Chapter 174: Nostalgia
"So the sightseeing starts from the pce?"
"That''s right"
"I already know every single corner of the pce"
"I am sure you do, but you won''t lose anything by seeing it again"
"It''s a waste of time"
"You sound like some busy businessman"
"Spare me from that"
"We will explore the pce, then the city, and the next city"
"My city?"
"Yeah"
Once again, I am walking through a long hallway.
All these paintings are giving me scares. Especially their eyes.
It feels like they are always fixated on you, watching you.
"Thispainting"
"Oh, this painting was repainted by a famous artist"
I destroyed this painting when I was a kid.
"It looks exactly the same"
"Indeed. The king paid in billions for this painting"
"Useless expenses"
"Do you remember you broke this painting?"
"No need to rub it"
"I was just reminding you. In case, you forgot about it"
"There is no way I would forget that. It was all your fault, Dau"
"My, my, it was your fault to hide behind a painting"
Around ten years agoI don''t remember exactly when but it must have been ten years ago.
Lier, Dau, and I were ying hide and seek in the pce. The pce is so big, it was natural to set some limits of where we can hide.
We would y in the hallway, a different hallway every time we yed.
The hallway includes all the rooms, a passage that covers the hallway.
That one time, it was Dau''s turn to find us.
Lier was always a fast one to hide. She would hide in ces no one could easily find.
Meanwhile, I was bad at that.
Can''t me me though. I was afraid of the dark and lonely ces. I would always hide on the spot which can be easily seen.
But that one time, I wanted to hide somewhere they couldn''t even imagine, because Lier and Dau made fun of me saying I suck at games.
So I decided to hide the passage behind the painting, and it was this painting.
I slid the painting and hid behind it. I could see everything of what''s going on outside from the painting.
An hour passed but Dau couldn''t find me. I could hear her voice calling my name, but she couldn''t find me.
I was very happy at that time. Another hour passed, Dau and Lier were still searching for me, but I decided to take revenge on them for making fun of me.
Before I realized, I had fallen asleep, and it was already night. It was very dark, especially behind the painting.
There werenterns, but the light was so dim.
I was really scared that I couldn''t even move.
I pushed the painting, but it wasn''t moving.
I was trapped there.
Laughing at my own foolishness because I couldn''t cry.
I yelled and yelled and yelled.
No one came.
I kicked the painting. I kept doing that until tore the painting, and jumped outside.
I ran through the hallway while yelling Dau''s name.
Later I found out that Dau told grandpa that I was missing, and he and mom went to file aint.
Mom got so angry at me that day. Dau too, no matter how hard I teased her, she never got angry, but that day she got very angry.
After that day, Dau never let me move from her sight.
"Want to y hide and seek?" Dau asked.
"No thanks"
"You cane to me while yelling my name and hug me, like you always did"
"Die! Seriously die!"
"I am not dying before I see you on the throne"
Why do I remember this?
These are the embarrassing memories of my childhood. I should forget them.
I want to forget them.
Huh?
What was I thinking about?
"What''s wrong, Lil Das?"
"It''s nothing. Let''s go"
"Yes, let''soh my!"
"What''s wrong?"
"I forgot to give your yesterday''s report to the King"
"You still do that?"
"Of course. It''s my duty to report your growth"
"Stop with the growth thing"
"Should I tell him you have grown down there too?"
"I really hate you!"
"My my, so cute" she pinched my cheeks and said, "You wait outside, I will be right back"
"Hmm"
Why is she always like this?
So carefree and cheerful.
It has always been like this. She has always put up with my selfishness.
"Only if I could go back to those days"
Those were the peaceful days of my life. I wonder when Elena stayed here.
Grace said we were about four to five years old.
How much does she know?
Does she know about the system inside me?
I need to interrogate her.
I was hasting my pace on the stairs.
They should give a bicycle inside the pce too. I will help
I mmed into someone.
It was a maid.
"Hey, are you okay?" I said.
No response?
"I said are you okay?"
Still no response?
I walked ahead to see her face. She was looking down
Huh?
What is
"Dau? Didn''t you went to grandpa''s room?"
What is Dau doing here?
Why is she in normal maid clothes?
Where are her usual maid clothes?
"Dau?"
""
"Why aren''tyou saying anything?"
I tried to touch her face
"Lil Das!"
Huh?
I looked up on the stairshuh?
"Two Dau?"
Dau quickly dashed down the stairs.
"Lil Das, she is my sister"
"Huh?"
"She is my little sister"
"But she looks exactly like you"
"Yeah, I got thatment many times"
"Butsince when did you have a little sister? I have never heard or seen her"
"It''s only been some months since she started working here"
Sounds like ame lie.
"What is her name?"
"Sherley. Her name is Sherley"
"Sherleyhello Sherley"
"She is shy with strangers!" Dau remarked.
It''s really hard to believe she is telling the truth.
"Sherley, you can go now. We will talkter"
Sherley bowed down and walked away.
"Let''s go, Lil Das"
We sat in the car.
Dau held my hand tight and asked, "Are you excited?"
"I am"
Let''s see how this sightseeing goes.