Don’t Concern Yourself With That Book

“Then, pick me up afterward. I’ll be at the place we talked about.”

I gave Lord Ray’s hand a slight squeeze before placing it down.

“I’ll wait for you at the place that suits me the most, the flower stall.”

Lord Ray gave a heavy smile.

“Alright.”

I stared at the knight who had been lowering his head this whole time to make eye contact with me before he raised his hand.

Lord Ray blinked slowly as his hand brushed against my cheek.

“… The necklace. Please hold onto it tightly. I’m not going to put you in danger. Not anymore.”

I gave a heavy nod. Just as he started to walk away, I hurriedly ran towards the side of the walkway. As long as that promise with Lord Ray stands, I was not intending on doing anything reckless. Fortunately, other than the stench of food and garbage as well as the occasional odour of feet, I did not encounter any problems on my way back.

‘Is it this way?’

Just when I could not really see the path in front of me.

“Halt!”

I thought it was a dream when I heard the sounds of footsteps heading towards me. When the rough pants gradually approached me, a creepy feeling crawled up my ears.

“Damn!”

All I could see was the hem of their clothes. When I came to my senses, I was already running with someone grabbing my hand.

“That wench! Grab that wench!”

“Pickpocket!”

My surroundings flew as we sprinted past store to store. The strength of the person’s grip was so strong that I could not shake off their grip and ran with them helplessly. We dodged the greasy walls, the green tents, the fruit boxes and the passers-by as we moved at a speed that was not too burdensome.

We ran past the stores in a flash. There were too many people. At that moment, my vision twisted. I turned to face the huge person in front of me. The narrow gaps between two buildings. Ah, it was a space that I would have just passed by without noticing.

Pant, pant.

In the embrace of the person whose arms wrapped around me, I panted heavily.

“Where’s she?!”

“That little rat! There she is!”

The stampeding footsteps passed us by. They sounded like the people chasing us. What was going on? I let out a sigh instead of holding my breath before raising my head from the shock.

“Sorry, sorry. Are you alright?”

Even in the dark, the woman’s eyes shone a bright red. I was flustered by the face in front of me.

It was Marissa.

“I’m being chased because of some circumstances. I thought you would definitely get caught too if I just left you alone.”

“What are you talking about? Who the heck are those people?”

“The people chasing me.”

She patted my cheek as she found my surprised expression interesting. Once again, she was wearing gloves.

“They are bad men who would only pick on cute and lovely children like you. Scary, huh?”

Why was Marissa here? I could only stare at her because I did not know what to ask. She pulled down my cape.

“Oh my… you…”

Hold on. I thought I saw her eyes widen for a moment before she spoke slowly.

“We’ve… seen each other before, haven’t we?”

Her voice sounded hoarse, like she was speaking to an adult.

“I know you.”

With my eyes closed, I touched my cool forehead.

“Yes, I know you too. This purple. You bumped into me before, haven’t you?”

To be exact, I bumped into the man she called his lover.

“You’re right.”

I nodded roughly to agree with what she said.

Why did she drag me along?

We were only together for a short while in the collapsed building but I had a different appearance then.

“Child. Why were you alone in that alley? It’s an area where no one goes.”

“I’m not sure. I just walked and that’s where I ended up.”

“Pretty child.”

Her eyes curled gently.

“Can’t you just tell me? It’s a difficult place to end up in even if you got lost or found it accidentally. There.”

When she said that, I stared back at her instead of answering back.

‘I have to go meet Lord Ray.’

Did he manage to save that person? I was pretty sure it was a woman’s scream.

“My friend was kidnapped.”

“Kidnapped?”

“Yes.”

As soon as I faced the intense red eyes staring at me, my words escaped me immediately.

“I came here to save a friend. I was chasing a man and I ended up there.”

That was a good enough explanation. I just let out some stuff. I wasn’t lying, right?

“Ah. A kidnapping.”

I stared at Marissa calmly and collectively. In response, she stared back at me and tilted her head.

“Oh my. I’m proud of you, child. But… seeing as how you’re still wet behind your ears, this place is too dangerous for you.”

“What kind of place is that?”

Marissa smiled surprisingly beautifully as her red hair poured over her shoulders.

“It’s a place where all kinds of depravities and dirt gather. So much that people like you can never even imagine what it’s like.”

Just when I was about to ask what she was talking about, Marissa pulled my shoulders towards her tremendously quickly.

Slice.

A sword jutted out of the spot I was originally standing in with a huge clang. Marissa’s face hardened when she looked at the sword.

“Duck!”

She forced my arms together in the narrow space as the sword rattled from the spot it stuck out from.

“Darling, are you here?”

Marissa let out a soft curse.

“Deros.”

“That’s right, it’s me.”

I stared at the man who was blocking the light before realising that he was the man I saw in the basement of the collapsed building. The one who looked like Dane.

“I’ve been looking for you for a long time, sweetie.”

As if they were melting in the darkness. His orange eyes that were sparkling like jewels against his coffee-coloured skin captured Marissa in their gaze. But he was not the only one who entered the alley.

