TEB Ch 10

“Don’t run too fast. There’s nothing good about standing out.” 

Liev began to assess the current situation as he walked. 

Lady Priscilla had left the village long ago to go to the Count’s side and Renard, despite his flashy appearance, looked no different from any other child at first glance. However, seeing two children wandering without a guardian could lead to trouble. 

Let’s be as quiet as possible, hiding among the crowd and just watch the people.

The moment Liev made that decision, 

“Oh no.” 

Before he knew it, Renard had quickly moved away from him and was staring at a whole roasted meat sizzling over the fire. Liev, who saw Renard’s tail peeking out from under his long robe, hurriedly took his steps. 

“Sorry! Did my younger brother touch anything??” 

If he had touched something, it might have floated away by magic rather than using his hands. When Liev asked the merchant who was casually arranging firewood, the merchant with a smile replied, 

“Oh my, the kid came out with a kid. Don’t worry, he didn’t take anything.” 

Fortunately, he was a kind merchant, there were no major problems, but Liev was unaware that Renard’s gaze had never left the meat. Come to think of it, this guy has probably never tasted proper human food before. Only then did he understand Renard’s curiosity a little. 

He has only been fed monster meat until now. It does not necessarily need to be cooked. There were times Renard was curious about what food he was eating but most of the time he lost interest after putting something in his mouth, so I thought he wasn’t interested in food. Is human food different? Liev quickly took his hands out of his pockets. 

Since he had brought along the money pouch he had secretly collected on the way here, he had enough to cover the cost of the skewers. Of course, it’s not advisable to spend recklessly, but Liev, after a moment of consideration, asked Renard.

“Do you want to eat that?” 

Startled, Renard, who had finally become aware of Liev’s gaze, widened his eyes, which were full of curiosity, and quickly shook his head. 

“N-No! I was just looking!” 

“Hmm…” 

He seemed very wary, fearing that he would be hated by Liev if he was caught being greedy. If you’re going to say something like that, you should at least wipe the drool from your mouth before saying it. Unconsciously wiping away the drool under Renard’s plump cheeks, Liev smiled. 

“I can buy you one of the things we see here today. Shall we look around a bit more before deciding?” 

It wouldn’t hurt to fill their stomachs with skewers in one hand and look around. Since they had just arrived at the entrance of the night market, it would be better to explore a bit more before deciding in case they find something else they want to try later. 

Renard quickly nodded his head at Liev’s suggestion. 

“Yeah!” 

“Alright, let’s look around a bit more and come back.” 

The bustling music echoing through the streets, captivating performances, and strange objects he had never seen before. Renard was full of curiosity, but he was also being more careful not to lose sight of Liev again. Liev laughed as he answered. 

“Yes, let’s get a bit closer. But be careful. No, go slowly!” 

However, not even 10 minutes later, an unexpected accident occurred. 

“Come on, everyone, take your seats quickly! It’s about to start! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you’ll never have the opportunity again.” 

What was the highlight of the festival? For children, it might be toy stores and snack stalls, but for adults, it was different. Maybe because it was past midnight. As they went deeper into the festival, more stores targeted adults, selling expensive jewelry or mysterious potions with unknown effects. Soon, a gambler who seemed to be thriving during it all appeared. 

“Come, I’ll show it to you just once, so those who are confident, come forward and place your bets with this guy! Oh, this opportunity doesn’t come every day! Gamble your money, don’t miss out, and come quickly!” 

It wouldn’t be good to show this. Having seen enough by now, Liev was thinking of turning around and buying what he wanted to eat most…. When suddenly

“Oh my! I’ll just pass by!” 

A lavishly decorated wagon passed through the crowd of gamblers filling the street. No, it wasn’t a main street in Gangnam, nor was it a fool bringing a foreign car into a crowded alleyway. Wait, just as Liev was about to call Renard over, worried that he might get hurt. 

“Huh…?” 

Renard, who had been sticking close to Liev until a moment ago, was nowhere to be seen. Liev looked around and could see Renard’s jet-black head in the distance. 

While he was distracted by the carriage driver’s shouting, the man standing in front of Liev seemed concerned about a child who was crowded among the adults. He pushed Liev to the opposite side of the path that the carriage was taking. 

“Hey, kid. You’ll get hurt if you stay there. Go over there!” 

“No…” 

Worried about Renard, Liev tried to rush to the other side, but this time, a wagon rider roughly pushed him aside. 

“Don’t linger here. Get out of the way!” 

“Ren…” 

Just as he was about to call out his name, he hesitated, fearing what might happen if someone recognized his name. Meanwhile, Renard, who was just over a meter tall, had disappeared into the crowd of adults, not a single strand of his hair visible. 

This was bad. If Renard somehow rose in the air to find him, it would be a disaster. It’s not that magic doesn’t exist at all in this world, but the talent to use magic skillfully at such a young age was rare. 

While people were startled and attention was drawn, there would undoubtedly be a commotion, and it would reach the ears of the Count. Liev clenched his fists, hoping the wagon would pass by quickly. 

“It’s okay, stay there!” 

He shouted as loudly as he could, but due to the loud surroundings, there was no response. 

“Oh dear, bringing a wagon like this into a place like this.” 

“He’s an inconsiderate person without any self-awareness.” 

Finally, the murmurs of passersby reached Liev, and just as the wagon barely escaped the alley, in the midst of adults grumbling about the inconvenience, Renard, whose face was smeared with tears and snot, ran towards Liev with determination. Liev, feeling like his chest would burst with worry, found himself unable to contain his laughter. 

“You said you wouldn’t leave me! You said you’d keep watching!” 

Well, I didn’t expect you to be over there so suddenly. Before he could even make an excuse, Renard hit Liev’s chest and stomach with small fists. 

“Liev, you dummy! Ugh, liar! Sniff, I won’t believe you anymore!” 

“Okay, I was wrong. I’m a liar, so don’t believe me and hate me if you want.” 

“That’s a lie too! Ugh… Sniff…” 

Renard’s face, swollen with tears, looked like it had been dipped in a bath and then pulled out. It’s okay now. “Let’s quickly buy the skewers you wanted earlier and go back.” Tapping Renard’s back to console him, Liev whispered, and Renard, with a huff, said, 

“Buy the fruit skewer we saw earlier too!” 

He even attempted to negotiate a deal. Even though he’s a child, he’s not an easy opponent to deal with. Finally, Liev suppressed his laughter again and nodded. 

Renard, as if vowing never to let go, grabbed Liev’s sleeve tightly with his small hand. The affection and emotions expressed throughout his body made Liev’s heart flutter for some reason. 

When the time comes to part ways, how will I recover when it’s time to break up? During his time working at the shelter, Suhyuk felt a sense of accomplishment watching animals return to their habitats after being nursed back to health. If he said he never felt a slight bit of regret, that would be a lie. They were just returning to their original places, and he believed that was the path to true happiness. 

But what about this kid? It seemed difficult to accept him on the same level as injured wild animals, as there were too many aspects resembling a human to be simply treated as an animal that received help from him. 

It was the first time he had shared so much affection with someone. 

Maybe the problem isn’t with this kid, but with me.

Thinking such absurd thoughts made Liev’s mouth dry. It’s not like he could change the most desirable course of action. Liev ignored the uncomfortable itching in his chest and tightened his grip, holding on to Renard’s hand.