Chapter : 61
“What’s confusing you?”
Dana stopped moving as Alexian grabbed her wrist.
His blue eyes, which were impossible to read, remained fixed on her.
“What noble lady grabs something dirty with her bare hands?”
After a brief silence, Alexian asked.
“Hmm… that’s nothing special.” Dana let out a small laugh and moved the handkerchief again.
“I’ll do it.”
“The lady who’s rumored to be foul-tempered and overly sensitive?”
If it’s someone notorious for being foul-tempered and sensitive…
There was only one such person in the capital.
“So you finally found out my name, huh?”
“I thought so… but now I’m a little confused.”
At Dana’s question, Alexian gestured toward her handkerchief with his eyes.
“Your actions are nothing like the rumors.”
“Don’t trust rumors too much. They’re not always true, after all.”
As she carefully wiped the dark stains off his cheek one last time, Dana muttered to herself:
‘Just like that ridiculous rumor that Viviwood stole Painstein’s weaving method!’
“I see…”
Alexian muttered under his breath, still keeping his gaze on her.
Folding the now dirty handkerchief neatly, Dana asked:
“But even though you knew who I was, you still spoke to me? Being with me can’t be entirely comfortable for you.”
“Because I wasn’t the one who stole it.”
Ugh, seriously?
He saved her in the crowd, brought her here, cleaned the dirt off her face, and yet his words sounded just like the insufferable Painstein.
Well, of course. If he had been someone reasonable, he wouldn’t have done such an unethical thing in the first place.
Having cared for her precious little one with patience that had grown over time, Dana sighed and took a step back.
“Today was… enjoyable. You must feel relieved now that you’ve learned my name.”
“I haven’t revealed my secret yet.”
Painstein’s secret? What was that again?
No, it didn’t matter.
Recalling how much time had passed, Dana turned away. She didn’t want to waste any more time with this man.
“That’s enough. No more secret games. They’re not fun.”
“It was about Jeffrey Sordaven, though.”
“…Might be a little interesting.”
Dana spun around 180 degrees to face Alexian again.
Watching her, he lowered his head and laughed.
“Thanks to you, Duke Betelgeuse will never have a dull day.”
Why is he bringing up Nox here?
Dana frowned at Alexian, who still couldn’t stop laughing. He laughed for a long while more before finally pulling the corners of his mouth into a small smile.
“…Jealous, are we?”
“Huh?”
“Nothing.”
Straightening his bent back, he swept his messy hair aside and said:
“To cut to the chase, I couldn’t find this Jeffrey character.”
Are you kidding me?
Is he mocking me?
Just as she was about to lose control of her expression, Alexian spoke again.
“I’m not lying or teasing you on purpose—I really couldn’t find him.”
“Is that so? Thank you for your effort.”
Dana turned to leave after speaking coldly, but Alexian reached out toward her.
Ugh, blocking my way…
“Isn’t that strange?”
Yes, your behavior is the strangest.
Dana didn’t even turn to look at him and didn’t move. He added:
“It’s impossible for the Painstein family to fail to find someone.”
“They probably didn’t want to actively search.”
“You might not believe it, but I did my best.”
“Then why couldn’t you find him?”
Dana moved her legs to dodge Alexian’s outstretched arm. As she tried to leave, his voice followed behind her.
“Someone erased him deliberately. That person.”
“Yes! Your father must have done it!”
She snapped and tried to escape, but Alexian suddenly stepped in front of her.
“There’s a place where people whose identities are stolen or erased gather.”
“…”
“If you go there, you might find a clue.”
“And why should I trust you?”
Dana looked up at him.
“You’re Painstein, and I’m Viviwood. You must have some idea why I’m searching for Jeffrey. So why are you helping me? How could I possibly trust you?”
At her sharp words, Alexian’s expression darkened.
That look again.
A sad, slightly wronged expression.
It made her feel like she had said something wrong…
Alexian hesitated for a long moment, then forced a small smile and said:
“…Secret games are fun, aren’t they?”
“….”
“Whether you trust me or not is up to you.”
Finishing his words, he dug into his jacket pocket and handed her a folded note. Dana took it on instinct, and he turned without hesitation.
“You may not believe it, but I am also someone who prefers truth over rumors.”
With that brief statement, Alexian moved away, his long legs carrying him further and further.
Dana looked down at the note he had given her, then raised her head to watch him disappear.
She felt a strange sensation and couldn’t move for a while.
Ah, which way was it again?
When she finally snapped out of it and tried to return to the carriage, a lot of time had already passed.
She felt anxious, probably because she had missed the time she promised the driver. Moreover, she couldn’t remember the way back.
Having wandered more than expected, dusk was already beginning to settle.
“Was it here?”
She had chased Alexian, covered in filth, into the depths of the quiet streets, and now the way back seemed unclear.
“This doesn’t look right…”
The more she walked, the more it felt like an unfamiliar path.
Just as she was about to ask someone for directions back to the square with the tall clocktower, she felt something familiar, yet strange.
‘Wait.’
She turned her head sharply and saw red hair reaching down to the waist slipping into a side alley.
“….”
What is this feeling?
Red hair wasn’t extremely rare, but it wasn’t common either. Seeing someone with that hair color in the middle of the market wasn’t strange.
But why…
Why did it feel so odd?
Dana moved toward where the red hair had disappeared, as if hypnotized.
Peeking into the alley, she saw a space lined with stalls and filled with customers.
“Isn’t this pretty?”
“Just a little cut, please!”
The noisy, bustling market looked just like usual, yet her racing heart gradually calmed.
That’s a relief…
‘I thought it was Stella.’
A short laugh escaped her.
Stella, who was supposedly in the western desert, couldn’t possibly be here.
Stella was traveling the wide world alone. How much must I have missed our little one to see such a mirage? Haha…
“Hey, you just bumped my shoulder!”
At that moment, a sharp voice struck Dana’s ear. Huh?
Her legs moved before her brain could react.
Dana walked instinctively toward the source of the voice.
But the alley quickly became crowded, blocking her path. Dana craned her neck anxiously and squeezed through the narrow crowd.
No… could it be? No, right? Just a similar voice?
“Why are your eyes so wide?”
“…!”
But it was too familiar a pattern! Immediately picking a fight!
Why does it sound exactly like Stella’s voice?!
Dana furrowed her brows and pushed through the crowd.
“W-wait…! I just want to pass…!”
“No, what did I do…?”
“Why are your eyes like that?”
The small commotion drew nearer. Just as she was about to face the red-haired person, someone grabbed her wrist from the opposite side and pulled her sharply.
“Ugh…?”
Just a little further…!
“Wait…!”
Pulled backward, she stretched out her free hand as far as she could, watching the red hair grow more distant.
Ah, no!
