Chapter 119
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: The Hitchhiker Traveling the Timeline (2)
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A few days after the mysterious assailant visited Belverk, in the dead of night.
"Yaaawn... Young Master?"
"What are you doing at this hour?"
"You'll get scolded by the Duke if you're not careful!"
The maids who had entered the kitchen to prepare a late-night feast for the clan members returning to the estate one after another in response to Astridje's summons opened their mouths in surprise.
"W-Well... um..."
"......"
"I-I'm hungry..."
The one caught red-handed by the maids was none other than Kairen, stuffing food into a basket.
"Are you in a growth spurt by any chance?"
"N-No, that can't be."
"The Young Master has to stay small forever..."
The maids exchanged awkward glances for a moment, then began conversing in dejected tones.
"...Um."
It was then that Kairen, clutching the basket and glancing nervously at the maids, suddenly spoke up with tears welling in his eyes.
"Are you going to scold me?"
To be sure, no one in Belverk could bring themselves to yell in the face of the determined cuteness from their tiny, ferocious mascot of a youngest young master.
"W-We’ll let it slide just this once, okay?"
"N-Next time, tell us in advance!"
"We can sneak some midnight snacks for you..."
Besides, with over 95 percent of the maids being Kairen's devoted followers, there was no way they could reprimand him.
"...Phew."
As the maids tactfully left the kitchen after their half-hearted scolding, Kairen glanced around cautiously and let out a sigh.
Time travel begins in 1 minute!
A warning message in red letters floated before him.
'Since I said I'd kill her next time we meet, I should bring a lot of bribes...'
Confirming the message, Kairen hurriedly dashed back to his room and locked the door.
'At least I can predict when the side effects start now. That's a relief.'
The original side effect had been random regressions to the past, but thanks to the System's blood, sweat, and tears, he could now pinpoint the timing.
- Fzzzt...
And so, to avoid being killed by his past mother today as well, Kairen clutched the basket full of bribes tightly to his chest, squeezed his eyes shut.
"...Ugh."
He writhed from the aftereffects of time travel, which he had grown somewhat accustomed to, then shook his head and opened his eyes.
"Gasp."
The next moment, Kairen nearly dropped the basket he was holding and gaped with wide eyes.
"......"
He knew this was the room his past mother used, so he had expected to meet her if he regressed in his own room.
"What are you?"
However, he hadn't anticipated seeing his young mother slumped against the wall in such a horrific state.
"...How did you get in here?"
The young Astridje, her body covered in brutal marks of abuse, glared at Kairen with a pale face.
"W-Well..."
"I told you... I'd kill you if we met again."
As she muttered that, her eyes began to glow red.
- Thud thud thud...
Kairen, staring at the young Astridje in shock, rushed toward her clutching the basket.
"A-Are you okay?"
"Eek."
"Why are you so injured..."
As he reached out with trembling hands, Astridje's face grew even paler.
"Get away."
Astridje unconsciously unleashed her Unique Ability, telekinesis, sending Kairen flying backward.
"Whoa!"
"Don't come near me."
Kairen tumbled across the floor, dropping the basket, and crashed into the opposite wall. Astridje issued a chilling warning with a frigid expression.
"Ah..."
"......?"
"No..."
But Kairen's gaze was fixed not on her, but on the contents of the basket scattered across the floor.
"...What are those?"
"I brought them in case you got hungry again..."
Realizing at last that the things Kairen had packed in the basket were food for her, Astridje was momentarily speechless, staring blankly.
"I just ruined the food you meant for me."
"......"
"Why are you making that face?"
But that lasted only a moment. She resumed her icy expression and questioned Kairen.
"I've been beaten plenty, and I've gone hungry too."
"......"
"So I know exactly how sad and painful it is."
However, the more Kairen spoke, the more cold sweat beaded on Astridje's forehead despite her frosty demeanor.
"Weak attitudes like that are taboo in Belverk."
"...But you can't help feeling sad, right?"
"Haa..."
The conversation ended, followed by a brief silence.
"......"
In that silence, the young Astridje forced herself to her feet and crawled forward.
"...Hup."
She picked up the scattered food from the floor and began eating without a word.
"It's delicious."
After silently devouring Kairen's food for a while, she spoke with a dark smile.
"You're right. I haven't eaten properly in a long time."
Bathed in the moonlight from the window, her face stood out even more clearly, embodying utter devastation.
"Well, it might be poisoned... but if so, I might as well die here."
