Chapter 17
“So it’s fine to hug a stranger?”
Rabian growled, clearly irritated, unaware of what Nina was truly thinking.
“You’re not a stranger,” Nina responded.
“Excuse me? When have you ever seen me before? I’m basically a stranger! Hugging anyone who looks nice is exactly why you got kidnapped in the first place.”
“I don’t do that! You’re the only one who’s okay!”
It was a strange conversation for a kidnapper and his hostage, but neither of them seemed to care.
“Why am I the only one who’s okay? Huh? Seriously, why?”
Rabian’s rhetorical complaint—“Is messing with me that fun?”—was met with an unexpected answer.
“Because I like you.”
Rather than being flustered, Rabian scoffed arrogantly.
“At least you’ve got decent taste for a tiny thing. But don’t fall for me too hard—you’ll just end up getting hurt.”
“But you’re the one who kidnapped me first.”
“…What kind of books do you even read?”
This was the first time Rabian found himself verbally outmatched by a little girl. He was just about to ask more when—
“Halt right there, Rabian! Confess your crimes!”
A triumphant voice rang out in the narrow alleyway, followed by the elegant entrance of a stunning platinum-haired man wearing the uniform of the city guard. His coat flared dramatically as he approached.
Rabian sighed in annoyance at the unwelcome arrival.
“I’m already standing still.”
“H-hey! Don’t nitpick my words! I’ve come to arrest you—!”
“Don’t shout in front of the kid.”
Only then did Dite (the newcomer) stop his pompous yelling and look at Nina, who was still nestled in Rabian’s arms.
“Uh…”
The same man who had just made a grand entrance now stood slack-jawed, staring blankly at Nina. Behind him, a few guards followed sluggishly, their faces devoid of life.
‘This man…’
Nina recognized Dite immediately. She’d seen him a few times in that dream—visiting Rabian in the hospital. Rabian’s cousin, with that dazzling platinum hair and questionable fashion sense…
“Mister Guardsman?”
She greeted him with a touch of excitement.
“O-oh? Hahaha, hey there! How do you know about me? Did Rabi tell you—?”
“Didn’t you just say you were going to arrest him? Why would you want to arrest Rabian?”
Nina asked with genuine curiosity.
“Well…”
He couldn’t exactly say “because he’s the leader of a gang with over a dozen crimes under his name.” So Dite fumbled awkwardly and glared at Rabian.
“You con artist! What lies did you feed this innocent little girl?”
“I told you to stop yelling.”
“My bad. Ahem. What’s your name, little lady?”
“It’s Nina.”
“Nina, huh? Want a candy?”
He had even remembered to bring candy.
Rabian shot a pitiful glance toward the guards standing off to the side.
Their eyes were now like those of people who had just witnessed the end of the world.
Whether it was because of Dite’s fashion or the fact that Rabian was holding a child, no one could say.
“The apocalypse is upon us. There’s no doubt.”
“This week, I swear I’m going to donate at the temple.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“Same.”
As the guards silently pledged their meager paychecks to the temple, Dite pulled a hard candy from his pants pocket (no one knew how it fit there) and held out both fists to Nina.
“Guess which hand it’s in, and you get it!”
Nina’s eyes sparkled blue with excitement as her mouth opened halfway at the mention of candy.
Being the eldest of five brothers, Dite grinned just as brightly. It was a giddy, fluttery feeling he didn’t even get with his siblings.
Just then, Rabian, who’d been watching with a scowl, interrupted.
“Get that out of her face. Kid, what kind of world do you think we live in? You can’t just take anything a stranger offers you. It’s dangerous out here.”
Not something a gang leader and kidnapper should be saying.
Nina looked up at him, stunned. Rabian clicked his tongue with shameless confidence.
“Tch. Kids these days. No sense of danger. Go inside, don’t deal with weirdos like him.”
“But…”
“Quiet. I’ll buy you as much candy as you want. Just go in and look around.”
He pointed to a large department store right behind them.
Nina didn’t know what was sold there, but it had caught her eye since earlier. She swallowed unconsciously.
“Really?”
“You think I’m lying?”
Worried he might change his mind, Nina quickly obeyed and trotted inside.
Dite, on the other hand, was furious.
“You coward! Stealing my chance like that?!”
“What chance?”
“Why are you interrupting my budding friendship with the young lady?! That candy is nothing like what they sell at some cheap department store—!”
“Of course it’s not. You pulled it out from your filthy clothes. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself, offering that to a kid as the captain of the city guard?”
“Filthy? I’ll have you know, skinny jeans are the trend these days, you uncultured brute—!”
As Dite launched into a passionate lecture on fashion trends, Rabian ignored him and shut the door behind Nina.
‘Annoying.’
His deep red eyebrows twitched.
Dealing with Dite was always a hassle.
If he’d just let him give Nina the candy, Dite would’ve forgotten about Rabian entirely, fussed over Nina a bit, and eventually gotten dragged off by his exhausted subordinates.
But Rabian had stepped in and sent Nina inside first… simply because he’d suddenly felt irritated.
Watching Dite grinning and trying to lure Nina with candy had stirred up an unexplainable annoyance.
And the fact that he didn’t even know why it annoyed him just made it worse.
“So, this spring’s trend is…”
“Shut up.”
Thwack!
Rabian smacked Dite on the back of the head mid-lecture.
Dite let out a sharp scream and fell silent—for all of two seconds.
“You bastard! How dare you hit the captain of the Rojas City Guard—!”
“Bring a warrant if you’ve got a problem. You asking to get your face smashed? If you show up in that disgusting outfit again, I will kill you.”
“Y-you savage scammer! You fox-hearted bastard! Give me back my townhouse! You’re only cocky ‘cause of your grandfather—how dare you act all sweet in front of that adorable little girl?! Unforgivable!”
After a barrage of random insults, Dite finally took a breath and, calmer now, said,
“But seriously, she’s ridiculously cute. Is she really Merci’s sister?”
“Whether she is or not, who cares? Mind your business.”
“I’m just surprised. That guy has a sister like that? Why does she look familiar though…?”
His voice lowered confidentially.
Rabian pulled out a cigarette and lit it, saying nothing.
Dite waited until he was on his second puff before whispering even softer,
“Smoking? You’re disqualified as a guardian. I’m taking her into protective custody.”
“…”
“Hey! Are you ignoring me?”
“…”
“I’m not kidding, alright? I really feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before!”
It wasn’t impossible.
Dite had once been a naive boy serving the second prince. During that time, he’d seen the would-be Crown Princess following Rabian around like a shadow.
That he saw the same image in Nina now was only natural.
But Rabian had no intention of confirming that and so responded with faux kindness.
“Doesn’t she look like that Normanze doll you used to carry around when you were little?”
“Aha! She is kinda cute like one of those dolls… Wait—when did I ever carry a doll?! Are you insulting a man like me with such vile lies?!”
“You’re disgusting. Stop running around in that outfit.”
Rabian stomped his cigarette butt into the ground.
Thanks to Dite going on about how “familiar” she looked, that memory had resurfaced again—despite all his efforts to bury it.
But maybe… it was unavoidable.
