Chapter 33

Chapter Seven Two Petty Thieves

As the night deepened.

The pedestrians on the streets gradually became sparse, and the roadside stalls began to close one after another. Although there seemed to be an exciting performance of singing and dancing in the southern part of the city later, it appeared that few people were still interested in it.

Although it was the night of the Emerald City’s revelry, not many people could stay up all night for this event. After all, everyone had their own lives, and many had work to attend to early the next morning.

The noisy atmosphere had already begun to dissipate.

Satisfied with myself, I patted my lower abdomen and prepared to head back to the church.

Annoying banquets, they should have ended by now, right?

Before leaving, I seemed to hear someone say that the King of the Silgaya Republic would arrive at the banquet later… That was why I slipped away. I didn’t want to come to the Emerald City just for nothing; I only wanted to satisfy my desire as a food lover. So, I made up an excuse about feeling unwell and wanting to rest in my room, leaving the rest to Angel to handle.

Most of the delicacies in the Emerald City were mainly vegetables and fruits, with meat usually served as a side dish or seasoning. After hours of walking, I had almost eaten everything in the bustling market, finally feeling somewhat full. Looking down at my flat lower abdomen, I felt quite puzzled, wondering how such a small body could hold so much food.

…But monsters are always different from humans in some ways.

Don’t mind it; as long as I feel good.

The two moons cast a bright shadow under the night sky, their hazy glow weaving through the city’s neon lights. In my hands, I carried bags of fruits and snacks, humming a cheerful tune as I walked alone through the alleyways. Breathing in the clean, natural air of this alien world, my heart felt at ease and tranquil.

The only drawback was the sanitary belt that tightly wrapped around my buttocks. Though it was carefully sewn by Grandmother Claire and filled with soft, absorbent cotton, the rough fabric made me feel uncomfortable, causing a slight friction every step I took.

It was a bit painful and slightly warm.

However, at least I wouldn’t have to worry about bleeding in public anymore. During the day… hmm? Did something happen during the day? No, I’ve forgotten it anyway.

Let’s just pretend it never happened.

My mind wandered as I came to my senses, finding the dark alleyway empty. Just ahead, a figure whose face I couldn’t see blocked my path.

“Stop, don’t move.”

The voice sounded young, like that of a boy not much older than a child.

I frowned upon hearing this.

I had noticed them long ago.

When the crowd was dense, I might have been too preoccupied with eating to notice. But once the pedestrians thinned out, with my perception abilities, how could I not notice someone watching me? Originally, I didn’t want these mischievous thieves to spoil my mood, so I ignored them. I hadn’t expected them to be so patient, following me all the way here.

This alleyway was a shortcut to the church, narrow and long, with shadows from the surrounding houses blocking it completely. I hadn’t given it much thought while walking, but now realized it was a perfect spot for robbery. They probably never imagined that a girl would dare walk here at night, perhaps feeling incredibly lucky at this moment.

What, do you think I look easy to bully?

No matter where I go, there will always be these urban scum. What do they want?

Robbery?

Or worse?

Since I’ve encountered you, consider yourselves unlucky.

I curled my lips slightly, suddenly feeling playful.

Building up my emotions, I stepped back nervously when I saw the boy approaching me, timidly asking:

“Y-You… Who are you?”

My voice trembled slightly, as if I were a frail, frightened maiden.

“Young lady, you seem to have quite a bit of money.”

“I… I don’t have any money…”

After saying this, I acted as if I wanted to run away, but froze abruptly as I turned around.

“My brother said for you to stay still, and you must listen to him.”

A voice deliberately lowered sounded behind me, and another younger boy appeared.

The dagger in his hand pressed against my lower back, silently cutting off all possible escape routes.

“What… What do you want?”

“Haha, little sister, don’t be afraid. We’re not bad people. We just need some silver coins to get by for a while, and we’ll pay you back later.”

The older boy spoke up.

“Bro! Come quick and look! This girl’s clothes are made of silk!”

A sudden excited shout came from behind, the voice still in its changing phase, revealing his young age.

It seems they are just two kids.

“Hush—be quiet, do you want to die?”

The older boy was startled and rushed over, slapping the younger boy hard on the head.

“There are still many people outside the alleyway. Don’t you worry about them hearing us?”

Both boys had thick black cloths covering their faces, obscuring their identities. They seemed like seasoned criminals, clearly not doing this for the first time.

“Oh. Bro, look, look, this girl must have something valuable. Let’s tie her up.”

Slap—

The younger boy was hit again.

“Are you out of your mind? We just needed some silver coins, but to think of tying up a child from such a family! What if someone sends an army after us?”

“No, please, don’t kill me…”

I was scared almost to tears.

“We didn’t say we were going to kill you. Don’t be afraid. Just give us the silver coins, and we won’t hurt you.”

The older boy tried to comfort me.

“But, I really… don’t have any money…”

To prove that I truly had no money, I turned out my dress pockets, and a few copper coins clinked onto the ground.

Then, I gave them a helpless look.

Today, I only exchanged half of the inferior silver coins given by Grandma Claire for a few emerald silver coins from the currency exchanger. The million given by Angel I haven’t touched at all. I thought it would be enough for some time, but I ate too much tonight, and the prices in Emerald City were different from what I expected. So now, I only have these few copper coins left. The stipend from the Order of Knights is distributed on the 15th of every month, and now, I’m literally broke.

Seeing this, the two boys were momentarily stunned.

“It’s impossible, I saw you with lots of silver coins earlier.”

“…I spent them all.”

“So many silver coins, all spent in one night?!” The older boy seemed very angry, tearing off the fox mask from my face, “You spendthrift woman, I…”

He suddenly froze mid-sentence.

His eyes stared blankly at my tear-streaked pale face, his voice trembling slightly.

“My God… By the gods above, could I be encountering an angel sent by you…?”

“Bro! Abel bro! What’s wrong with you?”

The younger boy, seeing his brother’s sudden trance-like state, urgently asked.

“…”

“Abel bro!”

“Nothing… Nothing.”

Hearing his brother’s voice, Abel quickly regained his senses, but his gaze towards me flickered. “You… You really have no money?”

“No… Don’t kill me, please, don’t kill me!”

With that, I managed to squeeze out two tears, making my face look like I was on the verge of crying.

The effect was even greater than I had imagined. Abel’s Adam’s apple kept moving up and down, and his cheeks showed signs of struggle, as if he was deeply conflicted.

“Well… Well, then what do we do? We wanted to ask you for a loan… Can’t we find a way?”

Abel’s voice became hesitant, almost as if he was negotiating with me.

“Abel bro, what’s wrong with you?! You suddenly act so strange. If she says she has no money, you believe her? Could it be that this girl put a spell on you?!”

“Shut up!”

“No, you really have changed. Strange!”

“It’s none of your business.”

“How can you… Wow, what a beautiful lady…”

The younger boy, upon seeing my face, also fell into a brief daze, just like Abel.

I couldn’t help but twitch my lips, almost laughing out loud.

This is so interesting, so fun—

Hahaha, this might cause trouble now.

As a strong man like me, it seems some strange attribute is awakening.