“I’ll do it, I said I’ll do it, you bastard!”
“Gasp… gasp… r-really?”
“Damn it! Why the hell did I have to get caught by this piece of shit for two whole weeks…!!”
In the end, I was the one who surrendered first. Honestly, I could’ve kept running if I wanted to, but I was just too exhausted.
Well, not me. It was you who was tired. Without your knight guard to shield you, running around the back alleys every day had clearly taken a toll on your stamina.
You’d run until you were gasping for breath, then collapse flat on the ground.
Even after losing track of me, you’d stubbornly keep searching until sunset.
Even drenched in sweat, the fire in your eyes never dimmed.
Even someone as distrustful as me couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for you after watching that for two weeks. And honestly, I was starting to get curious.
“What the hell is this board game you’re so obsessed with?”
What could it possibly be to make a noble like you push yourself to the limit just to find me?
After two weeks of watching, I was confident I could take you down one-on-one if it came to it.
If that knight guard who’d easily disarmed me had been around, I’d have kept running, but you kept coming alone.
“Whew… whew… l-let’s move somewhere else. It’s hard to play a board game here.”
“You’re not planning to take me to your mansion, are you? If that’s the case, I’m out of here.”
“Ah, I’m not that clueless… whew, no. Let’s go to your stronghold.”
“Stronghold? What the hell are you talking about?”
“After chasing you for two weeks, I’ve gotten to know the back alleys pretty well. There’s a place you always stick close to, even when you risk getting caught by me. That’s your stronghold, isn’t it?”
“…You’re a sharper bastard than I thought.”
You were right. If I’d just kept running for two weeks, I could’ve been ambushed by other trash in the alleys.
So I never strayed too far from my safe ‘stronghold.’ No matter what, I made sure I could always get back there.
But I never dreamed you’d figure that out.
I hesitated for a moment but eventually led you to my stronghold. I’d never allowed an outsider in before, but you weren’t just some back-alley trash.
‘If you really wanted to kill me, you’d have brought your knight guard by now.’
I did suspect you might be planning to kill me after finding my stronghold—thanks to my back-alley survival instincts.
But you had no reason to. You were a noble, after all. No need to go that far.
So I took you there.
…Huh, now that I think about it.
I think I was already starting to feel a strange pull toward you back then.
“It’s… nicer than I expected?”
“Cut the crap and bring out that board game or whatever. I’ll play one round, then get lost.”
“Aw, come on. Aren’t we going to be board game buddies? A few more rounds wouldn’t hurt.”
“Board game buddies, my ass. You know I tried to stab you with a dagger, right?”
“You didn’t, though.”
“That’s because of your knight guard, dumbass.”
“Anyway, forget the past. What matters is that you’re playing a board game with me now!”
“…You’re insane.”
Maybe it wasn’t attraction but genuine madness I felt back then.
Either way, you pulled out Kill the King, which you’d been carrying around like a treasure, and explained the rules to me.
“You move these pieces once each turn.”
“You went through all that crap for two weeks just to play this?”
“Give it a few tries. That’s the charm of board games.”
“……..”
One thing still sticks in my memory.
That first game of Kill the King we played at my stronghold.
…It was really boring.
The fatigue from running, the lingering suspicion of you, and the constant fear of being ambushed even in my stronghold.
All of that combined made Kill the King painfully unfun.
You were having the time of your life, but my expression just kept getting darker.
Until I flipped the board.
Thud! Clatter!
The board flew, the pieces scattered.
And you, with that utterly dumbfounded look.
“You piece of shit, seriously… you went through all that for two weeks just to play this crap?”
“…Was it not fun?”
“Yeah! It’s f*cking boring! I thought it’d be something amazing, but it’s just this…!!”
I snapped at that moment.
Honestly, Kill the King isn’t that bad. It’s just that I wasn’t in the right state of mind. When you’re tired and worn out, even the finest feast can taste like nothing.
And I didn’t hide my feelings at all. The back alleys aren’t a place where you hide your emotions or care about others’ feelings.
But back then.
The expression you made… I still remember it clearly.
“…I’m sorry.”
It wasn’t shame, embarrassment, or anger.
It was a sad moment.
If I had been a bit more mature, I would have noticed from your expression that you were hurt, and I would have at least stopped talking.
But back then, I was just a stupid kid, a dumb brat.
“Now get lost with that shit, you idiot.”
“………Still.”
