A height lower than a doorknob.
The person who entered the bedroom left empty by Monia was Serdin, the prince of an enemy country.
‘Why has he come here?’
He saw me clearly and still entered, so he didn’t come to the wrong place.
“You’re finally alone.”
Serdin, who had approached quietly, muttered while looking down at me.
“It’s difficult to come see you because you’re always with the emperor.”
He must have been waiting for a moment when I was alone. This means he has been watching me for a while.
It’s no coincidence that he came to see me when Monia was briefly away.
For some reason, he secretly came to see me.
What matters to me isn’t that he came to see me, but the fact that he came secretly.
So, it would be quite troublesome if others found out.
‘This is my chance!’
Right now, the person in front of me had a higher chance of helping me get what I wanted than Monia did.
Under normal circumstances, I would consider various factors.
But now isn’t the time to be picky. I quickly opened my lips and, using all the strength from my belly, cried out with all my might-
“Waaah!”
Serdin was startled by my sudden cry.
He lost his balance and looked nervously at the door with wide eyes.
As expected, he didn’t want to be caught by anyone. So it would be troublesome if I cried, right?
“Uwaaah!!!”
My cries grew louder. I’m getting the hang of this.
“Don’t cry.”
Serdin approached quickly and whispered seriously with a tense face.
I held onto his sleeve tightly to prevent him from escaping.
“Why are you holding onto me? Let me go…!”
He tried to shake me off, but I clung persistently, and he couldn’t use much force.
If he accidentally hurt me, it would be a big problem.
“Stop crying.”
He tried to soothe me somehow, but I cried even louder.
If I can’t speak, I need to express myself this way.
Serdin’s eyes shook, not knowing what to do. He paced around, then put a finger to his lips.
“Shh!”
He looked like he was begging me to stop crying.
He must be worried that someone would come upon hearing my cries.
Serdin bit his lip anxiously, sighed several times, and then looked at me intently.
Then he looked at the arm I was shaking and carefully spoke.
“Do you want me to hold you?”
He figured out exactly what I wanted!
Yes, hold me.
I firmly pointed towards the door with my tiny hand.
Take me out of the room.
But Serdin hesitated, looking back and forth between the door and me. He seemed to have come this far without intending to touch me.
After a serious moment of contemplation, seeing me continue to whine, he finally spoke.
“You want me to take you out now?”
He realized that I wouldn’t stop crying until I went outside.
I was almost moved by his quick understanding.
Finally, Serdin closed his eyes tightly and carefully extended both hands. Though he was still young and clumsy, he managed to carry me out of the room successfully.
As soon as we stepped outside, I stopped crying.
Serdin looked at me in surprise and murmured quietly.
“You really stopped crying.”
‘Even I think I might be overdoing it.’
Sorry, but please bear with me a little longer.
However, the boy seemed confused about what he was doing, looking back and forth between the door and the stairs.
Deciding to go back to the bedroom, he turned around.
If we go back now, Monia will come soon, and my escape will fail.
That can’t happen.
I opened my mouth wide to cry again, and Serdin’s reaction was faster.
“Okay. I won’t go back. So don’t cry.”
He heard what I wanted. He gave in completely.
“What do you want?”
Grumbling irritably, he carefully descended the stairs.
He moved slowly, checking to make sure no one was around, but thanks to that, we were able to avoid anyone and escape safely.
After passing through the lobby, he seemed to head towards a deserted area. I couldn’t let that happen.
“Why are you crying again? Is this not the right way?”
Despite my small struggle, Serdin surprisingly understood what I wanted. Thanks to him, we were moving in the desired direction without much wandering.
“Where do you want to go?”
Still uneasy, he stopped and looked around, grumbling.
“Okay, I’ll go. I’m going.”
He finally changed direction to where I wanted.
“You’re really stubborn. Using me at your will, even though you’re just a baby.”
Serdin carried me down the stairs, checking our surroundings to make sure no one was watching.
He moved cautiously but continued heading in the right direction as I had indicated.
Most people would assume he’s just trying to keep a baby happy, but Serdin had a keen understanding of the situation. He was definitely smart.
“I wasn’t like this when I was young,”
He muttered, his lips pouting slightly.
Was he really comparing his childhood to mine?
How could he know more about life than me? I’ve lived for nearly 200 years and started over. My lifetime far surpasses his.
Annoyed, I kicked my leg, tapping Serdin’s arm.
“You’re annoyed now?”
He caught on quickly, turning his head with a slight pout.
“I never cried or threw tantrums when I was young. I was always praised for being calm.”
Oh, really?
It’s easy to imagine him as a quiet baby from birth. When I first found Delight, he seemed calm but turned out to be quite troublesome as time went on.
As Serdin continued boasting about his childhood, I couldn’t help but smile at the comparison.
“Moreover, I never insisted on my way. Even when I was hungry, I didn’t cry and almost starved for a day.”
That’s not being wise, that’s being foolish. Suddenly, a shadow crossed Serdin’s face.
“So, when they asked me to go as a hostage instead of the Crown Prince… I went quietly.”
Regret laced his weakened voice.
“Should I have been less obedient? If I had been stubborn like you, could I have avoided coming here?”
His head drooped, and his pace slowed until he eventually stopped. I didn’t want to urge him by crying again, so I stayed quiet.
“Did you want to see the Emperor?”
His deflated voice sounded bewildered.
Looking up, I saw Delight and Luciel in the distance.
‘When did we get here? Did he stop because he saw them?’
He didn’t move any further, knowing we’d be noticed if we got closer.
“I can’t take you any further. If you want to go, you’ll have to go alone.”
He gently placed me on the grass. But I had no intention of moving closer; I needed to hear what Delight and Luciel were discussing.
As I focused on the faint voices, Serdin sat beside me.
“You like the Emperor, don’t you? Even babies know who treats them well.”
He seemed to misunderstand, thinking I cried because I missed Delight. I let him think that while I concentrated on the conversation ahead.
“You’re lucky. You have parents who love you.”
He mumbled to himself, the loneliness evident in his words.
“I have no one…”
Such a lament from a seven-year-old. When I was his age…
‘I was too busy trying to survive to have any other thoughts.’
Back then, if someone complained about being lonely, I’d dismiss it as a luxury problem.
I hadn’t realized then that loneliness was as serious and crucial an issue as survival, one that couldn’t be solved with mere effort.
I couldn’t help but be drawn to Serdin’s melancholy side profile.
Just then, Luciel’s voice reminded me of his presence.
“Delight, time has passed. Shouldn’t you let go of the past?”
“I don’t need your advice. I’m not foolish enough to believe you.”
“That’s a harsh thing to say.”
Luciel pretended to be hurt, clutching his chest.
Even in a tense moment, his playful demeanor irritated Delight.
“I wanted to stay longer this time, but I don’t want to fight anymore. I’ll step back for now.”
Luciel backed off, signaling an end to the conflict.
“But don’t be too confident. Not even I, who has lived a thousand years, can predict the future.”
And then Luciel turned away.
‘I came all this way for nothing.’
With Serdin’s help, I had come so far, but it seemed it was all for nothing.
As Luciel disappeared, Delight suddenly turned to look in my direction.
Did he sense my presence?
Despite keeping a considerable distance, I might have been noticed.
“Who’s there?”
Delight’s menacing voice rang out, indicating we had been discovered.
