After turning a few alleys and being sure that the cleaners wouldn't catch up, I stopped running. My heart was beating very fast and my breathing was ragged.
The situation became clear. Archie had definitely reported me as the necklace thief.
Even the cleaner didn't read the letter. It seemed that the content of the letter wasn't important, but that going to the temple with the letter was a trap in the first place.
I was angry, but I didn't feel wrong. It was more common for us to run away for a crime we didn't commit.
The man who lived next door was sentenced to life imprisonment after being accused of theft after selling a ring given to him by a nobleman out of pity, and the woman who lived three houses away had her wrists cut off for simply picking up a handkerchief that had fallen on the floor.
In this situation, who would believe me if I said I was innocent?
Strictly speaking, it was my fault for selling the goods without caution because it was urgent.
Even if I could do it a thousand times for Olga.
Rather than going back to my accommodation, I thought it would be better to go out to the square. If I were wanted, a detailed notice of my appearance would be posted within a few hours.
Saxony was a small town, and it wasn't a place I knew very well. When the search began in earnest, I didn't know where to hide. The only way to survive was to leave the town before that happened.
But is it really possible? An eighteen-year-old girl, a back-alley brat with little education, can outwit the knights and escape from the village?
With every few steps I took, it felt like someone was chasing me from behind and pulling me away. My heart was growing weak.
I stepped too hastily and ended up slipping on a dirty vegetable box.
“Ahhh...”
It felt like my ribs had hit the box. The pain was so severe that it made my eyes dizzy.
As I was coughing wildly, someone grabbed my shoulder. It was a man with a hat pulled down low.
Because it was a dark alley, I couldn't see the face at all. Could it be that the temple gatekeeper had followed me here? I screamed in terror.
“Sa, sa, save me!”
Then the man put a finger to his lips and made a hissing sound.
That scared me even more and stimulated my imagination. I was almost on the verge of crying.
Anyone would feel wrong if they had to end their life stuck in a dirty vegetable bin. I fumbled with my trembling hands to grab the money in my pocket.
If I offered him all the money I had, would he let me go? I don't know about anything else, but if it was money, I thought maybe something would work out.
“If you save me, I’ll give you all the money.”
I said, sobbing. I might have eaten my nose too.
The man let out a short laugh. I noticed that his voice sounded familiar.
The man grabbed my arm and helped me out of the vegetable bin where I had been lying.
“I got the money. Are you hurt anywhere?”
“It’s okay, I think it’s okay...”
As the pain from the collision subsided, my mind gradually became clearer. My arms were fine, and my legs were fine. Except for the smell of spoiled vegetables that lingered all over my body.
The man didn't seem like he was out to get me. I was so embarrassed that I wanted to crawl into a hole.
“Thank you for your help. Well, I’ll take my leave now...”
I wanted to hurry and leave, but the man didn't move from my side at all.
“Don’t you remember me?”
It was a strange story, but the voice really sounded familiar.
I've seen it somewhere. Or at least heard it somewhere. It must have been recently, but I couldn't remember right away.
As I hesitated, the man took off his hat.
"Ah."
“Would you like to find out now?”
I could tell right away that he didn't even add a playful note.
How could I have forgotten those blue eyes? It was the man who gave me the purse last night.
I brushed off the vegetable leaves and mud from my hair and clothes. When I thought they were strangers, I didn't mind, but now I was worried that my appearance might be too shabby.
“Sir, I can’t recognize you just by hearing your voice.”
“Is that so?”
He chuckled softly as if I had told him a funny joke.
“I recognized Young Lady even though you hid your face.”
He treated me with the same politeness as he had the night before, even though it was now daylight and he could clearly see the back of my hands, and so he knew that I was not a young lady of noble birth.
The smell of the spoiled vegetables on my clothes seemed to be getting worse. I quickly took off my dirty hood. The man knew my face anyway.
“How did you get here?”
“Oh, it just so happens that the vegetable store I work at is located here.”
“...Really?”
When I pressed him with a dubious look on my face, he smiled without answering.
“It’s a dangerous place. If you tell me where the Young Lady is staying, I can take you there.”
“You don’t have to do that. I, well...”
Gulp.
Before I could finish saying my refusal, there was a loud noise. It seemed even louder because I was talking. I tried to pretend not to hear, but my stomach started rumbling loudly again.
