Please Save My Child

‘If the family is held hostage like Borton was…’

Then it seemed impossible that everyone would make the same conclusion as Reina. Some people may have injured Estelle in order to protect their own family. Reina’s chilly judgment was really startling. How anxious she must have been till she finally reached him and implored the Duke to go save her daughter. It was not a category he dared to consider.

Unlike Reina, the Duke of Winternight has a strong ability to guard a variety of objects. He couldn’t envision himself in a difficult circumstance when he had to ask someone for a favor. He remembered Reina, who had a sorry expression on her face as she confessed her faults and begged him to save her daughter. 

‘What the hell do you think of me?’

He was supposed to be cold-blooded and a scoundrel, yet no matter how many innocent young lives he took, he would never forget. The Duke also knew Bonita, and he loved to imagine Estelle as a youngster. It was evident that if the small child died instead of Estelle, he would spend the rest of his life with the spirit. If Bonita experienced any issues…

“I don’t even want to imagine.”

The duke frowned and summoned the chief maid of the house. Taking advantage of the occasion, he decided to set up a system that would also secure Estelle’s surrounds. It was heartbreaking, but Estelle liked Raina more than himself. As much as Estelle cared for her, Reina andBonita were also positioned as great weaknesses to the Duke.

‘That’s why.’

He couldn’t forget the image of Reina crying for her daughter to be saved. But the Duke shook his head and left quietly. Because the relationship between the two was only that.

* * *

Reina, who had barely managed to control her emotions in the empty office, lifted her head. The sun had began to set, and the entire room was tinted vermilion. Reina decided she shouldn’t be in this room any longer, so she opened the door, and a tiny girl stood in front of her.

“Reina? Did Reina cry?

It was Estelle. Two knights stood behind the youngster, and based by their expressions, it appeared that they had already been told what had occurred.

“…Ah, no. “It is nothing.”

Reina shook her head enthusiastically, not wanting to say this to a youngster who knew nothing. However, Estelle maintained a troubled expression. 

“My lady, what are you up to here?”

“Ah, there’s something I want to ask the Duke.”

“…Master has vacated the office now.”

“I see…”

‘Ask?’

There was no such section in the novels that she remembered very little. Maybe Reina snatched her before that description appeared. Her pulse throbbed as she considered the possibilities of kidnapping Estelle. Reina had always shown Estelle a nice side of herself, and she remained a part of that ‘always there’. But when she smiled with her eyes glowing red, she managed to elicit sympathy and grief in others. Even though she was only eight years old, Estelle was acutely aware of Reina’s anguish, which she could not conceal.

Estelle said nothing and moved over to Reina, tugging at her clothing. The knights did not drop their guard against Reina, in case she did something unexpected.

“Reina, Reina.”

When Estelle called out to her, Reina knelt down on her knees to make it easier for the child to look at her. Reina, as always, showed affectionate consideration to Estelle.

Estelle stared blankly at Reina.

“Miss?”

She then hugged Reina gently.

“Reina always smells nice. I suppose it’s because Reina is a decent person. It will be all right.”

“…yes?”

“Reina, it’s okay, Reina.”

Estelle, unaware of what had occurred, repeated her words to Reina, saying, ‘everything was okay’. The child’s still slender physique was very warm. They stated that a child’s body temperature was higher than an adult’s.

“You know, Reina, it’s okay? Maybe not all of it… And they claim Finnnekes can perform a lot of magic.”

“…”

“Some claim Finnekes can glimpse the future. So everything will be OK. “I will undoubtedly be able to see the future.” 

Regardless of Reina’s concerns, the child assured her that everything would be fine. It was shameful for an Empire citizen to have Finnekes’ blood streaming through their veins. They were targeted by many people simply because they were Finnekes. Estelle must have been like that before being given the surname Winternight. That is why Estelle’s identity as Finnekes was a scar and a spell from which she could not break free. To console Reina, the child mentioned the name Finnekes, which conjured up such dreadful emotions.

