Chapter 44

#044 Living Twice (2)

But it actually happened.

"The number of people... has increased quite a bit."

I opened the door and looked at the row of rascals in the corridor.

Kristel, with her excited expression; Lady Elizaveta, who pretended to be calm but was clearly thrilled; Kanael, whose presence here was a mystery; and then—

"Isn't the prince tired?"

The guy naturally ignored my question.

I don't know what words he used to persuade them, but Kristel really did manage to bring the prince along.

He stood there in a long black robe, glaring at me.

How is this possible? Weren't you not on good terms?

I thought he might have threatened them, but now that things had come to this, there was no way out for me.

"If we go like this, we'll attract too much attention. Everyone... doesn't exactly have ordinary appearances."

I tried to put up a final resistance.

"So I prepared. Ta-da!"

Kristel smiled brightly and held out a small basket.

When I peeked inside, it was full of suspicious potions and glasses.

I swallowed hard.

Demi, who had been lying on the bed, let out a snore.

*

"Is this your first time here, right?"

"Yes, it is."

Lady Elizaveta, whose dark green hair had turned brown, and Kanael, whose sky-blue hair had also turned brown, walked ahead amicably.

Kristel didn't just buy a whip from 'Rugo General Trading.' It seemed she had anticipated such an event and stocked up on various magical items for disguise and camouflage.

She apparently bought a lot of other things too, but I didn't dare ask.

I walked through the night market with the prince on my left and the protagonist on my right.

I tried to lag behind alone, but every time, Kristel would somehow notice and look at me, leaving me no choice.

The street, lit by small, cheap magical lights, was bustling as if all the residents of Luka Village had come out.

Stalls selling all kinds of goods, food, and drinks were densely packed around a small fountain.

I even saw children running around with large dogs in the narrow alleys.

The atmosphere was completely different from the royal palace or the capital.

"Prince, would you like to try that?"

I was smiling when Kristel spoke up.

Her eyes, now a hazel color from the eye drops, were looking at me.

I turned my gaze to where she was pointing.

'Dagger Throwing Contest!'

"...It looks dangerous."

"They say the blades are dull, so it's fine. Look, 'Hit the target and get a prize. Hit the center and get the innkeeper's special pastrami sandwich and dragon juice!' Oh, it's food. The prize is good."

"Let's give it a try."

I replied.

"Really?"

"At a night market, shouldn't we at least aim for the grand prize?"

"You suddenly became serious."

"Come on, Prince."

At my words, the prince let out a low sigh.

He had ended up wearing the disguise glasses because he disliked the potion touching his skin, but to our eyes, he still looked like an ordinary prince.

Still, it seemed the expensive glasses worked, as passersby paid him no attention.

"Welcome, three of you? Three attempts for 10 francs!"

"I'll pay."

The innkeeper, who looked kind and was wearing an apron, greeted us.

Kristel answered boldly and paid her 30 francs.

Lady Elizaveta and Kanael were already eating chicken skewers and watching the scene with keen interest.

"Thank you, Lady Sarnez."

I bowed slightly.

"Don't mention it. Then I'll throw first."

"Good luck."

The innkeeper handed her an old dagger.

Kristel slightly pulled back the hood of her robe and raised her arm.

Her hair, now a hazel color, was tightly braided.

She extended and pulled back her right arm, aiming at the target, and then—

*Thud!*

"Oh!"

She hit the target on the first try! The two spectators gave enthusiastic reactions.

Though not the center, hitting the target on her first attempt showed she had potential.

"Then I'll throw next."

I took the daggers from the innkeeper.

The combination of pastrami sandwiches and dragon juice was something I couldn't give up.

Kristel burst out laughing, asking why I looked so serious, but I couldn't laugh along.

Come to think of it, I had never hit a dart properly even in college. How would it be here?

*

My body and mind were worn out. The three of them gathered around me, whispering incessantly.

"The prince really overflows with aether, doesn't he?"

"Lady, please be quiet..."

"Prince, hang in there! When we reach the marquess's territory, I'll order pastrami from the chef."

"Thank you..."

"Prince, the wrist is important for throwing. Don't use your arm."

"It's too late for that..."

Under the watchful eyes of the innkeeper and four others, the three daggers in my hand all met a glorious end.

I was so frustrated with the author and so embarrassed that my teeth were grinding.

What kind of 'supporting male lead' is this guy, with no mana sensitivity and the worst athletic ability?

While Kristel hit the target with all three daggers, I only earned public ridicule from the innkeeper...

"Do you want to try, sir?"

The woman's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

Turning my head, I saw the innkeeper speaking to the prince.

To the others, he looked like an old man in glasses.

Lady Elizaveta covered her mouth and started laughing.

"..."

The prince seemed a bit annoyed but surprisingly accepted the dagger.

His orange eyes sparkled as he held the handle and examined the blade.

Wait, that guy...

*

*Thud!*

Kristel put down her beer glass, which was almost half empty.

Her large, round eyes were full of dissatisfaction.

"Using magic is cheating."

"Lady, calm down and try this."

I offered Kristel the pastrami sandwich on the table.

