“You’re going too far! What did Sixx do wrong to deserve this?”
“If he did something wrong, he deserved it enough.”
The ringmaster casually brushed off Andy’s criticism. Thinking it was all over, the ringmaster reached out to Clay again. Something was placed on the ringmaster’s palm. He extended his hand forward for everyone to see, slowly unfolding his fist. Gasps erupted from all around.
“My necklace and ring!!”
Greta rushed forward. She seemed ecstatic to have found her lost valuables. “Thank you, sir!” With a radiant smile like a flower, Greta, the ringmaster, too, raised the corners of his lips. It was fortunate that the items were found. The stolen goods, small and expensive, were returned to their rightful owner.
“We found them in Sixx’s bag. All three witnesses confirmed it, so there’s no doubt.”
“This can’t be…!”
Andy murmured with a pale face. Sixx was equally baffled. Why would those be in my bag? There’s no way, there’s no way… Sixx had never touched a necklace or ring in his life. Yet, they were in his bag? He was so bewildered that he couldn’t even think of what to say. It wasn’t me. I didn’t steal them. Is there anything else to say? But didn’t Sixx say before? He’s not the culprit. He didn’t steal anything. But they didn’t listen, not even a bit. They never intended to listen to me anyway. He finally realized the truth. No matter what he said, the situation wouldn’t change. Why? It was obvious.
“There’s no evidence more certain than physical evidence. Sixx, you’re the culprit. You stole Greta’s belongings.”
It was because he was weak. It was because the noose the ringmaster put around his neck had been there for over ten years, and he didn’t even know it was there. The ringmaster probably knew too. Sixx wasn’t the culprit. If he had a motive, he would have left evidence. Sixx, who spent his entire life in the circus, had plenty of opportunities to steal others’ belongings. It was even more ridiculous that the only things he had stolen were a necklace and a ring. So, it was clear that this was a trap set by someone to frame Sixx. However, the ringmaster pretended not to know that fact. Maybe he thought it was time to correct the habits of the dog he had raised. How dare you raise your voice against the owner? Where do you think you are? He wanted to say that. Sixx immediately understood that signal.
“Why would Sixx steal that? He’s not greedy! You know that too, sir!”
Andy made futile resistance. Sixx was grateful for her defending him, but it would be impossible to turn the tide. Sixx closed his eyes. Except for her, no one else would stand by his side here. The Part 1 members wouldn’t speak up, and the Part 2 members had managed to avoid the baggage inspection, so most of them would just endure silently. Moreover, apart from the siblings, Sixx didn’t have any close friends. There would be no one to stand up for Sixx’s innocence, even if it meant risking being labeled as an accomplice.
“Not greedy? What nonsense, Andy. Do you say that even after seeing these items?”
“…Me?”
“That kid is no longer the innocent Sixx you knew. He’s been corrupted by bad influences! Receiving expensive gifts and entertaining valuable guests made him greedy. He thought he could become someone important. Foolishness. Sixx, how long do you think that brat will search for you?”
Sitting down in front of Sixx, the ringmaster gently tapped his swollen cheek with gloved hands. Whispering softly to Sixx, who flinched at the smooth texture of the leather gloves, he murmured, “Wake up, you little shit.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“You’re a monster. Nobody genuinely likes you. While there may be people intrigued by monsters, there’s no one in this world who loves a monster. If you think you can go out and live among other humans, it’s a great misconception. Nobody welcomes a monster. Why, do you think I’m wrong? Just wait and see, Sixx. Malon Cage will find out he’s just like any other spectator.”
Llr kbgvr mea atgbeut ilxf j rtjgq xclof. Pa abgf atgbeut Vlzz’r mtfra, qlfgmfv atgbeut tlr glyr, jcv ribkis veu lcab atf tfjga yfcfjat. Rbk Vlzz xcfk bo atf fzlrafcmf bo atf ifjrt jgbecv tlr cfmx. Ccv jr ibcu jr la fzlrafv, tf gfjilhfv tf kbeiv cfnfg vfos atf glcuwjrafg obg atf gfra bo tlr ilof. Efwbnlcu atf ifjrt kjrc’a vloolmeia. Po tf mea la klat tlr cjlir, la kbeiv ygfjx lc jc lcrajca.
However, the ringmaster asked, “Even if you cut the leash, where do you think you’ll escape to? I…”
He mumbled, but nothing came out in between. “If you think so, then so be it.”
The ringmaster chuckled at him.
“I don’t see even a hint of remorse from you. I could kick you out of the circus right now, but considering the affection I have for you…Greta, as long as you’re okay, he’ll take the punishment. Clay, take Sixx and lock him in the iron cage. He won’t come out until he sincerely apologizes, Sixx!”
“W-wait, sir! Isn’t that too much!”