“I know right. I warned you what would happen if you get in my way. Where did you take my ladies to? Huh?”

His eyes curled up. Deros spoke with a smirk on his smooth expression as if he was trying to effortlessly seduce a woman.

“Sweetie, you’re truly amazing with the sword. First you threatened me to point my sword at my own captain and today, I’m pointing one at you, darling.”

As he spoke without a pause, he pointed his sword at Marissa.

“Hm. Who do you think you’re pointing your sword at?”

It was only for a moment but I recalled the figure of the man who blocked Hernan’s sword in the basement. He was a man who could go against Hernan. Cold sweat dripped down my back.

“You’re so stubborn. But that’s also what’s so lovely about you. I won’t let you win today.”

Their gazes faced off without backing down as tension choked the air.

“Pfft. That’s not even funny.’

Even though the crisis was right around the corner, Marissa’s expression remained calm.

“You whispered about love but now, you’re pointing your sword at me. What a disappointing man.”

“Are you blaming me? You did the same thing to me.”

The man curled his eyes and smiled. I got goosebumps. His appearance definitely overlapped with Dane’s for a moment.

Why did they look so alike?

Marissa’s thin fingers touched the scabbard as she slowly revealed the sword under her skirt.

“Look here, Deros. Sweetie.”

Marissa pressed her red lips together before smiling meaningfully.

“It’s not too late for you now. Repent.”

She slowly spoke like a whisper as if she was trying to seduce me.

“The gods are kind enough to accept bastards from the Emperor’s Shadows like you.”

She continued to smile but her words sounded like mockery. I clearly saw the man glare sharply at Marissa. I slowly stepped back before fumbling with my hand. I grabbed onto my heavy diary and brushed against my sharp dagger.

Should I?

No. I should wait a little longer. The moment I wanted to look at Marissa again, I made eye contact with Deros as if I was dreaming. His eyes grew scary before calming down again.

“Why is that woman here…?”

I was suddenly frustrated. Did he manage to catch my face when I changed that day? He muttered my name. The man knew me. No, the man knew the princess’ face.

“That’s good. Because the captain will be heading here soon.”

“Did you call the Templar of Beasts just to catch little old me?”

‘Hernan!’

It was a chaotic and flustering situation but one thing was clear. I didn’t think it would be a good idea to stay here. I had to quietly get up from my spot and get out of here. The moment I stepped back, there was a hand covering my mouth.

“Uh uh, you can’t run away.”

The hand was violent and rough. Obviously, the grip was not meant to be friendly.

“Euuup! Eup! Eup! Eup!”

“Child!”

I struggled against the hands covering my mouth but I could not move. I made eye contact with Deros who was in front of me.

“What should I do, Marissa? I accidentally got myself a hostage?”

I felt something sharp and cool touch my neck.

I could instinctively tell that it was a sword.

“It looks like there’s quite a few skilled people here. How underhanded.”

She spoke through her gritted teeth.

“It’s disgusting how you’re taking a child hostage just to have an advantage over me.”

Marissa’s eyes were burning like a blue flame as she spoke. However, resignation soon clouded her beautiful eyes.

“… Alright. I’ll follow you. Let her go, darling.”

She crossed her arms with her glamorous expression before sighing calmly.

“Hurry.”

I recalled what Marissa said.

“We don’t touch the weak or women. That’s a Templar of Justice’s creed.”

Because of the hand covering my mouth, I gripped the blade tightly.

Stab.

The blade dug into his palm sharply with a goosebump-inducing sound. I could feel a faint tingling sensation. The man holding me was bewildered.

“Let me go!”

I had been thinking. When I had been kidnapped the first time, I thought I could turn the day around if I had used a little more strength even if I died. Now that I knew that this place was really in the original novel, I had nothing to lose even if time went back. I just couldn’t get myself to do it because I spent all my strength the previous few days.

I learnt that I even needed physical strength to die, Shouldn’t I have realised that by now?

If anyone asked if I was scared of dying, I would say I was not sure. However, I could say this with clarity. I hated the feeling of death immensely. And what I hated more was being placed in situations which influenced me regardless of my intentions.

A weak, useless, skinny person. I had always been someone like that. I was weak, crawled on the ground, easily hurt and swayed by others. Why should I become someone’s hostage and just used as a tool to intimidate someone?

If this was the curse and the skills the gods have given me…

I aimed my dagger at my neck.

‘If I can turn back time by dying…’

What should I do? Try persuading Rebecca again, try persuading Fleon again or should I send Amor a letter. Then, I would go out with Lord Ray again…

I applied pressure on the dagger on my neck.

“Stop it!”

It felt like my hands were tearing apart.

Clang.

I could hear the sound of a sword hitting mine. The dagger I was holding fell onto the ground far away.

“You have to live and continue living to see all the stars the world has to offer.”

Her voice sounded different from before. She sounded clearer and more articulate which was different from her usual seductive tone.

“I’ll never let a child die before my eyes.”