RHFTY chapter 5

Of course, he couldn’t say he had approached him with purely innocent intentions from the start.

At that time, there had been concerns about preventing any unpleasant incidents and considering possible connections.

But the important thing was the feelings that had developed over the past year they had spent together.

“…Really?”

Leonard asked hesitantly.

Without a second thought, Chaeyi answered.

“Really.”

“Can you promise?”

“I promise.”

After receiving several reassurances, Leonard finally let his eyes wander.

He seemed much more at ease than before.

Then, as if unable to hide his emotions, the corners of his lips twitched upward, forming a smile.

-Please understand this one thing: you, just as you are, are the most precious person to me.

Leonard had never felt such overwhelming happiness before.

No one had ever treated him with such kindness from the time he was born until he was abandoned by his family.

It was the first time he had ever experienced love between people.

It was enough to make Leonard feel completely overwhelmed.

And as Chaeyi, who could sense these undisguised emotions, felt a tightness in his chest.

‘This small, fragile child…’

Leonard, who had run away to survive, had not been abused, nor had he been consumed by a desire for revenge against his family.

He still possessed a purity untainted by the world, unlike the Leonard in the novel his friend had once told his about.

Perhaps that was why he felt even more tender toward him. Chaeyi gently patted Leonard’s head.

When their eyes met, he gave him a bright smile, as fresh as early spring.

“…”

Leonard stared at his for a long time before, without realizing it, he reached out and touched the corner of his mouth.

If Chaeyi’s smile could be held in his hand, would Leonard have been able to keep it within his grasp?

Leonard often found himself thinking this, though Chaeyi, unaware of his thoughts, remained still despite Leonard’s sudden actions.

“Chaeyi, how about I go grocery shopping for dinner tomorrow? If I go early, I can get better things.”

“But will you be okay on your own?”

“Yeah. You’ve been busy lately… I just thought it’d be nice if I could help out a bit.”

“Hmm.”

Chaeyi hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was okay to ask Leonard to run errands.

However, since Leonard had almost never gone out on his own, he thought it might be good for him to experience some freedom and adapt to going out alone.

Besides, it’s said that running errands can give children a sense of accomplishment and confidence.

“Alright. Then, could I ask you to do that?”

Leonard nodded confidently. Chaeyi, feeling a surge of fondness, smiled and ruffled Leonard’s hair before standing up. It was late, and time for bed.

“I’ll write down what you need to buy tomorrow. I’ll give you enough money, too, so if there’s anything you want to eat, go ahead and buy it. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“My, our little Leo is all grown up.”

Leonard pouted, clearly not pleased with Chaeyi’s teasing remark, but Chaeyi just laughed it off, finding even his sulkiness adorable.

If only he had known that something would go wrong because of the errand he permitted, he never would have sent Leonard into town alone.

The next day, morning broke.

Leonard woke up unusually early, just like Chaeyi always did.

Today was the day he would go down to town alone for the first time.

Leonard felt a mixture of solemn determination, a bit of fear, and a sense of excitement.

He had always been waited on by others in the mansion, and this was his first time doing something as mundane as running errands.

‘I’ll do it perfectly, without any mistakes.’

If he succeeded, Chaeyi would smile beautifully at him and praise him again, just like yesterday.

Imagining his smile, Leonard, who had been sitting for a moment, jumped out of bed and headed to the living room.

Chaeyi, who had woken up even earlier, was adding new firewood to the stove that had burned all night.

“Did you sleep well?”

Chaeyi, sensing Leonard’s approach, turned around and greeted him with the usual warm question.

The large hand that gently patted his head and conveyed warmth was also the same as always.

To Leonard, Chaeyi was like the kind and caring father he had always dreamed of.

Though in reality, due to Chaeyi’s youthful appearance, he felt more like an older brother.

Regardless, Leonard was filled in the warmth and care that Chaeyi provided.

“What’s this? You’re up earlier than usual.”

“I wanted to leave with you when you go out.”

“Alright. Then wash up and get ready.”

Chaeyi, finding something amusing, chuckled softly and patted Leonard’s back.