Yet her inherently elegant and beautiful features weren't completely obscured, lending her an air of intimidation and mystery that overshadowed her wretchedness.
"N-Next time, I'll bring something even tastier!"
"......"
"Right, you like rye bread! Next time, that..."
Kairen stared down at his past mother in a daze, then snapped to attention, burning with resolve as he spoke.
"You... what exactly are you?"
"Huh?"
"How do you know what food I like?"
"Oops."
But by the time he realized it was a slip of the tongue, it was too late.
"You appeared out of nowhere in the secret garden last time, and now you're in my locked room."
"Uh..."
"And you seem to know a bit about me..."
The battered young Astridje dragged her broken body to the wall behind her and fixed Kairen with eyes full of deep shadows.
"...If you're not a sibling, then who are you?"
From those words, Kairen realized she had already investigated the existence of new siblings and swallowed dryly.
"I-I'm..."
His original excuse of being a 'hidden illegitimate child' was now useless. In his daze, he desperately racked his brain and ended up playing a wild card.
"Your guardian angel!"
"......"
"I'm Astridje's guardian angel!"
And so began a peculiar silence.
"...Nonsense."
In the silence, Astridje stared at Kairen impassively before speaking in a cold tone.
"Guardian angel? What kind of ridiculous..."
"Ah, wait!"
But Kairen, who had been fidgeting anxiously, had no choice but to cut her off midway.
"My time's already up!"
"...What?"
"I think I have to go now!"
Of course, the reason was the System message before his eyes.
Returning in 10 seconds!
Confirming the message, Kairen quickly bid farewell, waving with a smile.
"Next time, I'll bring an even better gift!"
And the next moment.
- Fzzzt...
A white flash filled Astridje's room, and Kairen vanished without a trace.
"Liar."
Left alone once more, the young Astridje hugged her knees, head bowed, and muttered softly.
"...A being who protects someone worthless like me for free."
Her voice was that of a child her age, distant from her usual icy tone.
"No such thing exists..."
Leaving behind the brief reunion with my young mother, I returned to the present timeline and left my room, heading to the usual place.
"Mom!"
"...Hm?"
"Kairen has come to pay his respects!"
It was none other than Mom's private office, where she usually stayed.
"Come here and sit."
"Heehee!"
Mom, who had been gazing out the moonlit window with a wine glass in hand, welcomed my sudden dawn intrusion and offered the seat beside her.
"Mom, don't drink too much."
"I only have one glass a day."
"Still..."
Despite her words, the faint smell of alcohol suggested she had emptied at least a bottle of wine.
Yet she showed no disarray whatsoever—truly the epitome of nobility...
"......Hm."
...No, wait, is she nodding off now?
Apparently, while her mind resisted intoxication surprisingly well, she was weak to alcohol itself.
I had hoped to pry some stories from her past this time, but at this rate, I'd return empty-handed again today?
"...Hm?"
As I thought that and quietly tried to slip out, something caught my eye.
"This is..."
It looked like a worn-covered book Mom had been reading until just moments ago, drawing my attention.
Glancing cautiously at Mom, I naturally picked up the book and flipped through the pages.
「Father caught me playing in the garden with my sibling.」
「Fortunately, I could take full blame, but I never expected to be beaten until my bones crushed. Recovery will take some time.」
「By the way, that brat who appeared in the secret garden last time and broke the barrier showed up in my room again.」
「He called himself a guardian angel or something, but I don't believe it.」
「I forget his face every time he leaves, which is suspicious, and he's unbound by space, which is even more so. Probably one of my siblings' tricks.」
This content... no matter how I think about it, isn't this what happened when I regressed just now?
「But...」
Lost in thought, I kept turning the pages in a daze.
「The rye bread he baked himself was quite delicious...」
Suddenly, a chilling presence loomed from above.
"Kairen."
And sure enough, as I slowly raised my head, Mom was gazing down at me with crimson eyes.
"Reading someone else's diary without permission isn't a good habit."
"Ahh!"
"Sorry, but I'll confiscate this."
Mom used telekinesis to snatch the diary from me.
"Um, Mom."
But having already read it, I had one question.
"...Th-That guardian angel mentioned there."
"......"
"Do you happen to know who it is?"
Gathering my courage to ask, Mom stared at me silently for a moment.
"...Kairen."
Her gaze shifted to the moonlit window as she murmured softly.
"Everyone has their first..."
"......!"
"...No, a cherished connection."
To me, it was an answer that made cold sweat trickle down.
"Huh?"