# Chapter 28
The store owner spoke proudly as if boasting, but my heart sank. The Knights were here again. This time they asked about me. My fingertips grew cold. The Knights had merely been patrolling the forest and village until now, never coming to the cottage. Five years ago, after I abandoned Rite in the forest, they only came looking for his body.
Why? For what reason did they ask about me this time?
“What did you tell them?” I asked.
“Huh? Well… I told them you’re living an ordinary, diligent life while raising a child.”
The man gestured toward Rite with his chin. When Rite heard himself mentioned, he grabbed my hand. The warm temperature against my cold palm brought me back to my senses. Rite’s eyes looked directly at me. He appeared anxious, and also seemed concerned about me.
They’ll come to the house. They must have connected the child I abandoned back then with Rite. Did they only ask this man? They might have asked others too. If they happened to ask Cal and Ea… Just thinking about it made my head throb. I only had the cottage to return to and hide, but there was no way the Knights wouldn’t come there.
“Did you say anything else? Did they ask whose child he was, and did you answer that?”
“No. That was all.”
The man seemed to realize my reaction wasn’t normal and looked like he regretted mentioning it. All the villagers knew my identity. They probably wanted to ask what was wrong with a banished criminal being so anxious, but it would be difficult for them to intrude carelessly.
“When you say just now, specifically how long ago was it?”
“It really was just now. About… 3 minutes?”
Then they were likely still walking around the village. I had nowhere to hide anyway. I grabbed Rite’s hand and quickly headed home.
* * *
I walked almost at a run, carrying the heavy luggage. Once inside the house, I let out a rough breath. I hastily put down the bags near the entrance and locked all the doors and windows. After closing all the curtains, I turned around to find Rite looking at me. Horns had already emerged on his head.
“Arden.”
His eyes demanded an explanation, but I had neither the time nor the mental capacity for it. I wasn’t confident I could convey the information in language the child could understand, or limit it to what he should know. If I made a slip, Rite might become anxious.
Though my silence wouldn’t make the anxiety disappear. I bit my lip and grabbed Rite’s hand almost like snatching it, then headed to the room. Rite obediently followed my lead. After locking all the windows in Rite’s room, I lowered myself and looked at him.
“It’s okay. I’ll handle this. I promise I’ll do my best to make sure nothing happens.”
“Can’t you tell me too?”
Rite looked confused by my abrupt words. I shook my head at his question. He still didn’t seem completely convinced.
“You just need to listen to what I say and follow it.”
“I’ve always listened well.”
“Yes, that’s right. So you need to listen well this time too.”
It had been 8 years since I left the Imperial Palace. I didn’t know how the Knights had changed during that not-so-short time, but they weren’t relaxed in nature. Having heard that I was raising a child, they would surely come to verify it today. If Daniel or Seirios came… As I recalled the faces of the infamous knights one by one, Rite’s voice made those faces blur.
“Is it because I’m still too young?”
“Huh?”
“Am I still too young to be helpful to Arden? Is that why you won’t tell me anything?”
It wasn’t entirely right, but it wasn’t completely wrong either. I just stared at Rite, unable to either agree or deny. Rite’s purple eyes were filled with sadness.
“…No. But today, don’t come out of the room. Stay quietly here. Until I tell you to come out.”
“Why?”
“I’ll tell you when it’s all over.”
“Why not now? Talking to me might make you less anxious.”
I didn’t have the confidence to convince Rite. So I pretended not to hear and continued with what I wanted to say.
“If anyone asks you anything, just answer as I’ve told you. You’re 11 years old, the son of my friends, and I’m taking care of you temporarily. Your father’s name is Max, your mother’s name is Emma. Remember? Of course, things like horns or scales…”
Knock, knock-knock.
Everything stopped at the sound of knocking. I couldn’t speak as if my tongue had hardened, and my body wouldn’t move an inch. My heart was beating so loudly that the strong pulse echoed in my ears. I clenched my fist tightly without meaning to.
“Haa…”
“Arden?”
Rite’s hand touched my cheek. As the warm, soft hand caressed my cheek, the sound of my heartbeat in my ears gradually subsided. Only then could I move my body. I looked into Rite’s eyes for a moment before standing up. Looking at those purple eyes made me feel like I could do anything. I left Rite in the room and went out. Just as I was about to close the door, our eyes met again.
“Don’t worry.”
Leaving just those words, I closed the door completely. I pressed my hand against the wall, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. It’s okay. Nothing happened before when they quickly left. Nothing will happen this time either. If I tell them that Rite has no connection to the child I abandoned at the Imperial Palace back then, if I can just convince them of that, nothing will happen.
Another knock sounded. I opened my eyes and approached the entrance. Without hesitation, I opened it, and cold air touched my cheek. Dark blue uniform and dazzling blonde hair came into view. Daniel. It was Daniel again this time.
“It’s been a really long time. Arden.”
Daniel’s neat lips twisted crookedly. Behind him stood Knights in black uniforms. It looked somewhat different from the uniform I remembered. It seemed the design had changed.
“It’s cold. Can we go inside?”
“We can talk here.”
“Your hospitality is terrible.”