It was Corbin. He had been silent for a while, but it seemed he couldn’t stand by and watch the harsh treatment imposed on Sixx any longer. However, their resistance was futile. Sixx was thrown into the iron cage, where only wolves went, and the ringmaster placed a human-sized lock on top to ensure he wouldn’t come out. Remorse. That was Sixx’s punishment. Foolishly, Sixx thought of Malon Cage as the one who would save him in that moment before leaving. Before leaving, he said, “I’ll be back within a week.” Perhaps Sixx would have believed firmly that he would pluck stars from the sky for him.
However, a week passed, and another week passed, and Malon Cage did not come to rescue Sixx. The day he showed up again in the crater was three weeks since Sixx had been locked in the iron cage.
***
The boy, half human and half wolf, lived in the cold iron cage. He went out for performances, but that was it. After the show, he had to return there. He even ate food like a dog, sticking his head to the ground. It was because the use of forks was prohibited by the ringmaster. The ringmaster asked, “Do you admit your mistake?”
The boy longed for comfortable food, but he never nodded. It wasn’t just because he wasn’t really a thief, but also because every time he looked at the ringmaster’s face, the broken radio that came to his mind was broken. He would probably never forgive him until he died. The ringmaster mocked his misconception, but amidst that, the boy realized that the radio was a gift from Malon. It would have been better to beat him to death instead. Just thinking of the broken radio at the ringmaster’s feet felt like tearing his heart apart. The boy cried every night. Malon would come soon, but he couldn’t figure out how to confess the truth to him. All the things he had given him had turned to dust. It wasn’t the boy’s fault, but maybe it was. So he spent the week in sadness and worry.
Malon didn’t come, but the boy continued to wait for Malon. He was a busy person, so he didn’t know he was a little late. Maybe the ringmaster could interfere with their meeting, but no matter how much he was the ringmaster, he wouldn’t dare refuse Malon’s orders. He was not a guy with enough guts. The boy had just realized how pathetic the ringmaster was. Had there been something in his eyes all along? He had always regarded the ringmaster as a benefactor. Of course, he knew the ringmaster wasn’t a good person. He openly discriminated against the Part 2 members, including the boy, and his actions were somewhat violent. Still, he had been the one to accept the boy into the circus and let him stay here when there was nowhere else to go. He had always thought he should be grateful for that for the rest of his life. That thought still remained unchanged. However, the boy read an inferiority complex burning in the ringmaster’s eyes from the last incident. He envied Malon and felt humiliated by him. He didn’t know exactly what had happened between them, but the boy found his jealousy toward Malon and his humiliation while bowing to him ridiculous. The ringmaster laughed at him, but the boy thought he was ridiculous. Malon was incomparable to the ringmaster in every way. So the boy didn’t repent. With that in mind, he spent another week.
Three weeks was a long time. The boy trusted Malon. At least, he did at first. But as the week passed, and this week, and three weeks passed, his heart gradually leaned in the opposite direction. Specifically, he began to suspect that Malon had abandoned him. Of course, he couldn’t blame him for not coming to him anymore. They weren’t related at all. However, it was a little frustrating that he had promised to come back and then left. It would have been better if he hadn’t heard anything at all. The boy lay on the cold floor, curling up his body. It was cold inside the cage. Corbin had brought him an old blanket without the ringmaster’s knowledge, but it was inadequate to block the cold wind coming in from outside. The boy coughed. Whether he was catching a cold or not, his body felt chilly. It had been almost three weeks since he started waiting for Malon. In the meantime, the boy realized that an empty promise was more cruel than no farewell at all. Refusing to accept the simple fact that he had left, the boy indulged in all sorts of fantasies.
For three weeks, all he could do while being stuck in the iron cage was to think. In the silence where not even the sound of ants crawling could be heard, the boy constantly turned his head. About himself, about Malon, about the ringmaster, and about the circus… Surprisingly, it was the first time the boy had truly ‘thought’ like this. There had been no time, no leisure, no opportunity before. He was just too busy living.
Someone might call this the process of a boy coming of age. Or depending on perspective, it could be called growth. If asked whether growth only occurs through thinking and more thinking, one could answer that it’s possible for children of that age. The boy was twelve. Not quite an adult, but not really young either. Even at that age, there are occasionally children who behave more maturely than adults. Moreover, in the environment the boy found himself in, there were even more of those kinds of children around him. For example, there was Andy, who treated the boy like a younger brother despite being born only a year earlier. However, the boy was not like those children. What he had developed significantly was only the survival instinct of an animal, and in other aspects, he was actually much behind his peers (in fact, Malon Cage still thought he was about ten years old). There could be various reasons why the boy grew particularly slowly. However, now the boy was undergoing rapid growth. He didn’t realize it himself, but it was happening. The boy finally became aware of his place in the world.
