ERMS CH 02

Chapter 2

I tightly held the child’s hand, stood up, and smiled at the men.

“Thank you for looking after my little brother.”

“Uh, well…”

The men exchanged glances and hesitated, then scratched their heads awkwardly before turning away with a scolding remark.

“Tch, keep a better eye on the kid. Do you know what kind of world this is these days?”

“Of course. I just lost sight of him for a moment. Thank you, really!”

I bowed politely and didn’t take my eyes off them until they completely disappeared. Then I looked down at the child.

“You know, you were this close to being kidnapped.”

“Ha…”

The child stared at me with a look that clearly said, Are you serious? His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he quickly shut his mouth tight, the tips of his ears turning red.

I’d just told him he’d almost been kidnapped by those “kind” men. No wonder he was shaken.

I scooped him up and patted his back.

“Don’t worry. Big sis will help you. What’s your name? How old are you?”

“Ba—”

He closed his mouth once, then tried again.

“Baron.”

“Baron?”

“Baron Eldite. Seven years old.”

I nearly dropped him in shock.

“What? You have a last name?”

“…Why? Is it strange to have one?”

“No, it’s just—if you have a family name, that means you’re a noble.”

“That’s right.”

No wonder he looked refined.

I tried to remember whether a character named Baron had appeared in the original novel. No matter how hard I thought about it, no such name came to mind.

He might have been one of the children whose kidnapping incident helped spread fear in the world—but apparently, he hadn’t appeared directly in the story.

Wait a minute. If he’s a noble… maybe I could get some kind of reward for finding him?

I hadn’t saved him for a reward, but if I received money—or even identity sponsorship—life would become much easier. If he was a noble, it would also be easier to track down his home.

But my expectations were shattered.

“I… don’t have a mom or dad. No home either.”

I asked when and where he’d gotten separated from his family, and where his house was. His answer left me stunned.

“They said the imperial family wiped us out. Execution. Title revoked and property confiscated. My nanny left me at an inn and said she’d be back soon… but she never came.”

“….”

There was no emotion in Baron’s eyes. His voice was calm—too calm. It was as if he’d been hurt so much that he’d gone numb.

You really had rotten luck with your parents, didn’t you?

At an age when he should’ve been surrounded by love, he was wandering without home or family—and nearly fell into the hands of kidnappers.

Something surged in my chest.

“Ahem… I’m sorry.”

“Huh? For what?”

“I think I asked something I shouldn’t have. It must’ve upset you. I’m sorry.”

At my sincere apology, Baron looked flustered and lowered his head slightly.

“N-no. It’s okay.”

His cheeks turned faintly red.

Was he embarrassed to be apologized to by an adult?

I tilted my head before shrugging it off.

Well, this wasn’t exactly a child-friendly world. Maybe it was the first time anyone had apologized to him.

But still… what was I supposed to do with him?

After agonizing over it—since I couldn’t exactly raise him myself—I took him to a government office. The clerk told me to leave him at an orphanage and gave me directions. It was about a thirty-minute walk.

As we stepped out onto the street, Baron asked,

“Are you going to send me to an orphanage?”

“If you go there, you’ll meet adults who can help you better.”

I held his hand.

“Let’s go for now. If your legs hurt, I’ll carry you.”

“….”

Instead of answering, Baron’s eyes darted around before he asked,

“Couldn’t you just leave me and go?”

“Hey, say something that makes sense!”

I crouched down and grabbed his shoulders, meeting his gaze.

“If I leave you, those kidnappers from earlier will grab you.”

“I’m not scared.”

Despite my serious tone, he snorted.

Oh, honestly.

“No. You don’t know what happens if they take you.”

“What happens?”

I recalled the original novel.

“You could get thrown into magic stone mines, sold to pirates, sold to nobles… Either way, you’d end up a slave.”

I left out the parts about organ trafficking and illegal experiments. That was too much for a child.

But Baron raised one eyebrow in a way far too mature for his age.

“Are you sure? How do you know that?”

His defiant tone made me laugh incredulously.

“You’re awfully cheeky for someone so tiny. Are you interrogating me right now?”

I pretended to flick his forehead. His eyes widened.

He rubbed his uninjured forehead as if he couldn’t believe what had just happened. Being born a noble, even the gesture must have been unfamiliar to him.

Pouting, he muttered, “You just sounded like you knew too much.”

“If a kid gets kidnapped, what happens next is obvious. Anyway, let’s go. I’ll take you there. Tell me if your legs hurt.”

“What do you mean, if they hurt?”

“It’s a thirty-minute walk. You’re young—it’ll be hard.”

I shortened my stride to match his pace.

After a few minutes, Baron looked up at me.

“Noona.”

“Yeah?”

“What happens if my legs hurt?”

“Huh?”

“Do I not go to the orphanage?”

“….”

This poor thing. He clearly didn’t want to go.

“If you go there, you’ll sleep safely, eat properly, and be protected by adults.”

“I don’t need protection.”

“What are you talking about? You’re seven. You almost got kidnapped earlier.”

“Still. I don’t need it.”

“Oh really? Then how have you been eating until now?”

“Well…”

He fell silent.

“Wasn’t it hard?”

No answer.

I stared at him. After holding my gaze for a while, he flushed and looked away.

“I-it was. I couldn’t eat properly, and sleeping was… like you said… h-hard.”

He clearly didn’t want to admit it, but he couldn’t lie. His honesty was so pure it made me smile.

If only I could take him home and raise him myself.

“See?”

I slowly explained what life at the orphanage would be like. Baron grew sullen and nodded.

“My legs hurt… but I’m still going to the orphanage, huh.”

He claimed his legs hurt, but from the way he walked, they didn’t seem to.

He just didn’t want to go.

At this rate, the sun’s going to set.

I had no choice.

I crouched down and turned my back to him.

“Alright. Climb on.”

“Huh?”

“You said your legs hurt. I’ll carry you.”

“…Y-you’ll carry me?”

“Yeah. Or do you want to keep walking?”

Silence lingered. I glanced back. Baron, cheeks flushed, awkwardly pressed himself against my back.

“I-I guess I have no choice. My legs hurt.”

I stood up with him on my back. His hands rested awkwardly against me.

“You’ve never been carried before, have you?”

“…How did you know?”

“I can tell by your hands. Don’t push my back—wrap your arms around my neck.”

“Huh? That close?”

“That way it’s easier for me. Hold tight.”

He wrapped his arms around my neck. His small body settled firmly against my back, warm and steady.

“Good. Hold on.”

I adjusted him and started walking.

I need to get home quickly if I want to catch something for dinner before it gets dark. I wonder if the blankets I washed have dried by now?

If I dropped Baron off and still wanted to finish my own tasks, I didn’t have much time.

Feeling rushed, I quickened my pace.

After walking for quite a while with Baron on my back, I finally spotted the orphanage. It was a large two-story building standing alone, visibly old and worn even from a distance.

“What’s your name, noona?”

As we headed toward the building, Baron—who had been quiet the whole time—suddenly asked.

Without thinking, I answered.

“Kim Sojeong.”