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Chapter 02
An Unknown Man
“……It tastes awful.”
A few days later, Sara walked through the market while chewing on dry bread, her expression rough as she watched the people around her.
“My cheek still hurts.”
Every time she chewed, the wound on her cheek throbbed painfully.
Touching her face, Sara frowned from the pain.
After speaking with Derek, the Countess seemed to have calmed down a little and stopped demanding that Sara revive the flower.
Instead, she ordered her to go to the market and buy the exact same flower.
Even though Sara could revive as many flowers as she wanted, she refused to do it simply because she hated Diana too much.
Why should she make that woman happy?
“……”
As she walked with a bored expression, a gentle breeze brushed past her, making her golden hair sway softly.
Sara fixed the hair that fell down to her chest and quietly enjoyed the wind.
When she lowered her eyes slowly, her long and thick eyelashes became visible.
Pale smooth skin. Soft red lips.
She carried the elegant and noble aura of a true aristocratic lady, someone who looked as if she had never suffered hardship in her entire life.
A perfect noblewoman raised with endless love from her family.
A refined young lady who seemed too graceful to ever speak harshly.
But her personality was completely different from that elegant appearance.
When Sara slowly lifted her eyes again, she could feel the sticky stares of the young men around her.
‘……Their intentions are so obvious.’
Even though she understood those looks perfectly, Sara did not spare them a single glance.
With a cold smile, she sharply turned around and walked away proudly.
“Let’s go, Meiri.”
“Yes, Miss.”
The market was crowded with people.
Sara already looked exhausted, feeling like today would be a very long day.
That flower was the Countess’s favorite, which meant it obviously would not be sold in an ordinary market.
It was obvious.
This was far from the first time Diana had tormented her like this.
Sara should have been used to it by now.
She could simply waste time pretending to search, return home claiming she failed, get beaten a few times, then starve for the night.
That was already a familiar routine for her.
“Meiri, did you find the same flower?”
Meiri shook her head.
Among all the servants, she was the only maid who treated Sara kindly.
“Hm, where are we even supposed to find it? If we don’t bring it back today, the mansion will probably turn upside down. Don’t you think so too?”
Seeing Sara’s already tired expression, Meiri smiled faintly.
“Miss, why don’t we search a little more first? If we still can’t find it, perhaps you should explain it to Madam.”
Sara nodded.
Still, she knew the flower probably could not be found in any ordinary market.
The Countess had imported it from another country because it was that valuable.
Diana knew that perfectly well.
She only sent Sara here because she wanted to torment her.
And although Sara saw through the trick, she still came to the market exactly as ordered.
“……Meiri, you’re always so calm. Fine, let’s keep looking like you said.”
Though honestly, the chances were extremely low.
This whole thing felt painfully boring.
Sara already felt like returning home would be better.
Just as she was about to say that—
Bang!
A loud scream suddenly erupted from inside a tavern nearby.
Turning toward the noise, Sara saw a commotion breaking out inside.
Merchants and citizens nearby began whispering among themselves.
“……”
Are they fighting?
At that moment, another scream rang out, and the tavern’s wooden door burst apart with a loud crash.
People nearby stepped back in shock.
But Sara and Meiri only moved aside calmly without much reaction.
Neither of them were people who showed strong emotions easily.
Inside the tavern, the fight seemed serious.
The broken door flew open, and a man carrying a large sack came running out.
Soon after, a merchant stumbled out after him, shouting desperately.
“Hey! T-That crazy bastard! Please catch that thief!”
His cracked voice was filled with rage.
The merchant limped as if injured while chasing after the thief.
Blood flowed from his right thigh.
Watching the man run directly toward her, Sara sighed.
At that moment, Meiri grabbed Sara’s hand anxiously and shook her head.
“Miss. Don’t.”
“……”
Sara nodded slightly.
Even if Meiri had not stopped her, Sara already knew.
Getting involved in something like this would bring her absolutely no benefit.
“Move! Hurry up and move!”
The rough-looking man shouted as he ran toward them.
Sara’s eyebrow twitched slightly at his foul language.
Any normal person would have stepped aside in fear.
But Sara remained standing still.
“I said move!”
Looking at the man screaming at her, Sara smiled faintly.
Lowering her gaze, she noticed a branch and a stone lying on the ground.
Her eyes flashed.
