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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: A Close Call
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My body was lifted into the air, and in the blink of an eye, I found myself with my face buried in my uncle's neck, held tightly in his arms.
“Are you crazy?”
“U-Uncle.”
“Damn it, don’t you know how dangerous that was! Are you trying to get yourself trampled to death?”
At his thunderous roar, I shook my head vigorously while still in his arms.
“N-No. The horse looked like it was in pain, and I was worried you’d get hurt…”
The truth was, I was so startled my heart was pounding as if it would leap out of my chest, and sweat was pouring down my face.
On the other hand, it was also surprising how incredibly safe I felt, being held by my most dangerous and terrifying uncle.
“…”
I barely managed to collect myself and looked up at my uncle again.
His face had grown even more menacing, as if he were about to unleash another torrent of shouts.
“U-Uncle, I’m sorry.”
I didn’t know the horse would get so angry.
It felt like I’d been scolded by the horse and now by my uncle, too. Tears welled up in my eyes.
“Put him in his stall and check on him.”
My uncle commanded the stable hand, then spun around with me still in his arms.
“Yes, Master. Oh my, the young lady must have been very frightened.”
Over my uncle’s shoulder, I could see the stable hand’s kind face.
I gave him a quick, subtle nod, hoping my uncle wouldn’t notice.
Come to think of it, I hadn’t even properly greeted the stable hand.
It was our first time meeting. I’ll have to make sure to thank him next time.
As my uncle strode off somewhere, I stayed quiet for a while, studying his expression before softly speaking up.
“Uncle, I’m sorry.”
My uncle stopped in his tracks.
Fearing another scolding, I bit my lip.
“Look here.”
My uncle suddenly reached out, grabbed my chin firmly, and turned my head this way and that.
“…”
My head whipped from side to side in his grasp.
I-I’m dizzy.
“Are you hurt?”
“Nn-nnh.”
“This is why I said I wouldn’t take you…!”
He trailed off mid-shout, let out a groan, and roughly ran a hand through his hair.
His golden eyes were so menacing that I instinctively lowered my gaze.
My uncle started striding forward again.
Still, he was only angry; at least he didn’t throw me down or anything terrible like that.
I clung to him as quiet as a mouse, holding my breath.
My heart was still pounding.
‘I thought I was going to be trampled. But at least I saved Uncle!’
* * *
This is driving me mad.
Cassel thought as he carried Aika.
The way she feared him, yet clung to his clothes and wouldn’t let go.
The way she’d been seeking him out at all hours for the past few days.
The way he could feel her heart racing the entire time he held her, as if she had a drum in her chest.
The way she chattered on, calling his name without a pause.
Cassel felt like his already frayed nerves were being scraped raw.
Annoying, burdensome, and irritating.
Yes, to be honest, he didn’t have the confidence to take responsibility for her.
To Cassel, the child was as precarious as a candle flame on the verge of being snuffed out.
So small, so weak, it seemed she would be swept away by the slightest ripple.
Moreover, Cassel was remarkably objective about himself.
A man like him was not someone who could take responsibility for another being.
And he had far too many enemies.
He wasn’t the type to sacrifice himself, like his sister had been.
After all, even his sister, for whom this child was everything, hadn’t been able to protect her and had passed away first.
Keeping her around would only corrupt her further; he could never be a good influence.
“Uncle, I’m sorry.”
The sight of her mumbling an apology with her small mouth made his stomach churn with a nauseating feeling.
“Look here.”
Cassel scowled deeply as he held the child’s face, checking for any injuries.
Her pale, puffy cheeks, like white bread, were thankfully free of even a single scratch.
He felt another surge of anger.
She should have just stuck to the old man and been a pampered flower in a greenhouse. Why the hell did she crawl out of such a good place?
With legs shorter than a horse’s, what was she thinking reaching out like that? Did she have a death wish?
Cassel barely managed to let out a sigh and composed himself.
