Chapter 26

* * *

The moment the door opened,

as she slowly opened her eyes, her vision brightened.

What appeared before Chesier was not what she expected.

It wasn't the wicked maids, the terrifying half-brother, or even her father, who seemed to have come to kill her.

A faint light haloed the small figure behind her.

"...Heaven, Seraph?"

Chesier suddenly recalled the "Gates of Heaven" she had seen a few times.

The artwork depicting baby angels guarding the door to heaven.

Whenever she saw it, she would pray:

If there is a God, please send a little angel to take me away from this hell—

"Ah."

Chesier snapped out of her daze.

The silver hair that shone even in the darkness and the blue eyes were undoubtedly angelic, but it wasn't an angel.

'That's the child from before.'

The owner of the handkerchief.

It was that little girl.

'How did she get here? And why is she crying?'

The child suddenly started to cry, tightly pursing her small lips and swallowing her sobs.

"...Chesier."

How did she know? The child, who had approached, called her name.

"I came to take you."

"...What?"

"I'm sorry…."

Chesier stared blankly at the child.

How did she know where to come and take her? And what was she sorry for?

"Let's go."

The child extended her hand.

Chesier hesitated, unable to grasp the hand that seemed like a salvation.

The child is not an angel.

She can't take me out of this hell.

"Who are you?"

"Lilith."

"I'm not asking for your name."

"I'll tell you after we get out safely. Let's go now, okay?"

The child... Lilith, continued to wipe her tears with her sleeve as she spoke.

"Please, just trust me once…."

Can I trust you?

If you're not an angel?

If you tell me, who has been longing for heaven, that you'll take me to heaven, just like a momentary joke or out of pity?

But the child, instead of sweet words, said:

"Anywhere is better than this hell."

'...That's right.'

The words, not overly sweet, melted her guard.

'Even if it's not heaven, it's fine. It will be better than this hell.'

Chesier, as if entranced, took the angel's hand.

* * *

...I didn't expect her to take my hand so easily.

I looked down at the hand I held with Chesier, dazed.

"...You told me to take it."

"Uh, yeah!!"

Thank goodness. I'm so relieved. I swallowed, trying to smile and cry at the same time, and asked again:

"Are you coming with me?"

"..."

"Hehe."

I smiled at Chesier, who obediently followed.

Seeing her childhood, which I had never read in the original work,

'Really, I'm so glad.'

I thought.

Just a little bit, to be able to save this child from hell.

"I'm really, really sorry for coming so late…."

Chesier looked at me with a strange expression.

"I won't let anyone hit you anymore. I'll scold them all with a stick."

"...How can you? You're much smaller than me."

"My dad will!"

I'll give you the protection of the protagonist Enoch Rubinstein! Let you taste the feeling of being protected by the strongest in the world!

"Let's run to the main hall. My dad is there."

We ran briskly. As we retraced our steps, we came to a staircase.

"By the way, Chesier. You know, I don't know if you know, but this is the basement, the second floor? To get outside…."

Panting, I said.

"We have to go up to the third floor."

"...Pant. You know? Let's go!"

I didn't realize it when we came down, but going from the basement second floor to the ground third floor was very tiring.

Especially since we had to climb each step with short legs.

Still, I encouraged Chesier.

"Chesier! Just a little more! We have to hurry…!"

...There's no one?

Looking back at the bottom of the stairs, I was surprised, but when I looked up, I saw Chesier, who had already gone up ten steps.

"Pant, oh, I have a hole."

I climbed the stairs again with effort.

A body that had developed less than a seven-year-old. It felt like climbing Everest.

"Phew, Lilith, save me."

The summit was in sight.

I saw Chesier waiting by the side door.

'From now on, it's all downhill!'

But for some reason, Chesier stopped and didn't move.

"Why, pant. Why? Is someone there?"

"...No. But from here on, there are servants."

"Oh, that? It's fine! It doesn't matter if we get caught. As long as we don't get caught!"

I smiled and ran ahead of Chesier, competing.

"Hurry up!"

"..."

I heard the sound of footsteps following.

I'll leave the key on the second window frame of the annex lobby corridor.

'There!'

The first-floor lobby. I was about to hide the key as agreed with Richel.

"Whoa."

...It was high. The window.

I was momentarily confused, trying to reach it on tiptoe, but someone snatched the key from my hand.

It was Chesier.

"Are you going to put it on the window frame?"

"Yeah, that's right!"

Nice. We worked well together.

After hiding the key safely, Chesier crossed the lobby again.

Then.

"Where did they go?"

"Looks like they went outside…."

Voices from the entrance reached us.

Chesier stopped abruptly.

Jonathan, who had been scolding the servants, turned around, sensing our presence.

"......!"

His eyes widened.

"What, that, that kid, why…."

"Oops, hello! I found a friend down here!"

I said cheerfully, pulling Chesier and running towards Jonathan.

