Chapter 3

Isabelle tilted her head upon receiving a bewildered look from Lix.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You’re so weird. Is not having parents something to be happy about?”

“No, I’m just happy to be friends with you, Lix.”

“Friends?” the boy asked, blinking as if it were a foreign word he had never heard before. “That’s why you’re happy?”

“Yes. You’re not ignoring me anymore, and you’re even answering my questions.”

The truth was, Isabelle was ecstatic because she believed the baby deer would lead her to some precious mushrooms later, but she didn’t tell him that. She stared at Lix, who was still pondering over the word “friends.” He was no longer trembling, but he seemed nervous. After making sure he had lowered his guard, she went straight to the main question.

“Anyway, what are you doing here? This place is far from the village. Do you live nearby?”

“I was running away.”

“Running away? Why?”

Perhaps she was helping a baby swindler rather than a baby deer. Isabelle was anxious for a moment, but she soon found out that he wasn’t lying. In the distance, the moonlight revealed a group of armed men searching the area. The sight of them slashing through the bushes with their spears was intimidating enough to make Isabelle’s knees wobble.

Judging from their outfits, they’re not knights. They aren’t the village guards either.

Intricate patterns emblazoned their spears, but the clouds blocked the moonlight before she could get a good look at them. They spoke in low, unfamiliar voices.

“The paralysis poison must have spread to his legs by now, so he should be around here somewhere. Find him.”

The group of men with spears was rapidly closing in on them. Isabelle felt Lix’s body shrink reflexively. She fiddled with her necklace, debating internally.

“Isabelle, keep this necklace close to you. And remember, you must never use magic.”

The saints always warned her against using magic, but she had to help Lix. The boy was shaking so much that he looked like he was about to pass out. Sister Maria’s words were law, but Isabelle decided to go against them just this once.

“It’s okay, Lix. I’ll protect you.”

Isabelle mouthed the words quietly before flicking her fingers to where the moonlight just barely touched the shadows, taking control of the wind. The breeze, previously blowing in another direction, abruptly changed course and swept through the area she wanted.

“Follow the noise.”

Everyone in the group nodded in response to their leader’s instruction. Lix and Isabelle held their breath until they disappeared.

It was Lix who broke the silence first.

“What did you do?”

“What?”

“You changed the direction of the wind with magic.”

“I don’t know. I’ve been doing this ever since I first used magic.”

Even though it was not the answer he wanted, Lix nodded. Now that the people chasing him were gone, he appeared to have calmed down. He must have been really tired because he cleared a spot in the bushes and promptly sank to the ground. His custom-made shirt, jacket, and shorts were already half-ragged.

His clothes look really expensive.

Isabelle examined the fabric of Lix’s clothes, which glistened even in the faint moonlight, and started fiddling with her white dress. Although magic ensured its cleanliness, its texture was rough and stiff to the touch.

“But why are those people after you?”

Lix, who had been answering her questions after sharing his parents’ demise with her, clammed up again. Frustrated, Isabelle began to speculate. Based on the fact that he was being pursued so late in the evening, he must be either the sole heir of a wealthy trade association or the esteemed child of a noble family.

“Are you an actor? Or a circus acrobat? These aren’t really your clothes, are they?”

Lix contemplated for a while before nodding. Isabelle beamed with satisfaction at having coaxed another response out of him.

“Lix, is there anything I can do to help you?” If he wanted, she could sneak back to the temple and get him some herbs, hot tea, and a large loaf of bread.

Instead of answering her question, however, he asked, “Why are you helping me? You almost got into danger earlier.”

“Well...”

If she told him it was because she hoped he would repay her with something nice, like how the deer led Sister Cecilia to the mushrooms, he would probably storm off.

Isabelle ransacked her mind for a good reason before replying, “We’re friends now. The saints said that friends should love each other.”

“Love?”

“Yes. You know, things like hugging and giving each other pats.”

They also taught her to love her enemies, but Isabelle was the type of person to only learn what she wanted to learn, so she had no intention of doing that.

Lix crossed his arms and mused for a moment. He glanced left and right, his confusion clear on his face.

“Does hugging and patting someone create love?”

“Yes. It feels good when someone holds you tightly and strokes you.”

Although Isabelle hadn’t received any love from her parents, the saints used to pat and stroke her head while she lay on their laps. Joy spread through her body as she recalled those memories.

