Kerns, who had just ended his confinement, climbed into the room through the bedroom window. Wilhelmina was playing with Lucy using a piece of dried fish. Kerns startled both the girl and the cat. Lucy bristled, scratching Kerns’ face to reclaim her food.
“Serves you right!” Wilhelmina mocked Kerns while helping him with disinfectant. “You’re not a monkey; you should use the main door.”
“The door is locked. It’s past curfew,” Kerns said. “Hans Borg manages you strictly.”
“He’s my secretary, not my guardian,” Wilhelmina puffed up. “And he does this for my own good.”
“Come on,” Kerns sneered. “My mother said that for people like us, everyone around us, their kindness comes with a price.”
“Maybe,” Wilhelmina said, putting away the medicine, “my grandfather also said that apart from family love, if you want anything else in this world, you have to exchange it with others. Hans Borg is just doing his duty.”
Kerns scratched his head, finding this reasoning sensible.
“Okay, I came to check on you. But you look completely fine, so I won’t worry,” Kerns said, stuffing a key into Wilhelmina’s hand. “This is my apology gift.”
It was an old brass key, heavy and green with rust.
“This is my treasure; I’m giving it to you!” Kerns looked reluctantly at the key. “I found it under the World Tree in the Carefree Palace. It can open the gate to Vanaheim.”
Although Wilhelmina knew Kerns was boasting, she humbly accepted the gift.
“Maybe we can go to the ‘Holy Land’ next time,” Wilhelmina suggested. “But not for adventure—just a picnic.”
“Yes, sir!” Kerns laughed and saluted. “I really like you, Willy. I hope you can go to school soon so I can introduce you to my buddies.”
“Tell me about the school. Annabel said I can go in autumn.”
Kerns made a face. “The school is not bad if you hang out with me. But if you join Annabel’s sorority, you’re doomed. You’ll become a pink girl reeking of perfume, pretentious, and hated by other girls. I know you don’t like pink.”
“What’s fun about hanging out with you?”
“We formed a cosmic military reserve team,” Kerns puffed out his chest. “Me and my buddies are going to enter the Tyr Imperial Military School in the future! How cool!”