He turned pale and trembled.

"You, you, you, s-s-shouldn't you go back to your room?"

"We're playing hide and seek! Run!"

I pushed Chesier, who started running towards the entrance.

"Get that kid!"

"Wh-what? Who is that…."

The servants, who didn't know about Chesier, were confused but soon started chasing her.

I also ran, taking advantage of the confusion.

"Princess! Princess, stay there!"

"Ah!"

Apparently, Jonathan grabbed the back of my neck to stop me from talking.

"Can't, can't breathe."

"I'm sorry. But... wait a moment. Just a moment. Let's talk…."

As soon as he let go of my neck, I tried to run again.

"Ah!"

Crash—!

Jonathan pushed me, and I fell flat on my face.

'Oh, you really are a bad guy... That's too much for a child!'

I was in pain, lying on the ground, when I saw Chesier.

She couldn't get out of the entrance because of me.

"Go, go first!"

I stretched out my hand like a general captured by the enemy and shouted.

It doesn't matter if I get caught. I just need to make sure Chesier's presence is noticed by her father.

'Please go! With the coldness that cut my neck in the original, leave me behind!'

But contrary to my wishes, Chesier started running back the way she had fled.

'Oh, you idiot!'

The servants reached out to grab Chesier, but he easily dodged and quickly approached me.

'What? Why is he so fast?'

His agility was so remarkable that it felt unreal.

"You... you're crazy? Do you know where you are? Can't you go back to your room right now?"

Jonathan shouted at the approaching Chesier.

Unable to contain his anger, he swung his fist.

"No! Don't hit my friend! You bad guy!"

But Chesier easily dodged the punch by turning his head.

He then extended his hand to me, who had fallen.

"Idiot! Go first!"

I thought he couldn't escape with me—

"......?"

—But.

"What, what?"

The moment Chesier's hand touched mine.

I found myself outside the open door of the annex, far from the pursuers.

'What, can this kid teleport?'

Confused like me, Jonathan, who had been flustered by our sudden disappearance, shouted.

"Get them! Get them!"

"Let's run."

Chesier, holding my hand, crossed the garden, not knowing what was happening.

'This is what? Oh, right! It's not teleportation…'

I realized as I ran.

The original work, where the two protagonists had maxed-out stats.

According to Chesier's 5th setting—

Chesier Rubinstein (Protagonist)

5. Sees punches in slow motion

Surprisingly, this cheat character could manipulate the density of time.

If he wanted, the movements of others would appear in slow motion.

The slight sense of unreality in Chesier's agility now made sense.

'This, this…'

I grinned.

'With Dad and Chesier, both cheats, can I really mess things up?'

I felt a renewed surge of confidence and increased my speed with my short legs.

"Ha ha ha! Get out of the way!"

My job is done.

What's left is... a little chaos.

* * *

At that moment.

Enoch was sitting in the lavishly decorated reception room, facing the Onyx Marquess and his wife.

"...There were many rumors back then. Ignorant people who didn't understand the Duke's situation spread many rumors."

"That's so."

As expected, the Marquess, who seemed to want to curry favor, spouted only flattery.

"But parents who have children know. They know the Duke's heart when he took the Princess and disappeared seven years ago."

"Ah, yes. Thank you for understanding."

Enoch answered half-heartedly, focusing his mind.

He gathered his mana and heightened his senses, but he couldn't detect the presence of the child from back then.

'Not being able to detect any presence at all. Either he's in the distant annex, or... has something already gone wrong?'

Enoch, feeling anxious, recalled the child's face.

A child with a vacant gaze but a sharp edge like a well-honed sword.

There was a strange pull, a desire to find him again, even without Lili's request.

"By the way, is the child I saw earlier the only one?"

Enoch asked, and the Marquess and his wife's faces stiffened for a moment.

A fleeting change, but not one that could escape Enoch's notice.

"Yes, that's right. Our family is just too precious."

"Is that so."

Enoch, seeing the obvious reaction, stood up.

He intended to narrow the distance to the annex and look for the child.

"Can I also take a look at the exhibition hall?"

"Of course. I'll show you myself."

The Marquess, feeling guilty about the sudden question about his child, couldn't hide his flustered expression.

Just as he was about to leave the room,

"Dad!!!"

A loud voice echoed outside the door.

'Lili?'

Bang, bang.

The sound of small, running steps.

"Wait, wait, Princess, please! Stop!"

The flustered shout of Jonathan, who was following.

"What is this…."

The Marquess and his wife looked bewildered, and Enoch was also taken aback.

And then, the door to the reception room burst open.

"Y-you, how did you get here...!"

Behind the pale faces of the Marquess and his wife, Lili appeared.

"Dad!"

Lili, with a bright, innocent smile on her face.

Next to her,

"Do you remember this kid?!"

The child she had met a week ago.

"Did the Marquess invite this one too?"

The Onyx Marquess had a bastard.