The Kidnapped Girl and the Abducted Girl (4)
The afternoon sun hung high as I joined Runasia Runa for her training session, pushing her through the grueling regimen to show her she could endure it.
“Haaah— Uncle, I’m at my limit! I can’t… I can’t run anymore…!”
“What do you mean, limit? I’m still running right beside you. It’s possible, Hero.”
“Th-that’s…! That’s only because it’s you, Uncle…!!”
“Come on, faster! Your pace is dropping!”
I ignored Runa’s grumbling and kept the training going. Because I ran alongside her, she was able to push herself to her absolute limit. If she had trained alone in lonely silence, she would never have achieved this much progress in such a short time.
I scanned the Hero’s body from head to toe.
Her foundational muscles are finally settling into place.
It wouldn’t be long before I could ease up on the basic conditioning and move on to swordsmanship. As expected of the Hero. Her growth rate was absurd. What had taken me half a year, she was accomplishing in just two months.
“Her personality aside, her physical talent is truly exceptional…”
“What’s wrong with my personalityyy…? If I have that kind of talent… c-can’t I rest for just a—
“One more lap!”
“Graaaaah—!!”
Runa let out a monstrous scream and sprinted across the yard. As always, she ended up fainting.
I carried her exhausted body to the bed after another day of intense training. It had become our usual routine.
Though now we have one more routine added to the list.
Study time with Yuriana Hare.
After training Runa and giving myself about ten minutes to rest, I immediately began the lesson for Hare.
“Hare, how do you read this character?”
“It’s read as ‘yu.’”
“Then what happens when you combine it with this one?”
“It becomes the word ‘yu-gwa.’ It means to lure and entice someone in order to kidnap them—”
“…That’s enough explanation. Well done, Hare.”
“Hehe…”
Hare learned at an astonishing speed. She had always been bright, and her linguistic intuition was outstanding. She claimed her parents—who had abandoned her—were clever and well-educated… It must have been genetic.
…She’ll pass the test without any trouble.
Had I been underestimating the Hero Party members’ talents this whole time?
Maybe I should raise the difficulty…
The thought crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. If the standards were too high, the children’s enthusiasm might cool off.
After successfully finishing Hare’s lesson,
“I-I’ll keep studying! You can go ahead, Uncle…!”
Since Hare said she would continue studying in the library, I picked up a box from the living room and headed to Runa’s room. She should be awake by now.
Knock knock—
“I’m coming in.”
—J-just a moment…! Yes, come in!
Creak—
When I entered, Runa was sitting at her desk. Her face looked like she was on the verge of death. From the looks of the desk, she had been writing a letter.
“You were writing a letter.”
“Yes… It’s about time I sent one to my parents. Oh, right! The reply! Did a reply come?!”
“…”
“Hello? Why aren’t you answering, Kidnapper Uncle?”
“…I forgot. Sorry.”
That’s what alcohol does to you. It ruins your memory.
At those words, Runa’s eyes widened as she shouted,
“No way!! How could you forget that?! Aaaargh!! I’m getting out of here…!!”
“That’s not allowed.”
“Look at how firm you are…!! Tsk, you’re not even a cliff…!! Uncle, you’re a total iron wall!!”
“…In that case, you say ‘iron wall.’”
“Aha.”
“…And I’m sorry for forgetting. In return, I’ll give you a gift.”
“Huh? A gift?”
The Hero’s anger vanished the moment she heard the word “gift.” Whether she was simple-minded or just optimistic… I couldn’t understand her personality at all.
“Here. The gift is inside the box.”
“…It’s not something weird, right? Hmm, let’s see…”
The Hero glanced at me suspiciously before opening the box. Inside was the giant red ribbon I hadn’t been able to buy last time because I didn’t have a wallet. I’d noticed her long hair seemed to get in the way during training, so I got it for her.
Junwoo! You can’t just give her the whip all the time. You have to give her presents sometimes too!
That had been Minerva’s advice, but I was the one who chose a gift that would suit her.
Runa looked at the ribbon with a satisfied expression.
“Well, it’s not bad. For someone like you, Uncle, your taste is pretty good?”
“…Have I become that comfortable to you?”
“Ah, no. That’s not what I meant. It was a compliment! A compliment! You’re so scary I can barely speak…”
“I was joking.”
At my words, the Hero shot me a sharp glare. Lately she had started treating me more casually. It was probably Hare’s influence. Since Hare saw me as a good person, Runa must have started to follow suit.
“So, do you like the gift?”
“Yes! My hair kept getting in the way during training, so this should make it much better. Can you tie it for me so I can test it out?”
“…You want me to tie it?”
“Yes! Can’t you do it?”
…It wasn’t that I couldn’t. In fact, I was rather good at it.
Jun. Tie my hair for me.
A fragment of an old memory floated up like a cloud. It had been a long time since I last tied someone’s hair from behind. Even though those days had shattered, the pieces still remained inside me.
“Helllooo~ When are you going to tie it for meee~?”
“…I’ll do it now.”
Only after hearing Runa’s voice could I snap out of it. I wrapped the ribbon’s string around my wrist, gathered her long hair into one bundle, pulled it through the string from below, and finished. Her long hair was now neatly tied with a large ribbon trailing behind.
It suited her… incredibly well.
“How do I look? Pretty, right?”
“…Not really.”
“Liar! That’s a blatant lie!”
So noisy. After tying Runa’s hair, I ignored her protests and headed for the door. Her squawking followed me all the way, but I couldn’t be bothered to respond.
