Lephonia climbed up the pile of boxes and gazed at the face reflected in the mirror.
Five years old.
She looked exactly the same as she had when she was in the orphanage.
Silvery hair, tightly curled at the ends, splaying wildly in all directions when caught in the rain.
Blood-red eyes, a color that stirred unease in anyone who met their gaze.
Her thin arms and legs looked like withered twigs, as though she hadn’t eaten a proper meal in days.
“Haw come.”
Ah. This five-year-old’s tongue.
If she doesn’t put effort into speaking, her pronunciation is vague and slurred.
Lephonia pressed her face into her small palm, trying to find the cause.
Between her fingers, she saw faint traces of pink droplets in a small potion bottle rolling on the floor.
“…Shwinkin potion.”
Lephonia, who had opened the empty bottle, put it down after checking.
“This, isn’t a shrinking potion.”
Putting strength into her voice, Lephonia testified with a firm tone.
“I clearly bought two bottles of blue potion back then.”
The medicine she had bought was definitely blue in color. Lephonia shook the empty bottle that now had faint traces of pink liquid.
“Someone switched the potion.”
Startled by her own conclusion, Lephonia urgently looked around. A cold sweat ran down her back.
A chill spread through her whole body.
“No one knows about this house.”
It was a house she had secretly purchased under the identity of an average man created with forged documents. There was no way anyone knew.
‘If this had been poison…’
She would’ve died instantly without a hint of suspicion.
Thinking this far, Lephonia jumped up and began inspecting the house. She checked every place someone could hide, but thankfully, no one was there.
“Cawm down.”
She had to calm her nerves.
‘It’s not the Pope.’
If the Pope had intended harm, it wouldn’t have been just a potion. It should have been poison, without a doubt
‘Then is it the clergy, not the Pope?’
Lephonia crossed her legs and sank into a chair.
The Pope liked Lephonia, his loyal servant. So, even though she failed her mission, she was spared death as an exception.
His affection was a form of power.
It was only natural that the fellow clergy, consumed by jealousy of Lephonia, would either attempt to kill her or devise a scheme to abandon her.
“Haa.”
If the clergy find out that Lephonia has turned into a five-year-old child, they would surely be thrilled to draw their swords.
So for now, her current state must remain hidden.
“After a day, I might return to my original form.”
Lephonia bit her plump, soft, red lips cutely, unaware.
“First things are.”
Lephonia clenched both of her fists solemnly.
“Let’s get dressed first.”
Five-year-old Lephonia jumped lightly from the chair and stood up with determination.
* * *
“It’s wunned.”
It’s not going back..
Even this ruined tongue struggles to move as it should.
“Totally wunned.”
The body isn’t returning to normal, either.
“When will I stop being five years old?”
Lephonia stayed in an old shack, eating and quietly observing, but there was no sign of her body returning to its former state.
The wounds on her hands had healed, yet her body remained the same.
Perhaps it was because the body so perfectly mirrored her malnourished childhood, every small movement left her panting, her limbs drained of strength.
She found some discarded children’s clothes, but even they hung loosely on her fragile frame.
Even, she didn’t have the energy to peel a piece of fruit, so she bit into an unpeeled apple, chewing it slowly with effort.
Though a little sleep and food gave her back some strength and filled her up fast, the downsides were hard to ignore.
“If it’s like dis, I can’t do my misyun.”
The original plan had been to drink the shrinking potion, confirm the heirloom, and infiltrate the Craytan’s mansion as a maid.
Pretend to work, steal the heirloom, and escape, that was the plan.
But with a five-year-old body, I can’t even make it past the entrance of the Craytan’s Duchy.
Who would hire a five-year-old child as a maid?
Lephonia slapped her forehead with her small hand, frustration clear on her face.
“I could just take the nullifying potion.”
The problem was, the nullifying potion was far too expensive.
Even the shrinking potion had drained all her life’s savings.
The nullifying potion costs three times as much. In her current state, she couldn’t even work, leaving no way to earn money.
‘I’m not exactly sure what kind of potion I took, so it’s probably best not to take any more recklessly.’
Lephonia bit her lip.
“If I ever find out who did it…”
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
Who could possibly come to this rundown shack?
Could it be the one who swapped the potion?
Had they come to see how things turned out after the swap?
The person behind the door doesn’t seem like one of the clergy.
If it were them, they wouldn’t knock, they’d have thrown a dagger by now.
Lephonia cautiously made her way to the front door.
“Hoo is it?”
Ugh. This tongue, really.
Lephonia braced herself and asked again firmly.
“Who is it?”
“Um, I came because I have something to ask. Is there no adult here?”
A polite question came from beyond the door.
‘Adult?’
Well, I guess I should open the door first.
