The Precious Baby of the Bandit Leader Chapter 14

At the same time, the deep resentment flickering in Pilsuk’s eyes clawed painfully at me.

 

“I just… don’t want to see you anymore.” 

 

She clenched her clothes tightly in her fists, spat out those bitter words, and then abruptly turned and walked out.

 

‘She probably said that thinking I wouldn’t understand.’

 

I placed a hand over my chest, which for some reason felt heavy.

 

I couldn’t help but feel deeply worried about the ten days ahead without the chief.

 

* * *

 

Three days have passed since then.

 

Surprisingly, Pilsuk didn’t try to harm or kill me directly. However—

 

“I’ll take care of everything regarding this child myself.”

 

“I’ll make the baby food myself, so you don’t need to get involved.”

 

She kept Uncle Saddong, whom the chief had left behind to help look after me, from approaching.

 

Still, she took good care of me.

 

She strictly kept her word to the chief, visiting four or five times a day to feed me baby food and diligently taking care of the basics, like changing my diapers.

 

She just wouldn’t meet my eyes.

 

Pilsuk inevitably had to look at my face while feeding me baby food.

 

Tak—!

 

Each time she did, as if unable to contain the surge of emotions rising within her, she would clench her fists tightly and quickly run out.

 

Because of that, I was often left unattended.

 

‘She must be in pain… because looking at me reminds her of something else.’

 

Ugh. I can’t believe I’m in this kind of situation again.

 

‘It’s fine. It’s not like I’m really a baby anyway.’

 

Phew. What can I do? 

 

Since I was spending so much time alone and getting bored, I decided to practice walking and talking even harder.

 

“Uw—cha.” 

 

I could feel that I’d gotten much better at standing and either walking slowly or crawling quickly compared to before. 

 

Clank—!

 

Just then, Pilsuk opened the door and came in.

 

In her hands was a bowl of baby food, steaming hot.

 

‘Wow, that looks delicious!’

 

Without realizing it, I rubbed the drool at the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand, my eyes sparkling. She frowned openly, as if clearly displeased with me.

 

Thud.

 

Pilsuk settled down on the warm ondol floor.

 

With her usual expressionless face, she picked up a small spoon and began shoveling the baby food into my mouth.

 

After hastily finishing the bowl of baby food, she let out a deep sigh with a troubled expression and picked me up.

 

Tuk, tuk.

 

“Whoo.”

 

Through the reluctant pats on my back and the sighs she let out, I could feel just how much she disliked me.

 

‘How uncomfortable I must be for her.’

 

By now, I felt so uncomfortable that I thought I might get sick.

 

“Phew…”

 

“…”

 

A sigh escaped me.

 

‘I’m not entirely happy about it either.’

 

Having worked as a detective for many years, he understood the hearts of bereaved families better than anyone else.

 

‘No, no one could truly understand that feeling. After all, they lost their beloved family overnight.’

 

Because of that, even though I was killed by the bereaved family in my previous life… I couldn’t bring myself to feel anything like blame—only a sense of grievance.

 

‘So the chief… must actually be in a lot of pain every time he looks at me.’

 

The moment that thought crossed my mind, my heart ached so much it almost throbbed.

 

 I shook my head.

 

After all, I’m just a child staying here for a short while.

 

Well then…

 

“Abu.” 

 

“….”

 

After burping me, Pilsuk placed me back in the crib.

 

I reached out and grabbed the sleeve of Pilsuk’s garment.

 

Pilsuk’s eyes widened, as if she hadn’t expected me to reach out first.

 

Seizing that fleeting moment, I looked her straight in the eyes and spoke.

 

To say the one word I had been practicing over and over all this time.

 

“S, o, w.” 

 

The speech organs of a baby not yet seven months old were still underdeveloped.

 

So, it took countless practice sessions just to utter this one word.

 

‘Even after all that practice, it’s still not perfect.’

 

Ugh. Sensing that Pilsuk still hadn’t understood, I furrowed my brow and tried once more, putting strength into my tongue.

 

“S–ow—wy~!”

 

“…”

 

This time, it actually came out a bit more clearly!

 

That’s right. The words I wanted to convey were an apology.

 

To be honest, I had no real reason to apologize.

 

That was obvious.

 

But even so, there was one reason I was apologizing.

 

In my previous life, I had seen the family of the perpetrator kneel and apologize to the bereaved.

