Chapter 9

One of the thieves who had been glaring at the girl raised his fist and lunged at her.

"Watch out!"

Thinking she was about to be hit, Leonardo shouted almost simultaneously as the girl's body gracefully floated away. With a lightness akin to the acrobatics of a street performer she had seen earlier, she narrowly avoided the attack and, with a fluid motion, struck the thief's side with the handle of her broom.

"Ugh!"

The thief, struck by the powerful blow, clutched his side and fell to the ground. The girl then planted the handle of her broom on the ground and, using it as a pivot, delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to the face of another thief. Her short, nearly golden amber hair fluttered gently.

—What a girl...

Her graceful movements, her dignified presence, her shining hair—each and every aspect was beautiful. And the sheer surprise that such a girl existed.

"I don't need to get involved."

Her skills were overwhelmingly superior to his.

While observing from above, thinking he didn't need to intervene, Leonardo caught a glint of something in the man's hand out of the corner of his eye.

—Not good!

Without hesitation, Leonardo dismounted from his wyvern, drew his sword, and slashed at the man, careful not to kill him.

"Kyaa!"

"Ughhh!"

Two screams rang out almost simultaneously as the man fell on his back, writhing in pain. Leonardo then threw a rock at another thief who was trying to escape.

"To think you'd try to steal in my jurisdiction, you've got some nerve, don't you?"

"Ah!"

The man, still lying on his back, was stepped on and his face contorted with fear, turning pale. Finally, a member of the Imperial Capital Knights, who had just emerged from the crowd, rushed over and tied up the man. Confirming this, Leonardo turned to the girl behind him.

"Are you okay?"

"Ah, thank you."

Her gaze slowly met Leonardo's, and her emerald-green eyes widened in surprise.

—This girl...

She resembles the wild young lady I saw at the ball. However, her hair is short, and her attire is completely masculine.

Despite being so skilled in combat, she turned pale at the sight of the thief she had slashed, who was writhing in pain. This inconsistency only piqued Leonardo's interest further.

"Your bravery is commendable, but bravery and recklessness are close neighbors. And recklessness can sometimes be fatal. Remember that well."

Leonardo spoke to the girl as if advising her. If they hadn't shown up to help, she might have died. The girl slightly lowered her eyebrows and let her shoulders droop.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't just stand by. Thank you for helping me."

"No, I should thank you for helping to capture the thief. I appreciate it. In the future, leave such matters to the Imperial Capital Knights—"

Just as Leonardo finished speaking, the girl murmured, "Imperial Capital Knights?" and looked back at him.

"Ah! Ahhh!!"

Leonardo was taken aback by the girl's sudden shout. She seemed to have realized something and was in a great hurry.

"Thank you for your help. I'm sorry, but I have to go!"

The girl bowed her head and ran off.

"Huh? Hey! Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine!"

She turned back once to shout, then ran off again without looking back.

◇ ◇ ◇

"That's what happened."

"Hmm. So, who is she?"

"Don't know."

Back in the palace's office, Leonardo leaned back on the sofa and answered gruffly.

"Why didn't you at least ask her name? She must be a noble lady if she was at the ball, right?"

"I suppose, but I can't tell now."

The man in front of him sighed heavily. This man, with his ash-brown hair and blue eyes, was one of the Four Heavenly Kings, Karl, who oversaw the domestic nobility for the emperor.

In the Highland Empire, a coup attempt had occurred about six years ago. Therefore, Karl always kept a close eye on the movements of the domestic nobility and would come to provide information to Leonardo, who controlled the military, even for the slightest matters.

"If you tell me her distinctive features, we might be able to find her."

"A girl with hair close to gold."

"That's too broad. Are there any other distinctive features?"

"Distinctive features?"

Leonardo thought for a moment.

"She has a good punch."

"That's not helpful. It's rare for you to take an interest in a woman... in decades, if ever..."

Karl sighed in exasperation and slowly shook his head.

"I'm heading back."

"Alright, see you."

After Karl stood up and the door closed with a thud, silence descended on the office.

Leonardo folded his hands behind his head and gazed at the ceiling.

Who is that girl?

Since she was at the ball, she must be a noble's daughter. Despite her youth, she is such a skilled fighter, yet I've never heard a single rumor about her.

He couldn't stop thinking about the girl from earlier. For Leonardo, who had never been interested in the opposite sex, this was unprecedented. It was the first time he had felt that a woman was "beautiful."