Chapter 7
Saliva dripped from the man’s mouth as he screamed in pain.
“Ew. Gross. You’re getting spit on me.”
I thought something wet had just brushed against my fingers.
Disgusted, I rubbed my hands frantically against my dress. Ugh, it smelled weird.
Frowning deeply, I glared at the man. The onlookers surrounding us reacted much the same way.
Everyone stared skeptically at the man who was wheezing and gasping as if he might pass out at any moment.
“All I did was flick his forehead.”
A grown man screaming because of a flick from a frail-looking girl — really?
“No one’s going to believe that.”
I had deliberately aimed for his shoulder to cover the swelling.
If my strength was enough to dent metal, surely a few of his bones must’ve cracked?
I wasn’t entirely sure. Even if I was absurdly strong, it was just a flick. One hit shouldn’t be enough, right?
When the man’s knees began to buckle, I forced him upright.
Then, once more—
Smack!
“Ahhh! Stop! Please stop! I-I’m sorry! It’s all my fault!”
As tears streamed down his face, I grabbed his collar and whispered quietly,
“Shut your mouth.”
No need for me to look suspicious too.
“If I hear you talking about Rozelita again, next time I’ll start with that mouth of yours. Got it?”
I raised my clenched fingers in front of his eyes, and the man nodded furiously.
It wasn’t entirely satisfying, but a crowd was starting to gather on the narrow street, so I decided that was enough.
When I released him, he collapsed onto the dirt road.
“Waaah! Waaaaaah!”
Leaving the man bawling like a child behind me, I quickly slipped out of the street—
all while overhearing the murmurs of people whispering that I must be a fan of Lady Derman.
“That man must’ve been such a crybaby. Imagine bawling like a child just because he got flicked on the head.”
“Right? How painful could the young lady’s flick really be?”
At Chloe’s comment, the escort knight nodded in agreement.
He seemed utterly puzzled, even curling his own fingers into a circle and examining them.
“Now tell me the truth.”
“Pardon? About what?”
Oh, please. Acting clueless?
I ignored Chloe, who kept avoiding my gaze and pretending to look at the ground, and turned instead to the knight.
He pursed his lips and quickly averted his eyes too.
‘You were deceived by that man, after all.’
‘Why would you even meet a man like that in the first place?’
That “man” — the common topic of both of them.
He was clearly the key, but I had no idea why.
What was wrong with meeting a man? What’s the big deal?
In dramas, everyone lived like love was everything.
Was reality that different?
“You really didn’t do anything wrong, my lady,” Chloe murmured in a trembling voice.
“How could giving your heart to someone be a mistake?”
Chloe clutched her skirt tightly and bit her lip, as though she were the true criminal.
The knight looked just as grim, both of them seemingly afraid to pry further, not wanting to look like bullies tormenting a kind soul.
Well, this was Cellenica.
I’d finally arrived in the Cellenica I’d longed to see.
We should be enjoying the day, not ruining it with gloomy talk.
There’d be time to learn more later.
Exhaling lightly, I grabbed the two of them and dragged them toward the lively street.
Today was supposed to be a wonderful, celebratory day.
But from the start, everything had gone wrong — as if a curse had fallen over my visit to Cellenica.
“Maybe the flick wasn’t strong enough?”
Or maybe I’d acted too well pretending not to be Rozelita.
Since there were so many eyes watching, I had to go easy. That only made things worse.
“I should’ve just crushed his nose properly.”
Should’ve dragged him somewhere out of sight and finished the job.
Now, the man—his shoulder and arm wrapped in white bandages—was prowling the streets with a dozen burly men twice my size, all searching for me.
In an instant, the entire street was in chaos.
The escort knight had drawn his sword to make an escape route.
Following his lead, Chloe and I ran as fast as we could.
And now—
Neither Chloe nor the knight was anywhere in sight.
“What the—did I just escape alone?”
The pursuers were gone too.
When I finally stopped running, I found myself in a shabby alleyway.
If Chloe and the knight had seen me sprinting off ahead, they must’ve been dumbfounded—
I’d just become a heartless woman who abandoned her companions to save herself.
“Wow… I’m fast.”
Even tapping the ground with my foot didn’t chase away the awkward guilt.
“How do I even find them now…”
I looked around, but I had no idea where I was.
Still in Cellenica, sure—but far from the central district.
The air here was colder, the alley shaded and littered with trash.
Then, from somewhere nearby, I heard familiar voices.
“Yeah, we’re the ones who really need charity.”
“Right, Sir Sepak. Instead of sending goods to the Osman Kingdom, they should take care of Imperial citizens first.”
That sounded suspicious as hell.
I pressed myself closer to the wall to listen.