However, growth always comes with growing pains. The boy realized how powerless he was and suffered greatly. He had nothing. No abilities, no wealth, no power. Just last week, he had seen the ringmaster, who was followed by numerous followers, had amassed a huge fortune while running the circus, and had the talent to control people. And what about Malon, who appeared in the boy’s dreams every night? He must have had countless amazing and wonderful things. Perhaps he owned things that the boy couldn’t even imagine. But the boy had nothing. He was just struggling to survive. The reason the boy was trapped here was also because of that. No matter how much he wanted to meet Malon, he couldn’t. Why? Because he had achieved nothing with his own strength. All the boy could do was wait for Malon to come see him at his whim. Pathetic and powerless. That great Malon wouldn’t continue to pay attention to a kid who could only turn into a hairy monster. The boy finally thought he understood the truth. This couldn’t go on. He couldn’t continue wasting his life foolishly like this. It felt like the eyes that had been closed tightly were forcibly opened. He had to become a person who could at least do his share properly. The ringmaster hadn’t said anything wrong. He was a monster. So, he had to learn to live as a monster. Even if Malon didn’t come to him, he had to go to Malon first. As he made up his mind like that, Sixx sent a message to the ringmaster admitting his mistakes and expressing remorse. Then the ringmaster called him to his office. When Sixx apologized and sincerely lowered his head, the ringmaster, realizing his victory, chuckled and after a long, verbose sermon, let him go. Useless words like “you’re too stubborn, now behave yourself” and so on. And that day was also a day of performance. Sixx put on his robe and took to the stage, delivering a passionate performance. He tore into the flesh of a trembling lamb, which suddenly didn’t feel disgusting with blood. The lamb no longer felt pitiful. The lamb was hunted by the wolf because it was a weak creature. That was the fate of the lamb. And Sixx also admitted his guilt even after turning the tables. That’s how the world works according to the will of the strong. It was an unchanging absolute law.
***
“Sixx, your guest has come back after a long time.” Sixx, who was rinsing his mouth after emptying his mind, was astonished by the surprising news. Malon had returned… Trying to block all sorts of thoughts that came to mind about the sudden visit, Sixx nodded calmly. Malon must have felt like visiting Sixx suddenly. That was probably it, but he kept thinking more than that. Holding onto his fluttering heart, he stepped into the now familiar area.
As usual, ringing the bell and entering inside, he saw the man. He exuded authority as usual, sitting leisurely on the sofa with a smug look, smoking a cigarette, and arrogantly gesturing towards Sixx. Malon Cage was still Malon Cage. Surely, he was glad to see him after a long time, but at the same time, a strange sense of despair welled up. His ease seemed to only reveal the gap between him and Sixx. While Sixx scratched the ground anxiously every day wondering if he would ever come again, he seemed unfazed. Of course, he could. His distance was not even a meter, but he felt farther away than ever. “Have you been well? You seem a bit lenient.”
He reached out and stroked Sixx’s white hair. Slowly inhaling the scent of a man he hadn’t tasted in a long time, Sixx closed his eyes and savored his touch. Sadness is sadness, and now is now. His presence by my side is just fleeting. So, I shouldn’t fail to enjoy every moment properly. Suppressing all negative emotions and tucking them away in one corner of his heart, Sixx decided to treat him properly. He is Sixx’s guest after all. Sixx was said to seem lenient, but Malon also seemed to have lost some weight. Was something wrong? Perhaps that’s why he couldn’t come to see me? Even the slightest gap, Sixx’s brain interpreted the situation as it pleased. Summoning courage, Sixx asked.
“…It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Yeah. It wasn’t intentional, but I’m a bit late. Actually, I couldn’t even see your performance today.”
“You seem busy.”
“I had some troublesome matters. Well, it’s nothing I can tell you… I’ve been to another province for a while. It was nothing but matters that only I could handle.”
“I see.”
“Have you been waiting for me, Sixx?”
“…”
“Huh? Have you been eagerly waiting for Malon to come, scratching that little head of yours?”
If someone said they had never resented him even once during their captivity, it would probably be a lie. This dangerous man, who runs the largest criminal organization in Portland, was like a prince who miraculously appeared in his life. Despite being in danger, Sixx couldn’t help but blame and resent the prince who didn’t come to save him. However, the moment he saw Malon’s face, teasing him as always with a mischievous smile, Sixx realized that he couldn’t resent him anymore. Maybe he would do whatever he pleased. His heart throbbed like it was sick. It was unfair. With all the advantages Malon had, compared to Sixx, who only had the worst cards, the game was never fair to begin with. No, maybe in Sixx’s life, Malon Cage was nothing but a joker himself. Therefore, waiting for Sixx was nothing but defeat. His slightly upturned lips, his mischievous and slightly twisted eyes, and his sharper jawline after a month-long business trip dealt a severe blow to Sixx. Yes, he had to admit it.
