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(Elizabeth’s pov)
Tock.
Tock tock.
Tock tock.
Tock tock. Tock tock.
A very small noise could be heard through Leo’s breathing in the dark.
I was sleeping soundly, rubbing my eyes, and got up from the floor.
My whole body felt like it was going to break, and a groan came out of my own accord.  Immediately after I was beaten, I felt the pain was tolerable, but after I slept a little, I felt like I was going to die.
“Ugh.”
Leo, who was lying next to me, whispered in his sleep. Meanwhile, there was a knocking sound from somewhere.
“
Sis! Sister!”
A cautious voice could be heard through the small iron bars in the door.
“Daniel?”
“Sister?”
“Daniel, why are you here
?”
I got up and walked over to the door to see Daniel.
The iron bars on the door were set at the eye level of an adult, so Daniel hung on the bars and only his eyes were exposed. Even he looked like he could barely see inside with his bangs.
“Sister. Are you hungry? I don’t think Mrs. Miller is bringing anything.”
Of course. It hurts. I felt like I had lost all my energy because I was beaten and couldn’t even eat.
“No. It’s okay.”
“Sister. Get this right away.”
Daniel shoved something of him through the narrow cage. He handed it reflexively to a form that looked hazy in the dark. It was nothing but dry bread.
“Where did this come from?”
There’s no way Mrs. Miller would have asked him to bring me the bread.
“I slipped one from the kitchen.”
“In the kitchen?”
“Yes.”
I couldn’t believe Daniel’s words about sneaking. You came here for the first time yesterday and you hid in the kitchen to find something to eat and even sneaked food?
It would be more accurate to say that he secretly hid his share of bread from dinner and gave it to me. And to see if I was right, the bread was severely pressed and crumpled. It’s like it’s been stuffed in his pocket for a long time.
Can I take this? How will you eat it if I receive it? Daniel is now only ten years old. Such a guy starves for a meal and yields bread

My heart was full and I felt like I could just drink water for a while. The tip of my nose wrinkled, and the corners of my eyes were moist.
I wanted to ask him to take it back, but I couldn’t because if I refused, it would be like ignoring Daniel’s heart.
“Thanks. Well
 I will eat.”
I had to keep my voice from trembling. For Daniel, the height of the bars were high, and it was dark. Because of that, he won’t be able to see what kind of face I made.
Daniel stammered as he didn’t notice anything.
“I just noticed that Mrs. Miller didn’t cook her rice. I don’t think it’s going to come out anytime soon
 Don’t give it to Leo, but eat it by yourself.”
Daniel, who had spoken, corrected his words after a while, as if he was still offended by what Leo had said earlier.
“He’ll whine again when he’s hungry, so it’s okay to give him a slice. Only one piece. My sister eats the rest.”
It’s not a situation to laugh at, but Daniel’s words were cute, so I couldn’t help but laugh.
It was cute to pay attention in moments like this, as he was usually serious.
“Sister, why are you laughing
”
“No, nothing.”
“But it seems that Mrs. Miller was very angry earlier. Are you okay? Did she treat sister as badly as she did to us?”
“We were just arguing with each other.”
Lie. It was such a blatant lie. But I couldn’t tell the truth.
Aside from Daniel being a delicate and sensitive child, it was because my pride as an older sister did not allow it.
“Now go back. If you don’t sleep soon, you’ll be tired all day tomorrow.”
“Yes. good night.”
“You sleep well. Sweet dreams.”
I could see Daniel’s silhouette moving away from the punishment room beyond the cage. It was dark because it was night, but a smile leaked out from the characteristic small, skinny back.
Then something popped out of the darkness and grabbed Daniel’s arm. It was Mrs Miller.
“Hey, why are you here tonight?”
Mrs. Miller asked in her cold, hard voice. For a moment, my heart swelled and I felt suffocated. I was worried that Daniel would be imprisoned in the punishment room like me.
Daniel, who I had thought he was going to tremble, made excuses more calmly than expected.
“I’m sorry. I got confused while looking for the bathroom.”
“The bathroom is the other way around. Didn’t you come to see your sister?”
“It was dark and I took the wrong direction. And what’s the use of seeing my sister at this hour? She must be sleeping.”
“Hmm.”
Mrs. Miller watched Daniel closely. She stared at Daniel for a while, then said.
“You, hurry up and go to bed.”
