TFPOTRN | CHAPTER 18

~CHAPTER 18~

“…What?”

“Hurry! They can’t find me!”

The child clung to my sleeve, tugging frantically as if she couldn’t even see the shocked look on my face.

How did she even know my new name already?

“Serenaaa!”

“Okay, okay, just let go for now…”

Even in the confusion, I decided I should hide her first.

But… they were faster.

“Found you!”

Three children burst through the bushes behind her.

They were bigger and looked meaner than the little girl who had just called my name.

They glanced between me and the trembling girl at my side, then spoke to me with a cocky tone.

“Uh, who are you?”

They didn’t even know who I was, yet spoke so rudely.

I instantly understood why this child had been running and why she didn’t want to be found.

I tilted my head slightly and crossed my arms.

My calm posture only made their faces twist with irritation as they spoke again, more forcefully.

“Hey, if you’re not involved, just get lost, okay? We’ve got business with her.”

They were obviously about to say *“get lost”* more crudely.

But when I lifted one eyebrow without changing my expression, their tone softened right away.

Kids are still kids.

No matter how big or tough they act, they always fold when faced with a scary adult.

And even Sian admits—I have one of those “scary to children” faces.

Just staring down at them without saying anything should’ve been enough to make them—

“What’s with this lady? Why’s she just staring? Creepy! You wanna start something?”

…apparently not.

They didn’t shrink away.

They should’ve been embarrassed after flinching like that.

Still, I wasn’t relying only on my glare to handle this.

I was waiting for—

“You kids!”

“O-oh, Director…”

The children froze as the director came around the corner.

That’s who I had been waiting for.

“What do you think you’re doing to our guest? She’s here with Sir Sian!”

“S-Sir Sian? The Holy Knight Commander?”

“That’s right! Apologize right now!”

“…”

At the mention of Sian’s name, their faces paled completely.

They were terrified of him.

“W-we’re sorry!”

They even bowed their heads to me.

I didn’t uncross my arms, just looked down at their round heads.

“Only to me?”

“…What?”

“You should apologize to her too. She’s the one you were bullying.”

“No, we just didn’t know her. We were trying to be friendly.”

“Really? You call chasing her through bushes and grabbing her friendly? Then maybe I should ask Sir Sian to ‘get friendly’ with you the same way.”

“T-that’s…”

My cold stare made them wilt, and even the director looked serious, glancing between us.

“S-sorry.”

Finally, the kids mumbled an apology to the little girl hiding behind me.

“I’m really sorry. I’ll make sure they behave.”

“Sure.”

With that, the director and the children left the garden, leaving only me and the girl who had been chased.

“Hold on.”

Well, not exactly *only* us.

“How long are you planning to hide there?”

The girl blinked at me, confused, and turned toward the corner I was staring at.

“Someone’s there?”

“Of course there is.”

I looked toward the opposite corner from where the director had appeared.

After a few seconds, a tiny hand appeared, clutching the edge of the wall.

Then a small, scratched-up child peeked out.

Even smaller than the one beside me—who looked a lot like Ratia.

“H-how did you know?”

“I saw you running to call the director.”

“I-I thought you m-might’ve seen me…”

The child stammered, slowly stepping closer.

Of course the director hadn’t just appeared by coincidence.

She wasn’t psychic.

When that other girl popped out of the bushes begging me to hide her, I had already seen this one running toward the director’s office, glancing back at us.

I knew the direction well—I’d passed by it earlier while looking for the cafeteria.

“Did you… trust me?”

“Not exactly you… more like I trusted myself.”

If she had just been running away for her own sake, she wouldn’t have kept looking back.

She could’ve just fled and saved herself.

Still, even if she had, it wouldn’t have mattered much.

I could’ve handled it on my own.

Like I’d ever lose to kids. Whether by presence or by force.

Dropping Sian’s name just happened to work better in this situation.

Though, is Sir Sian really that scary to them?

…Maybe.

Now that I think about it, I thought he looked intimidating when I first met him too.

“Anyway, thanks for helping.”

“N-no, it’s fine…”

“What’s your name?”

“Sh-Shua…”

“Alright, Shua. You helped me a lot today.”

I thanked her and was about to send her off.

I still had something to ask the other child—how she knew my name.

But the question came from her first.

“Why do you stutter so much?”

It was blunt enough to sound rude—no, it *was* rude.

“Hey!”

I tried to stop her, but she went on without hesitation.

“I’m just curious! Are you scared of us?”

Her innocent face held no hint of malice.

She wasn’t teasing, just genuinely asking.

How can anyone not know that’s rude to ask?

She’s not a baby, she’s clearly old enough to know better…

Wait. A baby?

A thought flashed through my mind that I immediately tried to ignore.

The red hair.

The red eyes.

Both just like Ratia’s.

No way.

“N-no, that’s not it…”

“Then why? Is it hard to talk, Shua?”

No way. That’s impossible.

“…Ratia?”

I hesitantly called her name—the name Sian had given to the little creature yesterday.

“Huh?”

And the girl turned to look at me, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

***

After sending Shua away, I stood facing the child.

“You’re really Ratia? You?”

“Yeah! Why don’t you believe me? Look at my hair color!”

The girl who claimed to be Ratia grabbed a handful of her red hair and waved it at me.

‘Why don’t I believe her?’ She was a bird this morning…

I clearly remembered Ratia as a bird when Sian and I left our room.

She had flapped her little wings, begging to come along.

And now she’d followed me here—in human form?

As I stared at the messy strands of hair, confusion washed over me.

Can monsters… turn human?

Even after years as the Demon Lord, I’d never heard of such a thing.

And a creature that couldn’t even speak properly suddenly walking and talking like this? Impossible.

While I stood there, lost in disbelief, the girl grabbed my hand.

“Serena! You’re hurt!”

“Huh?”

Her sharp voice snapped me out of it.

There was a long cut across my palm, blood dripping down.

“When did that happen?”

It must’ve been when we fell earlier.

There were faint traces of blood on the ground as proof.

“Oh no, doesn’t it hurt?”

Her hand was warm—just like when Ratia perched on my palm.