“…Yes.”
I waited for you until my throat went dry, trapped in an iron cage, even before you… Of course, it’s not something I can be excessively honest about, so Sixx replied briefly.
With Malon’s approval, he lightly brushed Sixx’s soft cheek with the back of his hand.
“Well, sorry about that. Nothing happened during that time?”
To his question, Sixx hesitated for a moment. Nothing happened… Something did. He lost everything Malon had given him. But he didn’t know how to convey that fact. We debated hard within ourselves, but in the end, we couldn’t find an answer. If we hesitated any longer, we’d be put to the question… Cowardly, but Sixx chose to downplay the truth. At least he didn’t lie, so maybe that was okay, he reassured himself.
“It’s not that nothing happened, but…”
“Hmm.”
“I accidentally showed the gifts to the ringmaster. But, he didn’t seem to like them very much…”
“…Is that so?”
“…Um, Malon, by any chance, with the ringmaster,”
“Got it. It seems it’s because we ran out of time last time and couldn’t finish our conversation properly. Today, let’s take our time, shall we? …I hope it’s not because of that brat that you’re all skin and bones now?”
Malon’s finger lifted Sixx’s chin. Looking around Sixx’s face, he clicked his tongue. Sixx worried that Malon might somehow find out the truth. With his chilling gaze fixed on him, it felt like he couldn’t hide even a speck of dust from him. Anxiously, but fortunately, he didn’t extend his thoughts beyond that, and he released Sixx. He sighed with relief. He hadn’t slept well all this time, so maybe he was a bit slow due to fatigue.
“Should I transform into a wolf?”
Malon nodded his head. Sixx immediately transformed into a wolf. It had been a while since he served as a pillow, so he felt a bit tense. As Sixx crouched and lay down on the bed, Malon also loosened his accessories, untied his tie, and rested his head on Sixx’s torso. He fell asleep soon after. Malon slept like the dead. It was amazing that there wasn’t even a murmur or a tossing and turning, and yet, on the other hand, Sixx felt envious of those who slept with Malon. He struggled every night with his colleagues’ snoring and tossing. How nice would it be to sleep with Malon… Of course, it was a daydream that he didn’t want anyone to find out about. But they say imagination is free. Feeling his body temperature against his side, Sixx envisioned them lying side by side under a very large sunshade, both Malon and Sixx in their human state, quietly sleeping together… Since Sixx was quite well-behaved when it came to sleeping, Malon probably wouldn’t mind either. It would be a very happy occasion for Sixx, who was particularly sensitive to smells and sounds. How nice would it be to fall asleep feeling Malon’s breath and scent? Maybe he wouldn’t be able to sleep through the night, but… Oh, maybe it wouldn’t be much different from now. But that’s okay. Someday, Sixx would adapt. But for that to happen, there would have to be a lot of sleeping together. Without realizing it, Sixx almost wagged his tail with excitement.
Had about two hours passed? Malon was still deeply asleep, and Sixx heard faint breathing and noises from the other crater. It had been particularly noisy today. Oh, someone raised their voice. They seemed very angry. Actually, it happened quite often. Luckily, Sixx had never experienced it, but the members and guests often fought for entertainment. Oh, they must have finally left. Did they touch the bell on the way out, making the clear sound of the bell echo around?
Clang, clang―
The very familiar sound quickly faded away into the air. However, not long after, the bell rang again. Clang, clang… Did someone fight with a guest and leave the tent after all? But the trajectory of that sound was somewhat unfamiliar. It was thinner and thinner than usual, making it annoyingly sharp. However, the difference was so subtle that it might not have been noticeable if Sixx’s hearing hadn’t been so acute. A strange sound. But not completely unfamiliar.
There was a memory floating in his mind. A crowded general store with people. A woman wearing a brick-colored hat, holding a baby, was picking a vase. The baby smelled of warm baby lotion. They pass by them. Sixx is following a sound… An elderly woman is picking a rug with her husband. The old woman is firm. White gets dirty quickly, so put it down quickly. As they continued to walk, the pattern on the wallpaper changed to black diamonds.
He realized the origin of the sound. Two men were shaking the bell in the shop, listening to the sound. Somehow, from the smell emanating from one of them, Sixx felt a strange familiarity. However, at that time, he couldn’t discern the identity of that smell. He had to leave before he had time to think about it, and he didn’t feel the need to do so. After all, he sniffed countless smells every day. However, among those countless smells, why did only that smell reveal its presence so distinctly? Sixx suddenly realized the answer at that moment. The bell sound was a signal. And the target was none other than Malon!
Ahhh no assassination attempt!
Thanks for the chap ❤️❤️❤️