Chapter – 04
* * *
“Where have you been, Siena? The family is this busy.”
On my way back to the Vuietri ducal residence after checking whether the supplies I sponsored had properly reached the orphanage, Uncle Marshal greeted me with a sly smile.
There he is. The tumor of our family.
Marshal Vuietri.
My father’s older brother, a dull man who failed to inherit the title after losing to my father.
I smiled at him.
“It’s been a while, Uncle.”
“Didn’t I see you just yesterday? I even came to visit you while you were sick.”
“Did you? I tend not to remember unimportant things.”
“I see, Siena. You must have forgotten because you’re having a hard time. That’s understandable… after your whole family died.”
According to imperial law, I was still a minor, and in my uncle’s eyes I was nothing more than a foolish child who had lost her senses after losing her family.
During this period, he was aiming to become my guardian while quietly selling off the ducal family’s assets piece by piece.
“I care about you a lot, you know. You should rely on the family you still have. For example… a guardian.”
Uncle Marshal patted my shoulder. He acted friendly because he thought I didn’t know his scheme.
Yeah… but you die by my hand.
Just because I decided to do good deeds doesn’t mean I won’t deal with bad people.
I brushed his hand off my shoulder and smiled.
“Thank you for your concern, Uncle. So where are you coming back from today?”
“I went to Harbor Bridge.”
“Why?”
“Oh Siena, you may not understand, but the harbor trade is very important. Our Vuietri family merchants are in charge of the bridge project, so I went to supervise it…”
“Yes, I know. What I’m asking is why you went.”
“…You what?”
In my memory, he successfully completed the Harbor Bridge project and earned the trust of the elders.
And starting from that, under the excuse of being my future guardian, he gradually took control of the entire family.
I won’t let that happen this time, Uncle.
“Since it is a matter conducted under the Vuietri family name, I, as the acting head, should handle it. Especially since no legal guardian has been appointed yet.”
“Hahaha, Siena. Leave troublesome matters to your uncle. You should rest. You must be tired.”
“You seem to be getting old too, Uncle. Your eyesight must be getting bad. You should rest as well.”
I needed to find a better guardian than him.
And that guardian…
…has to be someone trustworthy.
* * *
A few days later, a white bird tapped on my bedroom window. A bundle of letters was tied to its leg.
It looks like it’s from Elpis Orphanage… what is this?
Worried something might have happened, I quickly dismissed my maid.
Then I opened the letter.
“Nunya hello I lerned how
to rite letters for
the frist time”
“What is this? Some otherworldly language?”
I blanked out for a moment, but realized within three seconds that this was from the boy in the yellow raincoat.
“I am practisng a play
at the orphnage
I got the role of leaf 13
named ‘BbooBboo’
I want to show you
can you come?
date is tomorow
I wil wait for your reply”
Leaf 13. BbooBboo.
After finally deciphering the letter, I found the message surprisingly simple.
As expected… he’s just a child. He wants attention and affection.
I crumpled the letter slightly in my hand.
“I can’t go.”
I whispered quietly, as if speaking to the child.
“I’m busy right now. I have to keep Marshal in check…”
I also need to find a guardian. There’s too much to do inside the ducal estate.
So I can’t go.
But…
…maybe I should at least reply.
He said he would wait. That much should be fine.
And it seemed like there was one more thing this child needed.
* * *
“Wow, why did so many spelling books arrive?”
“They’re from our sponsor. One for every child.”
“Wow! And they also sent lots of gifts and snacks for tomorrow’s play!”
“That’s truly something to be grateful for.”
At Jenny’s words, all the children became excited.
But among them, one person was more excited than anyone else.
The boy in the yellow raincoat.
His eyes sparkled.
The first book he had ever owned.
The first gift he had ever received.
He sat at his desk and opened both the imperial language and ancient language textbooks with a pounding heart.
The first word written in the textbook was:
Aldehyde.
Meaning: The salvation of my life.
The boy thought carefully.
About the first time he met the ghost.
In other words, the moment he met his salvation.
* * *
The day he first met the girl in the gray robe.
That day marked exactly three years since his mother abandoned him.
Even after living in the orphanage for three years, the boy still had no name. The director had tried to give him one, but he refused.
He didn’t want anyone to call his name.
Because he planned to die anyway.
His mother had told him so.
That because of him the whole family became miserable.
So he should quietly die.
Mom was right.
The boy had lived deep in the mountains with his family when one day he received a power.
The name of that overwhelming power was:
Instant Death.
The ability to kill anyone he touched.
The tragedy began because he could not control it.
The boy, who was beaten daily by his drunken father, accidentally killed him while trying to defend himself.
It was clearly self-defense.
But his mother, who had always found him disgusting, abandoned him one rainy day.
“You monster who resembles your father. Don’t ever touch anyone. Live like that and die.”
The one who brought the boy in from the streets was the orphanage director, Jenny.
The boy decided to obey his mother’s words perfectly.
At the orphanage he always stayed alone. On rainy days he wandered around wearing his raincoat.
They said if I get rained on I’ll get sick. Then I’ll die.
He believed only that.
Then one day he met the ghost in the gray robe.
The moment he held the ghost’s hand, he realized something.
The headaches that pushed him into violent states…
The hallucinations of his mother calling him a monster…
The heartbeats that sometimes pounded like madness…
All became quiet.
For the first time in his life.
Touching someone without hurting or killing them.
Instead, it felt like he was being healed.
Even a single touch can become a powerful memory.
His whole world was filled with ghosts.
She was like sunlight peeking out after all the rain disappears.
At that moment, a small light circled his wrist before disappearing.
Like sunlight.
For now, it was a mysterious mark no one understood.
* * *
The boy rubbed his reddened wrist and looked again at the book she had given him.
Maybe it’s fate that the first page of my gift book has that word.
The precocious boy was deeply pondering the idea of fate when—
“Did you know? Our sponsor also sent a letter.”
Jenny handed him a bundle of letters and his eyes widened.
That letter must be entirely his.
Sure enough, Jenny winked.
“Read it secretly.”
He went to a corner and quietly opened it.
“Sorry. I can’t come see the play.”
“Hng…”
It was a shock, but he didn’t lose hope and read the next line.
“Kid.
Study your spelling.”
“Hiiing…”
Another stab to the heart.
But there was more.
He quickly continued reading the neat handwriting.
“But your bad spelling is kind of cute.
And the word BbooBboo too.”
His eyes widened at the word cute.
Does she like cute things? Even the word BbooBboo?
Fortunately, he was still small.
Maybe… I’m a little cute.
Was he under some kind of spell?
His cheeks, recently chubbier from eating well, turned red.
Jenny was kind, but overwhelmed with work, she couldn’t pay close attention to every child.
Being called cute by the sponsor was the first exclusive praise he had ever received.
So…
“I am… cute.”
And just like that, cuteness became part of his identity.
“And since she said BbooBboo is cute, I have to work hard!”
The boy decided to do his best in his role as Leaf 13, BbooBboo.
Even though she said she couldn’t come…
Maybe the small ghost who once reached out her hand to him might appear again.
I’ll really BbooBboo forever!