I didn't eat properly last night, and I skipped breakfast and went out, so I was hungry. Fortunately, the man didn't seem to hear me.
“Then let’s do this.”
"Yes?"
“I want to repay the help I received from Young Lady, and it seems like Young Lady is in the market.”
“...”
...I can’t even hear it. I want to go back into the rotten vegetable bin. My cheeks and the back of my neck were burning hot.
“How about I treat you to a quick meal over there?”
He pointed to a nearby food stall. It wasn't a fancy restaurant like the one he suggested last time, and he knew how to eat well.
This was also comfortable for me. In fact, anywhere was fine as long as it wasn't a place where people ate with silverware and all sorts of fancy things. I nodded quickly.
“That would be great.”
“Please wait here for a moment.”
The man quickly went and bought two bowls of hot stew and some bread. Judging by the way he exchanged coins, he didn't seem to be an ignorant young master.
We arranged the vegetable boxes and made a nice place to sit. At first, I was going to just take a few sips and leave, but when I actually saw the food, I got hungry.
As I took the wooden bowl and spoon, the warmth made my nose tingle. As I stirred with the spoon, several kinds of vegetables, mushrooms, and even a seemingly good chunk of meat came up.
The soup was very thick and flavorful. I ate the bread the man had bought, dipping it in the stew. It was the first time I had eaten a hot soup dish since leaving Georges.
“Please eat some more.”
The man poured half of his stew into my bowl. I barely swallowed what was in my mouth and said,
“It’s okay. I ate enough.”
“I should have bought you something better.”
He spoke as if he were sorry that he could not give me the golden goose, which was the most precious meal to me.
After I ate every last bit of the stew he had given me, my whole body felt relaxed. I could have fallen asleep right away among the vegetable boxes.
“I ate well. I guess I should go now.”
I yawned and stood up. I planned to run to my dorm before the warmth of my body left. The hood smelled so bad that I had to throw it away right away, so I couldn't bring myself to wear it.
"For a moment."
The man gently took the dirty hood from my hands. He then took off the thick cloak he was wearing and put it around my shoulders. It was very warm, as it was warmed by his body temperature.
“Hey, you don’t have to do this. I fell over and am dirty, and it’s too big for me to wear. It’ll get dirty.”
“I hope you don’t get cold.”
“But if it’s like this, it’s too...”
“You’re sorry?”
I nodded.
“Then Young lady owes me a debt.”
“Is that so? Why don’t you just take the cloak?”
“I can’t get back what I’ve already lent.”
“...”
“Besides, since it’s my debt, I plan to receive payment as I see fit. For example, by taking you to your lodgings.”
I was so shocked that I started laughing.
“Where is such stubbornness?”
“In front of the Young lady’s eyes.”
He said with a mischievous smile. It seemed like I could never beat him with words.
Besides, he was a remarkably handsome man. How many women would be able to resist being talked to like that by a man?
The confidence that I could escape at any moment, no matter what he was up to, also helped to soften my stubbornness. I gave up and draped my cloak over my shoulders.
“Then please just walk me to the square.”
“Is the accommodation near the square?”
“It’s right in front.”
That was a lie. The temple was on the opposite side of the square.
But I couldn't completely trust him, no matter how handsome he was and how selfless he seemed to me.
I've seen many cases where a seemingly normal man tricks a woman and takes everything from her, and vice versa. There was no guarantee that this man wouldn't do the same. He seemed to have guessed what I was thinking, but he didn't say anything.
We walked side by side to the square. Because of the New Year's celebration, fireworks went off everywhere with every step we took.
I got quite a few jealous stares from women and even a few men while I was walking.
It was only then that it occurred to me that I was wearing his mantle and that we might be seen by others as a pair of affectionate lovers out to enjoy a festival.
“Yeah, up to here it’s fine.”
I called out to him, staggering forward, holding onto my clothes that were dragging behind me. He raised an eyebrow but did not object.
Anyway, the plaza was only two more alleys away. I quickly took off his cloak and handed it to him. It was originally clean, but the hem was dragged and covered in dirt.
“Look, it’s become a mess.”
I was upset that it ended up like this even though I was careful not to get it dirty. But he didn't seem to care at all.
