# Chapter 4
The silence did not last long. Whatever fleeting sensation that had just passed was not important now. The boy knew all too well the countless things that could happen to a small, pretty girl in this place.
“…I don’t know how you found me, but this isn’t the time for casual greetings—we need to leave now.”
The responses from the person he first encountered were consistently bewildering. When Ethan, distracted by trying to understand how this person knew his name and what this situation was about, was about to say something, noisy voices came from inside the room as five or six boys emerged.
“When have we ever seen that bastard do anything right…huh?”
“See! I wasn’t lying!”
The boys who rushed out of the room were startled to see Del facing Ethan. They had thought the claim about luring a rich girl in expensive clothes was just boasting—or rather, they couldn’t believe such a fool existed—but before them stood what was indeed “a girl who obviously looked wealthy.”
Still, suspicion couldn’t be erased. The “girl” before them looked beyond merely wealthy—she unmistakably appeared to be a high-ranking noble from somewhere. Someone would surely notice her coming here, and she was the kind of person who would bring nothing but trouble if provoked. Yet they couldn’t understand why a high-ranking girl would come all the way to this slum corner, until they saw Ethan standing in front of her and easily understood the situation.
“What’s this? You came to see him?”
The red-haired boy sneered. His tone and eyes were full of resentment. Among boys who resented good-looking peers, none were ever handsome themselves. His gaze swept up and down, conveying his meaning sufficiently, causing the boy’s face to flush slightly. Del gazed at him deeply and smiled brightly.
“What’s wrong with that?”
“…Girls always get captivated by a pretty face…”
“That’s rich coming from someone who doesn’t have one.”
“Why you—!”
As the red-haired boy lunged forward in anger, another boy held him back. This one was skinnier with a calmer demeanor and considerably taller. The red-haired boy seemed stronger, but he lowered his hands obediently. The leader, perhaps? He glared silently at Del. If the girl before them was truly a daughter of a great noble, things would get complicated. Boys in the slums could only survive by knowing their boundaries—not threatening anyone, but not allowing themselves to be carelessly mistreated either. Some instinct whispered, “This girl is dangerous.” Based on his experience so far, it was an instinct worth trusting.
“You seem reasonable.”
“You came looking for Ethan?”
“Yes.”
Though not friendly, the atmosphere wasn’t hostile either. Del was glad—he wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble. At Del’s answer, the leader glanced at Ethan. He showed no sign of recognizing the girl. So it seemed the girl knew him and had sought him out unilaterally. And if a noble girl had a way of knowing the slum boy Ethan, there could only be one route. The leader said:
“He’s expensive.”
Ethan’s expression hardened. Even in a room full of boys and girls of the same age, everyone understood what that meant. Having the way he had been surviving revealed to a peer he’d just met was humiliating. Miserable. Though it was one of the methods chosen for survival, none of them liked it. However, Del responded without showing much reaction.
“You talk exactly like a pimp.”
“It’s our way of survival.”
“It’s not worth respecting, but it’s not for me to judge either.”
Del took out a gold coin from the small bag he was carrying and tossed it toward the leader. As the coin cut through the air, the boys’ eyes automatically followed it. Though he’d said “expensive,” he was still just a slum boy after all. No one had ever paid that much for Ethan’s body. The boys and girls living in this place sold their bodies for just a few copper coins.
The boys who received the gold coin became noisy with excitement. Del turned around and went outside, and Ethan, after briefly looking back at the boys, followed him. Though it was truly miserable, his pride had never won over his survival instinct until now.
Del was already walking some distance away. As he gracefully avoided piles of garbage, he stumbled over a wooden box in front of him. Ethan caught his arm to help him regain balance and asked:
“Do you know the way out?”
“Of course not.”
For someone who didn’t know the way, he walked with incredible confidence. What’s wrong with him? Somehow, Ethan couldn’t help but sigh. He’d never met someone with that kind of expression who actually listened to others. It was exactly the face of someone who wouldn’t heed anything you said.
“Where do we need to go?”
“The Southern Puddle, they said.”
“You have quite unusual tastes.”
“Guide me.”
Thinking that Del had maintained a remarkable presence since his appearance, Ethan walked ahead. Buildings that once must have maintained a decent appearance were now all old and on the verge of collapse. Occasionally, rags hung between the cracks of the crumbled structures. The paths were narrow and complex like a maze. Del followed behind Ethan through the winding, tangled paths that seemed barely wide enough for one adult to pass through. During their long walk, no one approached or spoke to the two. People’s gazes briefly rested on Del’s expensive clothes but turned away after seeing Ethan walking ahead.
They arrived at the Southern Puddle after walking for almost 30 minutes. When Ethan stopped and turned around, Del’s expression was helplessly crumpled. They had definitely arrived at the right place.
“What is this smell?!”
“You didn’t know?”
“Not at all!”
“I thought you had some kind of fetish for places like this.”
“If that was meant to be a joke, it’s as awful as the smell here.”
The Southern Puddle was a pool formed by the sewage flowing out from the city. The puddle, where all kinds of waste from the city washed up, rotted easily and always emitted a foul odor. When Del had confidently asked to go to the Southern Puddle, Ethan had thought he was really strange, but seeing his reaction now, it seemed he genuinely hadn’t known. There was something oddly careless about him that made Ethan think he might get scammed somewhere. Only after Del frantically searched his bag and covered his nose could the conversation continue.
“Someone’s coming to pick us up, so just wait a little.”
Del grimaced mercilessly. His expression was so funny that Ethan’s cheek twitched with the effort not to laugh. But Ethan had lived too harsh a life to follow along without knowing the purpose.
“What do you want from me?”
At Ethan’s question, Del looked directly at him. A white, pretty face. A slender figure in an elaborate dress. The eyes were too deep for this to be just some fool who barged in after falling for a slum boy’s face. Though the strange feeling he’d first received had disappeared, Ethan still had the intuition that the peer in front of him wouldn’t make decisions lightly. Del said:
“Do you have a job?”
“Are you joking right now?”
The question was so absurd that Ethan let out a sound like air leaking. Even jokes have limits. Just as Ethan was about to snap back:
“Would you like a job?”
“What would I have to do? I mean, what would I have to do, sir?”
Del laughed at the quick change in attitude. Well, I quite like that. Ethan asked with very serious eyes. Perhaps this was his chance—to escape from this wretched place. The peer in front of him was not without suspicious aspects, but if he could just get out of this city, he could become anything.
“I need someone to attend to me.”
“There must be people lined up outside the castle waiting to serve you, my lord.”
“Call me Del. Speak comfortably too. I don’t really want that kind of thing.”
“What do you like about me?”
Quick to catch on. I like that about him. Del smiled and said:
“The fact that you can be insolent to anyone your age?”
“That seems about right, but how do you know the personality of someone you just met today?”
“I have my ways of knowing everything.”
“You know your tastes really are unusual, right?”
“When you have money, you should enjoy all the pleasures it can buy.”
“You know how to live.”
After a few more exchanges of little substance, the conversation stopped again. The lack of conversation was actually more comfortable for Ethan, and Del didn’t seem to mind much either, so both remained silent while waiting for the carriage. Only occasionally did Del’s low murmurs of “This smell is disgustingly horrible” break the silence. Hearing his unexpectedly deep voice, a thought suddenly occurred to Ethan. He had no intention of working under him for long, but since they’d be together at least until they left the desert, it wouldn’t hurt to ask in advance.
“By the way.”
“What?”
“Why do you wear a skirt?”
At Ethan’s question, Del’s head whipped around. His widened eyes held a blank look different from before. His expression seemed to stiffen slightly, and then Del’s eyes narrowed. In the most gentle tone Ethan had heard all day, Del said:
“What are you talking about?”
“I mean, if it’s a hobby…”
As Ethan stammered in surprise, Del spoke urgently:
“It’s not! No, more importantly, how did you know?”
“Anyone can see you’re a boy.”
Del’s mouth fell open. Ethan thought this expression was much better than the arrogant or secretive looks Del had shown until now. Of course, he did look like a girl to most people. With a small, fair face, delicately arranged features, and long, glossy black hair, anyone would call him a girl. Especially when wearing a dress. But the moment Ethan saw Del, he couldn’t help but think, “Why on earth is he wearing clothes like that?” Though his face was feminine, he was clearly a boy at first glance.
But Del couldn’t hide his surprise.
“No one else has noticed this.”
“Noticed what?”
“Yes, no one except you.”
Ethan thought hard, but he couldn’t understand why “anyone can see you’re a boy” required any special response. He only said it because that’s how it looked to him.
“Everyone else must have crooked eyes,” Ethan muttered. It seemed the vision of the people around Del wasn’t very good.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
