Chapter 20 – Freya Seems Kind Only to Children
The Baneer tribe.
A celestial race that embodies somewhat ambiguous yet seemingly contradictory concepts of sensuality, temptation, enchantment, and purity in the heavens.
Their distinctive beauty and snow-white wings steal people’s gazes, described somewhat exaggeratingly as captivating onlookers with their purity and nobility. While not an exaggeration when it comes to Freya specifically, pushing toward the average of their race indeed qualifies as an exaggeration.
Not as reclusive as the fox tribe hiding in the dark forest at the edge of the imperial territory, but still a closed-off race comparable to them.
Their numbers are not significant, and due to their considerably long lifespan even among other races, instances of successive generations are exceedingly rare within the Baneer tribe.
Hence, young Baneer are treated exceptionally within their community, protected on a tribal level until they reach adulthood. At least, that’s what I heard.
Golden hair with a hint of fresh lemon scent.
The walls that encapsulate the azure sky are one of the Baneer tribe’s traits.
Ignoring the fact that the young siblings were walking so carefree along this path, their somewhat suspicious appearance caught my eye.
“… Baneer tribe?”
Unintentionally narrowing my eyes, I murmured softly. It was a reaction born out of mild surprise, but it seemed somewhat threatening to the girl.
The terrified girl, hiding her younger sibling behind her, weakly spoke as if she could burst into tears at any moment.
“…… I’m sorry. … I… haven’t eaten anything for a week… so… I’m fine, but, um… even if it’s just for my sibling… uh…”
Huh? Huh? Wait a minute? I didn’t intend to scare her, but?
In an instant, I, who had become trash that made innocent boys and girls cry, was at a loss for words.
Don’t look at me with eyes that seem to see such trash, passing by the old lady. You were just passing by, ignoring the kids on the street.
“Are you scaring a child?”
Freya, who shot me a piercing look, stepped forward.
“You gathered the courage to come out because you saw your kind, right? Well done. Nice to meet you. I’m also a bunny.”
“Really? Are you also a bunny, Unni?”
“These wings, do they look like decorations?”
Freya, who had suddenly lowered her knees and met their gaze, gently stroked the heads of the siblings.
The two siblings looked up at Freya with noticeably bright expressions. It was a completely different reaction from when they faced me. The secret must be in that kind smile.
“What’s your name?”
“M- My younger sibling’s name is Rani…”
“Our cute older sister is?”
“It’s Lin.”
“Rani and Lin, huh? Wait a moment.”
Freya raised her hand and called the waiter. He had been watching us since the children approached, and he quickly came over. Freya handed him a generous tip.
“Can you make something like a rice porridge or bread for us? With lukewarm water, too.”
“…… Sure.”
“I know. I can’t inconvenience other customers. Please bring me the bill for this table.”
“… Ah, yes! I’ll bring it right away.”
As Freya spoke with a gentle smile, the waiter hurriedly ran to the kitchen, turning into a red radish.
Bang!
There was a commotion in the kitchen as dishes fell over.
That seems to be serious.
I quickly wiped my mouth with a napkin and stood up from my seat.
I hope Ahodan doesn’t get any worse…
***
It seemed that the restaurant did not take take-out orders, as they didn’t seem to have proper packaging containers.
When the waiter cautiously mentioned the value of the dishes used in the restaurant, Freya calmly paid for the dishes as well.
It’s rare to see her spending money. It’s not because she’s stingy, but simply because her lifestyle is excessively frugal and carefree. I wondered where she spent her monthly salary, but it seemed like it was still sitting in her bank account.
Indeed, it’s Freya noona. She’s on a completely different level from someone like me, who forgets to pay the utility bills and ends up in debt.
… Wait, how old is Freya again…? I don’t think I’ve ever asked her properly.
Considering the lifespan of the Vanyar race, she must be older than me, right…? Yeah, let’s go with noona.
If Freya were listening, she would probably say, “Just call me hyung!” and jump around excitedly. Meanwhile, we sat on a bench in the nearby park and unfolded our food one by one.
“I asked you not to make it too spicy, so it probably won’t taste that great. Take your time eating.”
It was delicious. The children quickly nodded their heads, swallowing the spicy scent and not even paying attention to what Freya was saying.
Freya pulled the dish closer and emphasized it clearly.
“Take it slowly. Chew thoroughly because it might surprise your stomach. I promise I’ll give it to you.”
“Yes! Yes… I promise…”
“You’re so kind. Here, take this. It’s still hot, so let it cool down before eating.”
“Thank… Thank y… you… Thank you so much. Really, thank you.”
“Let’s eat first and then talk.”
“Yes… Yes!”
The girl named Rin still couldn’t believe it as she stared intensely at the porridge in the bowl. Then, she suddenly regained her senses and looked back at her younger brother.
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His name was Ran, right? He had just turned five years old. He still looked more like a “child” than a “boy.”
Now that she looked at them, it seemed that they were siblings with a small age difference. Rin sat next to her brother and, after blowing on the hot porridge to cool it down, she started to feed him first.
“Ran, let’s eat. Come on, let’s eat.”
“Uh-huh……”
“You have to chew it well. Slowly. Is your throat blocked? Okay, here… Drink some water too.”
“Ugh… gulp.”
“Oh no! Don’t drink it too quickly! Slowly! Slowly!”
Thinking that they might fight over it, I had prepared two bowls, but instead of fighting, Rin didn’t even seem to consider taking her share.
In the end, I took the bowl from Rin’s hands, which she had been holding.
A momentary look of despair and sadness crossed Rin’s surprised face.
…Please don’t look at me with those pleading eyes. It hurts my heart as if I have become a villain.
“You should eat before it gets cold too. Let me take care of Ran instead of you and Freya.”
“………… Yes, yes?”
“Eat. Your stomach will feel even messier if you don’t.”
I sighed and said.
Was my tone a bit rough? Dealing with a child, memories of handling young Cecilia surfaced, and back then, the immature way of speaking from those days would unexpectedly slip out.
I resolved to fix it soon.
Lyn cautiously watched my reaction, and seeing Freya nodding and smiling, she seemed somewhat relieved, finally picking up her share of the dish and starting to move the spoon hesitantly.
Freya and I approached Ran.
Only now did we understand why Lyn always held her brother’s hand tightly and why they were personally feeding him.
“…… Tsk.”
“… What in the world…”
Freya, shocked, covered her mouth and let out a low groan. I asked briefly.
“Weren’t the young members of the Vaniir race highly cherished at the tribal level?”
“Well, yes.”
“Do the Vaniir have a custom of plucking out the eyes of children?”
It was difficult to notice due to the thick, unruly hair, but upon closer inspection, it was evident that the worn cloth covering the child’s eyes was conspicuous.
Perhaps due to its age or the environment it had been in, the blindfold was frayed in various places. The biggest issue was that the space where the child’s pupils should have been was completely empty.
Freya examined Ran with a serious expression.
“………….”
With the clattering sound of utensils, Lyn stood up, glancing at us.
“Sorry. We should probably leave now…”
“… We’re not trying to scare you, so don’t worry about it. Just finish eating quickly.”
“That… No, we’re fine. We have somewhere to go…”
Placing the dish on the bench, Rin approached and firmly grasped Ran’s hand.
“Thank you so much for the food.”
Rin repeated words of gratitude several times, glancing back and forth between me and Freya.
What’s with the constant fear since earlier? Pull yourself together, Eugene Ser Neperna, like a proper teacher.
Slap! Both Rin and Ran flinched as I firmly slapped my own cheek.
hehehe, chuckling softly and lowering my voice, I started to laugh fiercely.
“It seems like you two are a little mistaken.”
“Ugh…! I’m sorry, I’m sorry! If I made a mistake without even realizing…”
“Do you even know who this Freya here is?”
Despite Freya’s immediate protest against being called “unni,” I casually disregarded it.
“If I were to refer to this lovely ‘unni,’ she’s the ultimate outcast among outcasts, the ultimate loner among loners, the ultimate failure among failures, who hates her hometown and has never been in contact with any of the Baniir tribe until now. So, your concerns are so insignificant that they can’t even be conveyed to the tribe, completely excluded from the community… Ugh!”
“Shut up, you!”
Using unusually harsh words, Freya smacked my back lightly… Ouch.
“Do you have a place to go?”
“… No.”
“Oh… No, I mean… this lady here is a school teacher you see. Would you like to come with us? It’s dangerous to stay in a place like this.”
It didn’t seem fitting for her to call herself “unni,” and perhaps she didn’t want to use the term ‘sister.’ Freya struggled to say ‘teacher.’
But really, in this day and age, saying, “Would you like to come with us? It’s dangerous to stay in a place like this,” to naive and clueless children like them, doesn’t it typically lead to the standard response of ‘I don’t want to, no, help me’?
…… What’s the difference between Unni and Aunt?
Lynn began to scrutinize Freya seriously, fidgeting around her sleeves. The child, contemplating while fiddling with her clothes, finally glanced beyond Freya’s shoulders, fixating on a pair of shimmering small wings in the distance. At last, with determination, she nodded vigorously.
“Thank you for believing me. Let’s go together.”
Regardless of the circumstances, that’s how we ended up picking up the Banir siblings off the street.