“It’s enough since you came warmly.”
“...”
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The situation became clear. Archie had definitely reported me as the necklace thief.
Even the cleaner didn't read the letter. It seemed that the content of the letter wasn't important, but that going to the temple with the letter was a trap in the first place.
I was angry, but I didn't feel wrong. It was more common for us to run away for a crime we didn't commit.
The man who lived next door was sentenced to life imprisonment after being accused of theft after selling a ring given to him by a nobleman out of pity, and the woman who lived three houses away had her wrists cut off for simply picking up a handkerchief that had fallen on the floor.
In this situation, who would believe me if I said I was innocent?
Strictly speaking, it was my fault for selling the goods without caution because it was urgent.
Even if I could do it a thousand times for Olga.
Rather than going back to my accommodation, I thought it would be better to go out to the square. If I were wanted, a detailed notice of my appearance would be posted within a few hours.
Saxony was a small town, and it wasn't a place I knew very well. When the search began in earnest, I didn't know where to hide. The only way to survive was to leave the town before that happened.
But is it really possible? An eighteen-year-old girl, a back-alley brat with little education, can outwit the knights and escape from the village?
With every few steps I took, it felt like someone was chasing me from behind and pulling me away. My heart was growing weak.
I stepped too hastily and ended up slipping on a dirty vegetable box.
“Ahhh...”
It felt like my ribs had hit the box. The pain was so severe that it made my eyes dizzy.
As I was coughing wildly, someone grabbed my shoulder. It was a man with a hat pulled down low.
Because it was a dark alley, I couldn't see the face at all. Could it be that the temple gatekeeper had followed me here? I screamed in terror.
“Sa, sa, save me!”
Then the man put a finger to his lips and made a hissing sound.
That scared me even more and stimulated my imagination. I was almost on the verge of crying.
Anyone would feel wrong if they had to end their life stuck in a dirty vegetable bin. I fumbled with my trembling hands to grab the money in my pocket.
If I offered him all the money I had, would he let me go? I don't know about anything else, but if it was money, I thought maybe something would work out.
“If you save me, I’ll give you all the money.”
I said, sobbing. I might have eaten my nose too.
The man let out a short laugh. I noticed that his voice sounded familiar.
The man grabbed my arm and helped me out of the vegetable bin where I had been lying.
“I got the money. Are you hurt anywhere?”
“It’s okay, I think it’s okay...”
As the pain from the collision subsided, my mind gradually became clearer. My arms were fine, and my legs were fine. Except for the smell of spoiled vegetables that lingered all over my body.
The man didn't seem like he was out to get me. I was so embarrassed that I wanted to crawl into a hole.
“Thank you for your help. Well, I’ll take my leave now...”
I wanted to hurry and leave, but the man didn't move from my side at all.
“Don’t you remember me?”
It was a strange story, but the voice really sounded familiar.
I've seen it somewhere. Or at least heard it somewhere. It must have been recently, but I couldn't remember right away.
As I hesitated, the man took off his hat.
"Ah."
“Would you like to find out now?”
I could tell right away that he didn't even add a playful note.
How could I have forgotten those blue eyes? It was the man who gave me the purse last night.
I brushed off the vegetable leaves and mud from my hair and clothes. When I thought they were strangers, I didn't mind, but now I was worried that my appearance might be too shabby.
“Sir, I can’t recognize you just by hearing your voice.”
“Is that so?”
He chuckled softly as if I had told him a funny joke.
“I recognized Young Lady even though you hid your face.”
He treated me with the same politeness as he had the night before, even though it was now daylight and he could clearly see the back of my hands, and so he knew that I was not a young lady of noble birth.
The smell of the spoiled vegetables on my clothes seemed to be getting worse. I quickly took off my dirty hood. The man knew my face anyway.
“How did you get here?”
“Oh, it just so happens that the vegetable store I work at is located here.”
“...Really?”
When I pressed him with a dubious look on my face, he smiled without answering.
“It’s a dangerous place. If you tell me where the Young Lady is staying, I can take you there.”
“You don’t have to do that. I, well...”
Gulp.
Before I could finish saying my refusal, there was a loud noise. It seemed even louder because I was talking. I tried to pretend not to hear, but my stomach started rumbling loudly again.