Pls read only at pink muffin tl.
She pushed Daniel into the room and headed this way. I leaned my body next to Leo and closed my eyes.
In his sleep, Leo burrowed into my arms. The sound of Mrs. Miller’s slippers stopped at the door. I couldn’t open my eyes, so I waited for her to leave.
After a while, I could finally hear her footsteps moving away.
Sigh.
A small sigh escaped me. I got up and checked the bread in my arms again.
The shape was completely crushed because I laid down with bread in my pocket. I could tell just by checking the shape by hand.
A strange feeling, not knowing whether it was regretful or sad, came crashing down like a wave.
My heart trembled at the feeling of not knowing my identity.
“Sister.”
Leo hugged my waist and dug into my arms. I felt that way in his small body and warm body temperature.
I’m really happy to have my little brothers. Even though the situation was difficult, I was grateful to be able to be with them.
I seemed to be able to understand my father’s exclamation that family was the best, just a little bit.
I woke up suddenly from a nap. It may be because of the anxiety of an unfamiliar place.
Laying blankly, I could smell the faint smell of food. I think it was breakfast time.
Leo must have been very tired from the excessive crying, so he fell asleep deeply until the sound of cleaning up after breakfast.
The part I was beaten yesterday really hurt, so I lay down in pain. Because of the hard floor, my back was sore no matter which side I lay on.
The grunting and tossing might have woke Leo’s sleep, so he opened his eyes and stretched out his legs.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Sister.”
As soon as I woke up, he smiled and rubbed his face against me.
“Sister. I’m hungry.”
“You’re hungry? Would you like to eat?”
Then I took out the bread that Daniel had given me yesterday. The shape was also ruined and dried out, so it was a mess, but for now, it was a fortunate situation to be able to fill my stomach.
‘Mrs. Miller doesn’t seem to mind not feeding us. She said three days. Let’s hold out for three days.’
In the meantime, I was worried. I wonder if Leo might be here with me for three days.
‘It is enough for me to be punished.’
I don’t want Leo to suffer in this little room alone. As much as my little brother, I want to eat outside and play like other kids.
Leo, do you want me to leave? Or should we threaten her? Threaten with what? Leo grabbed my arm and waved his hand while I was lost in thought.
“Sister. Sister.”
“Ah, yes. Are you hungry? Let’s eat bread.”
The dry bread was torn by force. I glanced at Leo.
The bread was not in good condition, so there was a chance that he would make a disgusted face, but there was no sign of whether it was because he was still young or because he ate well.
“There is no water, so chew thoroughly. Got it?”
“Yes!”
Leo chewed on the bread. I looked at him and carefully leaned against the wall.
‘I’m going to die.’
My side was aching, and there was no sign of pain in his muscles or bones.
“Did sister eat?”
“Eat it all, Leo. Sister is not hungry.”
“Still
”
Leo looked at me.
“I am not feeling well. I want Leo to eat it all.”
It was true that I had no appetite because I was sick. Leo nodded at my words and chewed the dry bread.
Compared to the bread we used to eat at home, the quality was so bad that I could complain about it, but there was no such thing.
‘I’m glad that even Leo was able to eat anything.’
However, unlike Leo, who eats whatever I give him, Daniel was more sensitive and couldn’t eat at all. He was so thin that it could be said that his skinny body was nothing but bones.
‘I do not know. I can’t even bother with that.’
It’s hard to just hold on like this right now.
I closed my heavy eyelids. Leo, who ate up even the crumbs, lay on my lap.
“You’re full?”
“Yes. Sister. How long do we have to be here?”
“Ugh. I don’t even know. But Leo, do you want to play hide and seek?”
“Hide and seek?”
“I hid in the warehouse room to avoid the monster. What kind of monster controls the spirit of the old woman and makes her say bad things?”
“Hey! So she has become a devil grandmother!”
“That’s right. Now sister and Leo are playing hide-and-seek here until the monster calms down.”
“We just need to defeat the monster. That’s not allowed?”
It was a word befitting a warlike personality. I answered Leo, who was lying on my leg as I gently brushed his hair.
“The one who endures the most wins this game. Leo, are you familiar with the Heroes of Old Cronon? Heroes endured hard work well.”
“I will be a hero too! I can stand it!”
“Then. Of course our Leo will be a hero!”
Reminder: don’t repost ANYWHERE smh