What I Can Do For The One I Love (5)

I hurried to grab the child’s arm. No… I tried to, at least.

The child jerked away from me, forceful and fierce.

“Don’t touch me.”

“That’s not what I… right now…”

“My father said everyone from the Pacula family are monsters.”

“…”

“He always warned me to stay away from you. To be careful.”

Contempt flickered in those blue eyes. I forced myself not to look away and reached out again, this time managing to catch the child’s arm. I pulled him closer and whispered in his ear.

“This isn’t…”

“I’m sorry.”

Without another word, I shoved my shawl straight into the child’s mouth.

The kid gagged, trying to spit it out, but I held on tight with both hands and hefted him up.

There was a muffled scream as he struggled, kicking and hitting my back. I slung him over my shoulder, ignoring the tugging at my hair, and ran toward the mansion.

Thankfully, I knew a route the servants rarely used. I cut across a hidden path and hurried into my room. With a quick motion, I yanked up the bedsheet and pushed the protesting child into the narrow space beneath the bed. He resisted, but I had more than enough strength to force him in.

The kid glared at me from the shadows, breath huffing. But with the shawl in his mouth, he couldn’t make a sound.

“Stay here. I’ll let you out when I get the chance.”

“Mmph! Mmph!”

The child looked panicked, but I couldn’t focus on that now. I let the bedsheet drop and clambered onto the bed. The unbroken lantern was still on the nightstand, and the knife I’d taken from the child was hidden beneath my pillow. There was no way I’d return it just yet… it was too dangerous.

Just as I pulled up the covers and lay down, the door burst open.

“Miss? Are you awake?”

It was the maid’s voice. I shut my eyes, pretending to be asleep. I heard her footsteps approach, felt the lantern’s light on my face. After a moment, the steps retreated.

The door closed, but I could sense someone lingering nearby, probably making sure I was truly asleep. I lay perfectly still, hardly breathing.

Eventually, the presence faded away.

“Haah.”

Only then did I dare let out a sigh of relief.

I dimmed the lantern and slipped off the bed, quietly lifting the sheet again. There, glaring up at me, was a scrunched-up, grumpy face. The shawl had fallen from his mouth. Thankfully, he hadn’t run.

“Good. I was afraid you’d scream.”

“…What the hell are you doing?”

“If they catch you, it’ll be bad. You know that, right?”

“Are you saying you helped me?”

“If you want to see it that way, sure.”

The child snorted in disbelief.

“I just tried to kill you.”

“It’s fine. I’m used to it.”

“…”

“You aren’t hurt, are you?”

Maybe I’d been too rough earlier. I asked out of concern, but the child’s face twisted into a strange expression. I couldn’t figure out why.

“…Move.”

The kid tried to crawl out from under the bed.

I pushed his head back in. His half-emerged face vanished beneath the sheet again. He tried once more, and again, I pushed him back. I could sense his shock.

“What are you doing!”

“Stay in there and be quiet. If you get caught now, it’s over.”

“What’s it to you? Move.”

“Because you didn’t kill me. That’s why.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

The child shoved back, incredulous. I didn’t bother answering… instead, I said what mattered most.

“If you scream, I’ll gag you again.”

At my warning, the kid hesitated, lips parted. After a beat, a calmer voice emerged.

“I don’t need your help.”

“That doesn’t matter. I get how you feel, but if you run around now, you’ll be caught. If you want to survive, keep quiet and wait for a chance to go home.”

“I’m not leaving until I find my father. Move.”

“There’s nothing you can do.”

“So my father is here, then?”

“You must stay hidden. Understand?”

We were talking in circles. The child looked frustrated and then, suddenly, thrust out a hand.

“Give me my knife back.”

“I’ll return it later.”

“When is ‘later’?”

“When you’re ready to go home. If I give it back now, you’ll just try to kill me again, or go running off and get yourself hurt.”

“So you’re actually going to hide me?”

The child sneered. I looked at him carefully. Blood was smeared across his cheek, probably from when I shoved in the shawl. That face brought back old nightmares… maybe it was because I’d dreamed of my old nanny earlier.