“Ah, get lost!!”
Why did I treat you so harshly? Even now, I still don’t fully understand it. Ironically, the current me doesn’t understand the younger me.
But maybe it was fate.
Even after seeing your hurt expression, I got up and roughly pushed you.
And because of that, something hidden under your clothes was revealed.
“……What’s that?”
“Huh? Oh, it’s nothing──”
“Fuck, this is……a bruise. And not just any bruise……….”
Under that fancy-looking outfit, your torso and arms were covered in blue and purple bruises.
The traces of brutal violence were obvious at a glance.
Even for someone like me, who grew up in the back alleys, it was enough to make me shudder.
I pressed you about it. What a contradiction I was. Just moments ago, I was telling you to get lost after hurting you, and now I was worried about your wounds.
You smiled awkwardly.
“Of course, it’s nothing compared to you guys………but being a noble isn’t as easy as it seems.”
“What……?”
“My second brother learned Aura. I got beaten a lot because of that. They say the third son needs constant discipline to stay in line……even though I have no interest in the succession rights.”
“………….”
“Well, thanks to that, I’ve been able to make some time.”
The you I knew back then was a privileged noble. I should have been suspicious that a noble like you could spend two weeks, every single day, running around the back alleys without any consequences.
Growing up in the back alleys, I didn’t know about things like succession rights or third sons.
……But I could sense that you weren’t treated well in your family.
“Anyway, sorry if it was boring. I won’t……come again.”
You tried to leave the stronghold, hesitating and with a hurt expression.
“………Earlier, you said let’s play a few rounds.”
“Huh?”
“You said you need to play multiple times to really enjoy it……sit down. Let’s play a bit more.”
“Friend……!!”
I was being capricious. I didn’t let you go.
At that time, you probably didn’t realize how brightly you were smiling.
Seeing you, with bruises and marks all over, holding the board game and laughing so happily.
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
I found myself smiling too.
“We’ve become board game friends, so can I ask you one thing? What’s your name?”
“……Shut up and just play the game.”
“How about you tidy up your hair a bit? I’ll help you.”
“Shut up!”
Even so, I didn’t tell you my name.
But I had a feeling.
That soon, I would reveal my name to you.
……If only that hadn’t happened.
*
After that, you came to the stronghold every day to play Kill the King. Once I got enough rest and my condition improved, I could properly enjoy the board game Kill the King.
It was just an okay game, nothing more or less than a way to pass the time.
So, what I was really waiting for wasn’t Kill the King, but you.
“Friend! Let’s settle things today!”
“……Cut the annoying talk, you bastard.”
“Stop being shy!”
“You damn brat…….”
I never thought I’d really become board game ‘friends’ with you.
I probably wouldn’t have admitted it back then, but looking back now, you and I were indeed friends. You approached me, who was dirty and wielded daggers, without hesitation, and played board games with me.
After becoming friends with you, I stopped thinking things like, “Why do I live?” on rainy days.
After becoming friends with you, rainy days were no longer days I hated.
After becoming friends with you.
I found myself dreaming of tomorrows where I could meet you.
……That’s why.
“Bro, is it true? The ‘Young Master’ is doing that?”
“Of course it’s true. You have no idea how much effort the Young Master is putting into that brat. He’s been planning it for a long time.”
“Why? There are plenty of brats in the back alleys.”
“Even if she hides it, her face is pretty decent. You heard what happened to the last guy who tried something, right? Anyway, nobles are disgusting with their hobbies.”
“Haha, still, I’m jealous. If you’re as high as Baron Byron, you can get away with that kind of stuff.”
“Did you see the Young Master’s hand? He hid a paralyzing agent and then, when the brat let her guard down, bam! Ugh, it’s horrifying.”
“That’s why he hangs out with brats like us, huh.”
“Nobles are the best backers for human traffickers. Haha!”
“…………….”
I couldn’t.
I didn’t want to believe what I accidentally overheard.
No matter how much I tried to ignore it or deny it.
Even if I wanted to die, I think I know who those human traffickers were talking about when they said “Young Master” and “that brat.”
The noble young master of the Byron family and the back-alley brat with a pretty face, though hidden.
That is───
“Friend! I’m here! Guess what I brought today?”
“………….”
“…Why that face? Did something bad happen again today?”
“………No.”
“What’s wrong with you?”
At the very least.
At the very least, if they had just tried to kill me or steal something from me, my head wouldn’t be hurting this much.
But of all things, it had to be human trafficking. Of all things, that.
──I shouldn’t associate with those human trafficking scum…!!
My father’s words come to mind.
──It’s because of those perverts who want virgin brats that I’m able to make a living.
The words of the human trafficker who tried to sell off my father’s daughter come to mind.
──Anyway, those noble brats. Their hobbies are disgusting.
There are two kinds of people I don’t hesitate to swing my dagger at in the back alleys. One is those who come at me, and the other is human traffickers.
The former, I swing at because they threaten me, but the latter, I hunt down and slit their throats even if they don’t chase me.
They were all disgusting scum. Because I almost became their “merchandise.”
But why, why on earth.
Why would a “Young Master” like you be one of those human traffickers?
“Seriously, what’s wrong? You’re shaking all of a sudden……….”
“…Don’t come near me.”
“Hey, I’m your board game friend! It’s fine, just tell me straight. Even if I’m the third son, I’m still a noble, so I can help you──”
Your hand reaches out. That warm hand that often brushed against mine while playing Kill the King.
And by sheer coincidence, your hand was positioned in such a way that the palm wasn’t visible.
──Did you see how the Young Master uses his hand? He hides a paralyzing needle in his palm and then, when the brat lets their guard down, bam!
I dismissed it as a lie. There was no logic, no evidence, but I vaguely thought it was a lie.
But the moment I noticed something shiny in your hidden palm.
I.
Thud.
“………Huh?”
“Don’t…come near me!!”
Thud. Thud. Thud.
“You damn bastard! Disgusting scum! Human trafficker! I knew it, you only approached me for that reason! A noble like you coming near a back-alley trash like me could only mean one thing!”
Thud. Thud, thud!!
“From the beginning, the board games, the talk of friendship, it was all a facade! I just caught your eye, didn’t I? Just a toy to play with and discard!”
Thud. Crack.
“I won’t fall for it, I’ll never fall for it! I didn’t fall for it even with those damn parents of mine, so I won’t fall for you………!!”
……Thud.
“You…you…….”
Gasp.
“You, you……?”
I.
Stupidly, realized it too late.
The shiny thing in your hand wasn’t a paralyzing needle.
It was a small hairpin.
Your words about how I should tidy up my always messy hair to hide my gender come to mind.
The hairpin, now covered in your blood, falls to the floor.
“Gasp, gasp……….”
“Huh, what? So, huh? No, no, no, this isn’t.”
“Suddenly…gasp!! Why…….”
“No, no! This isn’t, this isn’t it. This isn’t it……!!”
Clang.
Frantically, I threw the bloodied dagger aside and desperately tried to stop the bleeding, but no matter how many times I stabbed your shoulder, the blood wouldn’t stop.
Why did I stab your shoulder instead of your heart or neck?
At that moment, I was just blankly holding the wound with both hands as blood continued to flow.
And then.
“………Young Master.”
“The blood, it won’t stop. It won’t stop. Please……….”
The guard who used to hold an umbrella for me, Head Butler Charles, entered the stronghold and saw me and you.
Instead of punishing me for hurting the Young Master, he quietly stopped your bleeding.
Something impossible for a back-alley brat, but entirely possible for a former knight who had mastered Aura.
However, without the hands of a professional magician or priest, a hideous scar was left behind.
You soon regained consciousness. You’d lose it again soon from losing too much blood, but with faint eyes, you looked at me while being supported by the head butler.
How did I feel at that moment?
You and I were friends. Just a few minutes ago, we were. You were always sincere with me, and I dreamed of tomorrow with you.
But to a young, stupid brat, that friendship was too fragile.
Fragile enough to be torn apart by a bloodied dagger and a few words from human traffickers.
What could I have said to you?
“I, I. So, I……….”
“…Did the misunderstanding…get cleared?”
“Yes! Everything, everything was my fault! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry……….”
“…It’s okay. It’s okay……….”
“…Young Master.”
“…I’m sorry……….”
“…It’s okay. It’s okay……….”
“…I’m sorry……….”
“…It’s okay. It’s okay……….”
“…I’m sorry……….”
“…It’s okay. It’s okay……….”
“…I’m sorry……….”
“…It’s okay. It’s okay……….”
“…I’m sorry……….”
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“…I’m sorry……….”
“…It’s okay. It’s okay……….”
“…I’m sorry……….”
“…It’s okay. It’s okay……….”
“…I’m sorry……….”
“…It’s okay. It’s okay……….”
“…I’m sorry……….”
“…It’s okay. It’s okay……….”
“…I’m sorry……….”
“…It’s okay. It’s okay……….”
“…I’m sorry……….”
“…It’s okay. It’s okay……….”
“…I’m sorry……….”
“…It’s okay. It’s okay……….”
“…I’m sorry……….”
“…It’s okay. It’s okay……….”
“…I’m sorry……….”
“…It’s okay. It’s okay……….”
“…I’m sorry……….”
“…It’s okay.
“It was a misunderstanding! Suddenly, it was all my fault! All of it, all of it.”
“Thank goodness……it was…….”
“Then, then we are………still friends……right?”
It was such a shameless thing to say. Not exactly the kind of words you should say in front of someone who almost died.
If I were a normal person. No, even if I were in the opposite position, I would’ve cursed them out and sought thorough revenge. Or just ignored them.
But you.
“………Headmaster.”
“Huh………?”
You muttered something incomprehensible like that.
It felt like you were seeing someone else through me.
I still don’t know who that person was.
But surely, they must’ve been someone deeply etched in your memory.
“Here………I can’t……do it anymore…….”
“………Yeah.”
The insane scream, the blood splattered everywhere, the knight using aura who had come this far.
Each one of these was something to be extremely cautious about in the back alleys. This stronghold must’ve been discovered too.
As you said, it was now impossible to play board games here.
“……Do you want to come with me?”
“…………What?”
“Young Master, that’s…….”
“I know, it’s a stupid……thing to say. But still, just. Just………it reminded me of someone I let go of……before.”
“Huh……?”
“What……do you say? I still haven’t even heard your name……….”
With those words, you smiled. Covered in blood, looking like you could pass out at any moment.
Only then did I realize that smile was a bitter one, filled with regret.
Because of the regrets you’ve experienced, ones I don’t know about, you reached out your hand to this stupid brat.
“……Sally.”
“………Ah.”
“Sally………Young Master.”
I took that hand.
That’s all I remember.
*
Even though the bleeding had stopped, it was obvious that the mansion would be in an uproar if you returned with such serious injuries. You stayed at Charles the butler’s house to recover. I took care of you by your side.
The surprising thing was, even after returning to the mansion just a few days later, no other family members came out except your father.
Even though your mother was dead, your two older brothers didn’t show their faces at all.
I couldn’t help but recall the bruises on your body. And I became the child you picked up.
Thanks to your earnest request, I was able to become a servant in this mansion.
“Let’s get cleaned up first, friend……no, Sally!”
“……Yes, Young Master.”
“Suddenly using formal speech?”
“Now that you’re the Young Master I serve………sir.”
“I’d rather have a friend……but if that happens, my first or second brother might do something to you. Sorry, I’ll count on you from now on.”
“……Okay.”
And from that moment on.
I started to only look at you.
It was closer to guilt than love at first, but even so, it was clear that I would continue to stay by your side, watching over you.
“Wait, Sally? You, you’re a girl!?”
“That’s right, you……yes, I am.”
There was a minor incident in the bathroom while washing up.
But after cleaning up, changing clothes, and fixing my hair.
I pinned the hairpin that had been stained with blood.
“Please take care of me……sir. Young Master.”
“……Alright, let’s get along well. Sally.”
And so began my days in the mansion with you.
The bullying among the maids, the disregard and contempt for being from the back alleys, the other servants who kept hitting on me because of my unnecessary looks.
As long as I could be by your side, it was all okay.
“Then the ‘Young Master’ those human traffickers mentioned……….”
“………I need to tell Father about this as soon as possible.”
The ‘Young Master of the Byron Viscountcy’ who had caused the misunderstanding was not from the direct line but a branch family member.
To the trash in the back alleys, whether it was the direct line or a branch, they were all nobles anyway. The family head immediately found the branch family ‘Young Master’ and sent him to the silver mines.
……I also secretly threw a dagger at him when he was being taken away. I stopped at just injuring him, though.
In any case, it was a fun and happy time. The more I stayed by your side, the more I watched over you, the more I became not a brat from the back alleys but a maid serving the Young Master.
And I.
Before I knew it.
“Young Master…….”
I had fallen in love with you.
Even though I had tried to kill you.
How laughable and shameless of me.
