IMCG 03

Chapter 3

It felt as if I’d been slapped across the face. Still dazed, I stared blankly at Luca’s retreating back.
I already knew, from recalling “Judith’s” memories, how conversations between Judith and Luca usually went—but shocking was still shocking.

Of course, their usual exchanges were…

“Luca, you useless leech. Stop stuffing your face and go earn some money!”
“I’m the one who brought home this bread! You’re the leech, Aunt!”

…pretty much like that.

Yeah. When someone who normally snaps with barbed words suddenly turns sweet, it’s suspicious—very suspicious.
As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. With Judith’s tone being that awful, it would’ve been strange if Luca spoke gently instead.

This is Judith’s fault. All of it is Judith’s fault.
Taking on the all-knowing perspective of Luca’s mother, I sided completely with Luca.

There were far too many reasons for me to side with him rather than myself…
To begin with, Luca had been the protagonist of a novel, so I was already attached to him.

Of course I care—he’s the main character of a novel I liked.

It had already been five whole years since Luca’s mother, Larisa, died. I hadn’t expected that cooking him a single meal would make him open his heart right away.
Judith hadn’t been brutally abusing Luca from the start five years ago. At first, it was just irritation, then neglect—and that neglect gradually escalated.
But over the past three years, it had gone beyond neglect and come close to abuse. Right around the time Luca’s looks began to blossom.

Three years wasn’t a short time—especially in childhood, when three years feels like an eternity.
I was fully prepared for it to take time for Luca to open up. I had time to spare, too…

Luca’s uncle, Rüdiger Winterwald, would come to take him away during Luca’s tenth May Festival. That meant exactly one year remained.

Come to think of it, does Luca get sick every May Festival? He was sick in the original story when Rüdiger came, too.

Rüdiger only learned of Luca’s existence a year from now—after Luca’s father, Jonas, died in a riding accident. Panicking, he rushed to the Maybaum estate.

And what did he find?
Luca, burning with fever, lying alone and groaning in the house.

Judith, meanwhile, was out enjoying the May Festival, unconcerned whether Luca lived or died.

Rüdiger finally encountered Judith when she returned home late at night, and only then did he realize how Luca had been treated. He exploded in rage.

“You have no right to be his guardian! How can an adult be this irresponsible…! I’m taking Luca with me.”

Judith shot back without hesitation.

“That’s rich coming from a family that abandoned him as a bastard! Do you know how much money I’ve spent raising him? I lived practically as an unwed mother—my youth is gone! And you want to take him for free? Child support! Pay up!”

Rüdiger looked upon her with utter contempt for trying to sell her own nephew for money.
In the end, he decided to pay her exactly what she wanted—then sever her completely from Luca’s life.

“You’re right. I’ll pay for what you’ve done in raising him. But once I do, you’ll have no justification and no right to interfere in Luca’s life. Understood?”

Judith rejoiced at the thick wad of cash thrust into her hands.
Getting rid of an annoying eyesore and gaining a fortune—nothing could be better.

After selling Luca off, Judith felt as though a rotten tooth had finally been pulled.
But money that comes easily also disappears easily.

After quickly squandering the fortune, Judith began circling around Luca like a hyena, trying to squeeze more money out of the Winterwalds—and ended up causing an incident…

Because of that incident, Luca opened his heart to Rüdiger, the man who had stood up for him in anger, and came to follow him.
As for Judith, he gave up on her completely.

Well… since I was Judith now, that wouldn’t happen.
At the very least, when Luca went to the Winterwalds, I didn’t want him to feel like he’d been sold.

That part had left a deep scar on Luca in the original story. His life was already destined to be filled with hardship—I didn’t want to pile on yet another bad memory.

Thinking about Luca’s future, tears welled up in my eyes. I pressed at the corners with my fingers.
Reading it as a novel, I’d cheered—So satisfying! Such catharsis!
But seeing that kind of life unfold before a living, breathing child was nothing but heartbreaking.

Luca would eventually reach the end of his life as a victor—but if you asked whether his life had been happy…
From childhood through youth, he’d been battered around without even a moment of childlike ease. It was a cruel life.

Wouldn’t it be nice if, in that unfortunate life, he had at least one year of decent memories?

About a year remained. Even if I couldn’t completely win Luca’s heart in that time, I intended to do the best I could.
Make sure he ate properly. Try to speak to him a little more. Take walks together…

I made my own efforts for a month—but Luca’s closed heart didn’t budge.
If anything, he grew more wary and kept running away, making it even harder to face him.

But illness, at least, couldn’t be helped.

Last night, Luca suddenly fell sick and suffered all night. In that state, he had no choice but to accept my touch, even though he usually avoided it.
They say when the body hurts, the heart softens—and I could clearly see Luca’s wariness gradually crumbling.

Even while groaning in pain, he kept checking that I was beside him, his breathing easing in relief.
Seeing how he couldn’t bring himself to truly hate his only remaining blood relative made my chest ache.

Thinking of Luca sick at home, my hands gathering herbs grew sharper and faster.

“Good. I’m already out collecting herbs anyway… I’ll pick a bit more and put it toward buying some sausage.”

Meat is best when you’re sick—especially for a child.
I gathered herbs with renewed determination.

How much time had passed? The dim pre-dawn faded, and sunlight slowly filtered down through the leaves.
I finally straightened my back, which I’d kept bent the entire time. My stiff spine cracked loudly.

“Ow, ow, ow…”

A groan escaped me.
Patting my lower back, I looked down with satisfaction at the basket brimming with herbs.

“I guess it’s about time to head back to the village.”

Feeling pleased with my haul, my steps were light as I walked along the packed dirt path.
Then, suddenly, I heard the sound of hooves behind me.

When I startled and turned around, the carriage was already right there.

“W–What the—!”

I stumbled backward at the sight of the carriage passing so close it nearly grazed me. My foot tangled, and I fell straight onto my backside.

“Ow…!”

Of all places, it had to be a muddy patch. My clothes were completely ruined.
Whether they hadn’t noticed me fall—or simply didn’t care—the carriage continued on its way.

By the time I looked up, it was long gone.
From the brief glimpse I’d caught, it had been an extravagantly decorated carriage—clearly some noble lord here to enjoy the festival.

“Honestly, no matter where you go, people who drive expensive carriages have trash manners. Seriously.”

With no one left to yell at, I settled for muttering to myself.
Brushing off my filthy clothes, I trudged toward the village. I considered stopping by home to change, but it felt like a waste of time.

Because it was the day of the May Festival, the village square was already bustling from early morning.
Some people were taking out instruments and tuning them, others were hurriedly repairing fences.
Women carrying baskets moved through the crowd, calling out for people to come eat.

While everyone bustled about for the festival, I hunched my shoulders and hurried toward the apothecary, avoiding people’s gazes.
Even with Judith’s memories, meeting the villagers wasn’t exactly comfortable.
More than anything, I didn’t feel confident acting the way they expected “Judith” to act.

I tried to stay out of sight—but it was impossible to be completely unnoticed.

“Hey, Judith. Here to hunt for men again today? What’s with that getup—new strategy?”

The voice was filled with curiosity and mockery.
“Judith” was infamous in the village of Emden—for that sort of thing.

The type who tried to live comfortably by latching onto a man.
More precisely, she was so famous that when someone talked about a woman who trusted only her looks, nitpicked conditions, and ended up missing her prime and nearing spinsterhood, they’d say, ‘She ended up like Judith.’

Hey, what’s wrong with being twenty-seven? That’s still young, damn it.

With a sigh, I turned to face him.
A man who looked like half-kneaded dough was grinning at me unpleasantly.