-62-

Roan’s childhood might have looked like this. Except for the golden eyes, the boy truly resembled him.

After confirming the boy’s appearance, I noticed his ragged clothes, the starkly bony wrists, and the bruises visible through the torn fabric.

I didn’t know what to say. My chest hurt.

Was it because it felt like seeing Roan’s difficult childhood, or was it simply pity for this child bearing the marks of abuse? Or perhaps both.

The boy stared at me silently. Soon, he spoke.

“…Are you going to buy flowers?”

His voice was clear and pure, untouched by puberty.

“…Ah.”

I realized that I had been staring at the boy’s face without a word. Hastily, I fumbled with my clothes, searching for money.

“H-How much for a flower?”

“Three coppers.”

How much was three coppers? I was confused, used to the currency of nobles. I handed him the first coin I found. It was probably worth more than three coppers.

The boy looked at the coin with slight hesitation and then said,

“…This is a gold coin. I don’t have enough change for this.”

“R-Really? But you don’t need to give me any change.”

“I don’t need that much money. This could buy all these flowers and still have plenty left over.”

The boy, speaking firmly, returned the gold coin to me. What should I do? While I was momentarily at a loss for words, the burly man who had been resting in the shade approached us.

He looked me up and down and then smiled broadly, his eyes disappearing into the folds of his flesh.

“Haha. What’s the matter here?”

Was this the man Jafflin had mentioned, the one pushing the boy around?

I had a strong suspicion that the bruises came from this man, making me feel uneasy.

“I only have gold coins…”

The man’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the gold coin in my hand. Then, he suddenly struck the boy on the head.

The boy’s head snapped downward. I was so shocked that I froze.

“This one doesn’t know how to be flexible.”

…Did he just hit the boy with that meaty hand? The boy acted as if he was used to it, showing no reaction.

His lack of response only fueled my anger. I became more convinced that this man was the boy’s abuser, and my rage grew.

“Haha. If you want flowers, I’ll bring you some more expensive ones worth the gold coin.”

“No, I don’t want flowers. Is this boy part of the red-light district?”

“Yes, but… Why do you ask?”

“I want to take him with me.”

The boy looked up at me sharply. The man also seemed surprised.

“But this boy is not for sale…”

Even as he spoke, it was clear that the man was calculating how to maximize his profit.

“I’ll pay you well. Just hand over the boy.”

The man’s eyes glinted slyly, realizing I wouldn’t give up easily.

“Hmm, but this boy is quite useful to me. I treasure him a lot.”

What nonsense. He had just hit the boy’s head without hesitation. His sudden protective attitude made me sick.

“20 gold coins.”

I guessed about a tenth of the money I had. The man’s eyes widened.

“Hmm…”

I expected him to agree, but he seemed to want more. My patience was wearing thin.

“You know that’s more than enough. If you try to squeeze more out of me, I’ll just take the boy by force. If you think I’m joking, go ahead and push it.”

Surprisingly, the words came out smoothly. Power was indeed for situations like this, wasn’t it?

The man’s sly expression stiffened, then he relaxed, realizing I was serious.

“…Alright. Let’s do that.”

I paid the groveling man and spoke to the boy.

“I know this is sudden. I have a lot to say, but not here. Let’s go over there first.”

I pointed to where Jafflin was waiting.

The boy followed me hesitantly but soon stopped, his face darkening.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt…”

“Why did you buy me?”

…?

I was more taken aback by the hostility in the boy’s eyes than by his abrupt switch to informal speech.

I had thought he would feel relieved to be taken away from a place of abuse.

“I won’t become the kind of child you want. I have no intention of being your plaything.”

“…?”

I couldn’t understand the sudden and blunt words from the expressionless boy.

“Just kill me. You can get about 20 gold coins even if you sell my corpse to those traders. That’s better than selling my body. I won’t play along with your filthy desires.”

As I listened to his harsh words, my mind, which had momentarily stopped, started to process his words. No way? I quickly denied his assumption.

“That’s not it.”

“…What?”

The boy frowned, looking confused.

His expression was so similar to Roan’s that I was momentarily startled before I pulled myself together. But unlike Roan, the boy’s words and actions were entirely different.

“I didn’t bring you here for that!”

I felt as if I was going to faint from the boy’s unexpected thoughts.

“What kind of thoughts do you have, being so young?”

I reached out to ruffle the boy’s shaggy hair.

Flinch. His shoulders twitched slightly but noticeably.

“…….”

I slowly placed my hand on his head instead of ruffling his hair and patted it a couple of times. His faded golden eyes widened as he looked up at me.

His attitude, so similar to Roan’s and yet so defiant, made me momentarily forget that this boy had been abused.

It might have been natural for him to make such assumptions. How could he have imagined that his unknown, perhaps even deceased, family would come to take him? Growing up in a red-light district, it was only natural for him to think that someone who paid money for him had nefarious intentions.

Even if he acted tough and emotionless, as if he didn’t care if he lived or died, he was still just a child who needed protection and love.

“I’m sorry.”

I wish I had found you sooner. Although it wasn’t my fault, I felt a pang of regret. The boy remained expressionless but didn’t show the hostility he had before.

“What’s your name?”

He remained silent for a while. …Was he not going to tell me?

Just as I was about to give up on hearing his name, he spoke in a clear voice.

“…Jude.”

Excited to get a response, I eagerly asked the next question.

“How old are you?”

“…I’m eight.”

Eight years old. He seemed younger, probably because he hadn’t been properly fed.

“Stop asking questions. I don’t know much about myself anyway.”

Jude coldly refused to answer any more questions.

Even though he was blunt, the way he was letting a bit of his guard down reminded me of someone from the past, making me chuckle.

He started walking again, following me. After a short walk, we reached the wall where Jafflin was waiting. Upon seeing the boy, Jafflin asked me,

“You brought him. What do you think?”

“My intuition tells me he is.”

“…I see.”

Jafflin murmured thoughtfully, his eyes momentarily somber.

“We should clean him up and treat his injuries first.”

“Yes, we should.”

“Hello.”

Jafflin bent down slightly to greet the boy.

“…….”

“My name is Jafflin. What’s yours?”

“…Jude.”

Jude answered after a long pause, then turned his expressionless face away.

***

As soon as we arrived at the inn, we decided to clean Jude up. I considered getting a separate room for him but then shook my head.

“Since he’s just a child, it would be better if someone shared a room with him. I’ll take him to my room and wash him up.”

“What?”

“Excuse me?”

Both Jude and Jafflin responded simultaneously. I looked at them, puzzled.

“I don’t want to.”

Jude strongly refused. His outright rejection was a bit hurtful.

“Why? Do you not want to stay with me?”

Jafflin, looking somewhat awkward, said,

“My lady, while I agree that the child should not be alone, it might not be appropriate for you to bathe him…”

“Why not? He’s just a child!”

Jafflin stared at Jude, whose expressionless face had cracked, and chuckled.

“I’m not a little child!”

Jude shouted, his face turning slightly red.

TL NOTE: More advanced chapter of this story is already up on the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories