If I Can’t Save You, I’d Rather Die - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

‘…It didn’t happen just here.’

I wrinkled my forehead.

This world was an exhausting world anyway. Most of the slums were like this, and this world was a place full of orphaned kids or children who would be better off without their parents.

“Young Lady, I was wrong. I beg you to show me mercy…”

The head of the orphanage, who starved such children and filled his own stomach, was hanging on to me pitifully.

‘As expected… It will be such a shame if I die early.’

It was because I had power. It would be too wasteful to die early since I could turn from a person who said, ‘Ah, what in the world are the ghosts doing, not catching those bad guys?’ to a person who became the ghost myself.
[ T/N: Saying that she could turn from a person who could only wonder and watch ghosts/authorities do their work, as in catching the bad guys into a person who does those works herself. ]

As I thought I would do my best to save Schloetz until my death, I glanced at the clock and asked in a flowy voice.

“You know…”

“Yes, Young Lady?”

“Where does… the noble live… in this…district?”

In the empire, one noble had to live in each district. In some cases, while a large and developed district would be taken over by a family, for these shabby and poor districts on the outskirts of the empire… I could say it was kind of abandoned.

The insignificant one from the noble blood would come and die in loneliness while looking after their place.

This place was where Schloetz’s father kicked him out.

“He resides in the center of the district though the situation is a bit complicated there, Young Lady, so you don’t have to go say hello…”

“Why… is it complicated?”

“That’s—”

At my question, the inspector looked flustered.

Before we went down here for a surprise investigation, we got every information about the red district so, of course, we would know that Schloetz, who was kicked out from his family, lived in the red district.

Even though I didn’t want to get involved in the problem, no matter what, I had to visit him.

“But, my brother… told me to keep my manners…between noble families, though? If I don’t say hello… then I can’t be a noble.”

“That’s…”

“Since… I’m not a child anymore…”

The inspector was smiling, but his eyes glowed with despair. It was as if his eyes said, ‘Why would the Young Master already teach those things to a little girl?’

In the end, I was able to go there with a nervous feeling.

‘I’m so nervous…!’

The dark atmosphere of the red district didn’t even matter to me. My heart thumped fast because I was actually going to meet Schloetz soon.

Eyes glanced at me since I was dressed in strikingly luxurious clothes in this slum, but obviously, nobody approached me. I had already guessed it because I left the orphanage with many knights and purposefully came in a nice carriage.

‘The house is really pretty and lovely.’

Schloetz’s house was remarkably nice. It was because of Schloetz’s maternal family. They must have realized what was happening since Schloetz’s father tried to marry another woman as soon as he got divorced.

Still, it was a truth that Schloetz couldn’t use his ability, so they couldn’t aid him openly. They could only support him from behind by taking care of the house and his living expenses.

‘In fact, they actually want to bring him to the family.’

However, Schloetz’s father didn’t remove him from the family yet. It was an official duty for the noble to be sent to these dark districts. Plus, since his paternal family was superior to his maternal family, it was impossible for them to clash publicly.

Because of that, they could only secretly support and take care of him, the exiled heir. Although those things ended when Schloetz’s maternal grandmother died…

Schloetz was the same age as Enrico, so he would be ten years old now. While he was still young, he was not in good health… not to mention the poison his father secretly fed him was also sent by his stepmother every other day by food.

‘…Who are those rascals?’

I stopped at a distance and stared widely.

They were dressed in nice clothes that were definitely noble clothes while walking loudly in front of Schloetz’s house. As they stopped in front of Schloetz’s house perversely and banged the door without shame, after a while, the door opened and a boy soon walked out.

“….”

It made me feel even more baffled to see the person I had always pictured in my head for years with my own eyes. Nonetheless, I couldn’t see him properly because he was covered by their bodies…

“The madam sent you a meal because she felt sorry for you.”

‘Ah.’

I only understood a beat later. They must be the people Schloetz’s stepmother paid to send the food with poison.

“When I thought about the madam who takes care of you regularly, I felt even more sorry.”

“What was so pitiful about you? Tch, eat this with gratitude.”

When Schloetz took the basket without saying a word, it was then that one of them had an unusual face, and he shoved Schloetz aside. The intruder ran and jumped into the house, not caring whether Schloetz fell or not.

