Chapter 5

My face flushed as the chicken leg fell from my hand in shock.

Oh no, what should I do? What must he think of me now? My eyes darted back and forth between Jade and the pie perched in my palm, embarrassed.

“Uh, um…” I stammered.

“You’re sitting in my seat,” Jade said. There was an edge to his voice.

My cheeks felt hot, like they might explode into flame. How could I dare steal somebody else’s seat?

“I’m very sorry!” I yelped. I attempted to stand up from the chair, forgetting about its lofty height. My heart dropped as my body began to fall, and I shut my eyes tight.

However, nothing happened. When I opened my eyes, I found Jade cradling me in his arms.

Ack!

He grabbed me around my waist and lifted me back into the chair. He carried me with such ease that I felt like a small doll.

“This is my seat, and that over there is my father’s seat. From now on, your seat will be the one across from mine,” he explained.

I nodded. “Understood...”

“You smell like soap,” he abruptly added, taking a few sniffs.

My body stiffened.

“And you’re a strawberry blonde, I see,” he continued.

I squeezed my lips together, too nervous to respond.

“Is that why your hair smells of strawberries?”

Even at that moment, I couldn’t shake my anxious thoughts. Did I eat the supper intended for Master Jade? I don’t want to be a naughty child that steals food. I determined to befriend Jade after hearing Sion’s advice, but now I’m afraid that ship has already sailed. I went into a frenzy surrounded by such food, turning into a greedy glutton. Tears welled in my eyes.

“What’s the matter?” Jade asked.

“I ate all of my dinner,” I answered, holding back tears, “And yours as well, Master Jade.”

“That’s fine. The food was prepared to be enjoyed by everyone.”

“B-but…”

Before coming to this house, whenever my begging had been fruitful, I would share even a single piece of dry bread with the children around me. That was how we beggars survived without pickpocketing. We never dared to pickpocket—we feared that if we did, we would be dragged straight to the workhouse.

“F-friends are supposed to share even the smallest of meals,” I said. “I wanted to be friends with you, Master Jade, but now you’ll think I’m just a glutton.”

Jade leaned in and studied my face. “You remind me of someone.”

“Wh-who?”

“The pet I once had.”

I let out a little gasp and almost choked.

“It has since passed away, but every time it saw food, it was crazed, gobbling up more than its own body weight, I tell you. And it would trot around carrying snacks in its mouth, worried that someone would steal them.” He said the last sentence while pointing to the pie I clutched in my hand.

“I-is that right? You must’ve been quite fond of this pet,” I murmured, wanting to change the subject.

“I was. Unfortunately, the experiment failed and it died.”

Huh? What experiment? My hands trembled. Maybe I shouldn’t ask.

“Thank you for the compliment,” I said with the best smile I could conjure.

“Compliment?”

“Yes. You said you liked this pet, right?”

Jade looked at me oddly.

What’s this? What could be the meaning of this expression? I closed my eyes, hoping to recall everything I could about the boy before me. He was shy, self-sufficient with a strong sense of his own perspective, and resented his father meddling in his life. But he wasn’t a bad person.

Jade tilted his head and peered at me for a long beat before saying, softly, “You may call me Jade. You know, I didn’t announce my presence when I entered the room because I was preoccupied watching you eat.”

I nodded, then whipped my head toward him. “You were watching me eat?”

“In fascination, yes. I’ve never seen a child eat as much as you do. Now I’m curious,” he remarked. “You said you only ate one meal per day?”

That was what I had told Kallen to convince him I was strong enough to work as a maid.

“Yes, that’s right,” I said.

“I wondered why at first, but now I understand it’s because you have your three meals in a single sitting.”

I lowered my head and felt my ears grow hot.

Is that what he thinks? The truth is there was never enough food to spread over three meals every day. I gingerly set the pie back down on the table.

“Eat more,” Jade insisted. “I derive enjoyment simply from watching you eat. Popo would likewise tuck food in its cheeks until they bulged. Oh, Popo was a cat, by the way.”

“I see. I imagine Popo was a very lovely cat.”

“Popo’s body has been preserved. Want to see it?”

Do I want to see Popo’s stuffed body?! I coughed a few times. My food had nearly gone down the wrong pipe. My throat felt scraped raw and I hurriedly gulped my fruit juice.

“Those red flowers with golden stripes...” Jade began.

