Chapter 20
Katya smirked and pointed toward the passage leading to the entrance.
From where they were standing, the entrance’s glass doors were clearly visible.
Nina blinked.
Neither Ravian nor Dite could be seen outside the glass.
‘Did something happen?’
“They’ll be back soon. Probably just stepped out for a moment…”
“You’re so naive. Then again, it figures—reading that kind of book and looking like that.”
Katya’s constant sneering left Nina dumbfounded.
Who even was this girl, suddenly picking a fight out of nowhere?
She was thankful Katya had helped find the book, but this was too much.
“So what? What does it matter to you? And what do you mean by ‘looking like that’?”
“Oh come on, it’s obvious. You showed up with him—”
“What? You know Ravian?”
“Who doesn’t know that guy in Lojas?”
Judging by her tone, she clearly didn’t like Ravian.
As Nina made that judgment, Katya continued.
“Anyway, whatever your situation is, don’t even dream of seeing your family again.”
“Who said I was dreaming of it?”
Nina responded indifferently, as she hadn’t the slightest desire to see them again anyway.
Katya seemed momentarily taken aback, but soon returned to her mocking smile.
“Oh, I see what kind of person you are. I thought maybe not, since you look so well brought-up.”
“What?”
“Did your mom sell you? Or did your dad beat you? Bet it hurts to be abandoned, huh?”
It was too disgusting to even listen to.
Nina stared hard at Katya’s face, which was now openly hostile.
“Huh, keep talking—you’re just describing yourself.”
“What did you just say…?”
Katya’s deep blue eyes trembled violently, but Nina didn’t notice.
She was too enraged by the cruel words just hurled at her.
“You think you’re all smart and tough, huh? But you can’t do anything on your own. All you do is lash out at innocent people.”
“Y-you brat! You’ve got some nerve!”
“Right? You started it, but now you’re mad ‘cause I hit a nerve? I bet you can’t say a word to the people you really have a problem with, huh?”
“You little…!”
Katya’s face turned pale.
Trembling with fury, she glared at Nina—then suddenly spun around and stormed off somewhere.
Nina hadn’t even had time to react to Katya’s surprisingly quick retreat when—
“It’s her!”
Katya reappeared.
This time, with several staff members in tow.
“I saw her steal something!”
As she pointed her finger at Nina, someone grabbed Nina from behind.
“This one?”
“Don’t touch me!”
Nina snapped, throwing off the hand that had grabbed her shoulder.
To think she was now being accused of theft—how low could this girl go?
‘Where on earth did Ravian go?’
“I didn’t do anything…”
“You brat…!”
A heavy blow to the back of her head sent Nina sprawling to the floor.
For a moment, her vision darkened and her ears rang.
Katya’s smug expression wavered slightly.
The person who’d struck Nina was the very same employee who had earlier shown her the picture book section.
Unlike his uncomfortable-looking coworkers, he seemed almost thrilled by the situation.
“Hey, maybe you shouldn’t be so rough, we’re not even sure yet…”
“Get real, she’s clearly done this before.”
Snapping at his colleague, the staff member yanked Nina up by the wrist.
Nina cried out involuntarily.
“Aaah!”
“S-stop that! That’s too much!”
Katya, who had been standing stiffly like a statue, suddenly rushed forward, surprising everyone.
Especially Nina.
What the hell? Wasn’t this like hitting her and then offering medicine?
“What’s your problem now? Get lost!”
“I said stop it!”
Just then—
“Hey, grab that kid! You, come quietly—ack!!”
The hand gripping her wrist suddenly let go, and something fell over Nina’s vision.
It was someone’s jacket.
‘Ravian?’
She could smell a familiar scent from the leather.
Trapped inside the impromptu “hideout,” Nina panicked in confusion, while outside, everyone was plunged into chaos and fear.
“Having fun?”
Ravian’s voice cut through the tension.
Oddly calm.
“Having fun picking on a kid?”
“Uh… uh… uh…”
The employee now dangling in Ravian’s grip thrashed wildly.
And Ravian misinterpreted the sight.
“Looks like you’re having a blast. Let me play too.”
With a smirk, Ravian swung his arm.
Crash! Thud! Slam!
The employee, flung like a ragdoll, crashed into a display stand, toppling it, and finally landed in a heap in the corner.
Screams rang out from all directions.
In the middle of the pandemonium, Nina clutched the jacket over her head.
She couldn’t see what was happening, but she could feel that Ravian was really angry.
‘Idiot…’
His voice made her feel safe… and for some reason, it brought tears to her eyes.
‘I’m so upset…’
She had ruined their first outing together.
Nina curled into a ball under the jacket, stifling her sobs.
“Oh no, what on earth happened here, Lord Ravian?!”
The store owner burst out, panic-stricken by the chaos.
Ravian dusted off his hands and grumbled.
“I was just playing.”
“P-pardon?”
“Your staff started messing with my kid. I figured I’d play with them too.”
“……”
The middle-aged shop owner glared at his terrified employees.
It was clear he wanted an explanation.
Meanwhile, Ravian stooped to pick up the “hideout” on the floor.
More precisely, he scooped up Nina still wrapped in the jacket.
“Hey, baby.”
“……sniffle, don’t… hic… don’t be mad…”
“What?”
Ravian tilted his head.
Despite trying not to cry, the tears kept flowing, and Nina hiccuped as she spoke.
“Sniff, don’t get… hic… don’t get mad…”
“…I wasn’t mad at you though.”
“Sob… not that… hic… just don’t get mad…”
Hmm.
Ravian looked up at the ceiling in thought.
Kids really were a mystery.
“Hey.”
The shop owner came striding up, determined.
“I’m so sorry, Lord Ravian. I have no excuse! Who would’ve thought Katya would pull such a dirty trick…”
“Who?”
“Katya Dozer, sir. She begged me so much for a job, I let her do some cleaning…! It’s all my fault, I never should’ve—”
“Ah.”
She must’ve fled already.
Clicking his tongue knowingly, Ravian adjusted his hold on Nina.
“I’m really sorry. I promise it won’t happen again—”
“You’re lucky today.”
Ravian tapped the owner’s cheek lightly with his rough hand.
“Train your staff properly, got it?”
“O-of course! I’ll retrain—or replace them if I have to!”
The shop owner, sweating bullets, swore it solemnly.
With that, Ravian left the shop.
As he walked through the streets holding the sniffling Nina, his boiling anger slowly cooled.
“Oh no, the daddy made the baby cry.”
“Come on, he’s probably just her bodyguard.”
Suddenly, Ravian felt pathetically small.
‘Is this some kind of mass delusion?’
Just being seen with a child, and people looked at him so differently.
He headed for a nearby park.
Since it was a holiday, every place was crowded, and it wasn’t easy to find a quiet spot.
“Let’s see.”
He set Nina down in the shade and knelt on one knee.
Then, grabbing the edge of the jacket wrapped around her, he yanked it.
Nina spun around like a top.
For a moment, she was completely stunned.
