* * *

“What is it?”

When Remy addressed the unfamiliar child, the little one gazed up at him with pure, wide eyes and mumbled with their tiny lips.

“Are you looking for this?”

The child held something out. In their small hand was a crumpled, torn slip of paper.

“Ah! Wait, this—?! Where did you get this?”

“Taz brought it.”

“Taz?”

“The cat. Black with white markings.”

“Oh…”

It seemed the cheeky cat had dropped what it stole, and this adorable child had picked it up.

And this child was apparently the owner of that mischievous cat.

Realizing the situation, Remy looked closely at the paper the child held.

It was torn to shreds, covered in cat drool, and smudged with ink—rendered almost entirely useless.

Still, out of gratitude for the child’s effort, he decided to accept it.

“Thank you, little one. Yes, this is mine. I appreciate you finding it.”

Expressing his thanks, Remy reached out his hand.

But the child, their angelic face suddenly turning sulky, hid the paper behind their back.

Their pouty expression was charming, but the sudden act of withholding the paper baffled him.

“Hey, kid?”

With a bright yet mischievous smile, the child said, “Money.”

“Huh?”

“Give me money. I’ll give this back to you if you pay me for my effort.”

“Wha…?”

“I worked hard for you, so you need to pay me back.”

Stunned, Remy exhaled sharply.

‘This brat… already asking for money? And with my property, no less? Who does a deal like this with something that wasn’t even theirs to begin with?’

“Kid.”

“Yes?”

“You can’t do that. That paper was mine to start with.”

“Even so, I found it for you. So you should pay me for the effort.”

“No, kid, listen. It was mine to begin with.”

“Just 10 shillings. That’s not much for someone like you, right?”

“What?”

“Just 10 shillings.”

Admittedly, 10 shillings was pocket change for Remy.

It wasn’t a sum that would trouble him to part with.

But it wasn’t about the money.

The sheer audacity of the child made Remy feel indignant.

A kid, already bargaining over money?

No way—this behavior couldn’t go unchecked.

“You little rascal. Who taught you to act like this? Do you want me to report this to your parents? Where do you live? Should I go talk to them?”

Remi tried to intimidate the child with a stern voice and an exaggerated scowl, hoping to elicit some guilt or fear.

But the kid remained utterly unfazed, looking back at him with a blank expression.

“Hey. Did you hear me? I said I’m going to tell your parents.”

Still no reaction.

The calm demeanor unnerved Remy, forcing him to trail off.

“My parents passed away.”

“What?”

“My parents passed away,” the child repeated nonchalantly.

“How…?”

“They died during the last epidemic.”

“Then who are you living with?”

“My two younger siblings.”

“What?”

Hearing this, Remy was stunned.

Not only did the child speak of such a tragedy without flinching, but imagining someone so young taking care of siblings alone broke his heart.

‘This can’t be real. How could they stay so composed after going through something so painful?’

“That’s why. Just 10 shillings. This paper, you need it, don’t you?”

Remy hesitated.

The child’s actions were wrong, but their circumstances made it understandable.

And their earnest face didn’t seem to be lying.

Their shabby clothes and gaunt frame only reinforced the truth of their story.

Remy felt a pang of guilt.

A child, burdened by such hardship, living through it all alone…

“Kid.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s do this. Take me to your home, and I’ll give you what you want.”

“Okay.”

The child agreed readily and extended their hand.

The paper, however, remained firmly clutched in the other.

Looking at the small, delicate hand, Remy hesitated before taking it.

He felt awkward—was this even a negotiation?

But the child didn’t wait, pulling him forward with surprising determination.

As they walked hand in hand, Remy finally took in the sight of the slum.

‘Goodness. I never imagined… The slums of this era are truly desperate.’

The houses were hardly houses at all—just makeshift shelters of wood, cloth, and mud.

The air reeked, and skeletal figures huddled along the streets.

Remy’s heart ached. Comparing his comfortable life to this harsh reality filled him with guilt.

“We’re here,” the child announced.

The boy let go of Remy’s hand, which could barely hold his ring and pinky fingers, and spoke.

“It’s too small.”

Following the direction the boy was pointing, Remy turned his gaze.

What met his eyes was a tent house even more decrepit than the others they had passed, a sight that instantly stiffened his expression.

‘In a place like this… he lives with his siblings?”

“Oliver hyung!”

Just then, one of the two children playing in front of the shabby tent, the slightly larger one, called out excitedly to the boy who had arrived with Remy.

“Aiden!”

The boy ran toward his siblings, leaving Remy behind.

Both children were painfully thin, their small statures starkly different from others their age.

It was clear they had grown up malnourished. Remy’s heart ached all over again.

“Hyung! Did you get bread? Did you bring it?”

“No. Not yet.”

“So we’re going hungry again today?”

“Seems like it.”

“Oh… That’s okay. It can’t be helped.”

Hearing the exchange between the two children, tears welled up in Remy’s eyes.

Watching the little one smile and speak so brightly to his brother, despite their dire circumstances, made it impossible for him not to cry.

“Aiden, wait a moment.”

Oliver, as the boy was called, asked his younger brother for a moment and turned back to Remy.

He carefully approached and looked up at him.

Remy hastily wiped his reddened eyes and met Oliver’s gaze.

“Please give me what you promised, sir.”

At Oliver’s words, Remy nodded.

Taking out his wallet, he emptied its contents entirely.

This wasn’t about ten shillings or anything of the sort.

If he could, he’d go home and bring more money just to help them.

“This is too much. I only need ten shillings, sir.”

“No, take it. I want you to.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“But why…?”

“Before she died, my mother told me this: People should always live within their means. It’s wrong to be greedy for more than what you need.”

“Then…”

“Ten shillings is enough. That’s enough to buy bread for the three of us to eat for a day.”

“…”

“So, please take the rest back.”

Watching Oliver return the remaining money after taking just ten shillings, Remy felt his chest tighten painfully.

He knew that ten shillings would barely buy a single loaf of bread.

Even for children, it would be impossible to make it last an entire day.
Maybe for one meal at best…

“Alright, kid. Let’s do this then.”

Remy couldn’t just leave Oliver as he was. He had to help him somehow.

“The paper you have is very valuable to me.”

“And?”

“Since you’ve given me something so precious, it’s only right that I pay you equally in return, don’t you think?”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. That’s why I should pay you more than just ten shillings.”

“But what should I do? I don’t want to go against my mother’s words.”

“Of course not. You’re a good kid, Oliver, and you shouldn’t disobey your mom. So, here’s what I’ll do. I’ll come back to see you tomorrow. And every day after that, I’ll give you ten shillings. How does that sound? This way, you’ll follow your mother’s words, and I’ll still pay what I owe. It’s a win-win, right?”

Oliver thought deeply about Remy’s suggestion for a while, then finally nodded.

* * *