“I’ll hide you.”

The words left my lips, even though I knew I couldn’t truly promise that.

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Of course, he didn’t believe me.

“I don’t trust monsters like you.”

Monster, huh? Not exactly wrong. Trusting a monster really is a joke.

Honestly, I wanted to send the kid back right away. But there was something ominous in the air tonight. Everything felt sharp, like a blade on my skin. Even though we were far from the old storeroom, I could almost smell blood. Nights like this, it was best not to move at all. The fact the child made it here safely was a miracle.

After a moment, I spoke again.

“The sun will rise soon. The servants will be everywhere. Would you really risk wandering around? Doesn’t seem smart. Better to hide here than get yourself killed for nothing.”

“…”

No more arguments. Finally, the kid seemed to understand.

“Stay quiet, even if it’s uncomfortable.”

I let the bedsheet fall and climbed onto the bed.

As I was about to lie down, I realized my nightgown was filthy, smeared with dirt from earlier. I rummaged through the wardrobe and pulled out the most similar one I could find, hiding the dirty nightgown at the very bottom for later.

I turned off the lamp and lay down. The room was silent. Only then did I notice how fast my heart was pounding.

‘What have I done?’ If Father found out, he’d punish me. He wouldn’t kill me, but there were worse things than death in this house. The same would happen if anyone else discovered it.

But wasn’t it strange? Instead of fear, something else welled up inside me.

For the first time, I’d betrayed my father.

I’d let someone from outside the family live. The thrill in my chest was strangely sweet.

I planned to send the child back the next day. But when morning came, the mansion was locked down tighter than usual. More guards, more servants in the halls. Not even a mouse could slip out.

There was nowhere else to hide the kid, so I had to keep them under the bed. I lay on the carpet, staring at the child.

“Looks like you’ll have to stay there a bit longer. Sorry.”

“…”

“Just bear with it a little longer. Even if it’s uncomfortable.”

There was still caution in the child’s eyes, but no complaints. Maybe he’d realized I genuinely meant to help.

“Don’t treat me like a kid.”

“You are a kid.”

“You’re a kid too.”

At that moment, footsteps sounded outside the door. I quickly dropped the sheet and stood up as the maids entered.

They drew back all the curtains and began to change my nightgown. I worried for a moment they’d notice the difference, but they didn’t seem to care. Instead, there was a new kind of tension in their faces… a gloomy heaviness.

“What happened to your hand, miss?”

A maid asked, glancing at my bloodied palm. She didn’t look too concerned… it was nothing new.

“Just an accident.”

“I see.”

She wrapped my hand with a bandage and helped me finish dressing. Then she said breakfast would be brought to my room today… Father was busy, so everyone would eat alone. A blessing, for once.

Soon, breakfast was set on the table. The maids lined up, hands clasped, faces tense.

I nodded at them.

“You may go.”

“Yes, miss.”

They bowed and hurried out. I caught a flicker of relief as they turned away.

“Please call us when you finish your meal.”

Once I was alone, I closed all the curtains and hurried back to the bed. Lifting the sheet, I peered inside.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“…”

The child said nothing. I reached in and helped him out. This time, he came willingly, though his eyes were wide with confusion.

The child shook off my hand and settled at the far end of the bed. I nodded at the table.

“Let’s eat together. There’s no one here now, it’s fine.”

“I’m not eating.”

“Why not?”

“What if it’s poisoned?”

“There’s no poison. Really.”

Well, I couldn’t honestly guarantee that. Around here, poison wasn’t exactly rare.

So I brought the tray to the bed, setting it in front of the kid. His eyes widened. I picked up a spoon and tasted each dish, one by one. Watching me, the child frowned.

“What are you doing?”

“Testing for poison. When I’m sure it’s safe, I’ll give you the good parts.”

“What?”

Shock flashed across the child’s face. I couldn’t understand it… why look at me like that? I wouldn’t die from poison, anyway. Was he worried about me? As if.

“All right. Looks like there’s nothing in this batch.”

“…”

“Here. Eat.”

I held out a spoonful of potato stew, warm and fragrant. The kid just stared at it, silent.