I Gave Those Vile Scoundrels a Proper Thrashing!
I boldly declared I would buy it, but now I was having second thoughts. ‘Will I even have enough money with what I have on me…?’
I had rushed out without grabbing much cash. I stared intently at the pink coin purse nestled deep inside my clothes. After three full seconds of intense eye contact, I shook the purse upside down and showed it to the shopkeeper.
“Will this amount not suffice?”
The money I had pulled out was by no means a small sum. It was equal to what a farmer might earn in an entire year. The shopkeeper began counting it with great care. After thoroughly verifying my entire fortune, the verdict came.
It's a little short~
Short? A single necklace costs this much? It was literally a common farmer’s yearly wage. And it was still a little short?
I decided to cast aside my pride as a man.
“Could you not lower the price just a little…?”
Immediate activation of the pathetic haggling skill. My heart was pounding so violently it actually hurt. That was because I couldn’t read the shopkeeper’s expression at all.
“I need to make a living too~ So discounting it will be difficult~”
Damn it…. I felt like grabbing onto his trouser leg and begging, but if I did that, Liana would probably burst into tears.
“Th-then… is there truly no way…?”
“It will be difficult~”
While I kept attempting negotiations—
“Iris-nim… I’m really fine. I’ll be happy just knowing you wanted to buy it for me.”
I could see Liana forcing a smile. No. As a man! One must be willing to offer even the house deed to a woman!
I looked down at the vivid ruby ring on my finger. And then—
“Iris-nim…!”
“This ring is made of real gemstones. Its value should be more than enough, yes?”
I slipped the ring off and handed it to the shopkeeper.
“I’ll appraise it~”
With those words, the shopkeeper disappeared into the back of the store.
“Your Highness, you didn’t have to sell your ring. I truly am okay…”
“Hmph! I do not particularly like rings. Besides, I possess dozens of them. This much is nothing, so remain silent and wait.”
It was the truth—I had no need for rings. Unless they had some special effect, they were merely pretty ornaments that got in the way.
After several minutes, the shopkeeper reappeared.
“The appraisal confirms it’s genuine~ And it’s made with top-grade gemstones at that~ If you add a bit of the money you showed earlier to this ring, it should be enough~ Shall I proceed right away~?”
I had gotten rid of something I didn’t need and even saved some money. Nice.
“Proceed.”
“Would you like to wear it immediately~?”
“I shall.”
I accepted the necklace the shopkeeper handed me and tried to put it on Liana, but—
“…Liana, lower your head or bend your knees. I cannot reach.”
My height was far too short to fasten the necklace around Liana’s neck.
“Yes…. Iris-nim.”
When Liana lowered her head, I was finally able to place the necklace around her neck. Though I must admit my gaze kept drifting toward her cleavage rather than the necklace itself. I tried my best not to look.
With a soft click, I carefully withdrew my hands. The necklace had successfully settled into place around Liana’s neck.
“It seems to be fastened properly.”
“Oh my~ Big sister, you look so beautiful~”
I completely agreed with the shopkeeper’s words. ‘Why is our Liana so incredibly pretty?!’
“Do I… look pretty?”
Silver hair fluttering in the breeze. The way she gently touched the necklace. Even the innocent, childlike smile of someone receiving candy for the first time.
“Of course! Right now, Liana, you are extraordinarily beautiful!”
“Yes~ It suits you so well, big sister~ It’s perfect~”
Under the continuous stream of praise, Liana could only scratch her head and grin bashfully.
After buying Liana the necklace, the sun was already beginning to set. I still wanted to play more, but I had no money left, and more importantly, I had a mountain of work waiting for me.
“It is time we returned.”
“Yes!”
Thus, I believed our first date—our first little adventure—had ended safely. I was holding Liana’s hand as we headed back to the palace when—
“Liana, do you not feel something over there?”
I pointed toward a sinister alley completely shrouded in shadows, where nothing could be seen.
“Huh? I don’t feel anything in particular…. Does Your Highness sense something?”
It wasn’t so much that I sensed something specific, but rather that I had a bad feeling. So far, my intuition had been correct 99.5% of the time. ‘It used to be 100%, but that damn novel ruined it when I regretted reading it.’
My intuition was currently screaming that something was happening over there.
“Liana, from now on I entrust my protection to you. It seems there is something there after all.”
It looked creepy and I really didn’t want to go in, but… ‘Maybe the original heroine could appear? It’s not impossible, right?’ If villains showed up, my lovely Liana would take care of them.
“Yes, Your Highness. Please stay right behind me.”
Unlike me, Liana’s expression remained perfectly calm. I felt like I might wet myself from fear. The place gave off the exact same nauseating, eerie vibe as a haunted house. The late afternoon wind was chilling enough to raise goosebumps. Cobwebs hung everywhere. There was even food waste scattered about. Unless someone actually enjoyed scary places, they would avoid this spot at all costs.
But what could I do? My intuition was insisting we had to go in.
While I hesitated, Liana had already stepped into the alley.
