Chapter 29
A chilling silence filled the room. My heart pounded furiously. As if waiting for my death sentence, a low, subdued voice dropped from above.
“Do as you like.”
“…Just one more chance… okay?”
I lifted my bowed head and met Kid’s sharp, irritable gaze. His face looked firmly set in displeasure, though not fully engaged in anger.
“Do as I said.”
I blinked, unsure what exactly he meant by that. What had I said to make him respond that way? I tried to replay my words in my mind, but fear blanked out my thoughts.
It was only then that I realized he meant he would spare me. A foolish “Ah” slipped from my lips.
“T-Thank you! I’ll really do my best, really, tr-…”
“But you know…”
Kid suddenly crouched down in front of me. His expression, completely serious and unsmiling, radiated a cold aura.
“I had a terrible night yesterday, thanks to someone, and my body feels stiff and sore.”
Stiff and sore? Seniel never said things like that. I instantly recognized it as a lie, made just to torment me.
‘Again… why?’
“I think you owe me a little compensation.”
Of course… that was expected, wasn’t it, Mrs. Seniel?
“…What should I do?”
Kid, expressionless, gave a direct command.
“Grab the keys and follow me.”
I almost asked which keys, but then it dawned on me what he meant. I scrambled to get up.
Thanks to the bright moon, I could easily find the keys in the drawer without a lantern.
Kid watched me the entire time, sitting as I retrieved the keys. When I finally grabbed them, he slowly rose and walked ahead without waiting. I struggled to keep up with his long strides.
Kid leaned against the piano room door, arms crossed, watching me as I unlocked it.
‘If I drop the keys, I’m dead. If I drop the keys, I’m dead.’
I gripped the tiny keys tightly, struggling to fit them into the lock. After several clinks, the door finally opened.
I held the door for him to go first, and he barged in with long, teasing strides.
He settled on the couch and tilted his chin toward the piano. I quickly sat on the piano bench and prepared to play.
I could feel his gaze piercing me. His usual crooked smile was gone, and with each passing moment, my fear grew.
Even as I positioned myself at the piano, I couldn’t bring myself to press the keys. He had said I’d pay a price, and the Kid I knew was not someone who would accept mercy in exchange for piano playing.
‘Is he going to cut off a finger each time I mess up?’
The thought sent shivers down my spine. The nickname “Kid” didn’t come without reason.
Despite being skilled at the piano, I couldn’t remember what to play. The keys seemed to wobble under my gaze.
I managed to press the first key. I had no idea what I wanted to play. I stumbled through a jumble of notes, then stopped, forgetting what came next.
My hands shook on the keys.
A sharp tsk sound made me flinch and hunch my shoulders.
“Do you play like this for Seniel too?”
“…N-No. I-I’ll try again.”
I tried to reset my posture, but my hands wouldn’t move.
‘Move quickly, move!’
“Enough. Come over here.”
The thought of asking what he intended crossed my mind. I knew I should move fast to increase my chance of survival, but my body felt stuck to the bench.
Kid clicked his tongue again, unimpressed.
“I wouldn’t have spared you if I wanted you dead. I would have done it yesterday.”
…True, but still. I hesitated and stepped in front of him. Though I looked down at Kid, I felt no sense of superiority.
He rested his chin and stared at me expressionlessly.
“I even gave you medicine, and you can’t do anything.”
No apology came out. I chewed the inside of my cheek nervously. He hummed, pondering, then spoke again.
“Payment, by definition, is returning the favor equally. No need to get it in some other way.”
I couldn’t understand what he meant. What favor? My fingertips trembled with dread.
Kid glanced at me and smiled slightly, then gestured to his thigh.
“Sit.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Sit.”
‘Could it be… he means to get it back the same way…?’
I resisted, and he lightly grabbed my hand to pull me toward him.
‘Insane.’
My body stiffened like stone, still trying to comprehend the situation.
