Chapter 8

"Listen, miss. The capital is a fun place, but it can also be dangerous."

"Dangerous...?"

"Yes, for example... there are despicable people who might attack a cute girl like you."

"Despicable... what does that mean?"

"...It seems a bit too difficult for you, miss."

Now, I understand the meaning of the words Shirley said when I was young.

I wish I hadn't had to learn it the hard way.

"Hey, taking shelter from the rain here, huh?"

A man spoke to Chloe, who was crouching and being hit by the rain, in a grating, unpleasant voice.

"Maybe you're a runaway? If so, lucky for us!"

"Whoo, looks like we'll have some fun tonight!"

There were three men.

Worn clothes, beat-up shoes.

They leered with disgusting smiles, looking Chloe over as if caressing her body.

From their earlier comments, it seemed they were approaching her with the 'despicable' intentions Shirley had mentioned.

"Hey, stand up."

"Ugh..."

She was grabbed by the arm.

The man's strength was much greater than she imagined, and the light-bodied Chloe was quickly pulled to her feet.

"Huh... You have quite a pretty face when you look closely!"

The man's face, full of joy, came close.

Yellowed teeth, a suffocating breath, and gleaming eyes.

Under normal circumstances, she would absolutely find it physically repulsive.

But Chloe couldn't resist.

She had no strength left to resist.

She could have asked passersby for help, but she didn't.

Due to the days of being ordered around and doing as she was told while living at home, Chloe had almost no sense of self.

She had left home only in a very rare case where her life was in danger; she was naturally a person with little will of her own.

She was so accustomed to accepting what others told her that it took more energy than usual to break the situation by asking someone for help.

"Hey, let's go... What, you're not moving at all?"

To be precise, she couldn't move, but the man assumed she was resisting.

He clicked his tongue.

"Hey, you guys, give me a hand."

"Sure thing."

"Leave it to us."

The three men forcibly dragged Chloe.

She had no will left to resist.

(... Maybe I should just give in...)

It definitely wouldn't end well.

But, maybe it's okay even if it doesn't.

If she endured, it would eventually end.

She would probably suffer a lot, but her life wouldn't be taken.

(... After all, I lost my life back then...)

For just a moment, she had tasted freedom.

That alone was a good outcome for her.

(... I'm... so tired...)

She closed her eyes, ready to let herself go...

(... No...)

Her true feelings echoed in her heart.

(No, no, no... No, no, no...!!)

After all the terrible things she had endured, to end up being passed around by strangers... No, she would rather die!

The last bit of instinct she had left cried out.

"Someone..."

The men stopped dead in their tracks.

"Oh? You finally said something?"

As the man leered and deliberately brought his ear closer, a voice, different from the three men's, spoke out, firm and deep, with a sense of comfort.

"Stop right there."

Chloe slowly raised her head at the sound of the voice.

"What, you? Who are you?"

In front of the men, who were glaring, stood a man of unparalleled beauty, with a stern expression, someone she had never seen before.