 

Of course, they weren’t forgiven, but afterward, the victim’s family seemed to show a slightly lighter expression than before.

 

It was just something I said while recalling that moment.

 

Even though they are criminals, it seems that the people here aren’t inherently bad.

 

It was a sincere wish, hoping that even a little comfort could be given, just like in my previous life.

 

Then I quickly looked at Pilsuk’s expression.

 

‘Did it get through?!’

 

But.

 

‘Huh…?’

 

I realized something was wrong.

 

Thud.

 

Pilsuk’s eyes seemed to contort all of a sudden, and then—tear drops started falling from her large eyes?!

 

‘W, what?! Why, why, why?!’

 

What did I do wrong?!

 

Startled, I let go of her sleeve and flailed my short arms wildly.

 

“Ah, abuuuu? Abuuuuu?”

 

Not knowing what to do, I watched as Pilsuk quietly spoke, wiping her reddened eyes with the back of her hand.

 

“Are you… saying you’re sorry?”

 

“Umhm! Sowy.”

 

“Ha!”

 

As if bewildered, Pilsuk pressed her hand to her forehead. Then she bit her lip tightly.

 

As if trying to suppress a surge of emotions rising within her.

 

After a long while of composing herself, she looked at me and spoke.

 

“There’s no need for you to apologize. You haven’t done anything wrong. If anything, I should be the one apologizing to you.”

 

“….?”

 

“Because, even at this very moment, I…”

 

Pilsuk continued slowly.

 

“When I think of your father, who dismembered my children and killed them.”

 

“….!”

 

“I wanted to make you the same way.”

 

I couldn’t say anything more and fell silent.

 

She knew.

 

That I am innocent, and that hating me is unjust.

 

Even so.

 

“I will never forgive him until I die. I will find him and cut his body and limbs to pieces and kill him. Even his children and their children—surely… I had vowed that.”

 

My apology didn’t reach her. Realizing that, memories of my previous life surfaced and I was left stunned.

 

“How could I forgive him? How could I put this feeling away? Huh.” 

 

“…”

 

“Please, don’t forgive me either.”

 

At Pilsuk’s trembling voice, I finally dropped the hand I had raised.

 

With her eyes reddened, Pilsuk stared at me and quickly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.

 

Then, coldly turning her back, she abruptly walked out of the barracks, just as she usually did.

 

* * *

 

After that, I spent time with Pilsuk in an awkwardness so thick it felt suffocating.

 

Feeling lost, I stopped talking to Pilsuk, and she, in turn, didn’t watch over me or anything—she just did exactly what needed to be done.

 

Three days passed like that.

 

‘By tomorrow, the chief will be back, right?’

 

That day too, I closed my eyes and tried to sleep.

 

‘But… why is it so cold?’

 

Feeling that the temperature had dropped far more than usual, I suddenly opened my eyes in my sleep.

 

“Wu?” 

 

Something felt different in my body.

 

It felt as if something inside me was knotted and twisted tightly. I was also unbearably cold, and my limbs were convulsing. 

 

Only then did I realize that I was burning up with a fever.

 

“Ugh!”

 

I twisted my body, vomiting up the baby food I had eaten earlier.

 

“H, heug.” 

 

Judging by the symptoms, it seemed like a cold. My nose was even running nonstop.

 

But still, something about it felt off. 

 

‘Calling this a cold… my stomach hurts too much. And I can barely keep my eyes open.’

 

Shivering all over, I turned my body, trying to call for help.

 

Even if Pilsuk wasn’t fond of me, there were still Uncle Saddong and the others. They might be able to save me. 

 

I had to ask them for help.

 

“Ugh, uhh…”

 

I panted heavily as I crawled forward. I couldn’t even cry—because I didn’t have the strength to. A wrenching pain twisted through my insides, as if my organs were being wrung out, and it felt like I could stop breathing at any moment.

 

‘More…’

 

Feeling my vision fade into darkness, I stopped moving.

 

“I’ll be back.”

 

It was the first time I had ever heard those words.

 

Without even getting to see him return… am I going to die?

 

As that thought crossed my mind, tears began to fall. Crying helplessly, I mustered all my remaining strength to open my mouth. 

 

“Ueh… uehehh!”

 

And then…

 

Bam—!

 

Just then, the door swung open, and someone stepped inside.