Chapter 12: A Hand Reached Out

‘That person probably wasn’t even a knight.’

For someone supposedly a knight, the brief touch of his fingertips had been incredibly gentle.

Unlike my second older brother, whose hands were always calloused and rough from gripping a sword, his hands were delicate.

I found myself unconsciously comparing my hand to his.

Though I was still young, my hand was chubby and stubby in comparison.

I began to imagine how much larger his hand might be than mine, and realizing what I was doing, I blushed.

“This is crazy.

Thinking about a strange man whose name or face I don’t even know!”

Though it’s not like he’d know what I was imagining and feel uncomfortable, it still wasn’t proper.

I felt ashamed, like some sort of flirt, and was fanning my flushed face when—The real scoundrel was coming from over there.

It was Pedro.

He seemed to have recovered from the hit I gave him earlier, and now he was turning his head this way and that, clearly furious and looking for me.

I could’ve taught him another lesson, but wasting time and attention on someone like him was just not worth it.

So I slipped away again.

Since I’d already gotten far from the lodging earlier while avoiding him, doing it again meant I’d gotten so far the building was now completely hidden by trees.

‘Is it okay to go this far out?’

Hmm.

It should be fine, right?

The family’s knights were guarding the area around the lodging and the forest, so even if I wandered a bit, nothing serious should happen.

I was honestly a little worried, but the thought of running into Pedro again made this seem like the better option.

Watching him secretly, I could tell he was seriously upset and persistently looking for me, so I had no choice but to head deeper into the forest.

‘Going any farther might be dangerous, though.’

Eventually, I reached a nearby stream and stopped.

I was starting to think maybe instead of avoiding him, it wouldn’t be so bad to show him a firm lesson he’d never forget.

“If I clearly show the difference in strength, he won’t mess around anymore.”

He was the classic bully who only picked on the weak.

Maybe my passive attitude made me seem easy to him.

My parents would be shocked at the violent side of their usually gentle daughter, but considering how much that family had tormented me, they wouldn’t be too angry.

‘Anyway, once I get through this family trip, my misfortune with Pedro will be over.’

Never again!

I’d never set foot in this Sachsen territory again.

I wouldn’t even look in its direction.

As I stood there, resolute and waiting for Pedro’s ambush, the fool must have given up mid-chase like the pathetic guy he was, because he never showed up.

“What the…?”

It was kind of anticlimactic.

In any case, without Pedro around throwing tantrums when things didn’t go his way, it was quiet.

The shallow, clear stream trickled gently, and mountain birds chirped softly nearby.

Feeling the peace, I thought I’d like more moments like this in my life.

Watching the water, I stepped closer to the stream, thinking I might dip my feet in.

Just as I stepped over the gravel—

“Huh?”

Someone was collapsed nearby.

It was a young child, about my age.

I rushed over.

He didn’t seem injured—more like he had fainted or fallen asleep.

‘Looks like a noble.’

He was so handsome and elegant.

If Pedro were here, he’d have gone mad with jealousy the moment he saw this face.

But it wasn’t just his looks that made me think he was a noble.

His clothes were made of very fine material.

Plain-looking shirt and pants, but clearly not common fabric—when I touched them, they felt like silk.

‘Why is he in sleepwear?’

His outfit looked comfortable, but far too casual for going out.

A noble dressed like this would definitely be criticized for lacking dignity.

But the only places nearby were the Sachsen territory and the lodging where my family was staying, so it was hard to believe he’d just gone out for a stroll.

I didn’t know what his situation was, but I couldn’t just leave a kid lying on the cold gravel.

“Hey, wake up.”

I shook him.

He didn’t wake up, like he was deeply asleep.

I sat in front of him, thinking.

‘Can I carry him back to the lodging?’

I was just about to try pulling him up by the hand when his eyes suddenly flew open, and he instinctively swung his arm—Smack!

My palm stung from the hit.

He sprang to his feet and took a step back like he was fleeing.

