Chapter 10
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: If We Can Meet Again
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The sun was beginning to set.
In a narrow alley of a street bathed in sunset hues,
curls of brown hair fluttered in the wind.
"Ah... ahh..."
Fearing someone might spot her, Riel gathered her waist-length hair and clutched it to her chest.
The alley near the blacksmith where they talked every day.
With a faint hope, she had crouched there waiting again today, but...
"He's not coming..."
For days now, there had been no sign of Dane.
Did something happen to him?
She desperately wanted to go ask at the orphanage herself.
But she held back, afraid she'd get caught and dragged away.
Didn't Dane say the orphanage was tough and he didn't recommend it?
"Hm?"
"...Ah."
Lost in thought, had she lingered too long?
Her eyes met those of a man passing by the end of the alley.
Since few townsfolk looked kindly on orphans, Riel subtly shifted her feet, ready to bolt...
"Hah, quit loitering and look somewhere else. This area's been hit hard lately—merchants are all on edge."
The man had no intention of kicking her; he just waved her off like she was trash to shoo away.
Riel hadn't planned on stealing anything anyway, so she nodded faintly and backed away slowly.
"...Hold on."
"...Yes?"
"That in your hand..."
What Riel held was the small ring Dane had given her just before vanishing.
The man eyed the ring, stroking his chin beard in surprise.
Was he scheming to snatch it because it looked valuable?
'No... I can't let him take it...'
Riel gripped the ring tightly in both hands.
It was the ring Dane had given her.
He'd promised to come back and explain later.
How could she face him if she couldn't even protect it for a little while?
As Riel tried to hide the ring and slip away...
"You Dane's girlfriend, by any chance?"
"...Huh?"
Her feet froze at the sudden question.
Girlfriend?
Me?
Her face burned, her mind spinning wildly.
"M-Me? Dane's? N-No, that's not... I mean...?"
If asked if she felt rational affection, yes, she did.
Dane was her lifesaver.
When she and her brother were in the worst danger, he'd helped without hesitation, even sacrificing himself to protect her.
Who wouldn't like someone like that?
Of course, sharing food when they met sometimes,
telling her stories he'd made up when she was bored,
jumping in first whenever rival gangs picked fights,
and stroking her hair when she was down... all those memories were nice too, but...
'Ah.'
Only then did Riel realize.
It wasn't just because Dane swooped in like a prince on a white horse to save her that night.
Truth was, she'd liked him long before that.
The incident was merely the trigger.
The heart is like a lake.
One drop of rain falls,
meeting Dane, graduallyd in his colors,
drawn inexorably toward him.
This small epiphany and surging emotions.
Amid the bewildering situation and unexpected question, Riel's mind refused to settle.
"K-Kinda like girlfriend... material...?"
She barely knew what she was saying.
Some possessiveness or urge to claim bubbled up too.
She wanted to nod confidently at the girlfriend question...
'Y-Yeah...'
Thinking back, that orange-haired girl they'd locked eyes with recently.
Didn't she seem fond of Dane too?
Dane hadn't noticed, but Riel had.
The look was like a wife catching her husband cheating.
'H-How dare she...!'
She was the side affair? No, Riel had met him first.
They'd known each other for ages!
For her own future sake, maybe she should stake her claim here.
To keep pesky bugs away.
Declare girlfriend status right now...!
'W-Wait.'
That wasn't the point!
This man knew Dane.
So he might know where he was now.
"D-Did you see Dane recently...?"
"Huh?"
"He's... been gone for a while now..."
"What, he didn't tell you anything?"
"N-No..."
He clearly knew Dane's whereabouts.
The man pondered briefly.
"Well, we worked together a year... gotta have some loyalty."
He nodded slightly and gestured toward a nearby shop.
The place he pointed to was the blacksmith Dane frequented.
"Follow me. Least I can do is stale bread and water. That ring? I made it."
He must be the owner.
Riel hesitated.
Was it safe to follow?
She quickly recalled Dane's words.
'Nah, he's just rough around the edges. Not bad people.'
Dane wouldn't lie to her, so this man wasn't dangerous.