At the same time, she quietly used the wind to push the branch and stone into the man’s path.
Completely unaware, the thief suddenly tripped over the stone and fell miserably.
“Argh!”
Meiri immediately realized Sara was responsible and sighed quietly.
“Miss!”
Sara knew Meiri would scold her, but she could not help it.
Blinking innocently, Sara shrugged.
Anyway, for someone who looked so calm, Meiri worried far too much.
Sara tried reassuring her with a small smile.
“He deserved it. Stealing is bad.”
“But still……”
“Let’s go, Meiri.”
Thinking she had already done enough after seeing the man sprawled on the ground, Sara calmly turned away with Meiri.
“AAAAH!”
At the same moment, the man let out a horrifying scream, followed by the sickening sound of something breaking.
“Aaaagh! Ugh……!”
The scream and cracking sound sent chills down Sara’s spine.
Meiri glanced at Sara again, wondering if this was also her doing.
But Sara shook her head as if she knew nothing.
Curious, she slowly turned around—
And froze in shock.
What… is this?
“Stealing from others? Isn’t that pathetic? You should apologize already.”
A man who had suddenly appeared held the thief by the neck with one hand while threatening him coldly.
“P-Please spare me! Please! Aaaagh!”
Unlike his angry voice, the man’s expression was calm like a quiet lake under the night sky.
“……”
As the thief cried and begged for mercy, the man tossed him aside like discarded baggage.
Only then did the hesitant merchants cautiously approach the thief.
‘What is with that man……?’
Sara could immediately sense that the man carried an aura completely different from ordinary people.
Meiri gently tugged at Sara’s wrist, trying to lead her away, but for some reason Sara could not move.
“……”
The man slowly rolled his wrist while scanning the surroundings with cold eyes.
He was extremely tall, taller than everyone else by nearly a full head, with a strong build and an overwhelming presence.
Standing in the center of the noisy market, his emerald-blue eyes suddenly turned toward Sara.
Silently, he stared at her.
Sara stared back the same way.
Neither of them could look away.
He was overwhelming.
After a short moment of eye contact, the man finally broke the heavy silence.
“……Odd eyes?”
His voice sounded strangely clear, as though only the two of them existed.
Sara stiffened immediately.
The way he looked at her felt as if he could see through everything.
The man brushed back his black hair and spoke quietly once more.
“If that’s true… then that race still exists.”
“Race?”
After muttering those strange words, the man turned around.
Sara lowered her gaze blankly while replaying his words in her mind.
“Miss, are you alright?”
Meiri held onto her worriedly, but Sara could not even answer.
Until now, she had hidden the fact that she possessed odd eyes from everyone except her family.
If others discovered her different eye color, the family would certainly become the target of ridicule.
That was why, under Diana’s orders, she had always disguised her eyes as ordinary brown.
But this man recognized her secret instantly.
And now he was talking about races and strange things.
Sara’s eyes shook violently with anxiety.
Fear and unease grew stronger, making her chin tremble slightly.
Slowly, she raised her head and stared at the man walking away as if possessed.
“……Hey! Wait!”
“M-Miss! You can’t go!”
What if that man knew something she did not?
The unsettling thought pushed Sara forward faster and faster.
Startled by her sudden actions, Meiri hurried after her trying to stop her.
“Excuse me…… Hey!”
Catching up to him quickly, Sara grabbed the man’s arm to stop him.
The instant her fingers touched him, a sharp electric pain shot through her body, forcing her to pull away.
“Ah!”
“……”
Her hand burned as though struck by lightning.
Clutching it tightly, Sara bit her lip.
Just who was this man?
She had never once heard rumors or information about him.
Hearing her cry out, the man stopped and slowly turned around.
His gaze was cold and sharp like a blade turned human.
A terrifying killing intent radiated from him.
He was definitely not ordinary.
And because of that, Sara suddenly wondered—
Could this man possibly know where she came from?
Could he know her real parents, the people who died without ever seeing how she grew up?
Even if it was a foolish hope, her curiosity overwhelmed her fear.
“Miss!”
Before Meiri could stop her, Sara had to ask him.
Ignoring the pain in her hand, she reached toward him once again.
The moment Sara grabbed his wrist a second time—
A piercing headache crashed into her mind.
Her head rang violently, and fragments of memory suddenly appeared inside her mind.
“Kyah!”