Even though he was the one who hit me, he looked more shocked than I was, his eyes wide and trembling.

I was surprised by the fear and rejection in his eyes and manner, but I understood.

“You must’ve been scared seeing a stranger suddenly. I’m sorry.”

I tried to reassure him by saying what he probably felt, but the fear didn’t leave his face.

Was he panicking?

Worried, I took a step closer.

He flinched and stepped back.

Anyone with common sense would realize I was being viewed with suspicion.

‘Why, though?’

I didn’t get it.

I mean, not to brag, but I was pretty.

Not just “kind of cute”—I was flat-out pretty.

Even Pedro, who didn’t particularly like me, admitted at least my looks were undeniable.

Unless I was acting like a maniac and hitting him, being young and pretty usually helped people let their guard down.

“Why are you like this? I’m not a scary person.”

I held up both my palms, showing I meant no harm.

Anyone else might’ve relaxed by now, but he still acted like a puffed-up cat on high alert.

If I were just a regular kid, I might’ve gotten upset and stormed off back to the lodging.

But I was an adult.

I couldn’t help but feel sorry—just how bad were the things he’d been through, to react like this?

“It’s okay.”

I carefully stepped closer.

He flinched, but didn’t retreat this time.

Another step.

And another.

I slowly approached until I stood in front of him.

“It’s okay.”

Repeating the words, I gently placed the back of my hand over his.

His eyes widened at the sudden contact, but unlike before, he didn’t pull away.

I gently took his hand. His eyes trembled slightly.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

When I asked, he nodded.

But when I asked where his parents were, he shook his head.

It didn’t seem like he meant “they’re gone,” more like “I don’t know.”

I had said that a young and pretty face lowers one’s guard—but it seemed the same was true for me.

Seeing his face, touched with a faint sorrow, made my heart ache.

“Strange. Where have I seen him before?”

Should I call it déjà vu?

It felt like that fleeting sensation when a deeply buried memory almost surfaces.

There’s no way I wouldn’t remember a face this beautiful, right?

While I was silently struggling with that thought, a scent brushed past the tip of my nose and made my eyes snap open.

A fresh fragrance, mixed with the typical smell of a child.

And at the end of it, a faint hint of cool peppermint.

It was that person—the one I had seen just once in my first life and never again.

“How are we connected like this again?”

As I stared at him in wonder, maybe embarrassed, the child’s cheeks turned red.

They looked like apples, so I poked one with my finger, and his soft cheek sank gently under the pressure.

Whether it was because he’d never experienced something like this before, or because I was acting this way when we’d just met, he blinked in surprise but didn’t push me away or resist.

“What’s your name? I’m Seiana.”

“Ray,” the child murmured in reply.

So he wasn’t mute—just shy.

Ray stared intently at the hand I was holding.

I wondered if he was uncomfortable, but although he seemed a bit flustered, I didn’t sense any rejection, so I just kept holding his hand.

“What were you doing here, Ray?”

I was curious whether he remembered what had happened before he collapsed, or if he had some kind of illness.

But all I got in response was a shake of the head.

His pale face still didn’t look very healthy, so I decided to take him to our lodging for now.

“Let’s go to our place first. I’ll ask the adults to help you get home.”

But before I could even finish my sentence, I heard the rustling of grass and turned around.

Some suspicious-looking people appeared on the nearby path, and I frowned.

They were all burly adult men wearing black hooded cloaks, with swords hanging at their waists.

“Don’t tell me… they’re knights looking for Ray? …No, probably not.”

Seeing them radiate such ominous intent, Ray suddenly gripped my hand tightly.

Until now, he had just let me hold it, but whether out of fear or shock, he instinctively tightened his grip.

This kind of situation—where suspicious-looking people appear—was definitely not a good sign.

“Run!”

I grabbed the child’s hand and ran ahead.

The sound of footsteps chasing behind us told me they were following us.

“What do I do?”

I wasn’t confident in my running ability.

And besides, this wasn’t even an adult body.

There was no way I could outrun grown men.