The man I’d flicked—the one who’d bawled his eyes out—was standing in front of a fairly respectable-looking building.
Did Chloe and the knight manage to get away safely?
Only two people stood beside Sepak now; his other thugs were gone.
A small platform stood before the building, and a boy in a red theater uniform waited at the entrance to greet guests.
“If they’ve got all those relief supplies to send overseas, they should be helping folks like us first.”
Relief supplies?
Unbelievable.
Were they stealing aid shipments now?
I remembered Benjamin—Rozelita’s brother—saying he’d be joining a diplomatic mission to Osman.
I’d have to tell him to check the ledgers later.
Exposing them that way would hurt them far more than if I made a public scene right now.
“Are the slaves prepared without issue?”
“Yes, sir. Some of the guests are already inside.”
I blinked.
Slaves?
In the Empire of Rundell, as in all nations of Rodaea, slavery was strictly forbidden—
a hard-won victory achieved entirely by humans, without any divine intervention.
Their progress toward “goodness” had even earned the recognition of certain gods who’d once dismissed them.
Slavery was something that should’ve vanished long ago.
And yet, here they were, holding a slave auction in broad daylight.
I frowned deeply.
“Ah, you’ve arrived. I’ve been waiting.”
Sepak greeted a tall man whose face was hidden beneath a shiny brown robe drawn low over his eyes.
The man accepted a mask from a staff member beside the door and spoke.
“I didn’t expect the head of the merchant guild to greet me himself.”
“Of course! A distinguished guest like you deserves a personal welcome,” Sepak said, bowing obsequiously.
The man in the brown robe stared at him in silence, his tone turning sharp.
“I heard there was a commotion earlier.”
“Oh, that? Nothing serious.”
“Hmm. To draw attention today of all days— and with a maid of House Derman, no less.”
“…”
“I heard you sat crying in the street like a child. Is that true?”
Sepak’s face turned red, but he quickly shook his head.
“Ahem, of course not! Me? Crying in the street? Ridiculous.”
“…It’s best not to draw Derman’s attention.”
“They’re just commoners, aren’t they? With so many servants coming and going in the Derman estate, they won’t miss one maid.”
“…Can I trust you?”
“Yes, sir. She’s been locked away safely. I’ll make sure everything is handled cleanly.”
Bowing deeply, Sepak led the robed man inside, gesturing discreetly to a staff member.
“The guests today are very important. Do not, under any circumstances, offend them.”
Left alone, the nervous staffer stood rigidly by the door.
I didn’t hesitate—I straightened my back and walked right up to him with confidence.
As I approached, his face went stiff and he swallowed hard.
“Do you have an invitation, miss?”
“No. Forgot it. Silly me.”
Should I just knock him out and go in?
Even arguing over invitations felt like a waste of time.
“They won’t care if one maid goes missing,” huh?
The image of Chloe’s round, tearful eyes came to mind, and I clenched my fist tightly.
As I eyed the staffer’s neck, debating how best to strike, he unexpectedly stepped aside.
“Please remember to bring it next time, or you may be denied entry.”
He even handed me one of the masks from the stand.
A smooth, featureless silver mask.
I patted his shoulder with genuine gratitude and put it on.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be sure to bring it next time.”
If there is a next time for you.
The inside of the building was spacious and elegant.
Sunlight poured in; nothing looked particularly sinister.
Guards were stationed here and there, but it looked more like a theater than anything illegal.
Where could it be?
Everything was so neat that it was hard to guess.
Only one spot stood out—the staircase guarded by a particularly large man.
I walked down lightly, but the guard blocked my way.
“Lady, you cannot go this way. Entry below is restricted.”
“Restricted?”
“For your safety, my lady. Please understand.”
“I’ll handle my own safety.”
“The event will begin shortly. If you’re lost, I can guide you back to your seat.”
Despite his polite tone, his eyes were cold and dangerous.
This is it.
My lips curled into a grin.
I’d found it. I’d been wondering where to search next, and here he was basically announcing the spot himself.
How considerate.
I nodded lightly at the guard, who looked wary but relieved.
“Then allow me to escort—”
“No need. I think I’m exactly where I need to be.”
Before he could react, I grabbed his collar and yanked him down—
then, just like in one of those action dramas I’d seen, I chopped the side of his neck.
“Ugh…!”
But unlike in dramas, he didn’t drop instantly; he stumbled, catching himself on the floor.
“Huh? Did I do it wrong?”
In the shows it always went whap!—and out cold in one hit.
Guess it’s harder to find the right angle in real life.
Before he could stand up again, I aimed another blow to the back of his neck—
but he was faster this time.
The guard grabbed my head, fingers digging into my scalp through my hat.
It hurt—a sharp, pulling pain.
“Hey! Let go, will you?”
