Chapter 03 …
“Kim So-jeong? That’s an unusual name.”
Oops. I’d blurted out my original name.
“Oh—Hailey.”
“Hailey. Then what’s Kim So-jeong?”
“It’s the name I used before. My family name is Kim, and my given name is So-jeong.”
I lightly bounced Baron on my back and adjusted my piggyback hold. His body stiffened for a moment. It seemed he wasn’t used to being carried, so he felt very awkward.
Still, Baron pretended to be calm and asked again.
“Are you a noble too, noona?”
“No. In the world I used to live in, everyone had names like that.”
“The world you used to live in?”
“There is such a thing. Kids can just accept it as it is.”
“…I see. Where do you live?”
I couldn’t help but smile at how obediently he accepted it instead of throwing a childish tantrum.
“By the seaside. There’s an old hut there.”
“Do you have family?”
“No. I’m alone. I don’t know my age either.”
“Really? What about your parents?”
“I don’t think I have any.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Then… maybe you’re an orphan too, noona.”
“I’m an adult, so I’m not an orphan, right?”
“How old are you?”
My real age was twenty-eight. But I had no idea how old Hailey was.
“I don’t know.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t know my birthday. Judging by my appearance, maybe early twenties?”
“Why don’t you know?”
“My identity isn’t verified. There probably isn’t any record of when I was born.”
“Ah… I guess so.”
The mood turned a little awkward at my words, but just then we arrived in front of the orphanage.
“Here we are. Get down.”
After making sure Baron had both feet on the ground, I stretched my back.
“Ugh…”
Baron, who had been examining the orphanage building, frowned.
“It looks like a prison.”
The square wooden building was surrounded by a fence made of sharpened wooden stakes, and the entrance was tightly locked.
As I failed to either agree or deny his comment, Baron asked me,
“Do I have to go in?”
“Y-you need a place to live. And if you stay here, you might meet good adults.”
I stuttered a little without realizing it, and Baron spoke again.
“I could just go to your house, noona. You said you live alone. That sounds better.”
“My house? Are you saying I should raise you now?”
“…Is that how it sounds?”
Baron’s eyes widened as if he hadn’t thought that far.
“If you come to my house, that’s obviously what would happen.”
Just thinking about my barely cleaned place made me sigh. No matter how I thought about it, my hut—closer to an abandoned house—wasn’t suitable for a child.
But then Baron said something I never expected.
“Is it because I’d be a burden on your food?”
He must have misunderstood my sigh. Still—what kind of child says something like that!
“That’s not it! Why would you say something like that? Where did you learn such awful words?”
“The innkeeper said it when he kicked me out.”
He shrugged.
“It’s true, isn’t it?”
“No, it’s not!”
I denied it firmly.
Even adults would be hurt hearing those words, yet this child was using them so casually.
It made my heart ache—it was proof Baron was used to verbal abuse and mistreatment.
“Don’t say things like that. That’s not something an adult should say to a child. And they should never say it.”
Baron quietly looked up at me.
“I might not be able to give you delicious food, but I can manage to feed one kid somehow. But right now, there’s nothing at home. And the house is a complete mess.”
Just then—
“You freeloading brats! Why aren’t you moving faster?!”
A man’s angry shout came from behind the orphanage.
Startled, I moved toward the sound and peeked over the wall. Beyond the wooden fence stood a grown man and several children of different sizes.
The children were pulling weeds from a garden with their bare hands. None of them were crying, but all of them looked miserable.
No wonder.
“Why do you all look so damn miserable?! We feed you and give you a place to sleep! You should be grateful you’re not slaves!”
The man who appeared to be in charge was yelling abusive remarks at them.
Eventually, the children began to shed tears one by one.
“If you don’t finish before sunset, there’s no dinner tonight!”
“Ah…”
A sigh slipped out of me as complicated emotions surged.
That’s when I noticed what the children were wearing.
Their clothes don’t even fit… all patched up and ragged.
They looked no different from beggars.
Just then Baron tugged on the hem of my skirt.
“Am I really going into the orphanage?”
“….”
I couldn’t answer and just looked at him.
If I left him here, those pretty violet eyes would surely fill with gloom. I couldn’t save all the children here, but…
I gently patted Baron’s head.
“My house is really uncomfortable, and there’s not much food… but can you bear with it for a while? If I work hard, I should be able to feed at least you.”
It definitely seemed better than sending him into that orphanage.
Baron looked smart—if a few years passed, he’d probably be able to stand on his own.
“Can I really live at your house?”
“Yeah. Let’s go to my place.”
Joy lit up Baron’s eyes. He quickly grabbed my hand and beamed.
“Okay!”
But by the time we reached my house at sunset, Baron’s expression was quite something.
“This is… a house?”
A dented door. Broken windows. Blankets hanging off a sagging clothesline. A small garden overgrown with weeds and a broken fence.
At the edge of the sandy beach, where stones lay scattered sparsely, stood the lone hut where Baron and I would live together.
“I told you. It’s uncomfortable and there’s nothing to eat. But there’s a stream behind the house, so we don’t have to worry about water.”
When I spoke awkwardly, Baron hurriedly waved his hands.
“No, it’s good. Way better than the orphanage.”
“What a positive kid. Wait here a moment—I’ll make dinner.”
I patted Baron’s head once and went inside, gathering the blankets and placing them on the bed. Thankfully they were well dried, so we could use them tonight.
I’m fine, but kids catch colds easily…
Fortunately, the embers in the stove were still faintly alive thanks to the ash I’d carefully covered them with in the morning.
As I blew gently and fed in some kindling to revive the fire, Baron looked around the house and smacked his lips.
“There are even broken furniture pieces lying around. This is basically a ruin. How did you live in a place like this, noona?”
“I don’t know.”
“Huh?”
“This wasn’t where I originally lived.”
Even so, after running around all day yesterday collecting firewood and tidying the most urgent spots first, this was the best I could manage.
Baron looked like he wanted to ask something, but I casually ignored it and checked outside the window.
Under the red sunset, I could see the tide receding from the sandy flats.
Perfect timing for foraging.
“First I need to get something for dinner, so wait a bit.”
I grabbed the old bucket and stepped outside. Baron obediently followed behind me without asking further.
“Where are you going?”
“To the sea. I’ll be back soon. Wait here.”
“The sea is dangerous at night. You must never go into the water.”
Baron looked up at me with earnest eyes.
“Heh, you’re cute.”
I ruffled his hair.
“You’re right. But it’s fine. I’m only going somewhere so shallow it barely counts as water.”
“Only shallow water?”
“Yeah, it won’t even cover my ankles.”
“…Well, if that’s the case.”
“I’ll be back before the sun fully sets, so wait here.”
Baron touched his head with both hands and nodded obediently.
Leaving him behind, I walked into the muddy flats and surveyed the area.
Under the very shallow water, I could see plenty of fist-sized sea snails and sea cucumbers. No matter how I looked at it, it seemed like no one was harvesting them.
Is there something I don’t know?
I inspected carefully, but nothing looked immediately dangerous.
Maybe there’s a better foraging spot closer to town.
If they could catch plenty elsewhere, there’d be no need to walk all the way out here.
When I thought about it that way, the situation wasn’t impossible to understand.
I needed time to sort out my thoughts anyway—this works out.
As I picked only the large sea snails and dropped them into the bucket, I tried to estimate where the original story timeline currently stood.
Since Baron was almost kidnapped, the original plot must still be in progress… which means the male lead, Bloden, hasn’t arrived here yet.