‘Right now… the place I’m sitting…’
I felt his firm thigh under me and the armrest of the couch behind me, along with his hand pulling me closer. A slight movement would press my face against his chest. I silently screamed in panic.
Kid glanced at me, smirked, and closed his eyes.
“Pat me.”
“Eh, eh?”
“How many times do I have to tell you to understand?”
A mild threat that he’d cut my tongue if I asked again jolted me awake. I instinctively raised my hands—but didn’t know where to pat.
I tried to pat his back like yesterday, but it was pressed against the chair. All that remained was his chest and shoulders, and I hesitated, unsure how to proceed.
“You won’t do it?”
“I-I will.”
Trembling, I patted lightly around his shoulders, barely brushing his fine hairs. After about ten pats, our eyes met. Kid frowned.
“Terribly incompetent.”
I thought to myself: I had to try it to know.
“I-I’ll try again.”
I lightly patted him again. Earlier, I was terrified and sweating; now, I was just confused at what I was doing.
Finally, my light pats seemed to satisfy him. Kid closed his eyes again.
Patting him while tense made my arms ache. I wanted to ask how long this would last. Considering his idea of equal pay, it might last until he fell asleep. At this rate, I might die first.
‘Why do we have to do this on the couch? He must be uncomfortable too.’
After a while, curiosity replaced fear. If Kid was doing this purely to tease me, he was impressive.
He wasn’t the type to enjoy contact with others. I wondered if he was silently annoyed at having to do this.
‘Of course, if he got annoyed, he would have tossed me aside instantly.’
I tried to avoid contact as much as possible, but my arms were trembling, my back screaming from the strain.
I had steeled myself to do anything to survive, but with aching muscles all over, I wanted to end this somehow.
“Um… Your… great, um, majesty… it seems uncomfortable for you to sleep here… and I’m heavy, so it’d be worse…”
I muttered nervously. Kid tilted his head slightly and opened his eyes.
“Then, to the bed?”
A chill ran through me. Had anyone else said that, I would have suspected ill intent—but from Kid, it sounded like he was offering me to go to my mother.
“N-No… that’s not it… I-I just… I think I can play the piano again, so I wanted to go back and play…”
“You mean you’ll do as you like without paying your due?”
“Not at all… I… I’m just worried about making Your Greatness uncomfortable… yes…”
I curled up and mumbled, lacking confidence. Just as I regretted speaking, Kid looked at me and said,
“Call me Kid.”
“…Eh?”
Did he just… say, ‘Kid’?
My mouth fell open in disbelief. My hands froze mid-pat. Hearing his name drained the color from my body. I unconsciously hugged my neck.
Kid narrowed his eyes at my defensive posture.
“Hearing my name without flinching, without fear… you’ve known for a while, haven’t you?”
“….”
I couldn’t answer yes or no. A smile appeared on his lips.
“Did Seniel tell you? How long have you known?”
I wished he’d just stayed forceful like earlier. His gentle questioning was scarier.
“You should answer.”
I felt as if he would skin me alive if I didn’t.
“…A week ago, Seniel… told me… I-I haven’t told anyone else.”
Kid let out a short laugh, sounding genuinely pleased.
“Knowing who I am and still acting so boldly… I almost feel it’d be a waste to kill you. Why didn’t you report me earlier?”
“…I thought it would be useless. And I’ll never report you in the future, absolutely not.”
“A very wise choice. Even if you put me in jail, it would be pointless.”
For some reason, Kid seemed in a good mood. Strange—I thought he would have killed me immediately for knowing his identity.
“Quick-witted Mrs. Seniel. I thought you’d run away within a week, yet you kept silent even knowing who I am.”
My heart sank, not knowing what he would say next.
“Should I praise you for your good behavior?”
The breath I had been holding escaped all at once.
But I couldn’t be sure if it was a genuine compliment or one of Kid’s twisted versions. I had no choice but to hope for good news in his smiling face.
