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I wondered why on earth he was in the supposed hideout of the kidnappers. I did not know why the man who acted like his subordinate called him his ‘captain’ so that was why I chased him.

“Hm…”

If he declared that he had nothing to do with the series of missing persons, then I can let this go without much thought. However, I didn’t think I should do that.

It felt like I was missing something important. Like how I attended the Symposium without even looking through my diary.

I regretted it back then. That was why I wanted to know why he was there. So that I would not be left with similar feelings of regret.

“Do I have to tell you?’

“Yes.”

“Why should I?”

Hernan grinned.

“Depending on your answer, the way I’ll treat you will change.”

He was wearing a simple shirt under his leather vest. His messy hair looked a little soft and yet impossible. He was giving off a completely different feeling than he usually did.

The youngest son of a wealthy family who left his home to lead a different life from his father but had become exhausted after fighting through the waves of the world. He looked like someone who would shout, ‘This world is just rubbish!’

“I’m sorry. I actually lied.”

“What?”

“I didn’t mistake you for someone else, I was chasing after you.”

He remained silent for a moment.

“Why?”

After a few seconds of silence, he asked.

“Have you not looked in a mirror?”

I stared into his gaze filled with doubt and vigilance before smiling gently.

“Because you’re really handsome.”

He smiled before tilting his head.

“That’s not what I wanted to hear.”

He asked once again.

“I’m asking you again. Why are you chasing me? This is an important question.”

“Because you’re really handsome? Is there any other reason why I shouldn’t chase after you?”

I raised both my arms as if I was surrendering.

“That’s ridiculous.”

He swept his hair back. Then, as if he was getting tired of me, he unbuttoned his sleeves.

His drastic transformation that was making my eyes pop out of their sockets almost made me click my tongue. Was the Hernan I knew really the man who would unbutton his sleeves with his teeth?

“Look here.”

How could someone so disciplined and proud change like this?

“Do you know who I am?”

He spoke with a smile.

“I don’t. What I do want to know is why you were chasing me. What’s your name?”

I wanted to ask him why he was here but he prevented me from asking.

“You. Based on the colour of your skin, you look like someone from the central continent. You haven’t been here for long, have you?”

“… How did you know?”

“Because you don’t have the seal of a slave. More importantly, the alley you were just in was a path an adult woman would have never walked in. It’s proof that you don’t know much about the capital.”

“…..”

“It’s common for immigrants to struggle to just live and it’s not uncommon for many of them to become slaves. Though you still look fine.”

Hernan was smarter than I thought he was. No, this was only natural. I had forgotten momentarily because he was so willing to offer me his liver and everything he had every day.

“It’s just as you say.”

The Empire was cold towards immigrants. It did not guarantee their comfortable lives. All those who crossed the border were often subjected to tough labour in the outer part of the palace.

“I’m a maid doing menial work in the outer palace. I’m still fine so far but I don’t know what’s going to happen to me. The price of living in this Empire is too high.”

I quickly pretended to be an immigrant on break.

“Why are you roaming alone?”

He asserted more force behind his voice when he asked his question.

“I was looking around the capital! It’s the Founding Festival, right?”

I was not lying when I said this was my first time at the Founding Festival. As I replied to his questions cheerfully, my mind was calculating my next move in this situation. Was this something that could help me?

“I wanted to look around the marketplace. I wanted to see the performances by the templars… I wanted to see the [Primo Salvatio] too.”

At the words ‘Primo Salvatio’, he flinched.

“…..”

I did not know what expression he had on his face. In fact, he felt more like the Hernan I read about in the <Light of Rusbella> now than he ever did.

He was a helper who assisted Castor in his love and acted as his protector in the original novel. If that was the case, then he must have done many underhanded things for Castor. He must have kidnapped and even confined people.

Of course, I did not know what he was going to do with the women he was kidnapping from the capital.

“Excuse me. You keep asking me but my answer’s the same. You’re handsome which was why I fell in love with you at first sight. How am I supposed to explain this to you logically?”

“Is that so? So, you fell in love at first sight. That’s convincing.

He smiled gently as if to say that he did not believe me at all.

“Very well.”

At that moment, his stance changed and he looked nothing like the Hernan I first met nor the Hernan I met countless times in the administrative office.

“If you don’t mind, would you like me to show you around the capital?”

“What?”

He smiled with an expression that did not suit a villain at all.

“Was it because you didn’t know the way around here which is why you ended up in this ‘humble alley’?”

“Ah…”

I was in trouble. It looked like I had to answer this well. I had to make it seem like I had fallen in love with his face before I chased after him here. I did not think I should say no. But the risk here was too great, no? Looking around the capital with Hernan?

“What do you think?”

He flashed a lukewarm smile. He whispered softly as he slowly lowered his head. A little of his surprisingly menacing aura was released again.

