The Story of How I Pretended To Be A Boy and Ended Up Being Loved By A Mafia Boss - Chapter 5

After finishing my business at a duke’s house in the North District, I was heading to the South District in a carriage.

It was raining, and the view outside was unclear. But I kept looking out the window—just in case Anis was still around.

Then suddenly, I saw someone collapsed by the side of the road.

A small body, a deep hat, and pink-brown hair…

My heart thumped loudly.

“Stop the carriage!!”

I jumped out and ran over.

It was Anis, just as I thought.

I quickly picked her up and carried her back into the carriage.

“To the mansion! Hurry!

Her body was cold… How long had she been lying there?

Her face was pale, and her lips were turning purple.

I took off my jacket and wrapped it around her.

Damn it… This won’t warm her enough. I need to get her into a bath, fast…

When we reached the mansion, I told the servants to heat the bathwater immediately and brought Anis to a room.

First, I needed to take her wet clothes off.

I laid her on the bed and took off her jacket.

Then I reached for the buttons on her shirt…

But wait—Anis is…a woman. I know she is.

(I just pretended not to know so things won’t be awkward between us.)

I gave up. Instead, I laid her near the fireplace and lit a fire.

“We brought hot water! ”

The servants came in with kettles of hot water.

They poured it into the bath in the next room and adjusted the temperature by adding some cold water.

“Master, the water should be just right now.”

“Okay. You may leave.”

“Yes, sir.”

I took off my own shirt and got into the bath, holding Anis in her clothes.

Please… Wake up…

I let her head rest on my shoulder and held still.

After a while, her body twitched.

“Mmm… it’s warm…”

“Anis?”

“Huh…? A bath?”

“You’re awake.”

“Eh… Ryu?”

Anis looked up at me with sleepy eyes.

Good… Her color is coming back.

“Ryu? Why are you…?”

She didn’t seem to understand what was happening.

“You collapsed in the North District. I brought you to my house.”

“I… I collapsed? Ah… I mean… boku…”

“Haha. Still trying to use boku, huh?”

She really still thinks she can fool me?

Even in this situation?

“Why don’t you look at yourself and say that again?”

“Huh?”

She looked down at herself and screamed, quickly covering her chest.

The cloth she had wrapped around her chest had come undone in the bath.

She still had her shirt on, so I didn’t see everything—but I’d better explain anyway.

****

“I didn’t take it off, okay?”

“Ugh… did you see?!”

“I didn’t.”

“You totally saw, didn’t you?!”

“How could I? I was holding you like this the whole time.”

“Oh… So, you’ve been warming me like this?”

“Yeah. You seem better now.”

I touched her neck to check her temperature.

She rubbed her cheek against me.

Haha.

Like a little kitten.

“Why were you collapsed out there?”

“I was… looking for my mother.”

“You’re not going home?”

“No. She went to Count Royden’s house yesterday to repay the money… but she never came back.”

Did they sell her off to pay the debt…?

“So, I went to the count’s mansion.”

“She wasn’t there?”

“I don’t know… They wouldn’t let me inside.”

****

Turned away at the gate, huh…

Honestly, I don’t care what happens to her mother.

But… I can’t just leave it alone either.

“Alright. I’ll look into it. You go home.”

“Eh… really?”

“Yeah. I’m not sure I’ll find her, though.”

“Thank you, Ryu!”

She threw herself at me, soaking shirt and all.

Hey—something soft is pressing against me…

She really doesn’t see me as a man, huh?

****

After the bath, I took out a slim shirt and pants from the closet and helped Anis get dressed.

“Still too big,” I said.

“You’re right. Super big.”

She walked around the room, dragging the ends of the pants.

Pfft…

She reminds me of a baby, somehow.

I feel like I have to protect her.

Why do I care so much about her? I’ve never cared about others before.

I guess I’ll have to stay with her… until I understand what this feeling is.

I thought about that as I watched Anis happily jump on the bed.