“What? This b*stard didn’t even eat half of the food we gave him last time.”

‘…He didn’t eat it?’

The intruder’s hands were full of spoiled food.

‘Wasn’t it stated in the original novel that there was nothing left?’

Was it different from what I read…?

As I was left confused, loud voices emerged, and in an instant, a fight broke out. No, it was not a fight. On one side was a skinny boy because he couldn’t eat, and on the other side were strong men. It was a one-sided beating.

“How dare a disgrace to the family like you refuse the madam’s favor? What an impudent and filthy one! Do you think that you’re still the family’s heir?!”

‘What?’

“Hold this b*stard’s mouth!”

“You’ve been caught, you b*stard. Do you know how much we’ve been tolerating you and your cursed eyes?”

Hanging by his collar, they grabbed Schloetz’s jaw and forced the food in. When he couldn’t swallow properly and threw up, they fed him again and again.

‘…What? What in the world is happening?’

No, sh*t, this wasn’t in the original novel…?!

On the spur of the moment. I didn’t even realize that my feet had moved, and before I knew it, I was already standing in front of them.

“….?”

“What’s with this small kid?”

Even though three brawny men hit and punched a small boy, everyone around pretended not to see, and those b*stards knew it, so that was why they could hit Schloetz comfortably. However, when a small child suddenly appeared and intervened, they seemed flustered.

“…She looks like someone noble, though?”

“What? From which family this young lady comes from?”

They looked agitated when they saw my outfit. Unlike the poor residents here wearing dirty outfits, I was dressed in fine, high-quality clothes.

“I don’t know what business you have here, but go away, Young Lady. Shoo.”

Even though they tried to threaten a child like me with a glare, I was shocked by something different. It was because Schloetz’s face was covered in blood.

‘Oh my, these crazy b*stards.’

I could see what it meant to have one’s eyes turn…. No, I could actually portray this in my mind to some extent.

Nevertheless, they were the servants of noble families. I had to engage them in a conflict publicly so that I had a legitimate cause to save Schloetz. And so, I purposefully picked a fight with them. Weren’t these too much? Were they trying to incite me now? Was that it? Was what I would like to do.

Even if the person they beat was not a person I liked, how could I pretend not to see this when they were abusing such a skinny kid?

In the meantime, Schloetz coughed as though the food was blocking his airway, and food and blood both poured out from his mouth.

Seeing that, one of those b*stards frowned and striked his fist on his stomach.

“Don’t… hit… him!”

I spoke extremely slowly because I was enraged, to the point that each syllable didn’t connect properly. If it was up to my heart, I wanted to scream, ‘Hey, you wanker. Do you want to die?! Are you even human?!’ but I couldn’t speak as I wanted, so I was frustrated.

“…Huh?”

As they exchanged glances when they heard my slow words, I dropped my hood. There was a brief moment of silence.

“Oh, my…?”

“You’re so pretty. Are you a doll for someone with a unique hobby?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“She’s retarded in speaking, but her face is really pretty. Even her skin is really fair. Do you want to be my pet?”

“You, b*stard. Have you gone crazy?”

“No, I’m not joking. I’m being serious… Ugh!”

As the scream drowned out their guffaw, the man who got kicked in his crotch crouched down.

“This crazy b*tch!”

It was when the man raised his hand at me that I felt a small body hugging me and wrapping my body with strangely stretched hands and feet.

“Aargh!”

Screams ripped through my ears the next moment.

While they all were lying and folding their bodies on the floor, the guy who tried to punch me was still dangling in the air.

“Young Lady, are you alright?”

The knight brought me out of Schloetz’s arms and asked me politely.

“Venus… I’m okay.”

Venus Ekeroth.

He was a dedicated knight who escorted me from the empire. A handsome knight with glistened reddish brown hair and a slender figure that was reminiscent of the beautiful goddess of love, although those features didn’t make him look weak.

At that moment, the Lefebvre family’s knights who were hiding popped out.

Witnessing that, those rascals were taken aback. It seemed that they realized that I was definitely not a doll of any noble since I was bringing these knights around even if I couldn’t speak properly.

“Uumm… Uhhh…?”

Looking at those stunned eyes filled with embarrassment and bewilderment, I realized that it was time for me to become a ghost.

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