“I’d be a little disappointed if you refuse boundless kindness.”

With the momentum we were building, he was either going to kill me or make things difficult enough for me that I would die. This was crazy. I never would have thought I would be worrying about dying in Hernan’s hands.

“I’d like that but… why are you being so kind to me all of a sudden? You were pointing your sword at me just a little while ago.”

“That was because I mistook you for an assassin. Your behaviour caused some misunderstanding.”

“You. Are you so dangerous for assassins to chase after you?”

“Who knows?”

He smiled coolly.

“Where would you like to go?”

Was he really going to guide me? Me?

I had been calculating anxiously but honestly, I had no reason to refuse. If I thought about it rationally, it was not a bad suggestion.

“Then, bring me to the largest square in the capital.”

I did not know the capital well.

“Very well.”

Indeed, no one knew where life would take us. The place where Castor and Rusbella met for the first time. Who knew I would be visiting that place with Hernan in tow?

***

There were still lots of people so I winced and endured the crowds flowing past me.

“Just a little further.”

Of course, I was not comfortable being with him at all. Hernan was merely leading the way and unlike Soricks, he was not being considerate at all. But I preferred this.

“Excuse me. I heard that the princess will be performing there as well?”

At the words of the woman who passed me by in the procession, my gaze turned to face her unknowingly. The couple, who appeared to be lovers, then disappeared to the main street.

When I glanced back, I noticed that Hernan was looking towards the distant couple as well.

After a while, it felt like it was getting easier to breathe and it was not because the number of people around me had decreased but because I was standing in the middle of a very very large square.

“Do you see it?”

“Yes.”

I turned my head slowly before filling my gaze with the sights of the square.

“This is the forum, Augustus.”

The end of the streets was lined with templars and along with it was the arc structure that the First Emperor had built a long time ago. And on the other side of the arc, a huge colosseum revealed its majesty.

Woah-

I would hear the faint roar of spectators even though they were quite a distance away. Some pedestrians were also looking towards the colosseum.

“Don’t lose me. I’ll not be responsible if you disappear.”

“Got it.”

The square was the most densely populated area in the capital so people were always coming and going within the square.

Whilst we walked towards the Spire of Peace built by the Emperor of the Sun 300 years ago, I could hear men actively and loudly participating in discourse everywhere.

Based on their togas’ colours, they seemed to be men who were scholars and philosophers of both young and old, and eager to speak. It was as if I was witnessing the Grecian debate forums I would see in history books.

“What’s that?”

I had just asked out of curiosity. He gave me an unreadable gaze but that did not stop him from explaining.

“It’s His Holiness, the Chief Judge, Basilica Julia. Every year, a huge rally would take place there.”

He then meticulously and calmly narrated the story of the blacksmith from Vulcanus who constructed that place as well as when the place was built and completed. While curious about what was going on, I was swept away by the huge square.

“Flowers are falling.”

Flowers were falling down.

“It will rain flowers here till the festival is over. It’s a shower made out of flowers.”

In fact, there were fallen leaves and dirty debris that had been stomped on and made a mess everywhere. As soon as I finished speaking, I was surprised at how the street debris began rising into the air.

“It’s the Templars of Air and Feathers.”

I looked again at the templars in charge of cleaning the place. I could really feel divinity at every part of the Empire.

“You are very detailed with your tours. Why?”

“It’s strange to ask why I’m being sincere. Because I promised.”

“Are you typically a man of your word?”

I just realised that we did not know each other’s names yet. Of course, I already knew Hernan’s. But he did not seem even a little curious about mine.

“Because words have weight.”

Hernan replied lightly.

“Words’ weight?”

“Yes. Templars must keep their promise. So, I can’t promise things lightly.”

Come to think of it, according to the Covenant of the Empire, there are many taboo words that cannot be spoken. Hernan stopped in his tracks.

“Would you like something to eat?”

He furrowed his eyebrows as if he had something to say.

“… Now that I think about it, I never asked you for your name.”

“Right.”

“Let me ask for yours before we start eating. I’m Hernan.”

Was it alright for him to reveal his name so easily? Or did he think that it did not matter if I knew his name or not.

A name…

I gave him a name that just popped into my mind.

“It’s ‘Ahn’.”

“Ahn? So, it’s just one syllable.”

“Yes, please address me comfortably.”

“Alright. Ahn.”

Up until now, dozens of pairs of eyes had been directed towards him but he looked unaffected. Of course, they were mostly women and some men. I was not sure if he noticed but he was ignoring them. It was amazing how he did not notice when I was already feeling burdened by their gazes just by being beside him. I was glad that he was occupied with giving me a tour but…

The place he brought me to was a little alleyway along the perimeter of the square.

‘Another alley. I think I’m going to get traumatised by them.’

I was following him without much thought until I encountered a strange path.

“Stairs?”