Lephonia, tilting her head in confusion, cautiously opened the door.
Outside stood the old lady from next door, the one Lephonia had run into while collecting clothes, and a knight.
Looking up from a child’s eye level, Lephonia’s shoulders twitched slightly.
“…Who?”
Lephonia rolled her eyes and asked.
“Hello.”
The knight greeted her in a soft voice and waved, then leaned slightly forward to peek inside the house.
Lephonia, wary, shut the door just a bit, her expression cautious. But the knight quickly narrowed his eyes and met her gaze with a smile.
“Is there no other adult inside?”
“Why?”
“Did they happen to go out?”
Lephonia shook her head.
‘He’s checking if anyone’s hiding a wanted criminal or fugitive inside.’
Having once encountered the Capital’s police, Lephonia instantly recognized the knight’s intent.
When a criminal was on the run, the police would search every house to ensure no one was sheltering them.
‘Not a chance.’
Lephonia smiled brightly like a child and shook her head.
“I live here alone.”
At Lephonia’s bold reply, the knight and the old woman exchanged puzzled glances.
“Feel free to come in and check. There really is no one else besides me.”
Lephonia lifted her chin, smiled confidently, and flung the door open.
“Where are your parents?”
“I don’t have any.”
“Where did they go?”
“Never existed. They abandoned me when I was born.”
“Do you have any guardians? Relatives or adults nearby?”
“Hm, nope. I’ve always been alone here.”
With each answer, concern welled up in the eyes of the two visitors.
“See? I told you it seemed like a child was living alone here. I was right, wasn’t I?”
…Huh?
“Yeah. You’re right.”
Huuh?
You reported this because you think a child is living alone?
‘No way… Are they talking about me?’
Lephonia’s pupils shook.
“This house looks like it’s been empty for a long time. …Maybe the child came in and started living here alone because it was vacant.”
No, the homeowner who’s left this place empty for so long was me.
“Thank you for reporting this. We’ll take protective measures for this child. … Child, it’s dangerous to live alone here. You never know when someone with bad intentions might come, and if you fall ill, there will be no one to help you.”
Something seems to be going strangely.
“…I’m fine, though?”
“It might seem like you’re fine now, but that’s absolutely not the case. You’re still a child, and you need a guardian.”
Lephonia furrowed her brow. When she really needed help, no one reached out to her, so why now?
“That’s nosy.”
Lephonia firmly refused. Of course, it didn’t work.
“Come here. I’ll take you somewhere safe.”
“Where will the child go?”
The old lady and the knight spoke to each other, excluding Lephonia.
“First, we will take her to an orphanage and then confirm her identity and parents. Don’t worry, I will continue to keep an eye on her.”
Lephonia suddenly lifted her head.
Just now, where?
An orphanage?
“There’s a good facility nearby. The director there is known to be a kind person.”
They’re sending me… to an orphanage?
Back into that hell… again?
“I—”
The child’s voice broke out unexpectedly, and the two adults looked down at her.
“I’m not going.”
“Oh no, you must be really scared. It’s okay, dear. This knight is going to take you to a warm place with lots of friends.”
No. How could that place ever be warm?
“Don’t. Don’t touch me.”
“You’re scared, right? It’s okay. Everything’s okay.”
The knight smiled and reached toward the startled Lephonia. She tried to dodge, but with the body of a five-year-old, it was nearly impossible to avoid his hand.
“Let go! I said let me go! I don’t need it!”
Lephonia kicked and punched with all her might, thrashing in his grip, but the knight didn’t budge.
Thanking the old woman with a nod, he turned and calmly walked away, carrying the furious, flailing Lephonia in his arms.
“You must’ve been lonely, right? You’ll make lots of friends there, eat good food, and stay somewhere warm.”
“Put me down. I said I’m not going! This is kidnapping!”
“It’s okay. We’re really trying to help you.”
“I hate that place!”
That place, that hell.
Memories from when she was five came flooding back. Panic surged through her, and she kicked and fought with everything she had.
Lephonia struggled against the knight’s grip, but his hold was unshakable.
‘I have the body of a five-year-old right now.’
There was no way she could escape the arms of a fully trained knight in this state.
If I screamed… would anyone help me?
Her small lips trembled, then she bit down hard.
No.
No one would help.
People usually don’t care about others’ problems.
If there had truly been someone willing to help.
They would’ve appeared back when I was five.
When I ran from the orphanage, screaming for someone to save me.
When I cried for help as I was beaten in the poorhouse.
Someone would have helped.
Maybe it’s better to just go to the orphanage for now, and plan my escape again…
“What’s this commotion?”
Just as I was plotting my next escape, a shadow fell over my head, followed by a cold, indifferent voice.
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