve to death within her own household.
‘First, I need to explain the situation to him.’
That way, Astein could make a rational decision too.
Sitting up straight, Elluciana addressed him firmly.
“Your treatment is over. You know that, right?”
“…?”
Astein, who’d been expressionless, blinked at her words.
‘…Huh? Isn’t that good news? Why does he look… nervous?’
Tilting her head, she observed him closely and continued.
“Your treatment is done. That means the Wires family has nothing more to do for you.”
“…Are you saying you’re going to kick me out?”
His voice turned icy. There was a hint of anger in his gaze.
‘No way…’
Elluciana studied his face, then spoke cautiously.
“Rather than that, it’s because the Wires family has no obligation to care for a patient who has no will to recover.”
“…I’m not completely better yet.”
He reluctantly replied, his earlobes turning slightly red. Now that his expression had softened, he looked more his age. A glimpse of his real feelings had finally come through.
‘Wait, was he pretending to be sick because he was afraid of being kicked out?’
His external wounds had healed, so the only thing left to fake was malnutrition.
‘Still, isn’t that way too reckless? What if he really starved to death?!’
Of course, she understood where Astein was coming from.
It was obvious what would happen if he went back out into the world.
Starve to death, get captured and killed, or both.
Whatever it was, there was no happy ending waiting for him.
So, maybe he clung to such an extreme method just to stay here.
Elluciana let out a helpless laugh.
‘If that was his worry, he could’ve just said something.’
If he wanted to stay, they could’ve figured something out.
Whether it was her or her father.
But then, Elluciana’s smile slowly faded.
‘No, that’s not it.’
Sure, if someone had asked for help, she or her family would’ve found a way.
But until recently, she had doubted the child’s origins. She’d feared that his background might bring harm to the Wires family.
Astein must have sensed that too.
‘Come to think of it, I haven’t even told Father yet.’
Elluciana felt a wave of guilt. She’d promised so boldly to protect him—then completely forgot.
No wonder Astein hadn’t been able to ask for “help.” He must’ve picked up on her unease.
Choking with guilt, Elluciana spoke in a low voice.
“If you want to stay here, that’s fine.”
“…?”
“I’ll take responsibility for you.”
“…Take responsibility? For me?”
“Yeah.”
“Hah!”
Astein scowled and glared at her.
‘Of course he’d be upset. He probably thinks I’m acting all caring now out of guilt.’
Trying to read his expression, Elluciana quickly added,
“If it’s my father you’re worried about, don’t be. I’ll take care of that too.”
Astein’s eyes widened slightly. He looked a bit taken aback. Her answer must have surprised him.
She was offering to handle everything.
‘You better be grateful.’
Elluciana smiled again, her guilt momentarily forgotten.
‘Oh right—how old is he again?’
He was smaller than her. So surely he couldn’t be much older.
“By the way, Astein? How old are you?”
‘WHAT?! T-Twelve?!’
Recalling the shocked girl who had staggered out of the room in a daze, Astein curled one side of his lips up in amusement.
‘I’ll take responsibility for you.’
That voice—solemn, yet warm—echoed again in his ears.
“Human kindness, huh.”
Astein stared coldly at the empty door and muttered low.
“Kindness always comes with a price. What is it you want from me?”
Elluciana Loti Wires.
A girl who was only eight years old.
Was it the specialty of humans to lure others in with devilishly sweet words?
His father—who’d led him astray in his childhood—and now this girl, had said the same thing.
‘If you want to stay, you can.’
‘If there’s anything you want, Aster, tell me. I’ll give you anything.’
Maybe his long-lost mother had once been deceived by such tempting words too—and died because of it.
‘Ah, my poor mother…’
Astein pressed a hand against his aching chest.
There was no creature more vile than a human.
Their desires, lurking beneath every smile, defile purity and corrupt innocence with vicious cruelty.
That’s why Astein didn’t trust humans.
He knew well that their gentle smiles only hid their foul intentions.
So—
Using the sympathy of a soft-hearted girl wasn’t wrong.
It wasn’t a mistake.
It was just a matter of need—
A common, everyday game.
“That’s all it is.”
And yet—why did something feel like sand in his chest, rubbing the wrong way?
“…Haah.”
Astein sighed deeply and brushed back his pitch-black hair.