Daniel was relaxed. His shrugging as if there was no rush made me unnecessarily anxious. How much did he know? How certain was he? Not knowing what the other was thinking, I couldn’t easily open my mouth.
“I hear you’re raising something these days? A person? An animal?”
“I’m taking care of a friend’s son.”
“Is that really a human?”
I tried hard not to show any agitation. Not an eyebrow, not the corner of my mouth or eye could tremble. I pretended to have a calm face and looked at Daniel.
“Yes.”
“I heard the child is a bit unusual. So shy that he never takes his hat off. Is that right?”
“Yes.”
“And you expect me to believe that?”
“Is that an important matter?”
“Why is it so hard for me to believe you? Maybe it’s because of your record.”
Ah, should I call it a criminal record? Daniel smiled while speaking smoothly. Now I didn’t bother hiding my expression. It would seem more natural to show some reaction regarding my past. Regardless, Daniel peered behind me.
“Even so, I don’t think there’s any law that allows you to enter someone’s home at will.”
“If treason is suspected, we have a duty to enter and inspect anywhere.”
“…”
Daniel emphasized the word “duty” as he spoke. His posture and intonation were perfect, befitting someone from a noble family with lineage.
“You never know. With that soft character of yours, you might even take in and raise a monster.”
“There’s nothing like that.”
“Then I guess it’s okay to check.”
Daniel, who had been smiling meaninglessly, hardened his expression. With a rough hand, he pushed me aside and entered the cottage. As Daniel headed inside, the Knights standing behind him followed in a line.
“Find the child. That’s all.”
As the well-built men entered the small house, it looked even more cramped. Upon receiving the order, the Knights began opening the doors one by one. Daniel flipped over the large sofa by himself with ease. He could have just bent down to look, but he deliberately didn’t.
It was disheartening to just watch as uncomfortable people entered in a group and rummaged through the house. Houses aren’t built spaciously in cold places. Due to the nature of the small cottage, there were many hidden storage spaces, and most of the furniture was made to be multi-purpose as well. I usually kept most of my engineering materials in such hidden places, and I anxiously followed the Knights with my eyes, worried they might find something.
Since there weren’t many places to hide a child, they didn’t search thoroughly. Most just lifted blankets and checked under furniture, but one Knight in particular was carefully examining the house. It was a woman with long hair neatly tied up.
The woman examined each book on the bookshelf, the dishes on the shelf, and then approached my desk. She opened the drawers one by one, which were filled only with pens and papers. She seemed about to turn away, but as she turned, her thigh hit the chair, making a clatter. Sensing something strange, the Knight tapped the chair with the back of her hand.
It made a sound not like tapping wood, but as if something inside was empty.
If you lift the bottom of that chair, the storage space inside is revealed. And inside is a ledger. A ledger with clients, dates, requested items, and payments all recorded.
If they discovered I was still doing engineering work after my license was revoked, that too would be a serious crime. The Empire managed its engineers very meticulously. I couldn’t be discovered. Just as I was about to open my mouth to try something, another Knight spoke up.
“Daniel. I think someone’s here.”
At those words, the woman who had been examining the chair turned her attention away. A small sigh of relief escaped my lips as the tension eased. Then suddenly, I realized that I had left without putting Rite’s hat on him. The last time I saw him, his horns were already protruding. He would have heard the loud noises from outside and would have been unable to calm down. There was no way the horns would have retracted on their own.
It felt like all the blood in my body was draining to my feet and my head was emptying. Maybe Rite had sensed something and already put it on. But I couldn’t just stay still, gambling like that. Should I shout to tell him to wear the hat? But that would only raise more suspicion.
“Move aside.”
Daniel led the way to Rite’s bedroom door. I quickly followed. Before I could stop him, Daniel opened the door. As the door opened, Rite was revealed standing in front of it. Wearing his hat.
I silently gave thanks to the deity I normally rarely sought out. Daniel’s gaze swept over Rite’s head. At that sight, I immediately blocked in front of Rite. Rite grabbed the collar of my clothes.
“Did that child you abandoned in the forest back then also have black hair?”
“This child has nothing to do with that. No matter what my status is, he really…”
“Not even funny.”
Daniel, seemingly uninterested in my words, looked behind me and snickered. When I turned around, I saw Rite glaring at Daniel with bloodshot eyes. That look was filled with much more killing intent than the one he’d directed at Cal. I grew even more anxious.
Rite shouldn’t get emotionally excited. Controlling his horns was already an issue, but if he went into an irrational state again, it was crystal clear how the Knights would deal with him. I reached behind my back and tightly held the small hand gripping my collar.
“Are you looking for that monster you were searching for 5 years ago? The one that supposedly looked like a human baby?”
“What if I am?”
“He’s 11 years old. He’s a different age from the baby you were looking for 5 years ago.”
“Right. He looks it.”
When I was at the palace, I never imagined confronting Daniel face to face. But I was Rite’s guardian. I was the only one who could protect this child. Reminding myself of this fact over and over again, I strangely wasn’t afraid. Being able to lie and act shamelessly was all because Rite was here.
“Still, we need to be sure. That hat. Take it off.”
Daniel’s finger, clad in a black glove, pointed at Rite’s hat.
