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My body was lifted up, and in a blink of an eye, I put my face on the nape of Uncle’s neck and hugged him.
“Are you crazy?”
“U-Uncle.”
“Damn it, you didn’t even know this was dangerous! Is it because you want to be stepped on by a horse?”
I shook my head violently while being held in Uncle’s arms at the thunderous shout.
“N-No. I’m afraid Uncle will get hurt because the horse is in pain…”
In fact, I was so surprised that my heart beat as if it was about to jump out of my body as I was sweating profusely.
On the other hand, it was surprising that I was embraced by the most dangerous and terrifying uncle, and that I was surprisingly relieved.
“…”
I managed to come to my senses and looked at Uncle again.
His face grew even scarier, and it looked as if he would burst out again at any moment.
“S-Sorry Uncle.”
I didn’t know that he could be so angry.
It felt like I was scolded by the horse and double scolded by Uncle, thus I was about to shed tears.
“Put Gunther in and take a look.”
Uncle ordered the stable keeper and turned around while holding me.
“Yes, Master. Oh my, the Miss must have been very surprised.”
Looking over Uncle’s shoulder, I could see the stable keeper’s warm expression.
I looked at him and nodded briefly enough not to be noticed by Uncle.
Come to think of it, I couldn’t even greet the stable keeper.
It’s the first time we’ve seen each other, so next time I’ll be sure to thank him.
I stayed still and quietly opened my mouth, watching Uncle walking briskly somewhere.
“Uncle, I’m sorry.”
He stopped walking and stood tall.
Fearing that I would get scolded again, I pursed my lips.
“Look.”
Uncle suddenly reached out his hand, grabbed my chin tightly, and wiggled it around.
“…”
Following his hand, my head swung to the right and left.
I-It’s dizzy.
“Are you not hurt?”
“Yes.”
“This is why I won’t take…!”
Uncle grunted instead of shouting and ran fingers through his hair.
The golden eyes were so hideous that I quietly lowered them.
Uncle started striding again.
Still, he only got angry, but there was no mishap such as throwing me away.
I held my breath as if I was dead.
My heart was still beating fast.
‘I thought I was being stepped on by a horse. But I saved Uncle!’
***
This bothers me.
Kassel thought as he carried Aika.
Even though she was afraid of me, she held onto my clothes and didn’t let go.
She’s been looking for me all the time for days.
I felt my heart beating fast the whole time I was holding her, as if I had even attached a drum to my body.
She keeps calling me nonstop.
Kassel felt as if his nerves were being scratched.
Irritating, cumbersome, annoying.
Yeah, to be honest, he didn’t have the confidence to take responsibility.
In Kassel’s eyes, the child was just in danger as a candle that was about to go out.
It was so small, so weak that even the slightest ripple would sweep it away.
Kassel, moreover, was very objective with himself.
It wasn’t something someone like me could take responsibility for.
And he had too many enemies.
Nor was he as sacrificial as his own sister.
Didn’t his sister, whose child was her everything, leave first without being able to protect her in the end?
Even if he keeps her, it will be ruined if it’s even worse, and it will never have a good effect on her.
“Uncle, I’m sorry.”
The sight of her little mouth twitching and apologizing made me nauseous.
“Look.”
Kassel frowned, grabbed the child’s cheek, and checked for any wounds.
Fortunately, her white cheeks, puffy like white bread, didn’t seem to have a single scratch.
It seemed that he was getting angry again.
She was going to cling to the old man and become a flower in the greenhouse, but why would she crawl out of that nice place?
Which is the one shorter than a horse’s leg? Did you go crazy because you wanted to die?
Kassel held his heart together with a barely exhaled sigh.
This is why it’s not fine.
It was clear that staying like this any longer would only cause trouble.
Is there anything more than two goddamn bastards in the family?
‘Of course that shouldn’t happen!’
That’s why he will never give her any affection.
Kassel intended to get Aika out of his sight as soon as possible.
If I do this a few more times, she’ll get tired of me and whine, wanting to go back.
Kassel, who quickly went to Aika’s room, put the child on the bed as if he was tossing it.
“Ah!”
Dropped onto the bed like a doll, Aika quickly straightened herself up and held onto the hem of Kassel’s clothes.
“…It’s spinning.”
When he threw her on the first day, she was startled and struggled, yet now she stood up like a roly poly.
If he goes out like this again, she’ll come after him anyway.
She was just like his older sister, down to her stubbornness.
No, he thought it was somehow worse.
Kassel gave up, grabbed Aika’s back again, moved it to the corner of the bed, and lay down on the wide seat.
“U-Uncle…?”
He didn’t respond to the questionable voice, covering his eyes with an arm.
“Uncle, are you sleeping?”, “Really sleeping?”, “Can I lie next to you too?”, “Can I sleep next Uncle?” Murmurs were heard incessantly, yet Kassel pretended not to listen and closed his eyes.
***
Uncle must be sleeping.
The bed was big enough for ten of me to lie on, yet it was full because Uncle was lying diagonally.
Is he really sleeping?
I wanted to press him down, but I didn’t want to get scolded again, so I sat quietly nearby.
I sat with half my back against him and sighed deeply.
I know.
That I was wrong.
But the thought of saving Uncle came first.
I hope I don’t see more strange fantasies because I’m so tired today.
I wasn’t going to take a nap because I didn’t want to dream.
“Hnnng.”
However, there is a problem.
I had to protect Uncle so he wouldn’t go outside, but I was so bored to stay alone.
Even when Mom went to work, I was always alone. Why am I so bored?
Grandpa said I could always be by his side when he was working…
He said that if I’m bored, I can wake him up at any time of the day or night…
Also, maybe because I was so surprised earlier, my eyes kept closing…
Should I just sleep?
If I sleep next to Uncle, wouldn’t he know when he wakes up?
I looked around and pondered for a long time before a thought struck me and I cautiously got down from the bed.
After that, I opened all the drawers in the room and succeeded in finding a suitable string.
I grabbed the string and climbed back into bed.
And I tried to connect my arm with Uncle with a string.
“…I-It’s difficult.”
But tying the knot with one hand was so hard!
Reluctantly, I tied him to my feet and, after confirming that I was tied up with him, curled up next to Uncle and lay down.
“I’m going to get some sleep now.”
It was an instant to fall asleep as soon as I lay down.
***
The next day didn’t change our relationship.
“…You don’t go out to play.”
“Yes! I like it here.”
It didn’t get a little more friendly, but it didn’t get terribly worse either.
“There are many better rooms.”
“I like the carpet here, Uncle.”
Even if I didn’t look up, I did it on purpose because I thought there would be a vein somewhere on Uncle’s forehead.
Anyway, he’s not working right now.
“What are you doing over there. I hear you always played outside at the old man’s house.”
I sat right in the middle of Uncle’s office.
Holding the drawing paper in one hand and a crayon in the other hand, I drew a large tree and raised my face.
“How did you know?”
“You don’t have to know, Brat.”
“Tch.”
I lowered my head and started drawing the tree again.
Soft brown crayons were rolling thickly on the drawing paper.
I kept pressing and painting the wooden pillars so that there were no gaps, but I kept feeling the hot gaze.