ODFEN 02

Chapter 2…

 “Mother?”

“Child, child. Come to your senses.”

I poured the boiled medicine into a teacup and headed toward the bed.

“Ugh…”

The child groaned and tossed restlessly.

I placed the teacup on the bedside table and helped the child sit up, letting her lean against my chest.

“I don’t want it…”

She whimpered weakly, her body limp.

“Just this once. Drink this, and I’ll let you sleep.”

I lifted the teacup and cooled the liquid with my breath.

Once it had cooled to lukewarm, I tilted the cup toward her lips.

“Try drinking it. You’ll feel better.”

Even in her dazed state, she seemed to understand me. The child slowly began sipping the medicine with her small mouth.

“Good, that’s it.”

After letting her take about three sips, I laid her back down.

“This should be enough.”

After a while, the child’s expression relaxed, and her breathing became steady and calm.

“Thank goodness.”

I brushed away the damp hair stuck to her forehead.

After confirming she was fully asleep, I collapsed to the floor in exhaustion.

“Ah… what a mess.”

I wiped the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand.

Looking around the house, it was in complete disarray, as if a storm had swept through it.

I turned back to the peacefully sleeping child.

“Still… I should find her parents.”

Judging from her condition, she must have lost her parents and ended up here.

They were probably searching for her by now.

Even as the thought crossed my mind, my exhausted body wouldn’t move.

yawn

I opened my mouth wide and yawned.

“Let’s ask her about her parents when she wakes up.”

I can look for them afterward. Right now, both the child and I were far too exhausted.

Unable to resist the overwhelming drowsiness, I drifted off to sleep.

“Ugh…”

With a groan, I opened my eyes.

As my vision focused, the disheveled interior of the house came into view.

At the same time, I felt a sharp, intense gaze piercing into my face and flinched.

What is this… unsettling feeling…?

Slowly, almost creakingly, I turned my head.

“……”

There, seated on the bed, was a little girl staring straight at me with wide eyes, her irises as red as fresh blood.

Her fluffy, cherry-blossom-colored hair resembled cotton candy.

Her ruby-like eyes.

And her soft, round cheeks that puffed out slightly like semicircles.

“So cute…”

Her appearance was like a small rabbit, and the words slipped out naturally.

She had always been cute, but now that her color had returned, she was almost overwhelmingly adorable.

The child and I stared at each other, as if enchanted.

Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—she didn’t seem afraid despite being in the same space as a stranger.

I gave her my most harmless smile.

“Hello. You were collapsed on the street, so I brought you here. What’s your name—”

Growl…

At that moment, a loud rumbling sound echoed from the child’s stomach like a drum.

Her eyes widened like a full moon as she clutched her belly with both hands, her cheeks turning red.

Too cute, seriously.

My chest tightened, and I instinctively placed a hand over it, a satisfied smile spreading across my face.

Right, it’s fine to ask after she eats. It won’t take long.

“You must have been very hungry?”

I brushed her hair aside with a light laugh.

At that, the child’s eyes widened dramatically, and she inhaled sharply.

Startled, I quickly pulled my hand back.

“Oh, am I scary to you?”

The child shook her head vigorously.

Her reaction was adorable, and I let out another soft laugh.

“Then that’s a relief.”

So this is what it feels like to be an aunt with a niece.

I quickly stood up.

“Wait here. I’ll go get some soup.”

As I turned toward the kitchen, leaving the child behind—

Riiip.

“Hmm?”

I was suddenly pulled back and dropped onto the bed.

Looking back, the child was holding onto the hem of my dress—part of it torn where she gripped it.

“Why is my dress torn?”

Could a child’s grip really tear it like that?

At that moment, the child slowly blinked.

“…Momma?”

“…? Momma?”

I tilted my head and repeated her word in my mind.

Momma? What does that mean?

While I was pondering, the child smiled brightly and pointed at me with the hand that had grabbed my dress.

“Momma!”

Ugh.

My expression melted as I clutched my chest.

My heart hurts.

Seeing the child’s radiant smile made communication feel secondary.

“Alright, I’m your momma, momma.”

I didn’t know what “momma” meant, but it was adorable, so it was fine.

Smiling contentedly, I headed toward the kitchen.

“Wait just a bit.”

When I told the child, who had followed me down from the bed, that the kitchen was dangerous and to stay lying down, she flopped back onto the bed, placing her hands over her navel and staring at the ceiling.

At that sight, I chuckled lightly and went to heat up the soup I had prepared the day before, bringing it back to the bed.

“Alright, let’s eat.”

I sat on the edge of the bed and helped the child sit up.

Scooping the surface of the soup with a spoon, I fed it to her. She chewed softly, smearing a bit on her lips.

Watching her munch away with little “nyom nyom” sounds made my heart ache again.

Ugh, so cute.

After feeding her for a while, the bowl was soon empty.

Apparently full, the child patted her belly with small hands and smiled in satisfaction.

I placed the dish on the bedside table.

“Now tell me. Did you come traveling with your parents? Where are they? I’ll take you to them.”

The child pointed at me with her index finger.

“Yes!”

