“Deborah? Deborah, where are you?”

Madam Heather’s voice echoed through the corridor, searching for Deborah. Deborah put down the brush she was holding and wiped her hands on her apron.

“Were you looking for me?”

“Oh my. Look at you sweating. Were you working?”

“It’s working hours now.”

“Oh dear. Child, on a day like today when there are no servants, you can play a little.”

“You said you’d pay me extra…”

As Deborah spoke with an embarrassed expression, Madam Heather let out a deep sigh.

“Still. Still, take a break. The weather is nice, so go out and get some fresh air.”

After saying that, Madam Heather quickly shook her head.

“No, that’s not right. If I say that, you’ll just stand blankly behind the mansion.”

Deborah was startled. When had she seen her doing that?

“Hmm… Ah, I know! I’ll give you some money, so go buy some novels. And buy some candied violets too!”

“But you don’t like candied violets, do you?”

Deborah remembered that Madam Heather had once given away all the candied violets she received as a gift to the servants.

Madam Heather shrugged and said,

“Well, but today I feel like eating them?”

And so Deborah was sent out on an errand.

Madam Heather said it was fine to come back much later, but Deborah diligently completed one errand after another.

‘I bought novels, and I bought candied violets.’

Now she just had to go back. The blue sky and the cool breeze that happened to blow didn’t stop Deborah’s legs.

‘Even though Madam Heather was considerate, I can’t neglect my work.’

Deborah hurried her steps. She was grateful that thanks to Madam Heather, she could enjoy the outside on such a nice day.

But then she heard a commotion from a dark, fishy-smelling alley.

“You bastard! How dare you run off with my money?”

Thump thump! A grown man was cursing and stomping on something.

Deborah knew all too well that it was best not to get involved in such matters.

The most she could do to help was to find the police.

But what the man was trampling on wasn’t an adult.

“Damn brat!”

As soon as the man’s words ended, Deborah’s eyes turned to the ground.

Deborah was shocked to see a skinny, small boy being trampled. As she wondered what to do, she finally let out a scream.

“Kyaaah!”

At the tremendous scream, people around started gathering one by one, murmuring about what was happening.

Sweat beaded on the man’s face.

“Tch! You got lucky, kid!”

The man quickly ran away in the opposite direction of Deborah and the gathered crowd. As soon as the man disappeared, Deborah ran to the boy.

“Hey! Are you alright?”

“Ugh…”

The boy, who had been clutching his hat as if something terrible would happen if it fell off, struggled to get up.

Deborah reached out her hand to the boy, whose face and arms were completely battered, and asked once more.

“Are you okay?”

“Get lost.”

The boy said, pushing away Deborah’s hand.

Deborah saw the glare in the boy’s eyes and only then remembered that he was that child she had encountered before.

Just then, a whistle sound was heard from afar.

“What’s going on there!”

The police were rushing over urgently, finding it strange that people were gathered.

“Damn it!”

The boy struggled to get up.

“Ugh…!”

Even standing up was a struggle with his battered body.

Sweat dripped from the boy’s face, stinging as it passed over his wounds.

But the reason the boy was grimacing now wasn’t because of the pain. He was worried about being caught by the police.

He hadn’t yet left the alley, but the police’s voice was getting closer.

At the voices of onlookers shouting for them to come quickly, the boy closed his eyes tightly and muttered softly.

“Damn it…”

At that moment, Deborah grabbed the boy’s wrist.

Deborah ran with all her might, as if not considering the boy’s physical condition.

The boy’s eyes widened uncontrollably as he had to run along vigorously.

It wasn’t because of pain. Just surprise. He couldn’t take his eyes off Deborah’s back.

“Huff. Huff.”

The place Deborah brought the boy to was the back alley of the Heather mansion. People rarely came here usually.

This was a wealthy neighborhood, and rich people didn’t use such back alleys.

‘I feel like I’m going to throw up…!’

Deborah sat down and gasped for breath. She couldn’t remember the last time she had run like this.

‘I thought I was confident in my stamina.’

There seemed to be quite a difference between standing for long periods and running vigorously in one go.

“Who are you?”

The boy, who had also sat down next to Deborah, spoke gruffly.

His whole body was covered in wounds, and despite running as hard as she did, he looked less exhausted than Deborah.

Deborah stood up abruptly instead of answering the boy’s question.

For a moment, Deborah’s legs wobbled, startling the boy, but she didn’t fall.

“Huff. Wait a moment. Huff.”

“What?”

The boy said, frowning. Deborah, having calmed her mind with deep breaths, spoke again.

“I said wait a moment.”

“…”

“Okay? Don’t leave, alright? It’s a promise.”

