Chapter 10
“Yan, may we stop for a moment?”
“I’ll handle it.”
Cheroan’s face hardened as he spoke.
“No. I’ll take care of it.”
Since Temno’s name had been mentioned, she couldn’t leave it to him. Judging by the deserted alley the voices were coming from, it seemed safe enough for her to step in.
“You mustn’t reveal your identity.”
“I won’t have to reveal who I am. Don’t worry. I need to see for myself who’s throwing around Temno’s name.”
“Then we’ll go together. I can deal with it, so don’t overdo it.”
Melina nodded and headed into the alley with him.
The deeper they went, the louder the dull thuds and groans became.
“I told you to listen when I was being nice.”
“If you’re gonna make money here, you follow the rules here. Got some nerve for a brat.”
In the alley, three young men were beating someone sprawled on the ground. The victim seemed too injured even to scream—only faint groans escaped him.
“Damn, this punk’s tough. You know what happens when you cross Temno? You won’t even have bones left. Got it?”
Not just bones—you’d vanish without a trace.
Watching the delinquent boast without knowing anything, Melina curled one corner of her lips.
“Hey, grab what he’s got on him.”
“N-no… this… for… Mom…”
As one thug tried to snatch something from the fallen boy, he gasped weakly.
“Shan.”
At Melina’s quiet call, a figure appeared.
“Teach them properly what Temno really is.”
Shan bowed to her, pulled down his mask, and walked toward the thugs.
“Yan, let’s stay back.”
Melina and Cheroan stepped out of sight.
“You three. Did you just say Temno?”
“What?”
The thugs turned with scowls. They flinched briefly at the sight of Shan dressed in black, then, seeing no one else behind him, sneered.
“Quit messing around and get lost.”
“This is our turf. Mind your own business.”
“Kids like you always try to play hero. Since you know we’re Temno, leave while we’re being nice.”
At the word Temno, Shan let out a short laugh.
“Hey, what’s so funny? Guess we can’t let you off easy.”
One of them swaggered forward.
“You call yourselves Temno, yet you don’t recognize me.”
If they didn’t recognize Shan—the deputy of the leader—it meant they had nothing to do with Temno.
“Who the hell are you? Why should we know you?”
“Captain of the Black Wolf.”
“What? You? That’s hilarious.”
One thug looked Shan up and down, snickering.
“Now any stray dog is impersonating Temno.”
Another tilted his head mockingly.
“Didn’t you hear? We’re Temno. Don’t get cocky.”
The last one reached to grab Shan by the collar.
His hand never made contact. In an instant, his body slammed into the ground.
“Ugh!”
He curled up, groaning.
“W-what the—?”
The remaining two stared between Shan and their fallen companion, then began edging backward.
“For the crime of impersonating Temno—you deserve death.”
Before Shan’s words had fully settled in the air, the other two were sprawled on the ground as well.
“Black Wolf.”
Melina called quietly. Several masked figures appeared at once.
“Take them. They’ll pay for impersonating Temno.”
At her command, the Black Wolf moved in perfect coordination.
Moments later, the thugs disappeared without a trace.
“Good work, Shan.”
He bowed again, pulled his mask up, and vanished.
“Will he be all right?”
Melina hurried to the boy who had been beaten.
Curled on the ground was a boy who looked just over ten years old. His body was covered in bruises.
“Can you hear me?”
The boy tried to open his eyes but couldn’t.
“The bad men are gone. You’re safe now.”
Whether reassured by her gentle voice or simply out of strength, his body went limp.
He had fainted.
She looked around for a clinic.
“There’s one nearby. Let’s go.”
Cheroan carefully lifted the boy and led the way with familiarity.
As they entered the small clinic tucked inside the alley, a gray-haired physician greeted them warmly.
“Your Highness, welcome. Who have you brought today?”
“A child. He was beaten by thugs. He’s unconscious—please examine him carefully.”
Cheroan laid the boy gently on a bed.
“Oh dear, there’s hardly a spot untouched. Please sit, Your Highness. I’ll see to him.”
The physician applied medicine to the wounds.
“You come here often, don’t you?”
Given how naturally he’d found the place and how warmly he was received, this wasn’t his first visit.
“Occasionally.”
Cheroan avoided her gaze.
What reason would a grand duke have to visit such a place, when he had doctors at his castle?
Melina watched him curiously.
“I’ve finished treating him. Those scoundrels even broke his leg. I’ve set it with a splint, but he’ll suffer for a while.”
“Take care of him until he’s fully healed. And treat his mother as well.”
“His mother was hurt too?”
“No. He said the money he earned today was for her medicine. He was beaten trying to protect it.”
He’d remembered that detail.
Melina looked at him quietly.
“I see… such a good child.”
The physician gently stroked the boy’s head.
“Your Highness, who is this lady?”
The physician’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Melina.
“Ah… my fiancée.”
The word my fiancée struck Melina’s ears.
She had heard it before, when she was engaged to the emperor. Yet it had felt empty then. Now, from Cheroan’s lips, it sounded strangely sweet.
“Your fiancée? Then she is to be the Grand Duchess?”
The physician’s eyes widened.
“So the rumors were true! That Your Highness is in love.”
Melina felt slightly flustered under the physician’s misty gaze.
“I worried you might never marry. Now that you’ve found your partner, this old man can finally sleep soundly.”
It was clear their relationship went back years.
Seeing the physician clasp Cheroan’s hands in delight warmed Melina’s heart.
“My apologies, Your Grace, for receiving you in such a humble place.”
“Not at all. The clinic is very well kept.”
“It’s all thanks to His Highness. It used to be just a tent we moved around. He built this proper place for us.”
The physician looked around proudly.
“He even provides generous support so we can treat patients free of charge. And he often brings children like today.”
“That’s enough.”
Cheroan cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Your Grace, just last time he brought in a child who almost got run over by a carriage. He may seem cold, but he’s truly kind.”
The physician continued despite Cheroan’s attempts to stop him.
It felt like a grandfather asking a granddaughter-in-law to take good care of his grandson. Melina smiled.
“Enough chatter. Please take good care of the boy.”
With that, Cheroan took Melina’s hand and quickly led her out.
Startled by the sudden warmth, she almost pulled away—but realizing it was him, she let it be.
Though her hands weren’t small, they were swallowed by his. The warmth from his touch traveled straight to her heart.
Back on the main boulevard, they strolled slowly.
“You care a lot about your people.”
Melina spoke first.
“At least in my territory, I don’t want anyone to go without treatment for lack of money. Especially children—many don’t receive proper care from their parents. That’s all.”
He spoke calmly, but she felt as though she had glimpsed an old wound.
A child who had lost his mother young and grown up under his father’s indifference—perhaps he saw himself in those children.
“The children here are fortunate.”
She gently tightened her grip.
He flinched slightly, but when she didn’t let go, he squeezed back firmly.
Hand in hand, they shared each other’s warmth and enjoyed the afternoon together.