I set down my glass of juice.

“Did you actually receive them from someone else?”

“Yes, I did.”

I remembered the strange look Kallen had cast upon flowers. Is there something wrong?

“I swear I didn’t steal them,” I said.

“Hmm…” Jade rested his chin in his hands. “But why did my father take you in as his adopted daughter?”

“I don’t have an answer to that either.”

“Have you ever killed anyone?”

I quickly shook my head. “Of course not.”

“Not even by mistake?”

“No. I’m still quite small. Even if I tried, I doubt I could manage it.”

Jade nodded, as if swayed by my argument. “Then have you ever assisted in someone’s murder?”

“Not at all, no.”

“Have you ever committed even the most minor crime?”

I paused to scour my memories. “Th-there was a time when I was mistaken for stealing a wallet,” I confessed cautiously. “I picked up a wallet that someone had dropped and held it out to them, but I was accused of pickpocketing. They struck me… But I really didn’t steal it!”

Jade’s unusual expression caused my face to flush.

“Every other day, a wagon would hand out food in town,” I continued. “As long as I managed to be prudent, I could eat at least once a day from what they shared.”

Jade was silent for a moment before he asked, “Were you hit often?”

“A few times across the face…” I murmured. Several times, I was beaten so badly that I fainted. I’d even been kicked to the brink of death once.

“That means you’re not a plaything Father means to kill,” Jade replied, slowly nodding his head.

Only then did I understand his interrogation. Kallen only rounded up and killed criminals. Jade had been wondering if I, too, was a criminal worthy of execution at his father’s hands.

I suddenly lost my appetite. Was it wise for me to have come here? I shot Jade a furtive glance and fidgeted in my seat.

“Why do you want to be my friend?” he asked.

“Because I’m thankful…” My voice quavered.

“Thankful?”

“Yes, since you allowed me to stay here.”

“It was my father’s decision.”

“But didn’t His Grace consult with you before deciding to adopt me? After all, you are his cherished son. If you had objected, I’m sure His Grace would have kicked me out right then and there.” I looked down at my fidgeting hands. “His Grace likely values your opinion greatly, Master Jade… That’s why I’m thankful.”

A strange smile spread across Jade’s face. “Siblings can’t be friends, you know.”

“Oh, I suppose that’s true…”

“But they can still become quite close. Besides, it’s entertaining to watch you eat.”

“Only today,” I grumbled. “I don’t normally eat this much.”

At the very least, he doesn’t seem to hate me. What a relief.

“The person who slapped you sounds like quite the jerk.”

“I guess so.”

“Do you remember what he looked like?”

“I’m afraid not.” It had happened too long ago, and it was a memory I’d deliberately tried to forget. Just thinking about it scared me right down to my bones.

“Well, let me know if you remember anything. I’ll find him and punish him for you.”

I blinked. “You’ll punish him?”

“Mm-hmm. You know how to play croquet?”

I shook my head, and replied, “No.” I’d never even heard of it.

“What about ball games?”

“I like them well enough.”

I remember when I was younger and used to kick around a ball made from woven straw with the other kids.

Jade smiled angelically. “Excellent. Then one day, I’ll let you play ball games with that jerk’s decapitated head.”

I gulped. At that moment, I resolved that even if I did remember that person’s face, it was a secret I would take to the grave.

“I’ll also give you the remaining bits as a memento,” he added.

I opened my mouth to ask him what he meant by “memento,” but a warning bell rang through my head.

This must be how he makes a gesture of goodwill, right? I nodded and bit my lower lip to try to hide my disbelief. “All right. If I remember his face, I’ll tell you right away. Thank you for your kind words, Master Jade.”

“Just call me Jade.”

“Right. Then, call me Lae.”

Jade nodded, appearing satisfied.

“I have to ask. What kind of experiment did Popo die in?”

He won’t experiment on me if we become close, right?

“Popo fell ill, so I experimented with different convalescent environments. I tried seeking warmer places, changing beds, and administering medicine... But it was an incurable condition, and Popo’s breed wasn’t known for having a long lifespan to begin with.”

Oh, so he just attempted to care for Popo.

“I’m sure Popo was very grateful for your experiment,” I told him. I breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that everything I remembered from the novel had been correct.

Jade wasn’t a bad person—he was simply a little odd, as were all the members of House Lewelton.