Clatter, clatter, the carriage approached on the unpaved road.
The piercing screams of the crowd and the shouts of the driver swallowed the street.
Everyone waved their hands, shouting to get out of the way, to escape, but no one actually stepped up.
When Alice stood frozen before the heavy carriage, as if facing death, my legs moved at a speed I had never done before.
What pushed me forward wasn’t the strong legs built from constant action, nor was it the surreal situation that Alice might die.
It was finally the thought that I could be at ease.
That I could let everything go.
That I was truly sorry.
“…Hic, hic.”
That was the sad and tortured smile of Alice.
“AAAAH──!!!”
I screamed.
My body creaked from the intense movement, and pain echoed in my muscles and joints.
But what did that pain matter?
Alice made such an expression.
Alice was suffering more than I could imagine.
The pain of bones breaking and blood vessels bursting didn’t even compare to the ache in my heart.
I ran, I ran.
At that moment, a bird flying in the air stopped.
A wallet someone dropped hung in the air.
A moment that felt like an eternity, as fleeting as a moment.
As if I was the only one swimming through the water.
In that moment, I reached out to the bluebird I saw ahead─
“──SAFE!!”
“…!!”
I managed to grab Alice.
“…I’m glad.”
“……..”
Really, really glad.
I gently held Alice, who seemed faint from the shock.
The bandage that Saelli had wrapped to treat her wounds was already undone.
Her delicate and pretty fingertips were broken and missing, perhaps from scratching something harshly, and her surrounding skin was filled with wounds oozing with blood.
Falling and colliding.
Still, the child struggled desperately to escape from that place.
Enduring, without losing her smile no matter what hardship it was.
The child, who acted far more mature than her age, had shown a degree of clinginess that was so heavy.
It almost led to a terrible outcome.
Always, I hoped the child would desire more.
If something she wanted arose, I wished she would not hesitate to pursue it.
Even if it was demanding, causing mischief like a little rascal, or even raising some ludicrous request, Saelli and I were willing to fulfill whatever Alice wanted.
So the child could live bright and carefree, just like a child should.
It was our role as adults to protect that simple truth, Saelli and I thought.
But.
I swear to the heavens, I never wanted Alice to make such a choice.
“…….”
In some ways, it was a natural truth.
There’s no one in the world who doesn’t feel anger and rage.
Only those who can hold onto it for long exist.
Acting composed and mature doesn’t mean one can shoulder many burdens.
Just because someone doesn’t say anything doesn’t mean they’re not troubled inside.
They were just enduring it.
And we judged them, including Alice, by our own standards.
Swish.
I stroked Alice’s soft hair.
“…….”
“..ㅡ..ㅡㅡ…”
Twitch, twitch.
Seeing Alice’s body slightly tremble with each stroke of my hand filled my heart with indescribable sorrow.
What could she possibly be so afraid of, even in her dreams?
Her body, covered with bruises and raw wounds, couldn’t even properly be touched.
Why does the world not leave this girl alone?
In that moment, I understood the anguish Saelli felt as she desperately cried out toward Remi Akaia and this unfair world.
I let out a small sigh.
“…Now what should I do?”
Thud, a nearby pinecone hit my foot and flew away.
Somehow, I managed to extinguish a raging forest fire, but problems continued to linger.
Remaining problems were like towering mountains.
First and foremost, what to do next was a dilemma.
Considering Alice’s condition and mental health, it would be wise to abandon any thought and rush to the hospital holding her.
Alternatively, at the very least, I had to take her to Remi Akaia’s dormitory where no one was around and leave her there.
But, it wasn’t that simple.
I had to rush to the street where they were confronting one another.
“…..Ugh.”
The last scene I caught while rushing after Alice was Remi Akaia, drawing her sword and hurling all sorts of filthy words at her opponent, and Saelli, holding two imposing men who seemed to be her guards, sending me a smile filled with malice.
Of course, thinking of Saelli’s identity, it wouldn’t be too much to say neither Remi Akaia nor she would be gravely hurt.
But in the middle of the street, where many people were bustling about, Saelli couldn’t carelessly reveal her identity.
In a state where she couldn’t fully utilize her abilities was almost like having a handicap.
In that condition, facing off against highly skilled warriors and additional guards appearing behind them, honestly, I couldn’t picture her losing, but nonetheless it was a cause for concern.
Also, there was Remi Akaia, consumed by anger, whose condition worried me.
Given who she was facing.
Right.
If the fight escalated, either they or the two people I cared about could really die.
If that happened, Alice would blame herself again.
It would mean that the same thing could happen again.
“─…─,─.”
“…This world is indeed hard to live in.”
A difficult dilemma where I had to choose one.
But both had hidden traps.
If I left Alice, who was in such a confused state, alone without a protector in either the hospital or dormitory, I’d never know what she would do once she regained consciousness and panicked.
Just moments ago, I had been able to save Alice purely by luck.
If I had been even a second late.
If the distance between Alice and I had stretched even slightly more.
“….Ah…Ah!!!”
“…………”
By now, I’d be on my knees with a vacant expression.
“….Ha.”
When I saw my precious friend, like family, throwing herself to death.
When I realized I hadn’t known that Alice’s mind was driven to a dead end to the point of impulsively thinking of giving up on her life.
The despair and misery I felt back then,
I didn’t want to feel that anymore.
Even if I die, and everyone dies,
That much is a no-go.
—Absolutely.
So in the end, this was the only option left.
“..I’m sorry, Alice.”
“…..ㅡ,ㅡ.”
This time, I would never let you get hurt.
I promise with everything I have.
So, Alice.
Will you trust me and let me take care of you?
First, I quickly proceeded with the treatment.
“Hey! Hey! Don’t look away! Red-haired one! If it’s you, come here!”
“Yes, yes!? Me!?”
I grabbed a passerby and had them fetch medicine and bandages, quickly disinfecting and covering Alice’s injured body.
My entire wealth was spent on the expensive medicine, but what does that matter?
When I applied the medication to her torn skin and bruises, I couldn’t help but frown, but at least it was some consolation that nothing seemed broken or fractured.
If it were, I’d have to completely revise my plans.
—Whoosh!
“…Was this it?”
I spread a large cloth wide and wrapped Alice’s body as if carrying a baby.
In a rush and with uncertain knowledge, I went through a few trial and error, but eventually secured her body firmly on my back.
The remaining part of the cloth was draped over my shoulder like a cape, ensuring no part of the child could be seen from the outside.
Additionally, so she couldn’t see outside either.
It’s said that when a whale fights, a shrimp’s back breaks.
If it bursts, that would be fortunate.
“Sheesh, the shrimp is going to get crushed, crushed.”
“…..ㅡ,ㅡ.”
One step, one step.
Feeling the small breaths of Alice trembling against my back,
I moved toward the middle of the street where they were fighting, taking the heaviest steps of my life.
A once-in-a-lifetime gamble, in one breath.
