The Reason I Keep Avoiding My Childhood Friend

t! My eyes shining at the permission granted, I cried out passionately.

“Give me a promise of immunity.”

“Right, immunity- wait, what?”

The Grand Duke, who was nodding generously and about to say no to whatever it was I was going to ask, paused and asked back in surprise.

It wasn’t that he didn’t hear my words.
However, he was so shocked at my request that he couldn’t seem to believe his ears.

The Grand Duke shook his head in bewilderment.
My father seemed to have passed away for good– his soul showed no signs of returning.

“Yes, immunity.
When I commit a crime, please forgive me once.”

I repeated clearly on purpose.
The Grand Duke, who was trying to reward a child’s wish in the same manner, quickly responded with seriousness to my not-s0-childish demand.

“Who are you going to kill?”

The Grand Duke’s face was solemn because immunity was an extreme right that could not be given recklessly.
The Grand Duke’s spirit turned fierce, as if he had changed his mind about how to treat a child like me.

For a moment, suffocating pressure pressed on me.
Then my father came to his senses and hid me behind his back.

“I’m sorry.”

“Step aside.”

The Grand Duke growled menacingly.
Being the loyal subordinate he was, I was sure my father would obey the order, but he refused.

“I can’t do that.”

“It is not your place to meddle.”

“No.
It’s my daughter’s business.
So, as the guardian, it is right for me to step forward.”

All at once, I was filled with emotion at my father’s words.
A sense of security enveloped me.
Even so, I tapped my father gently on the back, knowing that the Grand Duke wasn’t trying to threaten me, but to test me.

“It’s right that it is me who should answer it.”

My father’s face was filled with frustration, recalling that it’s a problem even if the child is too smart.

I held my father’s hand tightly, quietly willing him to not worry.
Then I stepped away from behind my father to stand directly before the Grand Duke and replied.

“I’m not going to do that.”

The Grand Duke paused, confused, and then continued shooting questions at me.

“Then are you going to hand over information to our enemy?”

“No way!”

“Or are you going to commit a crime against the capital?”

“Absolutely not!”

No matter how much of an unusual child I was, weren’t these questions a bit too much? When I vehemently denied his accusations, the Grand Duke’s expression started to settle.

“Then why do you need immunity?”

“Well, it’s hard to know a person’s mind.”

I smiled innocently, hoping to convey that I really wasn’t up to anything seriously bad.

I’m just a harmless seven-year-old kid.

Far from falling for my cuteness, something different passed by the Grand Duke’s eyes.

“How come it sounds like something is going to happen?”

That’s right.
It’s going to be troublesome.

“You worry too much.”

I was starting to worry that I’ve been speaking maturely a bit too much now.
I felt the need to sort things out quickly.

So, are you giving it to me or not?