I pointed at myself with my own index finger, following her lead.

“…Huh?”

“Yes!”

“…?”

The child nodded vigorously.

“Yes! Yes!”

Why… is she pointing at me?

Bang, bang!

At that moment, urgent knocking came at the door, startling us both.

The child’s eyes shifted toward the door, and unlike before, her gaze turned sharp and cold.

For a brief moment, a chilling sense of unease ran down my spine.

Bang, bang!

“Yes, I’m coming!”

Shaking myself out of it, I grabbed the torn hem of my dress with one hand and headed to the door.

Turning the handle, the creaking hinges opened, and the visitor leaned in quickly.

“Lucina!”

“B-Beiser?”

Beiser, who usually acted carefree and laid-back no matter what, looked quite anxious.

“Something terrible has happened, Lucina.”

“What kind of terrible thing?”

Could it be debt collectors? No… the installment deadline was two days ago, and I paid the interest properly.

While my thoughts wandered, Beiser spoke.

“Lucina! The princess who was visiting our village has gone missing!”

“What?!”

I widened my eyes.

What is he talking about?

“Right now, the royal guards are surrounding the village and searching for her.”

“….”

“What if she was kidnapped? If the princess isn’t found, all the villagers may be taken to the imperial palace for investigation…”

Beiser, who had been speaking smoothly, suddenly noticed me and froze.

“Lucina, why are you shaking like that?”

“M-Me? N-No, that’s not—”

“You’re even stuttering.”

I trembled as I stood in front of the door, blocking his view of the inside.

“…Wait, don’t tell me the princess has pink fluffy hair and red eyes?”

Beiser’s eyes widened.

“How did you know?”

Well… because she’s behind me.

“You must provide a detailed statement to His Majesty explaining why you were with the princess.”

“It wasn’t abduction, I told you—I was helping her.”

“You’ll find out after the investigation.”

What are they talking about, ransacking my house like a pigsty?

The princess’s testimony was my only hope of proving my innocence, yet she had fallen asleep by the time I was about to turn myself in.

A knight with short gray hair and gray eyes, his forehead fully visible, looked at me silently before passing by.

Judging by his demeanor, he seemed to be the one in charge.

Another knight handed him a robe.

Whoosh.

The man put on the robe, fastening it securely, then lifted the princess into his arms.

Without hesitation, he left the house, issuing orders to his subordinates.

“Make sure that woman is brought quietly without waking the princess.”

What did I even do wrong?

I suppressed the hollow laugh threatening to escape between my teeth.

No choice then.

I let go of the torn hem I had been holding and brushed myself off.

Since it didn’t really show, I should just go quickly and come back quickly.

If the princess at the palace testified to my innocence, that would be the end of it.

Honestly, what could go wrong?

I had done nothing wrong, so I would act confidently.

I left the house with the knights.

“Lucina!”

As I trudged out, surrounded front and back by royal guards, Beiser’s voice echoed faintly.

Looking around, beyond the ring of knights encircling the hut like a fence, stood the villagers.

Among them were gazes of concern and others of detached observation.

“Lucina! Lucina!”

Beiser, standing among the crowd, pushed against the royal guards as if trying to reach me.

He forced his way forward, and three or four guards struggled, their faces turning red.

“Ugh!”

“Argh!”

Before long, the knights were lifted into the air and thrown backward.

Seeing this, another guard charged at Beiser.

“You—!”

Beiser swiftly twisted the knight’s arm behind his back and subdued him.

“Ugh!”

The knight groaned and dropped to his knees, and Beiser casually released his arm.

“Beiser?”

Had he always been that strong?

While I was distracted by the thought, Beiser subdued another knight and turned to me.

“Lucina, come here!”

He reached out his hand.

“Stop!”

At that moment, a commanding voice rang out.

The officer in charge, who had been holding the princess, reappeared after placing her in a carriage, now unburdened.

He stepped forward, removed his robe, and looked at the fallen knights with a subtle expression before fixing a cold gaze on Beiser.

“Are you obstructing official duties?”

“Please take me as well. I will go and explain everything.”

Beiser quickly approached, recognizing him as the one in charge.

“I believe there’s been a misunderstanding regarding Lucina, so I will accompany you.”

“Beiser, I’m fine.”

“Lucina.”

Beiser called my name in a low, firm voice, unlike his usual tone.

He was worried about me.

I didn’t think he needed to worry so much.

Once the misunderstanding was cleared up, I had in fact saved the princess—wouldn’t that make me a benefactor?

Casually scratching my cheek as I entertained such relaxed thoughts, I suddenly felt a sharp gaze piercing me like needles.

It came from the villagers beyond the surrounding knights.

“That girl… why is she so calm…”

“Leave her be. She lost her memory three years ago—it must be a side effect.”

“Even so, it’s strange she can be so carefree in a life-threatening situation.”

“Still… she was a noble lady raised quite properly…”

Their murmurs reached my ears clearly.

Something felt off about their reactions.

They spoke as if I were about to die at any moment, as though they were already preparing a funeral.

“Lucina!”

The village chief stepped forward and, ignoring the knights’ restraint, grabbed my hand.