This was exactly why it wouldn’t work.
Keeping her here would undoubtedly lead to nothing but trouble.
What else could happen but the family gaining a second damn scoundrel?
‘That absolutely cannot happen!’
So he would absolutely not allow himself to grow attached to her.
Cassel was determined to get Aika out of his sight as soon as possible.
A few more incidents like this, and she would probably get tired of it and throw a tantrum, demanding to go back.
Striding quickly to Aika’s room, Cassel practically threw her onto the bed.
“Ah!”
Aika, who had flopped onto the bed like a doll, quickly righted herself and grabbed onto the hem of Cassel’s clothes, refusing to let go.
“…I’m going to lose my mind.”
The first day he’d tossed her down, she’d flailed in surprise. Now she popped right back up like a roly-poly toy.
If he left like this, she would surely find a way to toddle after him.
She was just as stubborn as his sister.
No, somehow, she seemed even more so.
Cassel gave up. He grabbed the scruff of Aika’s neck again, moved her to a corner of the bed, and then flopped down on the wide, empty space.
“U-Uncle…?”
He didn’t answer her puzzled voice, instead covering his eyes with his arm.
From beside him, a constant stream of chatter could be heard—“Uncle, are you sleeping?”, “Are you really sleeping?”, “Can I lie down next to you?”, “Can I sleep next to you, too?”—but Cassel paid it no mind and simply closed his eyes.
* * *
I guess Uncle’s asleep.
The bed was big enough for ten of me, but with my uncle lying diagonally across it, it felt full.
Is he really sleeping?
I wanted to poke him to check, but I was afraid of getting scolded again, so I quietly settled down nearby.
I sat with my back half-turned to him and let out a deep sigh.
I know.
I know I was wrong.
But my first thought was that I had to save my uncle.
I was so exhausted today. I hoped I wouldn’t see any more strange visions.
I didn’t even want to dream, so I wasn’t planning on napping.
“Hooo.”
But there’s a problem.
I have to watch my uncle to make sure he doesn’t go out, but it was so boring just sitting here by myself.
I was always alone when Mom went to work, so why am I so bored now?
Grandfather said I could always be by his side when he worked…
He said I could wake him up anytime, day or night, if I was bored…
Besides, maybe because I was so startled earlier, my eyes kept drooping shut…
Should I just go to sleep?
If I sleep right next to him, I’ll know when he wakes up, right?
I looked around, pondering for a long while, before a brilliant idea struck me and I carefully climbed off the bed.
I opened every drawer in the room and succeeded in finding a suitable piece of string.
I took the string and climbed back onto the bed.
Then, I tried to tie my arm to my uncle’s with the string.
“…H-Hard.”
But who knew tying a knot with one hand would be so difficult!
Having no other choice, I tied it to my foot instead. After making sure I was securely connected to my uncle, I curled up and lay down beside him.
“I’ll just sleep for a little while.”
I fell asleep the moment I lay down.
* * *
The next day, our relationship hadn’t changed.
“…Don’t you ever go outside and play?”
“Nope! I like it here.”
It hadn’t gotten any warmer, but it hadn’t gotten drastically worse, either.
“There are plenty of better rooms.”
“I like the carpet in here, Uncle.”
I didn’t have to look up to know a vein was probably bulging on his forehead, so I deliberately kept my head down.
Besides, Uncle isn’t working right now anyway.
“What was it… I heard you were always playing outside at the old man’s house.”
I had plopped myself down right in the middle of my uncle’s office.
I was holding a piece of drawing paper with one hand and a crayon in the other, drawing a big tree, when I looked up with a bright expression.
“How did you know?”
“A brat like you doesn’t need to know.”
“Hmph.”
I lowered my head and went back to drawing my tree.
The soft brown crayon glided thickly across the drawing paper.
As I pressed down hard, filling in the tree trunk so there were no gaps, I kept feeling a searing gaze on me.
