Chapter 168
She’s grateful that even though he didn’t seem all that pleased, he still took the trouble to look after the child.
Even though he could have just coldly told her to send him away.
Whether the medicine had sleeping herbs mixed in or not, the boy’s hazy, unfocused eyes blinked more and more slowly before he soon fell asleep.
Lynette, who had kept her mouth shut the whole time, cautiously spoke.
“What do we do now, Sillian?”
“Once the fever goes down, I’ll send him back.”
“But-!”
As if he already knew what she was going to say, he cut her off.
“Lynette, there is nothing for you to do.”
He was right.
What exactly was she going to accomplish by meddling? It wasn’t as if she could just march into the Count’s household and grab the Count by the collar, nor is she going to beg them not to hit or torment Edwin.
She bit her lip hard.
She’d never once thought of herself as altruistic, but it was hard to turn away.
Is it because he’s a child? or because it was so obvious how he had been living and how he would continue to live?
“What if he gets hit again?”
“That’s something Edwin will have to deal with.”
“What if he comes back here again?”
Sillian let out a quiet sigh.
Perhaps because of the medicine, the child’s fever had gone down a little.
He placed a cloth soaked and wrung tightly with water onto the boy’s forehead, then lowered his rolled-up sleeves.
“Then I’ll send him back again.”
“…”
Seeing her expression, the man asked a question quietly.
“What is it you want to do? Do you intend to save this child?”
“Save him…”
She never had such lofty ideas. She just… just wanted to help a little.
To give him something to eat if he’s hungry.
To look after him if he’s sick.
Even while knowing it wouldn’t amount to any kind of salvation.
Lynette pressed her lips tightly together.
Sillian gave a wry smile.
“Lynette seems to be rather soft-hearted.”
“Not particularly.”
“And yet, you still can’t turn away.”
He brushed aside his hair that had fallen forward and let out a short sigh.
“If you want to achieve what you want, you’ll have to do something about the Count.”
“I know.”
“And do you understand that doing so goes against what the Imperial Prince wants?”
At those words, Lynette nodded.
“That’s why I’m not throwing a tantrum and asking you to do something about it.”
The man looked at her quietly with a calm expression.
“I don’t want to interfere with Euphen and Eshar’s plans, but still… knowing that Edwin is in this situation… I can’t just pretend I didn’t see it.”
Lynette clenched her fist tightly.
When Sillian wrapped her hand in his, she felt as if some part of the tangled mess inside her eased a little.
She knew in her head that it’s due to the guiding effect, but it’s still calming… It’s always strange no matter how many times she feels it.
“Something like this might happen again.”
The man lowered himself to meet her gaze and spoke quietly.
“You know you cannot save every unfortunate person in this world.”
“So you’re saying that it’s better to pretend I didn’t see anything?”
At that, the man slowly nodded.
Lynette dropped her head.
She knew.
She knew, and that’s why she’s struggling with it.
Just as she let out a long sigh, someone knocked on the door.
The doctor had already come and gone earlier. Who could it be?
When she tried to get up, Sillian gently pressed her shoulder down.
“I’ll go.”
Standing at the door were two large men.
Their faces and demeanor alone were enough to tell that they weren’t decent people.
“What is it?”
Ignoring Sillian’s calm question, they shoved his shoulder aside and looked around the room.
After confirming that Edwin is lying on the bed, they spoke with a leisurely grin.
“I’m the kid’s uncle. I’ll be taking him back now.”
At those words, Lynette frowned.
Sillian glanced at her briefly before blocking the men.
“He’s sick. It would be better to take him after he wakes up.”
“No, we couldn’t possibly trouble you like that.”
“…In that case, pay the house-call fee. We called a doctor and gave him medicine. Since you’re his uncle, I trust you can at least cover that much.”
When he held out his hand, the men frowned.
They must not have expected to be asked for money.
The two looked at each other, their expressions twisted viciously.
“What, is he a scammer? A doctor? Just trying to squeeze money out of us?”
“Move!”
They suddenly turned violent, shoving Sillian roughly.
He frowned, then grabbed the wrist of the man pushing him.
When he tightened his grip, the thug’s already unpleasant face contorted even further.
“Argh! Let go, damn it!”
As he shoved the man whose wrist he held out the doorway, he simultaneously blocked the other man’s punch.
The one who had been pushed crashed down with a loud thud, then quickly scrambled to his feet.
“You bastard!”
Easily handling both men who charged at him, Sillian forced their heavy bodies out the door and slammed it shut.
“You son of a-!”
Curses rang out along with the sound of loud kicks pounding against the door.
Sillian braced his back against it, holding firm.
Only after they spent quite some time pounding at the door, swearing, and causing a commotion, did they finally stomp away.
Sillian let out a sigh and stepped away from the door.
“Sillian…”
Lynette murmured his name, feeling slightly taken aback.
She thought he’d hand the child over without a fuss, but he had driven them away instead.
Whether he noticed the question laced into her voice or not, the man picked up her coat from the rack and handed it to her.
“It would be best for us to leave this place, Lynette.”
“What…?”
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