Chapter 300: The Hated Medicine (9)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 300: The Hated Medicine (9)
“Everyone, please say hello to our new friend. His name is Yuri.”
Elize introduced Yuri to the group.
Upon seeing him, the girls among the cathedral’s children showed great curiosity, while the boys, in a chain reaction to the girls’ response, shot him hostile glares.
As if they saw him as a common enemy.
The clergy, as expected, had a much more positive reaction. Though they only knew his name, their gazes were already full of favor.
The first impression given by one’s appearance was just that powerful.
Even when he was filthy, his beauty had pierced through the grime. Now, he was freshly washed and neatly dressed in clothes provided by the cathedral.
The boy’s overall appearance was not just handsome; it exuded a sense of mystique.
If a little angel were to descend from the heavens, wouldn’t he look just like this?
“Everyone, Yuri is a talent perfectly suited for the clergy! Just look at his eyes!”
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, that you can know a person just by looking into them.
His gray eyes were a harmonious balance of black and white.
It had to be proof that Yuri was a clergyman by nature.
“I will take full responsibility for this child’s care!”
On Elize’s strong insistence, it was decided that she would look after Yuri.
Caring for a child at the cathedral meant more than just raising them; it also included a general education.
Things like learning to read and do arithmetic—not strictly necessary, but incredibly helpful—and various other pieces of knowledge needed to navigate the world.
And it didn’t stop there. It even included theology.
Elize was genuinely planning to raise Yuri as a clergyman.
Ten years. No more, no less.
Elize was confident that in just ten years, Yuri would become an upstanding clergyman and a key figure in the Holy Kingdom.
With the Saint Elize as his guardian, no one would dare treat him poorly.
Perhaps he could even become the next Pope?
“Ehehehehe.”
So this is the joy of raising children. What did they call this again?
Raising them to be yours?
Whatever it was.
Just thinking about it felt wonderful.
“Yuri, it’s a hot day. Shall we take a bath?”
“With you, Saint…?”
“You’re still at an age where you need to be looked after.”
Nuns were strictly forbidden from contact with men.
For a Saint like Elize to enter the same bath as a male was unthinkable.
It was an act that would turn the Church upside down.
But her companion was just a little boy.
He was still at an age where he knew nothing.
The Church wasn't so rigid as to enforce the prohibition of men on a mere child.
If, by some chance, an incident were to occur, it would more likely be due to Elize’s own rampage, not Yuri.
Elize soaked in the wooden tub inside the cathedral with Yuri.
The tub was large enough for five or six adults. With the much smaller Yuri inside, there was plenty of space.
Elize and Yuri sat at opposite ends of the tub, facing each other.
If only the tub were a little smaller…!
She deeply regretted having it made so large for the sake of comfort. But a little distance was nothing if she put her mind to closing it.
“Yuri, don’t stay so far away. Come over here.”
“How could I dare approach the Saint…”
“You’ve been all alone until now. It must have been lonely and difficult. It’s okay to rely on an adult.”
“But…”
“Hmph! It’s a child’s privilege to do as they please without worrying about what others think!”
Elize cut through the water, closing the distance between them.
To Elize, Yuri had a side to him that was like a little old man. To put it simply, he was too mature for his age.
Elize herself had often been told she was mature for her age as a child, but even then, she had been older than Yuri was now.
Just how hard has his life been…?
He must have lived a life where death could have come at any moment, in any place. The thought alone made her heart ache.
But now that he had met her, she would make him act his age and be spoiled rotten.
“Heave-ho.”
Elize lifted Yuri, sat him between her legs, and let his head rest against the cushion of her chest.
Soaking in warm water was nice, but for a child like this, the warmth that could only be felt from another person was even better.
A substitute for a mother, perhaps.
“How is it? This is much better, isn’t it?”
“Yes…”
Yuri lowered his head, as if embarrassed.
Elize found even that unbearably cute.
After the bath, she dressed him and spoon-fed him during mealtime.
The children grew jealous of the Saint’s special care, and even the other clergy found it odd. No matter how much she liked Yuri, this was going too far.
If asked why, the truth was that Elize herself didn’t know the exact reason.
Even for a child-lover like her, she never went this far with the other kids. She was well aware that Yuri’s treatment was special.
And I’ve only known him for a single day.
It certainly wasn’t because of some sordid desire that would earn the world’s condemnation.
It was just a vague sense of intimacy.
A protective instinct that made her want to care for him.
He was lovable.
She wanted to hug him.
As if she were under a spell, just looking at Yuri caused those feelings to surge up from the depths of her heart.
It’s probably because he’s so cute.