I didn't eat properly last night, and I skipped breakfast and went out, so I was hungry. Fortunately, the man didn't seem to hear me.
“Then let’s do this.”
"Yes?"
“I want to repay the help I received from Young Lady, and it seems like Young Lady is in the market.”
“...”
...I can’t even hear it. I want to go back into the rotten vegetable bin. My cheeks and the back of my neck were burning hot.
“How about I treat you to a quick meal over there?”
He pointed to a nearby food stall. It wasn't a fancy restaurant like the one he suggested last time, and he knew how to eat well.
This was also comfortable for me. In fact, anywhere was fine as long as it wasn't a place where people ate with silverware and all sorts of fancy things. I nodded quickly.
“That would be great.”
“Please wait here for a moment.”
The man quickly went and bought two bowls of hot stew and some bread. Judging by the way he exchanged coins, he didn't seem to be an ignorant young master.
We arranged the vegetable boxes and made a nice place to sit. At first, I was going to just take a few sips and leave, but when I actually saw the food, I got hungry.
As I took the wooden bowl and spoon, the warmth made my nose tingle. As I stirred with the spoon, several kinds of vegetables, mushrooms, and even a seemingly good chunk of meat came up.
The soup was very thick and flavorful. I ate the bread the man had bought, dipping it in the stew. It was the first time I had eaten a hot soup dish since leaving Georges.
“Please eat some more.”
The man poured half of his stew into my bowl. I barely swallowed what was in my mouth and said,
“It’s okay. I ate enough.”
“I should have bought you something better.”
He spoke as if he were sorry that he could not give me the golden goose, which was the most precious meal to me.
After I ate every last bit of the stew he had given me, my whole body felt relaxed. I could have fallen asleep right away among the vegetable boxes.
“I ate well. I guess I should go now.”
I yawned and stood up. I planned to run to my dorm before the warmth of my body left. The hood smelled so bad that I had to throw it away right away, so I couldn't bring myself to wear it.
"For a moment."
The man gently took the dirty hood from my hands. He then took off the thick cloak he was wearing and put it around my shoulders. It was very warm, as it was warmed by his body temperature.
“Hey, you don’t have to do this. I fell over and am dirty, and it’s too big for me to wear. It’ll get dirty.”
“I hope you don’t get cold.”
“But if it’s like this, it’s too...”
“You’re sorry?”
I nodded.
“Then Young lady owes me a debt.”
“Is that so? Why don’t you just take the cloak?”
“I can’t get back what I’ve already lent.”
“...”
“Besides, since it’s my debt, I plan to receive payment as I see fit. For example, by taking you to your lodgings.”
I was so shocked that I started laughing.
“Where is such stubbornness?”
“In front of the Young lady’s eyes.”
He said with a mischievous smile. It seemed like I could never beat him with words.
Besides, he was a remarkably handsome man. How many women would be able to resist being talked to like that by a man?
The confidence that I could escape at any moment, no matter what he was up to, also helped to soften my stubbornness. I gave up and draped my cloak over my shoulders.
“Then please just walk me to the square.”
“Is the accommodation near the square?”
“It’s right in front.”
That was a lie. The temple was on the opposite side of the square.
But I couldn't completely trust him, no matter how handsome he was and how selfless he seemed to me.
I've seen many cases where a seemingly normal man tricks a woman and takes everything from her, and vice versa. There was no guarantee that this man wouldn't do the same. He seemed to have guessed what I was thinking, but he didn't say anything.
We walked side by side to the square. Because of the New Year's celebration, fireworks went off everywhere with every step we took.
I got quite a few jealous stares from women and even a few men while I was walking.
It was only then that it occurred to me that I was wearing his mantle and that we might be seen by others as a pair of affectionate lovers out to enjoy a festival.
“Yeah, up to here it’s fine.”
I called out to him, staggering forward, holding onto my clothes that were dragging behind me. He raised an eyebrow but did not object.
Anyway, the plaza was only two more alleys away. I quickly took off his cloak and handed it to him. It was originally clean, but the hem was dragged and covered in dirt.
“Look, it’s become a mess.”
I was upset that it ended up like this even though I was careful not to get it dirty. But he didn't seem to care at all.
“It’s enough since you came warmly.”
“...”
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