Leonard suddenly felt a strange urge to rebel against Chaeyi’s attitude of treating him like a child, though he couldn’t quite understand why.

“Leo. You’ll be okay, right?”

“Don’t worry.”

“Alright, alright. Be careful.”

Chaeyi wrapped a hand-knitted scarf around Leonard’s neck and handed him a wallet with money and a shopping list inside.

“Don’t stray off the path. Understand? There are monsters in this forest, so it’s dangerous.”

“I got it.”

“Even though no monsters have appeared on the path to town, you never know, so don’t make too much noise….”

“Chaeyi, you be careful too.”

Leonard watched Chaeyi head into the forest to gather winter herbs, then turned to the path leading to the town.

His heart raced as if he were about to embark on an adventure alone.

‘I need to keep everything safe….’

He tucked the wallet into his thick coat pocket, carefully checking to make sure there were no holes at the bottom.

Satisfied, Leonard began his descent down the path. Contrary to Chaeyi’s worries, no monsters appeared on the way to town.

“Kid, are you alone today?”

As Leonard walked along the dirt road leading to the market, a commoner greeted him.

Lately, Leonard had been accompanying Chaeyi to town more often, so his face had become familiar to the villagers.

However, Leonard had no interest in getting to know others better, so he simply nodded in acknowledgment and tried to pass by.

But he heard the commoner mutter something as he walked away.

“Such a pity for one so young….”

Leonard didn’t know why, but the comment irked him.

Perhaps it was because he felt pitied for no reason.

He instinctively furrowed his brow.

‘What was that?’

But he didn’t want to waste time asking questions, so he pretended not to hear.

Maybe he’d just misheard.

Leonard made it to the market without further incident and began buying everything on the list.

He felt a little nervous, but the errand turned out to be easier than he expected.

‘This is nothing.’

Feeling a bit cocky, he straigthened his shoulder.

As Leonard checked the last item on the grocery list and turned to leave, a frail voice called out to him from a narrow alley between buildings.

“Child, did you come alone today?”

Leonard stopped and hesitated.

When he looked back, he saw an old woman with a frail body and a head full of white hair leaning on a cane.

“…….”

Leonard felt a little wary, given the similarity to the earlier encounter, but he nodded.

The old woman looked around before stepping closer and grabbing Leonard’s arm.

Startled, Leonard tried to pull away, but the old woman lowered her voice and spoke urgently.

“Child, this is your chance. He’s let his guard down. The gods have favored you.”

Just like before, she was saying strange things.

“Let go.”

Leonard, showing his discomfort, tried to pull his hand free.

He thought about ignoring her and walking away, but the old woman stubbornly held onto him and continued to speak in a hurried tone.

“Now’s your chance to escape, quickly.”

“What are you talking about…?”

“That man, did he treat you well? If so, you’ve been deceived! He’s been raising you as a slave to sell you to another estate.”

Leonard couldn’t believe his ears.

“…A slave?”

“Oh dear, so you were following him without knowing. How meticulous he is….”

The old woman looked at Leonard with a pitiful expression, as if heartbroken by his situation.

“Yes, child… That young man in the cabin is an illegal slave trader who sells people for money.”

As the old woman’s voice and the surrounding noises grew faint, Leonard’s mind began to be confused.

“Run away when you get the chance. You don’t want to end up like the other poor children, do you?”

It felt like he was dreaming.

‘An illegal slave trader… Chaeyi?’

Suddenly, Leonard remembered what the commoner had muttered before.

-Such a pity for one so young….

If only that was all, he might have dismissed it as nonsense.

But….

The occasional unkind glances that were directed at him when he went to the market with Chaeyi.

The mysterious groups who had recently approached him, asking why they weren’t selling any “good goods” lately.

He had found it strange, but had dismissed it all until now.

But now, the small things he had overlooked were beginning to piece together into a horrifying truth.

“…….”

Suspicion turned into shock… and shock into anger at Chaeyi for betraying him.

-Just know this. You are more precious to me than anything.

Leonard’s eyes reddened as he clenched his trembling fists.