Chapter 6
“Seriously, Ivan. Did you forget our plan? What were you doing?”
The moment he stepped outside, the kids started talking all at once, as if they had been waiting.
“Ivan, why are you so late? Here, candy. Let’s go now.”
“Who’s at your house? My grandma said she’s not your mom.”
Worried the woman might follow him out despite his warning, Ivan roughly shoved the kids crowded near the door down the stairs.
“Ivan, hey, don’t push! It’s dangerous.”
“If you don’t want it to be dangerous, then hurry and go down. Run.”
“Yeah, let’s go! We have to get to the forest.”
As the girls ran ahead just like he said, Ivan signaled Hank to go too.
But Hank, his chubby face full of suspicion, looked back up toward Ivan’s house.
Annoyed by that look, Ivan shoved him again.
“Who is she anyway? Everyone in the neighborhood is curious. Who is she that she’s staying at your house?”
Again with that.
So what if they knew?
“…She’s my aunt.”
“Huh? Your aunt?”
“Yeah. My aunt.”
Ivan sighed and pushed Hank again. Even while being dragged along, Hank kept talking annoyingly.
“You have an aunt? My dad said it’s just you and your mom. That if your mom dies, you’d be an orphan.”
“Hey, I told you to stay out of my business.”
Ivan growled, and Hank pouted.
“But you didn’t bring anything again? Everyone’s bringing food, and you just come and eat ours?”
“What?”
“I mean, if you don’t have anything, shouldn’t you just not come?”
Even as he spoke hesitantly, Hank glanced toward his house—where his father and grandmother were.
“Hah. I’m not going anyway.”
“What? Why?”
His previously annoyed eyes suddenly lit up.
When En shouted from ahead for them to hurry, Hank turned his head.
“Then I’ll tell the others that. I’m going.”
“Tch… that pig ba—”
Ivan muttered a curse while watching Hank run off happily, then quickly shut his mouth.
“Always sticking their noses into other people’s business… damn it. Acting like they wanted to play with me so badly before.”
Ivan kicked a stone lying on the ground as hard as he could.
Just moments ago, his mood hadn’t been bad.
But again—something twisted inside him, like bugs crawling up from his feet through his whole body.
“…Damn.”
If he walked around town with that woman, people would definitely ask who she was.
Or maybe that pig’s grandma would spread rumors first.
‘So she’s Ivan’s aunt? When is Cherina coming back? A child’s mother shouldn’t leave the house for so long. You should talk some sense into your sister.’
The old woman’s nagging voice echoed in his head.
“Ivan, are your friends already gone?”
When he went back inside, the woman asked.
“Yeah. But Mom… I want to go wash first.”
She blinked and tilted her head.
“Why?”
“So I can wash quickly and then go play with them.”
“I see. Then wash up well and behave yourself while you’re out. Okay?”
She took out the coin pouch from the shelf, rummaged through it, then pushed it back behind a glass bottle.
That must’ve been her way of hiding money.
She came closer and placed a few coins in his hand.
“This should be enough for the bath.”
Ivan tapped the coins as if telling her to pay attention, then returned some of them.
The woman smiled brightly and ruffled his hair.
“No, Ivan. You said you’re meeting your friends. Go buy something tasty and eat with them.”
“You want me to treat them?”
Ivan asked quietly, leaning into the hand on his head.
She simply nodded.
“…Why?”
For a moment, he wondered if she had heard what Hank said earlier.
Did she hear him call her his aunt?
“Why would you buy for my friends too…?”
“Why? Because they’re your friends.”
She smiled gently and brushed his cheek.
It seemed she hadn’t heard anything suspicious.
Ivan rolled the coins in his hand.
The sweet smell of apple filling the house made him not want to leave.
They were supposed to eat the jam with bread once it was done.
“Mom, when are you leaving?”
“I’ll leave after I finish making this jam. But don’t go out alone—stay with your friends.”
“…Okay. And Mom, if people talk to you, don’t listen. No matter what they say, you have to come back here. Got it?”
“Alright. Be careful. Come back before it gets dark.”
Ivan nodded weakly.
He wanted to hear more of that strange story.
He was curious whether that woman escaped safely from the tiger.
But something kept pushing him forward.
Pushing him and pushing him—
Until he had no choice but to leave her behind.
* * *
After wandering around the large stone walls of the public bathhouse for a while, Ivan suddenly headed toward the square.
Maybe that crazy woman from the other neighborhood would be there.
He had seen her wandering around the square or empty lots before.
Or sometimes at the market.
If he found her…
Ivan quickened his pace.
Climbing onto a statue in the square, he looked around quickly.
That crazy woman always grabbed passersby and talked endlessly, while they tried to shake her off in disgust.
Wherever she was, there was always a commotion.
“She’s not here…?”
Before he knew it, someone grabbed him and dragged him down.
“Hey! What are you doing up there?! Get down!”
Ignoring the angry man, Ivan hurried toward the empty lot.
But only groups of kids were playing there—no sign of her.
“Damn… not today?”
Ignoring the kids who tried to approach him, Ivan ran to the market.
And finally—he found her.
Her dark brown hair was braided into two pigtails, and she wore a flowing red dress.
She was handing flowers to a fat man.
“Sir, have you been well?”
“Tch, it’s you again.”
Even as the man frowned in annoyance, she didn’t care. She placed her ear against his belly, gently touching it.
“Baby, come out soon. The flowers will bloom any day now.”
The man, his face turning red, shoved her away and quickly left.
“Sir, wait! I haven’t finished greeting you yet!”
Ivan watched silently, then followed her.
She greeted everyone in town as if she knew them.
“Excuse me.”
“Huh?”
After following her for a while, Ivan finally stopped her.
“What is it?”
“Just a moment.”
He led her into an alley, then looked up at her smiling face.
“…Do you really think you’re a princess?”
“Oh! How did you know? My mom said it was a secret.”
She looked around dramatically, then put a finger to her lips.
“So don’t tell anyone, okay?”
“That’s a lie. There’s no princess in this country. There’s only one prince.”
“No! You’re the one who’s wrong!”
Her voice grew faster, her face turning red.
Foam gathered around her mouth as she spoke frantically.
She kept insisting she was a princess—
“Hey, what are you doing? Didn’t your mom tell you not to talk to this woman?”
“Ma’am, is she really a princess?”
As a woman pulled him away, Ivan asked loudly on purpose.
“No. She’s just crazy. Don’t ever talk to her again. Go home.”
“No! I’m a princess! I really am!”
The crazy woman trembled, then threw her flowers to the ground and burst into tears.
She cried bitterly, insisting she was truly a princess.
This was exactly what Ivan wanted to see.
And yet…
He didn’t feel relieved at all.
He had searched the whole town to find her.
Just to see this.
“…What? She’s nothing like her.”
But still—his chest didn’t feel any lighter.
“This is just… stupid.”
This woman was nothing like his “mom.”
The woman at home—she might be strange…
But even if she learned the truth—
She wouldn’t cry like this.
If she found out, she would leave him without hesitation.
