CHAPTER 07
Before she knew it, the two street thugs had surrounded Rosha, threatening her with their presence and suggestive words.
“Since fate has brought us together, how about grabbing a cup of tea? Or maybe a meal?”
Rosha recoiled at the foul breath wafting toward her. She was clearly surrounded. Rolling her violet eyes, she cautiously opened her mouth.
“I was in a hurry to get somewhere, but…”
As she dragged out her words, the bulky thug erupted in anger.
“What, this lady’s trying to run off without a proper apology?”
The other thug quickly stepped in to calm him.
“Whoa, whoa, let her finish. She wasn’t done talking yet.”
The scar-faced thug smiled slyly like a snake.
“Go on, miss. You were going somewhere?”
Rosha hesitated for a moment before lifting her head. Smiling sweetly, she finished her sentence.
“Now that I think about it… I guess I’m not in such a hurry after all.”
Her docile response made the thugs burst into laughter.
“Oh yeah? That’s great to hear.”
Rosha smiled back, but her eyes glittered coldly despite the harmless smile on her lips. She had noticed something while bending down to pick up her things earlier—a faint, dark aura swirling like smoke inside a clear red jewel tucked in her cloak. An evil spirit.
So convenient, showing up right in front of her when she was dreading the nightly hunt. Thanks to these thugs, she didn’t even need to go looking. Why wouldn’t she smile?
“She’s pretty and polite. What a gem.”
The thugs, oblivious to her true intent, chuckled along.
“So, got a favorite tea? Or maybe a dish you’d like to eat?”
Suppressing a smirk, Rosha replied sweetly, as if shy.
“As long as it’s not bracken spaghetti, I’ll eat anything.”
The one taken aback by this was not the thugs but Luperne, who had been quietly observing.
[Wait, why? What’s wrong with bracken spaghetti? That’s my masterpiece! Why criticize it without even tasting it?!]
He seemed too distraught to even remember to draw his guardian sword.
[It’s going to be a hit, I’m telling you! I spent months crafting that recipe so you wouldn’t have to worry about meals.]
But Rosha ignored his rambling, focusing instead on devising a plan to take out the thugs. First, she had to lure them to a closed-off area. Once isolated, she’d twist one’s arm behind his back, knock him out, and then take down the other with a swift kick to the knee followed by a nice crack to the skull—
Unaware of the revenge brewing, the thugs tossed off more sleazy jokes.
“Pretty girls always have sweet personalities, huh?”
Even the bulky one who’d been furious a moment ago was acting friendly now, moving closer to Rosha.
“Lucky for us, you’ve got manners. I thought you’d just hit and run after crushing my heart. Was about to drag you off, no joke.”
He laid a hairy hand on Rosha’s shoulder, stroking it in a sticky, unwelcome way.
“So, where shall we go?”
As his damp breath tickled her ear, Rosha’s expression twisted in revulsion. His reeking stench—likely from cigarettes and not bathing—made her gag. The crawling sensation on her shoulder made her skin crawl. Her patience instantly evaporated.
Forget the plan. She was going to snap this guy’s arm—right now.
Just as she moved to do so—
“Step back.”
A low, firm voice froze everyone in place.
Startled, Rosha and the thugs turned their heads toward the source.
The man stood calm and unshaken, his green eyes sharp and unwavering. His mere presence brought a chill to the air, a tension that gripped the scene.
“Who the hell are you?”
The thugs asked the very question Rosha had in her heart.
Who was this man?
Her mind blanked for a moment. How could anyone forget a presence like his?
She blinked.
It was the man from last night.
The one who grabbed her wrist.
Bit her ear.
Kaiden Kalskronin.
And now, just like last night, he was staring right at her.
“Why don’t you mind your own business and move along?”
The rough voices shook Rosha out of her trance.
Her blood finally began to circulate, and her brain kicked into gear.
Did he recognize me? Is that why he followed me?
If that was the case, these thugs were the least of her worries.
As she assessed the situation, the man spoke calmly.
“I was going to move along, but the young lady seemed to be in trouble.”
Though intimidated by his stare, the thug didn’t release Rosha’s shoulder. Instead, he yanked her closer with force, pressing his body against hers.
“Listen, pal. Just walk away. This lady and I have some… personal matters to discuss.”
“Might be a long night of talking.”
Both men now stared at Rosha, grinning.
“You wanted this too, right, sweetheart?”
When the bulky thug asked this, Rosha clenched her eyes shut and nodded fiercely, gritting her teeth to restrain herself.
The priority was not shaking off these thugs—it was avoiding that dangerous man.
She prayed silently:
Please just leave. I have to purify the evil spirit.
She clasped her hands in front of her chest and prayed even harder.
“You hear that? She said so herself. Now scram and mind your business.”
The stench grew thicker.
Rosha covered her mouth, on the verge of vomiting.
Do these guys not bathe? What is this smell?
Tears welled in her eyes from holding back her nausea.
The man’s brows twitched slightly.
Then, without hesitation, he marched forward and wedged himself between Rosha and the thugs.
He pushed Rosha behind him, shielding her with his broad back.
It all happened so fast that Rosha’s quiet endurance felt meaningless.
The thugs cursed furiously.
“You little punk. What’s your problem?”
“Don’t try to look cool in front of the girl. Walk away before you ruin your life.”
Trapped behind him, Rosha blinked.
She hadn’t even realized she’d hidden behind him.
Breathing was easier now, but this was not how she wanted things to go.
“I’m really okay, though.”
She looked up at the man’s back, bewildered.
There, on his ear, was the bite mark she had left last night.
And she could feel the lingering resentment of spirits clinging to him.
Should she laugh… or cry?
Rosha scowled at the absurdity of her situation.
But the three men were far too absorbed in their conflict to notice her.
“You don’t even look like you’re from this area. Who the hell do you think you are, sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong?”
Despite the crude taunts, the man’s voice remained composed.
“This ends now. If you step aside and let the lady go, I won’t report you to the guards.”
The thugs scoffed.
“Guards?”
“You must be new. We are the guards around here.”
“We’ve been running this neighborhood for years. Who the hell are you?”
The man replied calmly.
“Then I’ll report you for impersonating the guard.”
That seemed to provoke them.
Their eyes turned sharp and dangerous.
“Maybe he needs to bleed a little to learn not to meddle in other people’s business.”
The larger thug swung a fist at the man’s face.
But the man, unfazed, snatched his wrist mid-air.
“You struck first.”
With a firm twist, he bent the thug’s arm as if crumpling paper.
The scream of pain echoed through the alley.
“Aaagh!”
But it wasn’t over.
The second thug, with the scar, seized the moment and charged at the man’s back.
He didn’t care about fairness—only the result.
This time, his clenched fist glinted with metal.
A hidden blade.
It slashed through the air toward the man’s back.
“Huh?”
There was no time to intervene.
But as if expecting it, the man dodged smoothly and countered.
He struck the first thug’s nape, knocking him out, then swept the other thug’s legs out from under him.
The scarred thug crashed to the ground, the blade tumbling away.
He groaned in pain, gripping his head.
“Ugh…”
“What the hell is this guy…?”
It had happened in an instant.
With fluid agility that didn’t match his size, the man subdued them both effortlessly.
He hadn’t even broken a sweat.
His green eyes shone coolly, as if nothing had happened.
The fight clearly hadn’t affected him at all.
That composure only made the thugs angrier.
“You… Do you even know who we are?”