“So it’ll be okay. I’m not sure what it is, but I’ve glimpsed the future and Reina is smiling.” 

Estelle loved Reina that much.

“…yes.”

And Reina’s heart was crushed by this little child’s unconditional love.

‘My child was kidnapped instead of you.’

There was no way this harsh truth would come out of Reina’s mouth. It was because she was stepped on in her eyes by overlapping Estelle and Bonita.

‘No, no matter what situation you are in, the target of your hatred should not be a youngster.

Reina was the first grown-up woman who treated Estelle with kindness. She was, as far as Estelle remembered.

“Surely God would not bother someone as sweet as Reina. “God is kind, right?”

Reina couldn’t even answer the question. She never imagined herself as being so pleasant. If Reina hadn’t known about the future, she would have abducted Estelle. She was clearly going to kidnap Bonita in order to save her.

Reina was a stunningly unattractive adult. Reina fell into tears again, leaning into the child’s comforting embrace.

* * *

Perhaps she had collapsed before she knew it, Reina was lying on the bed. Instead of Estelle, her close friends, the maids, were looking at Reina with worried expressions.

“Reina woke up! How surprised I was that suddenly you collapsed…”

“She hasn’t, but she’s been drying up lately, and I never thought she’d fall like this.”

“Is it because of Bonnie?

Reina barely managed to get her body up and sit down. Everyone looked at Rayna restlessly, and then one person drew water. Reina had a look on her face that if Bonnie ever got into trouble, she would hit hard.

“Reina… Let’s not think badly, huh?”

“Okay, everything will be fine.”

“…”

Reina, who hadn’t said anything for a while, opened her mouth.

“…It will.”

“…will?”

Bonita was a dignified, mature child.

“I’m a bad mother…”

She was not childlike, and she disliked flamboyant clothing. She was a child, and her eyes twinkled everytime the princess story was told in the rickety cottage. She really enjoyed the scene in the fairy tale that Eugene remembered. She didn’t even detest food. Just…

“Reina, what is wrong? “Where do you think there is a good mother like you?”

“That’s correct. Bonnie likes you very lot…” 

“Huh…”

It was merely that Bonita was staring into Reina’s eyes at that time. She was not a grown-up child for no reason whatsoever. If she’s extremely mature, it’s because the world shaped her child. Reina wondered if her group would travel to Bonita. She grew up to be an adult child. She chose a less expensive option, and she chose meals over snacks. That way, her mother, Reina, wouldn’t have pushed herself too far. Her terrible poverty drove her to disguise herself, restricting her child to a narrow universe. That made Reina very sad.

“I knew… I, I knew…”

Bonita sucked her finger and ate all of her honey bread since she enjoyed the sweetness so much. In reality, she liked the white garment with gold thread hanging in the display window above the light green one. Reina also liked it.

She wanted to eat more pudding, but she kept it a secret because if Reina found out, she would buy her a snack each week. Reina noticed everything.

She felt relieved on the inside, though. She was relieved that the youngster had not communicated her wants to her, and she was also relieved to see her finances in order. Reina was an ugly adult and a terrible mother. 

She couldn’t recall the expression Bonita gave her this morning when she said hello. Wasn’t it the same as she relied on the child’s dignity and turned away from what she desired, letting her know that better days would come if he endured a little longer? She feigned not to see or know, and now she regretted it.

Bonita’s conclusion did not take place in the world she remembered as Eugene because she is concerned about the uncertain future. If Reina had betrayed Estelle, she could have at least spared Bonita. Perhaps she felt terrible for the Duke and could have rescued Bonita and relocated her to another nation. Perhaps she did something different for no reason, and she regretted it. 

“Reina, you didn’t eat properly today! If you keep crying like that and then, you’ll collapse again!”

“Oh, that’s right! Bonnie will be back soon…!”

After hearing the news that Reina was crying all the time, as soon as she woke up, they saw her crying again, and the maids were displeased. Then someone rushed in and opened Reina’s door.

Translator Note: