Chapter 32

Mar 28, 2021

‘Really?’

‘You’re giving this to me?’

‘A certificate?’

‘That’s the certificate of the largest toy store, isn’t it?’

‘Let’s calm down.’

I know how painful it is to have something beyond your ability as I had been a child of fake destiny.

I can’t take it with me when I get exiled and since I’m young and can’t run such a big store, other people will take over. Either way, I wouldn’t be able to touch the money. With a heavy heart, I gave the certificate back to the Duke.

“I can’t wead some of zhe wetters.” (I can’t read some of the letters.)

Lea laughed affectionately, saying,

“I’ll read it for you.”

“Oh, this is a toy store certificate, little miss!”

I said in a somber voice.

“Blaine don’t want papew.”

“It’s not just a paper, little miss. If you have this, you can have all the toys in the store.”

I shook my head with a sad look.

“Don’t want…. I want more toys.”

Henry and Isaac were staring at the Duke.

“For a young child, a toy store certificate’s meaning would be beyond her comprehension.”

“Well, it is. A bow or dress would make her happier.”

The Duke looked like he was struck by lightning. But the brothers grinned and wrapped their arms around me.

“Let’s go to your room, LeBlaine.”

“Yes, we’ll tuck you in.”

I heard the Duke’s voice behind me, who followed the brothers helplessly.

“Those who handled this, bring me the list.”

Turns out, there were actually other presents for her prepared.

***

I got up before the sun rose and left the soft bed.

‘Okay, I’ve taken care of the bow that Isaac gave me.’

Just in case, I even put the tracking device that Lea gave me in my pocket.

There were people out there who wanted me enough to get a trafficker inside the castle, so I need to be careful.

I crept into the underground prison.

The soldiers were on patrol, but I succeeded in sneaking in, taking advantage of my experience of being a beggar. Of course, getting a key was also a skill learned due to that experience.

“Seria.”

A small voice caused the crouching girl to lift her head.

“Little miss……!”

“Shh!”

When I put my index finger on her lips, Seria grunted and lowered her voice.

“What are you doing here?”

“There’s a place I want to go with Seria.”

I left the underground prison holding Seria’s hand, blinking innocently.

Through the iron bars, a terrible groan, like scratching iron, leaked out. Seeing the figure in the cage, Seria took a deep breath.

“Jacob……!”

She looked at me with a look on her face asking as to why I had brought her here.

I shrugged my shoulders, saying, “I’ll help you.”

“But it’s locked.”

“I don’t think so.”

Then I opened the door.

“How come? …!”

It seemed that Jacob had not confessed anything about who his “customer” was.

Meaning, the Duke would have left the door open.

‘So that Jacob can get away and meet his so-called customer.’

There was a high possibility that Jacob may have been given or had a tracking device attached to him early on.

The Dubbled family was as scary as the rumors I had heard about them.

“Let’s get inside.”

When I opened the door, Seria went into Jacob’s prison. Jacob who was drooping from the wall towards the floor looked at us with his barely moving eyes.

“Save… save me…”

“I don’t want to hear that!”

Seria shouted as she rushed at him.

Jacob, who had been subjected to torture for hours, had no power to shake off Seria.

“Where are my brothers? Where did you sell them…!”

When Jacob didn’t answer, she began to choke him.

“Cu-customer.”

“What?”

“The customer took them.”

“You mean the customer who told you to kidnap the little miss?”

When Seria released her hold on Jacob, whose neck had turned red, he breathed out.

“I don’t know who it is. I’m serious. The customer came every time and bought the kids. All the kids raised in the House of Hope were bought by him.”

“What did you do to my brothers?”

“…….”

“Speak!”

Jacob looked up at Seria, gulping.

“I can’t give out a customer’s personal information.”

Pak!

I kicked him in the face.

“I twought that was all you had to say! (I thought that was all you have to say!)”

Seria stepped on Jacob to stop him from moving, as he looked at me dumbfoundedly. I could hear the sound of his pained groans when she punched his face to knock him out.

“Li-little miss.”

Seria was surprised and hugged me.

I looked up at her.

“I have a question.”

“Say it.”

I stared at her directly and opened my mouth.

“How despewate are you wanting to find your brothers?” (How desperate are you wanting to find your brothers?”)

“…….. Pardon?”

Seria’s eyes shook.

“Can you kill any more of the people that destroyed your and your brothers’ lives?”

When asked so, Seria’s eyes were mysteriously distorted.

“You’re…… not an ordinary child.”

I grinned.

“If you’re pwepared to do that, I’ll help you.” (If you’re prepared to do that, I’ll help you.)

I slowly reached out my hand. Seria, who was still staring at my small hand, bit her lips tightly.

“I’ve already made my vow to finish him.”

She took my hand.

“What should I do?”

“Would you like to get youw bounty fow now?”

***

Seria looked at me who had a childlike smile on my face.

“You want me to turn myself in?”

“Yes, so you can get the bounty.”

“Then I’ll be executed!”

“You won’t.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Gwt the pwiest to visit you before dhat hapwens. You can say it like this.” (Get the priest to visit you before that happens.)

I straightened my position and lowered my voice.

“I know where the original copy of the Bible is.”

Seria’s eyes grew bigger.

“That’s ridiculous!”

“I know where it is though.”

I’m sure they’ll be anxious to get their hands on it and save Seria’s life.

“The original version of the Bible is priceless. Why would you use it for that?”

“Because Seria is worth it.”

She stared at me for a while without saying anything.

With trembling pupils and shrieking lips, I could see just how touched she was.

‘Really, Seria’s worth it.’

She devoted her life to her younger siblings because they grew up together in a nursery school.

She was someone who would never betray the person who gains her loyalty. Above all, Seria was smart.

She was different from Jacob, who had passed the exam with the help of the “customer”, or Charlie who somehow managed to enter the administrative office.

Without a proper education at the nursery, she passed Dubbled’s administrative exam just by learning from the aristocracy.

This person is full of determination.

‘She’s somewhat similar to Nos.’

There was no one as good as her to keep next to me.

“Then where should I say the original is?”

“The Empress’s secwet library.”

Besides, I can kill two birds with one stone.

The Empress kept her possession of the original piece a secret.

The temple would tremble with a sense of betrayal if they knew that the Empress, who had such a good relationship with them, secretly had the original biblical texts that the church had been searching for.

“Go before dawn.”

“Little miss, I’ll never forget this.”

The kneeling Seria strengthened her determination.

“I’m really ashamed of this, but may I ask you for another favor?”

“Favor?”

“Please get out of here first.”

She looked at Jacob with cool eyes and continued.

“And don’t come back no matter what you hear.”

I glanced at her black twitching eyes.

“……. Ok.”

I left the prison first, as she asked. Behind my back, Jacob’s desperate screams followed. That day Jacob went out of prison as a corpse, and Seria slipped out of the castle.

A few days later, a present in the name of ‘Children’s day gift’ was delivered to me.

There were 30,000 francs in the bag. It was the amount of Seria’s bounty.

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