…But why is she here?
“Hare? Weren’t you going to study more?”
“…”
“Oh, it’s Hare! Look, Hare! I got a present! Jealous? Hehe!”
“…”
Hare was peeking at us from beside the door. Her expression was strangely subtle. Her gaze was fixed on the red ribbon. With a chilly look, she glared at Runa for a moment, then frowned and disappeared.
“Hey, Hare! Where are you going? Let’s talk!”
“…I’ll be going too.”
“Ah, I’m alone again?”
Clunk—
Leaving Runa behind, I stepped out of the room. Hare was already gone.
What was that expression just now…?
I mulled over the last look I had seen on Hare’s face. It had looked both angry and envious. Could that emotion have been jealousy?
The evening meal was in full swing when someone knocked on the door.
Knock knock—
Lee Junwoo, as if he had been expecting it, walked straight to the door. There stood a neatly dressed servant with a meticulously trimmed mustache. He addressed Junwoo.
“Ahem. You are the adventurer known as Jun, correct?”
“That’s right. What’s your business?”
“I have come to deliver an invitation to the party our family is hosting tomorrow evening. We sincerely hope you will ‘definitely’ attend.”
“…I’ll attend. Understood.”
Tap—
Junwoo took the invitation from his hand.
If I just keep moving forward, I’ll naturally meet the party members.
Attending this party would likely allow him to meet one of the people he was looking for. Just as Minerva had advised. Junwoo simply carried out what was already scheduled.
He slipped the invitation into his pocket and closed the front door.
“A party, huh. I really hate noisy places…”
“Uncle? Who was that just now…?”
Hare had come out of her room while still eating. There were still traces of food around her mouth, and Junwoo gently wiped them away. Hare’s face turned bright red.
“I-I’m sorry for showing you such an embarrassing sight… And thank you…”
“Don’t say you’re sorry unless you truly mean it from now on.”
“…Yes, I understand, Uncle.”
Apology ban received! Hare nodded as if she had taken the order to heart. Then she brought up the scene she had witnessed at lunch.
“By the way, Uncle.”
“Yeah?”
“What were you talking about with Runa…? And what’s with that ribbon…?”
Gulp.
Hare swallowed dryly, tense from the question. She didn’t fully understand her own feelings, but she felt she wouldn’t be at ease until she knew.
To Hare, who had been waiting anxiously, Junwoo answered,
“We didn’t talk about much. I just gave her a small present.”
“A small present…?”
“Yeah. Runa’s hair is so long it was getting in the way of her training. Do you want a ribbon too?”
“Ah, I see… Because Runa has such long hair… No, I’m fine without one.”
Runa’s hair reached all the way to her waist, so that made sense. Hare glanced at her own hair. It was pink and only reached her shoulders.
…I don’t need a ribbon.
And Runa did. Only then did Hare understand the situation. It wasn’t that she had been excluded. It was simply that the person who needed it had received it.
But why did her heart still feel so uncomfortable?
Hare realized she was a bad child.
“Uncle. I think I might be greedy…”
“Suddenly?”
“Yes… I keep wanting things…? I lived without anything for so long, but now that I have one thing, I want everything…”
Including the ribbon Uncle had tied for Runa.
Junwoo, who didn’t fully grasp the meaning behind her words, pondered his own answer.
“Hmm…”
It seemed to be about knowledge. Since Hare read books even during her breaks, that must be it. Making an assumption, Junwoo gave her an answer—never realizing how wrong it was.
“That’s how people usually are.”
“…Really?”
“Once you get one thing, you naturally wonder if there’s more and turn the next page. It’s perfectly normal, Hare.”
“I see… So it’s normal…”
Normal. So everyone else felt this way too. Nod.
Hare firmly believed that the seed of jealousy inside her was something ordinary. Because Uncle had said so. She had to believe it.
“So I’m just like everyone else… normal…”
“That’s right. It’s normal. The food’s getting cold, so go finish eating.”
“Okay, Uncle!”
With her doubts resolved, Hare looked considerably happier. And the abnormally growing seed of jealousy began to sprout even faster, nourished by certainty.
A day passed, and evening came. I shaved my beard for the first time in a while and dressed in a neat formal suit.
“I haven’t worn this since I received that medal.”
The day to wear it again had come. That person would probably be attending the party tonight as well. After all, it was a family event deeply connected to them.
As I finished dressing and making final preparations, I heard voices from Runa and Hare beside me.
“Wh-what is this? Is this really Uncle…? For real? No way! You’re lying!”
“Waaah— Uncle, you look so cool today! Is this what they call heart-fluttering…? You look amazing…!”
…To my eyes, I didn’t look any different from usual. Was it because I had styled my hair neatly and shaved? Since it was an important occasion, I had tried to look as presentable as possible, which seemed to have caused this reaction.
“More importantly, Runa.”
“Yes!”
“You stay inside.”
“Hiiing.”
Even her aegyo wouldn’t work. In the end, I put Runa in her room and double-checked the lock. There were no issues.
“That should do it…”
Now it was time to head to the party venue. I had a feeling tonight’s party was going to be very entertaining.
“I might be a little late, but I’ll be back.”
“…Okay. Come back soon, Uncle.”
Leaving Hare to see me off, I climbed into the carriage waiting in front of the house. The person I wanted was definitely going to be there.
Will it be the mage or the saintess…?
I was quite curious who the third companion would turn out to be.