Episode 19

“Still sleeping, huh…”

Well, it must have been a really traumatic experience for him.

I muttered softly to myself as I sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at As.

His curly hair fell gently over his forehead, and his long, delicate eyelashes rested against his clear, youthful skin. His rosy lips were perfectly positioned on his childlike, serene face.

“At least his complexion looks healthy. I guess the healing worked well.”

I brushed his bangs aside and smiled lightly.

The only thing I could do was heal his physical wounds. The rest was up to him to overcome on his own.

I slowly turned my head to look out the window.

Beyond the pale windowpane, the soft green leaves shimmered in the sunlight.

“Hm, hm-hm-hmm…”

I gently swayed my feet and hummed a lullaby.

Since he was sleeping, I hoped he’d have good dreams and not nightmares.

I must have been singing for a while when I felt a small tug on my sleeve.

Startled, I quickly turned around.

There, staring up at me, was As, wide awake and clutching my sleeve.

“That song… was it to help me sleep well?”

“…”

“I’m happy.”

His red eyes crinkled into a soft smile.

I gazed at him for a moment before slowly reaching out and brushing his cheek with the back of my hand.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes.”

“And no nightmares?”

“I didn’t have any.”

As responded quietly, holding my hand against his cheek with both of his small hands.

I wondered what he was doing, watching as he slowly leaned his cheek against my hand.

For a brief moment, the gesture was so cute that I found myself holding my breath.

Noticing my stillness, As opened his eyes and looked up at me, smiling gently.

He reached out with his small hand and lightly tapped my nose with his thumb.

“You have to breathe, Ainra.”

“…Ah, right. I forgot.”

Flustered, I inhaled sharply and exhaled with a laugh.

As giggled softly and let go of my hand.

“Thank you.”

“Hm?”

“For coming to save me.”

His voice was calm as he spoke.

I looked at him for a moment before replying slowly.

“…Weren’t you scared?”

“I was.”

As lowered his gaze briefly.

“But then you came, Ainra.”

“…”

“So I’ll be happy instead of being scared.”

He lifted his head, meeting my eyes with a soft, serene smile.

That smile filled me with a strange sense of déjà vu, like I had seen it somewhere before.

‘See? It doesn’t hurt anymore, right?’

‘…Yes, it doesn’t hurt at all.’

I knew someone who smiled like that, eyes crinkling in exactly the same way.

I knew them, but…

‘…But that’s impossible.’

I bit my lip and quickly turned my head away.

It was an absurd thought.

Even if, by some impossible chance, Akes had somehow become a child, he would never smile at me like that, not without any reservations.

As couldn’t be Akes.

“…Ainra? Are you okay? Are you feeling sick?”

As’s worried voice broke through my thoughts.

As I turned my head, I noticed As trying to sit up in bed.

Startled, I hurriedly stopped him and shook my head.

“No, no. I’m not hurt at all. I was just thinking about something ridiculous. You should stay lying down for a little longer.”

“…Are you really okay?”

His crimson eyes filled with worry as he looked at me.

“You don’t look so well. Did you get hurt too when you came to save me?”

As gently tucked my hair behind my ear with his small hand, his serious expression on his delicate face both amusing and endearing.

I barely managed to suppress a smile and nodded.

“Really, there’s nothing to worry about, As. Are you hungry now that you’ve just woken up? Let me go get you some food. Just wait a bit!”

Without giving him a chance to grab hold of me, I quickly stood up and left the room.

I pushed away the troubling thoughts that had been creeping up again and headed downstairs to the kitchen.

* * *

The door closed.

Akes stared at the door through which Ainra had just left, before slowly closing his eyes.

He had sensed the presence of the assassins while he was preparing breakfast for Ainra.

The moment he felt their presence, he immediately knew they were assassins sent by Grand Duke Baharman.

Though the assassination guilds and information networks in Elberc had always been under his control, in his current child’s body, only his aide, Countess Chevila, knew his true identity.

‘Perhaps Harnen has some suspicions through Ainra as well, but that’s irrelevant now.’

The key issue was that Baharman, unaware that the assassination guild was under Akes’s control, had hired assassins to kill him.

The assassins didn’t know that their target was Akes, and they had come to this place to fulfill their contract.

‘Of course, I can’t reveal confidential information to mere assassins.’

Even though they were technically his subordinates, Akes wasn’t the type to coddle each one individually.

‘What bothers me, though, is how Baharman found out I was here.’

But there was no time to dwell on that.

After extinguishing the fire in the hearth, Akes calmly stepped outside the house, making sure not to arouse suspicion.

He pretended to sweep the garden with a broom, allowing himself to be captured by the assassins.

He didn’t call for Ainra’s help because he didn’t want to cause her unnecessary trouble.

Even though he was in a child’s body, Akes had already reached the peak of swordsmanship. Unlike before, when he had to fight two squads of knights without his weapons or aura, this time, he only needed to find an opening to steal a sword and easily take down five assassins.

The assassins led him to the forest on the outskirts of the village.

They had surrounded the area with charms that suppressed the power of spirits, likely in preparation for Ainra, should she attempt to follow them.

Taking advantage of the situation, Akes quickly incapacitated one of the assassins and took his sword.

He infused the blade with aura and dealt with the remaining assassins.

However, since he was in a child’s body, it took longer than expected, and by the time he had dealt with most of them, Ainra had already arrived.

The moment Akes realized Ainra was nearby, he used his aura to block out the surrounding sounds.

‘Ainra mustn’t see this.’

He didn’t want Ainra to discover that ‘As’ was actually Akes in such a manner.

The pain was excruciating, but it didn’t matter.

While facing off against the assassins, Akes had been listening for Ainra’s footsteps. Just as she drew near, one of the assassins grabbed him and slammed him into the ground, raising a sword to stab him in the throat.

Of course, in the next moment, Ainra used her power over water to stop the attack.

His memories faded as he had been running toward Ainra after that.

The combination of using aura and swordsmanship in a child’s body had likely caused him to lose consciousness when the dagger struck him.

‘In any case, as long as Ainra hasn’t figured it out, that’s all that matters.’

As he thought that, Akes heard a soft knock on the door, followed by Ainra’s voice.

“As, I brought you some stew. I’m coming in.”

Hearing her voice again after five years filled him with quiet joy.

He couldn’t help but smile as he responded.

“Yes, come in.”

* * *

As finished the bowl of stew I had brought him, wiping it clean.

I watched him put down his spoon before cautiously asking, “As, did you make this stew?”

“Yes.”

As nodded, as expected.

I paused for a moment, trying to phrase my next question carefully.

“Um, have you ever learned how to cook before?”

As giggled and asked playfully, “Are you surprised a kid can cook so well?”

His question hit the mark, and I quickly closed my mouth before sheepishly nodding, glancing at him.

“I-I’m not underestimating you just because you’re young. I was just genuinely curious, that’s all.”

“I know. You’re not the type to look down on anyone, Ainra.”

As said with a lighthearted voice.

While I felt relieved at his words, I also found myself feeling a bit puzzled.

To As, I was just an adult he had known for about a week. While I had helped him, we still hadn’t spent much time together.

Yet, the way he had spoken just now—he said it as though he knew me well.

As if unaware of my inner thoughts, As continued in his usual calm tone.

“I just wanted to cook for someone I like. I guess I got better at it with practice.”