Chapter 18 : Chapter 18
Chapter 18
That night, Leticia and Stano did not meet in that strange mirror-lake-like place.
But this was normal, since their “encounters” were irregular—sometimes they saw each other the next day, sometimes not even once in a month.
What was regular was that every morning around five, she would reestablish contact with that bad-tempered, arrogant brat.
Leticia woke up very early.
She had been startled awake by Uncle John’s movements, though he was already being as quiet as possible.
“Uncle is going out to work again...”
Pretending to still be asleep, Leticia watched him leave, then slowly sat up. “I should get up and tidy up too.”
She got out of bed by her own will, dressed, stepped barefoot onto the floor, and then...
She involuntarily began walking outside.
“???”
Leticia was stunned for just a moment before realizing—it was that noble-born brat forcefully commandeering her body!
“You little brat, what are you doing?! Stano, stop right now!”
Leticia shouted. “Do you even know what you’re doing?!”
“...”
Stano didn’t respond, wholeheartedly controlling Leticia’s body as he walked her out the door and toward the edge of the village.
Only now did Leticia regret ever telling him during their earlier talks where the village ended and where the road began!
“Hey! You stop this instant!”
It was over, completely over. That damned brat had turned into a total deaf-mute—he wouldn’t listen to her at all!
Faced with such a helpless situation, Leticia could only...
Only...
Damn it, why couldn’t she think of a way out!
“Hey, what exactly are you trying to do?!”
She was exasperated. The initiative wasn’t in her hands, and she had no means to threaten him. “What’s so important in that Rhodes place anyway?”
“You wouldn’t listen even if I told you.”
Stano replied calmly with just that one line.
Eh? At least it wasn’t a completely unresponsive state. That was something to work with!
Leticia’s spirit lifted. She quickly said what she had said yesterday was all out of anger, everything could be discussed—but only if Stano stopped moving her body recklessly.
“Do you realize that your little impulse might not affect you much, but to me it could be absolutely destructive?!”
“Shut up!”
Stano growled in a low voice. “Don’t treat me like a fool. In three months I’ll undergo my coming-of-age ceremony. Your words can’t deceive me!”
Kid, even if you turn fourteen and come of age, you’re still just a brat!
Leticia almost laughed from anger, but still tried to “patiently” negotiate: “So what exactly do you plan to do?”
“You’re so annoying, do you know that!”
Stano snapped. “You just need to obey. I only want to save someone! Save someone! Do you understand that? That person is going to die, and I have to save him! Can you stop fussing and just pretend you’re asleep!”
Originally, Stano had planned to act the moment contact was established. At that hour, it was usually early enough that Leticia was still asleep, meaning he could “do as he pleased.”
As for what he had done before—heh, best left to the imagination.
There had been similar instances before, but this time, unluckily, the little girl had woken up far too early!
“I want to save someone, but with this kind of body of mine, who could I possibly save?!”
Leticia nearly screamed. “Are you trying to make it a two-for-one funeral? By the time I get there, that person will probably be long dead!”
What kind of nonsense logic was this brat spouting, wanting her, a little girl, to save someone?!
Didn’t he realize that kids like her (ordinary children) in stories and dramas were always just burdens, used as hostages to threaten the protagonist?!
“What do you know!”
Stano scolded. “My uncle isn’t dead yet. There’s still a chance!”
Oh, so it was his uncle.
“Fine, I get you’re anxious to save him. But have you even thought—when you get to Rhodes, will you even be able to find your uncle?”
If the man wasn’t dead yet, he was either hiding and waiting to die, or already captured and waiting to die. Either way, it wasn’t something a brat and a skinny little girl’s body could solve!
“You think I haven’t considered that?!”
Their exchange, which had started as bickering, escalated into full-blown shouting. “I’ve read the secret scroll Father received. I know how to make contact!”
“But you still don’t know how to save him, you little—(auto-censored)!”
Why hadn’t his father beaten him to death already!
“Tch...”
Stano was briefly at a loss for words. He really was just a brat. Though he had thought of many things, when it came to the most critical step, he had overlooked it.
Yes, how to save him?
With the exposure of the plan, the situation in Rhodes City must already be tense. Leticia, as a skinny little girl, could probably enter the city without trouble. But trying to escort another person out would definitely be harder. And what if his uncle had already been captured?
He had thought last night that he had considered everything thoroughly. But now, calmer, he realized he was still too green.
And the fact that it was pointed out by someone even younger and frailer than himself...
That only made him angrier!