She decided it was just because he was exactly her type, and left it at that.
Elize’s favoritism toward Yuri knew no bounds. She even took him sightseeing around the city, carrying him in her arms the entire time.
“Is there anything you want? Anything you want to eat? Tell me anything. I’ll buy it all for you!”
“Um…”
“No, let’s buy clothes first. Any outfit would look good on you!”
A fashion show for Yuri commenced at a clothing store. She had him try on this outfit and that, all according to her own tastes.
She even uttered the classic line of wealthy madams: “I’ll take everything from here to there.”
Bags stuffed with clothes hung from both of her arms.
A chicken skewer was sticking out of Yuri’s mouth.
“Hah~ so this is the joy of shopping. I never understood why people spent money on this, but now I get it completely.”
Though she was a vampire who went around deceiving people, at her core, she was a diligent and sincere nun-in-training.
She had always worn a nun’s habit and had never bought clothes for herself.
But for Yuri, she wanted to dress him in the prettiest, most diverse clothes possible.
I think I’ve really lost my mind.
This was the happiest she had ever been in her life. When she was with Yuri, even the smallest things were fun.
As if she’d been struck by Cupid’s arrow.
She wished these days could continue forever. It would be great if she could take him back to the merchant group.
It’s not impossible, you know.
There were other boys who stayed with the group, even if they weren’t slaves.
The problem was Karami. Unlike most masters, he granted most of his slaves’ wishes.
But if there was one thing Karami would never permit, it was them getting friendly with another man. His possessive streak was incredibly strong.
Even if the other party was just a child, he might not tolerate Elize spending all day doting on him.
She would just have to make sure Yuri and Karami never met. She’d hide him away in the cathedral, and she could come visit him like this…
“Oh, Elize. What a coincidence. Fancy meeting you here.”
She needed to, but speak of the devil, she ran right into Karami in the middle of the city.
“You can say that again. What an ill-fated encounter…”
Elize let out a deep sigh.
“I’m surprised to see you shopping, Elize. A little extravagance now and then can be fun. But who is the child next to you?”
“He’s a boy from the cathedral.”
“Hmm, I don’t think I’ve seen him before.”
“He only just arrived.”
Karami stared intently at Yuri.
“He’s quite handsome, looks like someone I know. He has a charm that draws the eye.”
Sure enough, just like everyone else, Karami showed curiosity toward Yuri.
Yuri clung tightly to Elize’s leg and stared up at Karami.
Their gazes quietly intertwined.
Elize was not one to let that happen.
“We’ve been walking around for a while and I’m tired, so we’ll be on our way.”
“Are you heading to the cathedral?”
“I have to. The child must be tired, so I need to get him some rest.”
“Instead of that, why don’t you bring him to the merchant group?”
“What did you say?”
Elize narrowed her eyes.
She had just been thinking about how she wanted to bring him to the group but had given up because Karami was a major obstacle. And now he was the one suggesting it.
“For what reason? What would you do with this boy, you who’s only interested in women?”
“I was thinking of raising him as my successor.”
“Absolutely not! If he’s raised by you, he’ll grow up all twisted!”
This cute child!
This lovely child!
A boy who could very well become the next Pope would end up a slave trader if he fell into Karami’s hands.
A truly horrifying future.
“Are you saying you’ll refuse my command?”
“I can’t let you ruin a child’s life.”
“Then I have no choice. I’ll have to kick him out.”
“Aren’t you ashamed of yourself, threatening a child?”
“If I felt shame over things like that, I couldn’t be a slave trader. So, what will you do?”
If he were kicked out of the city, Yuri would surely die. Karami knew that full well and was saying it anyway.
Not a single twitch of his eyebrow.
She trembled at his wickedness, but…
“…I’ll go.”
There was no other choice.
She had to accept.
“A wise choice. Yuri, come with me. I’ll take care of you so you won’t envy anyone.”
Scurry.
Yuri ran to Karami and let himself be held.
“W-Wait a minute! I’m the one who brought him here! And Yuri, you shouldn’t approach a man like that so carelessly!”
“B-But…”
“Her nagging is scary, isn’t it? You must be tired from having to play along with her dress-up games. Let’s make a run for it.”
Karami took Yuri and quickly disappeared.
“You!”
Elize called out, but they didn’t even glance back.
Karami was one thing, but Yuri too! After she had taken such good care of him, for him to let himself be held by a man he’d just met!
“…Huh?”
Come to think of it, had she told him Yuri’s name?
She didn’t think so.
How did Karami know?
Elize pushed the question to the back of her mind and chased after the two figures who had already vanished from sight.