She trusted Dane.
Cautiously, Riel followed him into the blacksmith.
And there, she learned.
Asking another kid who came by, Dane had been adopted by nobles.
He'd left in a carriage, far away where meeting again would be tough.
"...Heh."
Riel bowed thanks to the blacksmith uncle and stepped out.
Her head spun.
Back in the tiny space that was now home for the siblings, she sipped cold water.
Picking at the gifted bread to fill her belly.
But Riel's mind wouldn't return.
Can't meet anymore?
Never again?
"Ah... ahh..."
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
The tough bread tasted salty.
"W-What's wrong! Why are you crying!"
Until Bern returned to comfort her.
Riel could only sob and sniffle.
Once calmed, she explained, and Bern nodded.
"Let's go to the orphanage too."
"...Huh?"
An unexpected reply.
To the orphanage?
She'd considered it.
Protection in a safe place was a big plus.
But the risk of siblings separating had kept her delaying till last.
"Alley's getting rougher than I thought. Remember that drug mess in the west district?"
"Yeah, guards sealed it off and nabbed the crime group..."
"Same stuff circulating here. Gangs eyeing it—alley’s turning brutal. I might manage, but you, Riel..."
She wouldn't be safe.
Slave traders prowled alleys regularly, forcing girls away—female slaves fetched good money.
And Riel was pretty, so they'd fight hard for her.
"We'll have to live apart..."
"Yeah... I know."
She was prepared.
The alley wasn't easy or peaceful.
Even if one died suddenly, survive, they'd promised.
So the siblings nodded and headed to the orphanage...
"Oh my, you're the Riel Dane mentioned?"
"Y-Yes?"
"He nagged endlessly before leaving. If a pretty brown-haired girl came with her brother, help get you both adopted."
Director Teresa's wink and welcome eased Riel's final worries.
Thanks to Dane.
He'd worried about us right up to leaving the orphanage.
Something ached in her chest.
"D-Does Dane's new place... could you tell me where...?"
"Hmm, well..."
Teresa pondered, then
"Oh? My goodness?"
spotted the ring Riel cradled preciously and smiled warmly.
Leaning close, she whispered carefully.
"Can't say exactly, but... if you get adopted by nobles, you'll surely meet again."
"...!"
Riel's goal crystallized.
Consultation done, exiting the room, voices of kids climbing stairs echoed.
"Ugh, driving me nuts. Why's that guy hate just me?"
"'Cause you curse at him."
"No, he's always been..."
"Huh?"
Dirt-covered, weary faces.
As Dane said, orphanage work outside was grueling.
Riel had decent stamina but fretted over people skills.
She stuttered, was timid.
But if she could tough it out...
"Wow..."
"...Hey, you go talk to her."
"Fine, boys stay back! ...Hi? New today? Nice to meet you!"
"Uh-huh..."
Riel fiddled with the ring in her hand,
then slipped it cautiously onto her ring finger.
It fit perfectly, amazingly.
"Hey, what's that? A ring?"
"Yeah... my treasure..."
...We'll meet again, right?
"Ah, wanna steal something."
A month into becoming the Rovelen Ducal Family's illegitimate son.
I rolled on the bed, muttering from unbearable boredom.
Not that I actually wanted to steal.
Clap and most things popped out anyway—why bother?
Just that ducal life lacked dopamine for a back-alley rat like me.
Orphanage prioritized survival, so it hadn't mattered.
Now with free time, I craved fun.
"Not like actually stealing though."
Pocketing the room clock wouldn't thrill.
Something fun?
Just a year ago, risking life dashing alleys.
Needed that level of thrill.
I pondered,
then
"Ah."
Recalled Dort's tale.
Rovelen swordsmanship prestige house hated mages.
"Like humanities vs. sciences? Or more arts vs. athletics."
Mage loses if knight closes gap.
Knight loses if can't endure spells till then.
Mutual counters—makes sense they'd hate each other.
"Hmm."
In such a sword house, risking detection,
among knights despising mages,
secretly learning magic?
"Ah, dopamine rush."
That'd be fun.