“Uwaah! Liana, I told you not to go alone!”
.
.
.
The inside of the alley was the epitome of darkness. It was clearly just a gap between two buildings, yet not a single ray of light entered.
“Your Highness, you are following properly, right?”
Just what kind of training did knights undergo? I couldn’t see even an inch ahead, yet Liana was walking forward without any trouble. I suddenly felt the urge to return to the palace and install streetlights in every single alley.
I clutched tightly onto the hem of Liana’s clothes and moved forward with trembling steps. We had been walking blindly for a while when—
“…Wait a moment.”
Liana suddenly stopped, causing me to bump my nose into her back. Rubbing my stinging nose, I asked her,
“Is there something there?”
“Just as Your Highness said, there does seem to be something. I can hear faint voices.”
I strained my ears as she instructed, but—
“…I hear nothing at all.”
There was only silence and stillness. The only sound I could hear was Liana’s breathing.
“Please follow me.”
“V-very well.”
After saying that, Liana began walking without hesitation—sometimes turning right, sometimes left. As I followed her, I really did begin to hear faint voices.
“Your Highness, can you hear them now?”
I could hear them, but I couldn’t quite make out what the conversation was about.
“I can hear them, but I cannot discern the topic of discussion.”
At my words, Liana took a deep breath to steady herself.
“It appears they are attempting to engage in human trafficking.”
Human trafficking… in the middle of the imperial capital? It was hard to believe.
“Is that truly what they are saying?”
“Yes, without a doubt. They just said, ‘She’s rather pretty. If we put her up for auction, she’ll fetch a good price.’”
I couldn’t see Liana’s face, but from her voice alone I could vaguely sense what emotion she was feeling.
Rage.
From the moment we first met, Liana had never once raised her voice in irritation, anger, or profanity. Yet now her voice was filled with fury. She sounded ready to charge out and kill them at any second, so I quickly grabbed the hem of her clothes and pulled her back.
“You have no weapon. What do you plan to do? I am angry as well, but first we should call the guards—”
“That would be too late. Your Highness, I am very strong, so please don’t worry.”
I knew Liana was strong. I knew that, but…
“Then who will protect me…?”
If she left me all alone in the middle of a fight when I didn’t even have a single combat skill, my survival rate would be, at best, ten percent?
“I will protect Your Highness, so please don’t worry.”
The moment she finished speaking, Liana dashed forward.
“Who the hell are you!”
“Whoa! Another beauty just showed up~! Jackpot!”
“Before we send her to the auction, I’m gonna have a taste first. She’s a bit flat-chested, but her face is pretty enough to make up for it!”
They dared to express sexual desire toward myLiana? ‘Liana! Do not show them any mercy!’ I could only cheer for her in my heart.
“Shut your mouths, you beasts.”
Liana drove her fist straight into the face of the one who had sexually harassed her first.
-CRUNCH!
“Aaaagh…! Just kill that bitch!”
“As if!”
Liana hoisted the molester high into the air and hurled him at one of the approaching men. Quite violently.
-BOOM!!!
I couldn’t even tell how hard she had thrown him. I had heard of people using others as bowling balls, but never as baseballs. Her form was truly artistic.
Soon, only one man remained.
“D-don’t come any closer…! If you do, I’ll kill this woman!”
The man pressed a knife against the hostage’s throat.
“I’m fine… so hurry…”
“Tsk…”
Liana took one step back after another. She was trying not to let the hostage get hurt.
“Get on your knees too!”
At the trafficker’s command, Liana obediently knelt. The trafficker slowly approached the kneeling Liana while still holding the hostage, then—
-SLAP!
He began slapping Liana across the cheek.
“Acting all high and mighty when you’re nothing in front of a hostage!”
Once his anger had subsided somewhat, the trafficker pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
“Hoo… Hey, if you sleep with me just once, I’ll let this woman go clean. Deal?”
“…Swear it. Swear you will release this woman. If you break your word, you will head straight to the afterlife.”
“Hehehe… Fine, deal’s a deal.”
The moment the trafficker began undoing Liana’s clothes one by one, I felt a surge of energy far stronger and more primal than anything I had felt during the fear-inducing skill earlier. If before I had simply wanted to beat him senseless, now I wanted to strangle the bastard to death right this instant.
Step. Step.
I walked forward one step at a time toward the trafficker.
“Aang? The kid’s not my type…. Hey kid, why don’t you run along nicely?”
I raised a finger toward the trafficker.
“Strangle your own throat.”
“Ghk… urk…!”
At my command, the trafficker began choking himself. Even as his face turned red, my rage showed no sign of abating. If anything, it felt like pouring oil on a burning house.
“Bow your head to the ground.”
-CRASH!
He slammed his head down so hard that crimson blood splattered across the ground. Liana, the woman who had been destined to be sold at auction—everyone was stunned by the impossible scene unfolding before them.
“Kill yourself.”
-SLASH!
“Kyaaaaaaaaaah!”
“Your Highness….”
I had killed a person, yet I felt nothing at all.