You Say This Child Isn't Yours!? - Chapter 5

“If you get it out, I’ll play with you for a month– no, a week.”

“Really?”

A week of playtime was incredible. But seven-year-old Roderick was just as scared of the well. It would have been dangerous given how weak he was back then. When he hesitated out of fear, the mockery poured in.

“What, are you a coward?”

“Roderick’s a coward!”

“N-no, I’m not a coward… Can’t we just call the adults or older kids?”

The ball owner’s face who was mocking Roderick twisted like a leather ball soaked in water.

If they found out the gift was ruined just a day after buying it, there would be serious trouble. The ball might even be taken away. Looking at the leather ball getting darker in the murky water, it was actually they who were getting scared.

“Then I won’t play with you anymore.”

The ball’s owner grabbed Roderick, who was trying to get an adult, and delivered an ultimatum.

“…What?”

“You want to be part of our village? Then do what we tell you. If you don’t, you’ll be an outsider forever.”

Roderick turned even paler with fear. For a boy who learned loneliness before learning to walk, being an eternal loner was scarier than the well.

“Get in!”

“My ball is ruined. Hurry up and get in.”

Just as he was about to be pushed into the well by the children’s hands–

“Hey kids, what are you doing?”

Erica appeared. As usual, with a book in hand – a useless item in a village where most were illiterate.

“The ball fell into the well.”

“If it’s your ball that fell in, why are you trying to push him in?”

“He said he’d get it out.”

“He doesn’t look like someone who volunteered to get it out. To me, it looks like you’re trying to push him in like the ball. Isn’t that right?”

“No, it’s not!”

Their continued denial seemed to anger her more, and once Erica learned the whole story, she finally exploded.

“You little brats who aren’t even dry behind the ears!”

She brandished a sharp hand axe at the boys who were using their larger size as a shield.

Yes. Back then, seven-year-old Erica was an unusual child who carried a hand axe for self-defense, believing she had to protect herself.

“Such young things are already trying to kill someone!”

“You’re young too…”

“Who are you comparing to whom as my peers?”

What’s a peers?

All the children there were at most nine years old, so none of them understood and just tilted their heads. Even Roderick only learned what it meant later when he asked his mother.

“Wait, are you picking at my words now?”

That day, Erica’s explosion wasn’t easily subsiding.

“You should be apologizing and still not be enough, but you’re picking at my words?”

“Who are you to interfere? Are you our mother?”

“If I were your mother, I wouldn’t have raised you like this.”

“Wow, did you just insult our mother?”

“You’re the one who brought shame to your mother, not me.”

“……”

“If you don’t want your parents insulted, live properly yourself.”

“……”

“If you don’t want to live properly, at least live smartly. Understand?”

They all had faces that showed they didn’t understand.

“Ah, right. These kids are elementary schoolers, aren’t they?”

Even Roderick’s mother didn’t know the term ‘elementary schooler.’

“I’ll make it simple. You look down on him now, right? Who knows if he’ll grow up to be much stronger and better than you? You’ll regret it later. Remember that.”

Erica was certainly mature for a seven-year-old and was different from both the children and the adults of the village.

While Roderick was ostracized by his peers for being small, sickly, and foreign, Erica was ostracized for being a know-it-all old soul.

The children who were arguing with Erica gradually became intimidated and fell silent, finally pulling out their last resort.

“Erica, we won’t play with you anymore.”

“When have I ever played with you?”

“……”

“What am I doing hanging around with elementary kids at my age? I’m getting reality checks, reality checks.”

After thoroughly scolding her peers, Erica took the dumbfounded Roderick’s hand and shouted for everyone to hear.

“Roderick, let’s play together!”

From that day on, they became best friends.

***

“Who knows if he’ll grow up to be much stronger and better than you? You’ll regret it later.”

Perhaps Erica’s words were prophetic.

Who would have thought that small, sickly little kid would grow up to be a tall, handsome swordsman? And working for the palace guard no less!

“Are you married?”

“Not yet.”

“Do you have someone?”

“No, I don’t.”

The women’s eyes went from sparkling to blazing.

“Don’t you need a birch tree?”

The May festival was a festival of love. It began with young birch trees.

The village’s single men would place young birch trees decorated with hearts carved with their name and their chosen lady’s name, along with colorful ribbons, in front of the house of the girl they liked. The lady would then choose the tree she liked best and dance with its owner on the festival’s final night.

“I do need one…”

As soon as Roderick showed signs of having someone he liked, the atmosphere changed completely.

“Gasp! Really?”

“Who! Whose house are you going to put it in front?”

All the women sitting around the table jumped up at once and rushed at Roderick, bombarding him with questions like they were interrogating a criminal. A young man who had been anxiously watching this absurd scene cut in abruptly.

“The birch tree has to be placed the night before May begins. It’s useless after that.”

When Roderick showed signs of giving up with an “Ah, right,” the man who had succeeded in eliminating a competitor smiled triumphantly.

“Still, Roderick, you need a partner to dance with on the last day of the festival, don’t you?”

“Everyone probably has partners already since it’s tomorrow.”

“What are you talking about? I don’t have a partner yet.”

“What are you saying? Aren’t you dancing with Yan?”

“When did I ever!”

“More importantly, Roderick, where are you staying tonight? Your house must not be in good shape since it’s been empty for so long.”

“Want to come to my house?”

“Ann, your house is so full of siblings there’s no room to step! Come to my house, Roderick.”

“Yeah, at their house you can sleep while hugging pigs.”

“Did you just call me a pig?”

“When did I? It’s true you keep pigs inside your house.”

“That’s only in winter!”

“So it is true!”

“My, why are you all being so unseemly? Roderick, don’t mind them. By the way, I’ve always dreamed of going to the royal capital, will you take me with you when you go back?”

The same girls who once ignored and avoided Roderick when he was a poor outsider were now clinging to him, trying to win his favor.

Erica found this clearly changed response bitter.

What the villagers welcomed wasn’t Roderick himself, but what he possessed.

The isolated mountain village, having little interaction with outsiders, was thoroughly exclusionary towards foreigners. Even if they were born and raised here.

“Hey, bring more beer!”

“The beer tastes even better today with a guest!”

Yes. To them, Roderick was still a guest – an eternal outsider.

As Erica watched Roderick casually responding and drinking beer while surrounded by people, dark clouds gathered in her heart.

Just like the sky on the day Roderick left five years ago.

The image of Roderick that day was still vivid. He was soaked from head to toe, making it impossible to tell whether the water running down his cheeks was rain or tears. Nevertheless, Erica thought they were tears.

Although Roderick had never shown tears since outgrowing childhood, no matter how painful things got, Erica couldn’t help but think those were tears.

Because of what happened before he finally decided to leave the village.

“Erica, what if I…”