26 - Can I Cry Now?
Chapter 26
When Ibi returned alone and safely from the Warm Spring in the forest, the innkeeper looked at her as if she were a miracle.
“No, how did you come back alive from there? Looking at you, it seems you really went……”
Her face, which had been dirty with chimney soot, was clean, and her child-like fair complexion had a lovely color.
The fluffy feeling, as if she smelled good, showed that she had washed in warm water.
It was a cold winter. There was no place nearby where you could get unfrozen water, let alone warm water.
Of course, other houses could boil water and give it to her, but who would bother to give warm water to an orphan doing chores at the inn?
“You’re lucky.”
That’s what the innkeeper thought at first.
But a few days later, on the day Ibi, who was helping with the kitchen work, was covered in food.
The innkeeper ordered her to go out and wash again.
“You stupid thing! You made me waste precious food! Don’t come back until you’re clean because you stink!”
The innkeeper, furious, poked the young body with a broom and drove her out.
“You should be begging and crying if you did something wrong!”
‘It wasn’t my fault.’
The drunken chef slipped on a bottle of alcohol and overturned the pot.
But he was afraid of being scolded by the innkeeper, so he lied that he tripped over Ibi.
But she couldn’t tell the truth.
No one would believe her anyway.
Besides, she would surely be beaten by the innkeeper as well as the chef if she did.
“What are you looking at me for! Go to the forest now!”
Telling her to go to the forest again in this season was like telling her to die.
The innkeeper seemed to know that, as she chuckled and muttered.
“Let’s see if you come back alive this time.”
Then she immediately closed the inn door. Because she had locked the barn door, Ibi, who had nowhere to go, went back to the forest.
The same thing happened this time.
Was it because she was covered in food? The wolves appeared even faster than last time and surrounded Ibi.
But then a light flashed and the back of her hand became hot again, and immediately after that, the wolves turned around and went somewhere.
Then, until Ibi arrived at the spring, washed, fell asleep exhausted, and returned to the inn in the morning, the wolves did not reappear.
The next day, the innkeeper looked at Ibi, who had returned safely this time, quietly for a long time, as if she were puzzled.
She would have preferred it if she had been angry or spat at her.
“Go clean the stable and help with the kitchen work.”
She grinned and went inside without saying anything else.
Ibi became even more uneasy at that sight.
As expected. When night fell, the innkeeper spoke to the drunken customers who were heavily drunk.
“That little kid never dies even if she goes into the forest. Far from being eaten by wolves, she comes back perfectly fine, you know? Why don’t you bet with me if you don’t believe me?”
Then she received a coin from each of the guests and ordered Ibi to fetch water from the unfrozen pond in the middle of the forest.
Even though her hands were blistered by the rough wooden handle, Ibi had to carry a water container as big as herself.
At first, the guests shouted that it was impossible, that this was obviously their victory, and bet their money.
Among them, the person who was still somewhat sane told the innkeeper what she was talking about, that a young child would only become wolf food if she went into the forest alone.
“What, did you raise her? I fed and raised this child. Don’t interfere! If you feel so sorry for her, pay the cost of raising her and take her away!”
The innkeeper would spew out vulgar curses at such guests, telling them not to ruin the mood and chasing them away.
Eventually, Ibi was driven back into the forest.
The winter wolves were hungry, so they did not miss the weak prey that had entered the forest alone.
But every time, the back of her hand warmed up, and the wolves turned away.
But Ibi knew.
That the warmth was getting weaker and the stain was fading.
It was as if its strength was running out.
‘If this disappears completely, I will die.’
But there was nothing a five-year-old child could do.
Ibi had to go to the forest alone every day at the innkeeper’s insistence.
Until the Headmaster of the Poorhouse stayed there, continuously.
\ \ *
‘It hasn’t appeared since I met the Headmaster.’
Ibi, who was reminiscing about the past, came to her senses and looked at the back of her hand.
People looked at the Poorhouse with pity, wondering how people could live in such a place, but to Ibi, it was like heaven.
She didn’t have to work non-stop from morning to night like at the inn.
She was given meals three times a day, at set times.
And it was properly cooked warm food, not dried-up bread or bread that rats had gnawed on.
The sleeping place was no longer a pile of straw in the barn.
She was given a well-organized mattress and a thin but clean blanket, even if it wasn’t fluffy.
Besides, she even made kind friends of similar age around her.
Since then, the strange stain on the back of Ibi’s hand had never appeared.
‘It was almost gone anyway…… I guess it’s completely gone.’
Ibi looked at the back of her hand and thought it was a relief.
Even she thought that this was something that didn’t happen to other people.
Besides, the worn-out fairy tale book she read at the Poorhouse said that terrifying witches used strange powers.
All the children watched it and said that if there was such a witch, they would report it to the guard.
Hearing those words, Ibi decided never to tell anyone about the pattern on the back of her hand.
Because if her friends found out, they might report her to the guard.
So, when she went to sleep, she deliberately put her hand in her pocket.
Just in case it suddenly appeared while she was sleeping and her friends saw it.
But contrary to Ibi’s worries, the strange stain had never reappeared until now.
‘It must be because it’s not dangerous.’
It always appeared when I was too tired, scared, or in danger.
Now that there’s no such thing, it won’t appear.
“So…… it’s not dangerous now either.”
Ibi nodded to herself.
Growl.
At that moment, a loud noise came from Ibi’s stomach.
When she looked up, she could see the sky with stars twinkling outside the high window.
Ibi rummaged through her bag. After taking out a cookie wrapped in paper and two candies she had saved, she fell into deep thought.
‘What should I eat?’
Since no one is coming until night, I will definitely have to wait until morning.
Then it would be better to save it.
After thinking for a while, Ibi put the cookie back in her bag. Then she looked at the candy.
‘Should I eat only half?’
That seems enough.
Then, suddenly, she turned her head and her eyes met the woman in the portrait.
Because it was a painting, she was naturally still smiling.
Ibi looked at the painting for a moment, then took the candy, got off the chair, and stood in front of the painting.
She knew it was a painting. But somehow, it felt like she was always with her while she was here.
So she wasn’t scared now either.
It was like a living person was with her.
Was that why? Ibi placed one of the candies she was holding in front of the painting.
“I’ll give you this. The Headmaster told me to share delicious things.Ibi placed one of the candies, which she had been contemplating about breaking in half and saving, entirely in front of the painting.
Of course, the painting would not answer or eat the candy.
Still, somehow, she wanted to give the woman in the painting the best of what she had.
It was when Ibi put down the candy and was smiling to herself with a sense of satisfaction.
Whoosh!
A sound like cutting through the wind was heard from the ceiling.
Surprised, she looked up and saw a Golden Light Beam passing beyond the high window.
Ibi was surprised by the strange light she was seeing for the first time and stared blankly, and the light that had been stretching out like a long line began to spread sideways like fog.
It passed through the glass window and entered the space where Ibi was.
Ibi took a step back from the Light Swarm that was filling the space like slowly falling drizzle.
She was afraid of the sight she was seeing for the first time.
She hesitated and stepped back so as not to touch the light. Then, the moment her back touched the painting.
—It’s okay. It’s looking for you.
A voice like someone whispering was heard in her ear. And even the feeling of patting her shoulder.
“……!”
Surprised, Ibi turned around, but behind her was still only the painting that was smiling brightly.
Ibi turned her gaze back to the Light Swarm that was approaching her.
‘It said it’s okay.’
That it’s looking for her.
Then…….
Ibi carefully reached out her hand towards the approaching light.