Lix responded in a prickly manner, claiming he had never experienced any of those things, even when his parents were alive.

Perhaps it was because Isabelle was also an orphan, but she thought it was remarkably unfair that she was the only one who had such wonderful memories. She opened her arms wide.

“Come here.”

“No. Why should I...?”

Lix trailed off when Isabelle suddenly wrapped her arms around him and patted his back. His whole body stiffened for a second before he gradually relaxed in her warm embrace. She caressed his hair in the same way the saints had done to her.

Isabelle didn’t know if his hair had always been this messy or if it was just from running, but it was fun to comb her fingers through his slightly curly hair. He was a hand shorter than her, so it felt as though he were her little brother.

I can see now why the saints enjoy putting me on their laps and stroking my head.

Despite having met each other just a while ago, it seemed as if they had already grown remarkably close.

Smiling brightly, Isabelle whispered, “What do you think? Do you know what love feels like now?”

Unable to meet her gaze, Lix nodded stiffly. Isabelle held him close and listened to his heartbeat and breathing for a long time.

***

After talking with Lix for a while, Isabelle stood up and extended her hand to him.

“Let’s go to the temple. You’ll be fine if you hide in my room. It’s too cold here because of the dew.”

The boy was quite exhausted from all the running he did. He was also cold and hungry. He wanted to rest, but he couldn’t.

“Not the temple.”

“Why not? All the saints will welcome you. You’ll be the first friend I’ve ever brought there. Also, isn’t resting by a warm fire better than staying here?”

Lix shook his head firmly—he looked like he was refusing to ever enter. Isabelle couldn’t understand why he was being so stubborn, but she stopped insisting.

“I’ll just bring you something to eat then. Wait here.”

In an hour, the sun would rise, and the saints would awaken, so she had to get something from the kitchen before then. Isabelle eagerly quickened her pace. When she opened the kitchen door, she froze on the spot. Sister Maria stood there with her arms folded, glaring at her.

“Isabelle, where have you been all night?

“S-Sister Maria...”

“Do you know how shocked I was to find your bed empty? Are you injured?”

Sister Maria would’ve normally given her an earful, but she quickly settled down enough to inspect Isabelle’s condition. Isabelle appreciated the saint’s concern, but she was more worried about Lix.

“Well...”

“Did you go to the village?”

“N-no! I didn’t go far from the temple.”

“That’s a relief. I heard something went wrong with Duke Cardiego’s return procession, and I was afraid you’d been caught up in it.”

Isabelle felt proud that she had not done what Sister Maria had feared. She then explained what happened with Lix but left out the fact that strange men were chasing him. Sister Maria scolded her but eventually praised her for lending the boy a helping hand.

“So where is he now? You should’ve brought him to the temple.”

“He doesn’t want to come here, so I’m going to bring him bread and hot tea.”

“That’s understandable since the people of the Cardiego Duchy don’t like the temple very much. Let’s get him something to eat.”

In a flash, Sister Maria had prepared a bowl of soup with chopped potatoes and placed it on a tray alongside some bread.

Carefully, Isabelle made her way toward the thicket where Lix was hiding. He had grown vigilant again as if something had happened while she was gone.

“Lix, it’s all right. This is Sister Maria, and... Huh?”

Shatter.

The tray fell to the ground, making a cacophonous noise. Soup splattered everywhere, with the majority of it ending up on Maria’s clothes.

“Isabelle, come here.”

Isabelle immediately recognized the expression on the sister’s face. It was the one she always wore whenever she spoke about or explained sinister topics, such as demons, death, and darkness. Lix was also staring at Sister Maria warily. The tension hovered in the air, and Isabelle took a step back in fear. Then, her eyes landed on the bread and soup that had spilled on the ground.

“What a waste of soup... It was really good when I tasted it earlier.”

No one else spoke, and when Isabelle looked up, she noticed their strange gaze.

Much later, Lix broke the silence.

“Isabelle, give me one more hug and then I’ll go home.”

“What?”

“You can’t?”

Isabelle was more surprised by the fact that Lix called her by her name than by his request for a hug. Ignoring Sister Maria’s piercing stare, she embraced Lix and didn’t forget to pat him on the back.

“Come visit me again. Make sure you go home and rest, okay?” she said.

Lix hugged her tighter, as if attempting to absorb more of her warmth, and nodded.

Isabelle was too caught up in her own sense of accomplishment to see the stunned expression on Sister Maria’s face.