Chapter 9

In the dimly lit alley, her golden hair shone like light, and her eyes were as clear as a blue sky.

She was tall and slender, but the arm that shielded Lane was strong, indicating that he must have trained quite a bit. He had pulled the man who had grabbed Lane's arm away with one hand and supported her with the other.

"…Are you Randy? It seems your claim of reform was a lie."

His voice sounded exasperated, but there was an underlying tone of intimidation.

The man in the black robe raised both hands to show he meant no harm and shook his head vigorously.

"Out of the question! I was just worried that this young lady was walking alone in such a place, so I intended to take her to a safe spot."

"You seemed to be threatening her?"

"I was trying to warn her that staying in such a place for too long could be dangerous."

He took off his robe, revealing a face younger than expected, still looking like a boy.

His brown hair was long, reaching his shoulders, and tied in a single braid. He didn't seem to take much care of his appearance, suggesting he was a local.

But he was different from the boys who had been watching Lane from the alley. That's why she decided to believe him.

"You were trying to help me. Thank you. I'm sorry for struggling."

"…You really do seem like an innocent young lady."

Randy, who said this with an exasperated voice, was nudged by the golden-haired young man who had helped her.

"Be grateful for her kindness. If she hadn't said that, I would have handed you over to the station."

"R-really? I'm sorry, miss. Thank you."

Randy bowed his head, and Lane shook her head in a panic.

"I'm not a miss. I'm from a village in the countryside and came to the capital for the first time. I got lost and was looking for a place to rest when I ended up here."

"So, you're from the countryside?"

Randy, who said this, was nudged again and held his head.

"Ouch! Your strength is superhuman. If you don't ease up, you'll break my head."

"Really, you haven't learned your lesson. There won't be a next time."

With that, Randy hurriedly ran away.

Watching him go, the young man turned to Lane.

"I'm sorry for the commotion when you were feeling unwell."

"No, thank you for helping me. My name is Lane."

She introduced herself and bowed, and he smiled gently.

"I'm Alex. I'll take you to a safe place to rest."

He led her to a park a little away from the main street.

Despite being in the heart of such a big city, the park was lush with trees and even had a fountain.

Sitting on the bench he led her to, Lane let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you. I feel much better."

"That's good to hear."

Alex, who had been looking at Lane with concern, smiled.

Noticing his handsome face, her heart skipped a beat.

"I wasn't born in the capital either. I come from a small town by the sea. It was quite a challenge to get used to it."

He said this, squinting his eyes.

Finding a common ground as someone who had come from the countryside, Lane gradually relaxed.

"I come from a small village in the mountains. I haven't seen the sea yet."

"Is that so? You should see it sometime. By the way, why are you in the capital? Did you come to see the wedding tomorrow?"

"…No. Well, um—"

She hesitated, wondering how much to say and how to convey it.

Alex seemed to notice her confusion and apologized.

"I'm sorry. I was rude, asking so much of someone I just met."

"That's not the case. We're from the same village as Aida, and we were invited to the wedding."

She said only that much.

"Aida's?"

He said this with surprise, clearly knowing Aida well.