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Chapter 11
Anna fidgeted anxiously, stamping her feet, but Lucy decided to enjoy the moment with a cheerful heart for the first time since coming here.
His name was Dino. He said he was nineteen this year.
Dino led them to a bustling market.
“The streets around the square are lined with high-end shops and are very flashy, but this place has its own lively charm. I sometimes come here to people-watch when I feel restless,” Dino said, winking one eye at Lucy.
‘Did I really look restless?’
Lucy absentmindedly touched her face. Without a mirror, she had no way of knowing what expression she was wearing.
“Wait here for a moment!”
Dino left them and ran toward a street vendor. A moment later, he returned holding three skewers of fried insects that looked like crickets.
“Are you squeamish? They might look weird, but they’re actually quite tasty.”
He offered the skewers to Lucy and Anna.
Lucy had never tasted many of the foods in her previous life. She suddenly remembered an elderly woman in the same hospital room talking about how delicious fried grasshoppers were when she was young.
The memory of those imagined fried grasshoppers made her extremely curious about the taste of these skewers.
But she hesitated for a moment.
‘If I just gobble them down, will it look rude? Should I at least pretend to hesitate a little to match my appearance?’
But Anna next to her was already biting into her skewer energetically. Lucy found her so adorable that she couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
Anna froze mid-bite, eyes wide, staring at her. Dino, too, had his eyes wide open, looking at Lucy. She blinked in confusion.
“Lucy, you smile like that often. Is this the first time you’ve smiled like this since meeting me today?”
Dino chuckled and took a bite of his skewer.
Lucy followed suit, taking a bite as well. The crisp texture was incredibly delicious.
“This is so good! I’ve never eaten anything like this before. The crunchiness… it’s like…”
She couldn’t find the right words, so she trailed off, rolling her eyes.
She must have gotten excited and raised her voice too much because both Anna and Dino’s gazes were now fixed on her.
“Hahaha! Eat as much as you want, I’ll buy it all. Why not try some of the others too?”
He laughed cheerfully and led them to the skewer stall.
“Anna, do you have any money on you?”
“No… it’s so sudden that I didn’t bring any…”
Lucy had no money, so she exchanged a silent glance with Anna, hesitating. It was embarrassing to admit she had nothing, but it also felt burdensome to rely entirely on Dino, whom she had just met.
“Here, try these too. Why not compare the two?”
He bought two more skewers and handed them to Lucy and Anna.
“Thank you… I feel like I’m getting help from you in so many ways. If there’s a chance next time, I’ll definitely repay this debt!”
Even though it might be impossible to keep her promise, she wanted to express her gratitude. Dino smiled brightly and glanced at her hand wrapped in bandages.
“By the way, it looks like your hand is injured. I’ll hold the skewers for you.”
He brought the newly bought skewer close to Lucy’s mouth.
“What are you doing? I need to compare the flavors, you know?”
She felt a bit embarrassed by his gesture, but not displeased. In fact, it made her heart flutter in a way she couldn’t quite explain.
Lucy enjoyed her time with Dino so much that she lost track of time. When she finally came to her senses, the sun was setting.
That was when she began to worry a little about what would come next.
If the baron found out, it would be troublesome. She sighed as she looked at her index and middle fingers still wrapped in bandages.
“I should probably head back now. My parents must be very worried by now…”
Reluctantly, she bid Dino farewell.
‘A midsummer night’s dream. That phrase really fits this situation…’
She smiled to herself at the thought.
Dino hesitated for a moment, then looked at her seriously, wiping the smile off his face.
“Can we meet again soon?”
He asked with a serious expression.
“I… as I said, it’s not easy for me to go out…”
She would soon be leaving the capital.
‘It’s a pity, but this is where our connection ends. Get a grip, Lucy. You were just a Cinderella for a moment in this dramatic encounter with him! Foolishly unaware that such magic would fade so quickly…’
Returning to reality, she realized how fanciful her expectations had been.
“I…”
Dino hesitated, then clenched his fists as if summoning courage, and looked at Lucy with a sorrowful expression.
“On the next full moon—exactly two weeks from now—I’m leaving the capital. I’ll be taking a ship to Tyren. Before I go… could we meet just once more?”
Lucy lifted her head in surprise.
“Two weeks from now?”
At the same time, she glanced at Anna.
Two weeks from now was the very day of the royal ball—the day they had planned to escape.
“Miss, Tyren is a city north of here,” Anna whispered, nodding as if reading Lucy’s thoughts.
“Dino! I… I’m planning to go to Tyren that day too!”
Dino’s eyes widened with surprise at her words.
It had slipped out before she could think. She couldn’t afford to think rationally right now.
‘Who cares where Tyren is! As long as I can escape this hellish place!’
She felt she had to grab onto him.
‘He might really be our lifeline!’
Even though she wasn’t the main character of the story, a new story of her own seemed to be beginning.
“Miss! This could be a chance from the heavens! Tyren is as big a city as the capital, so there will be plenty of places to hide. And who knows, he might help us too!”
On the way back to the mansion, Anna was as excited as Lucy.
“And it’s on the same day as the royal ball! If we move quickly, we can catch the last ship. I’ll find a way to get tickets no matter what!”
Of course, Lucy’s heart was equally full of dreams.
Dino told them the inn where he was staying and said to come to him if they needed help.
Even though this was a story, it felt like a rare coincidence. Perhaps it was fate.
Right now, Lucy desperately needed someone to extend a helping hand.
“Anna, just in case, let’s also look into another ship as a backup plan,” she said, thinking ahead to unexpected circumstances.
Fortunately, the baron only scolded Lucy for sneaking out that day and didn’t resort to his usual violence. But the baroness had a different reaction.
“Lucy! I’ve spoiled you too much until now. How could you do such a thing to your sister!”
The baroness stormed into Lucy’s room, raising her hand.
Clap!
It was less harsh than the baron’s hand, but still a sharp strike. Lucy touched her cheek and glared at the baroness.
“Good heavens! Even if you’ve lost your memory, how could you change so much? You must have some mental problem! Don’t even think about leaving this room until you’ve reflected on your wrongdoing.”
The baroness seemed flustered by Lucy’s defiant gaze and quickly left the room.
‘Thank goodness. At least she’s not threatening to starve me again.’
In the past, the baroness often locked Lucy in her room and starved her. Anna would secretly bring her food, but if caught, Anna would suffer punishment as well.
After the baroness left, Lucy began planning her escape, imagining an uncertain future.
‘What happens if the escape fails?’
She quietly recalled the contents of the story.