There were three sandwiches, each with thick slices of homemade pastrami and coleslaw between rye bread buns baked by the innkeeper.

I was eating one, and Lady Elizaveta and Kanael were sharing another amicably.

Even though it was almost 11 PM, the street stalls were still crowded.

"I could also hit the center if I dipped the dagger in water and pulled it out. It's completely possible."

"Why didn't you do it, then?"

The prince countered Kristel's words.

He had hit the center three times in a row at the 'Dagger Throwing Contest!' and won three sandwich sets, but he hadn't touched the food.

I was happy to benefit, but I didn't expect them to start bickering again.

"Prince, I appreciate the sandwich, but please don't tease Lady Sarnez too much."

"Indeed, you just teased her, right? I thought you were asking seriously because of the alcohol."

Kristel interjected at my words.

Checking her glass, it seemed she had already drunk a 750ml beer in no time.

She was quite a drinker.

"No, I wasn't teasing her."

I immediately retracted my statement. The prince raised an eyebrow but ignored it.

I had been thinking for a few days that I needed to adjust my strategy.

If I couldn't avoid these two people, it might be better to bring them together to ease my mind.

It wouldn't be easy, but I was determined to try.

"And Lady Sarnez has a prize too."

"Yes, it's pretty. The sandwich will be gone once eaten, but this can be kept for a long time, so it's fine."

She triumphantly pulled out a decoration made of braided thread.

It was modeled after the empire's three sacred relics: 'Blessing of the Sea,' 'Sword of Mars,' and 'Ark of Venus,' which the innkeeper had given to Kristel for hitting the target.

Apparently, in the empire, souvenirs based on the four sacred relics were common.

It felt similar to selling Eiffel Tower keychains in Paris or Cheomseongdae chocolates in Gyeongju.

"I'll keep this, and I'll give this to the prince. This one..."

Kristel hesitated, then with a slightly pouting face, she offered the 'Sword of Mars' keychain to the prince.

I barely managed to keep my smile from widening.

"I'll offer it to His Highness."

"Thank you, Lady."

I quickly created an atmosphere where the prince should accept the gift, fearing he might refuse.

Kristel pushed the uneaten sandwich and juice to Lady Elizaveta and Kanael across the table.

The two, who had been quietly chatting, smiled and accepted them.

"..."

The prince silently looked at the 'Sword of Mars' keychain on the table, then reached out and put it in his robe pocket.

A sudden thrill of pleasure spread through me. Wow, I should have done this earlier!

It seemed that with a little push, the two could become a bit closer!

"Thank you all for coming out tonight."

As I felt a new hope, Kristel suddenly spoke up.

She held a beer glass refilled by the stall owner.

"I had a lot I wanted to do. But the servants I brought from home just circled around me, which was a bit suffocating. I understand, but..."

She then gulped down the beer.

Lady Elizaveta, who was on duty, refused the alcohol, and Kanael was drinking dragon juice.

I was a teetotaler, and the prince hadn't ordered any drinks, so Kristel was the only one drinking at our table.

"Thinking of this as a second life, I wanted to live without regrets. So I disturbed you all at this late hour."

"That's fine, Lady Kristel. I understand."

Lady Elizaveta answered kindly and lightly clinked her juice glass with Kristel's beer glass.

While I thought Kristel might be drunk, her words resonated with me, and I gave a bitter smile.

To the other three, her words probably sounded like the reflections of someone who had been bedridden for a long time.

But I knew Kristel's situation.

'Having a lot I want to do,' 'Living a second life without regrets.'

These were thoughts she could easily have after quitting her job and being reincarnated into this world.

I had speculated that she might act on such 'motivation,' but for the protagonist, it was reality.

I know this is a novel, but for Kristel, this place was a new opportunity.

"In summer, it's cool and nice to go to the northern region. Maybe later, together—"

"Hey, the fee is due by midnight today!"

Startled, I turned my head.

The noisy night market suddenly fell silent.

"That's because I paid off other debts first..."

"Debt? Is the money you owe the inn not a debt? Do you think 'Le Chiffre' is a pushover?"

A man who clearly looked like a thug kicked the wooden table.

*Crash!*

Glass shattered, and the food left by customers spilled onto the floor.

I frowned. That guy just mentioned the inn we were staying at.

"Felix, why are you doing this with customers around?"

At that moment, someone stepped in front of the stall owner. I recognized him and widened my eyes.

It was Maurice, the inn employee I had healed a few hours ago.

The thug's momentum waned when he recognized Maurice.

"Move. This guy tried to weasel out last month too."

"I'll explain to Aunt."

"You... "

The thug glared at Maurice, clearly frustrated.

I started to wonder who Maurice's 'aunt' was. Could it be...?

"Are you going to inherit the inn by being so spineless? Are you going to control the town?"

"I don't think so."

"Pathetic. You're missing the chance to be a lord in this rural area."

The thug spat on the ground, gestured rudely at the stall owner standing behind Maurice, and walked away to another stall.

It seemed to be a warning.

As the situation calmed down, the night market gradually regained its liveliness.

I turned my gaze back to the