As Deborah headed towards the mansion, the boy belatedly shouted.

“What promise! Who are you to tell me to wait or not?”

It sounded like an angry cat meowing. Deborah, who didn’t even have the strength to look back, thought as she entered the mansion.

‘He needs to wait.’

If he was gone when she returned, she felt like she’d worry about it for the rest of her life. Deborah returned as quickly as possible with what she needed to gather, and

fortunately, the boy was still sitting there.

“Thank goodness. You stayed.”

“…I didn’t wait for you.”

The boy said, avoiding her eyes.

“My legs hurt, so… I couldn’t get up, that’s why.”

“Right. I’m sure that’s it.”

Deborah sat down in front of the boy just like that. The boy was startled. Deborah, regardless, said to the boy.

“Can I take a look for a moment?”

Deborah grabbed the boy’s ankle. It was such a thin ankle.

“What are you doing now…!”

The boy shouted, his face turning red. Regardless, Deborah rolled up his pants and examined the wounded ankle.

‘It’s not particularly swollen, and he’s not making any sounds of pain, so the bone seems fine.’

Whew, Deborah sighed briefly and looked at the boy seriously, saying,

“How are your ribs? Does it hurt when you breathe?”

“I-I’m fine…!”

The boy shouted angrily.

‘I hope he’s not pretending not to be in pain when he actually is?’

Deborah opened the medicine box she had brought, leaving some doubt. The boy frowned and said,

“Don’t touch my body!”

“Do you want to apply it yourself? That’s fine too.”

Deborah said, holding out the ointment. As if he hadn’t expected this response, the boy’s eyes widened.

‘Looking at him like this, he seems like an ordinary kid.’

Honestly, he wasn’t ordinary. He was exceptionally handsome.

“…This kind of thing will heal if you leave it alone.”

The boy said, avoiding her eyes. Deborah smiled softly.

“Maybe it will heal. But if you apply medicine, it will heal faster, and there will be less scarring.”

“Who cares if it scars or not…”

“Your mother would be sad.”

Deborah said, examining the ointment container. That’s when the boy opened his lips.

“My mother doesn’t care about someone like me.”

Deborah’s hand stopped just before opening the ointment container.

The boy’s voice was as cold as if icicles had formed, and it was full of resentment asking why she was touching his wounds.

Deborah knew this kind of voice. Sage’s voice towards Deborah had been like this.

“…”

Deborah mustered up the courage to look at the boy’s face. As Deborah had thought, the boy was frowning fiercely.

But hidden beneath the boy’s sharp gaze, his eyes were full of hurt.

The boy must not have been throwing a childish tantrum to his parents. There must be something Deborah hadn’t thought of.

“I’m sorry.”

The boy’s eyes widened at Deborah’s sudden apology.

“I can be a bit insensitive sometimes and hurt others like this… I’ll be more careful from now on.”

“…”

The boy silently stood up. He had intended to leave when the woman in front of him was completely dejected.

But Deborah was a far more remarkable person than the boy had thought.

“Where are you going?”

Deborah said that while scooping up some ointment and applying it to the wound on the boy’s leg.

“Ah!”

The boy, who frowned at the stinging wound, shouted.

“What are you doing?!”

“What am I doing? I’m treating your wounds.”

“I said leave it alone! No one cares whether I get hurt or not!”

Deborah spoke earnestly to the fuming boy.

“I care.”

In the small shadow cast by the boy with his back to the sunlight, Deborah spoke again.

“I really care a lot. So just let me apply this and then go. I won’t bother you anymore today.”

“…Damn it.”

The boy sat down again with a thud. Deborah said with a bright smile,

“Thank you. For indulging my stubbornness.”

“I’m sitting down because I believe you won’t bother me anymore.”

The boy glared at Deborah, his face red. Deborah chuckled and applied the ointment to the wound on his leg.

“Ouch! Apply it more gently!”

When the boy spoke gruffly, Deborah dropped the ends of her eyebrows and said,

“Oh my, I was applying it gently.”

“Liar! You did it on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Why would I do that on purpose?”

“Aren’t you getting revenge for bumping into you before?”

Deborah’s eyes widened to the size of fists.

“You knew?”

“…Did you think I wouldn’t remember something like that? I’m not an idiot.”

The boy grumbled softly. Deborah had thought the boy wouldn’t remember her.

It was really just a moment, after all. But just as Deborah remembered the boy, the boy also remembered her. Why did this make her heart flutter?

“Hehe. It’s strange, come to think of it.”

“What’s strange?”

“That we’ve met by chance twice?”

“You find the strangest things interesting.”

The boy said mockingly, raising one corner of his mouth. Deborah shrugged and said,

“I know. I find all sorts of things interesting.”