I accurately targeted the man’s back and kicked.

Thud!

Crash!

The man, who was attacked by surprise, fell, and I fell on top of him.

Got you, you rascal!

I quickly stood up and grabbed the man’s collar.

“You sneaky bastard, how dare you try to steal someone else’s money?! Give me back my wallet!”

I was scolding the pickpocket with his eyes closed as if he had fainted.

“Oh dear, Miss. It’s a misunderstanding.”

An old man sitting in front of a nearby shop hurriedly stopped me.

“What? How?”

“That young man picked up the wallet you dropped. I saw it.”

“……Really?”

“Of course! You were walking so fast that when I or the young man tried to call you, it was already too late.”

……What?

So I just kicked a decent citizen’s back and knocked him out?

“Gasp!”

I quickly let go of the man’s collar and gently shook him to wake him up.

“Um, excuse me. Are you okay……?”

“……”

But the man didn’t budge.

He, he’s not dead, right?

It felt like the world was spinning at the thought of becoming a murderer so soon after the game started.

“Oh dear, bring that young man over here. I used to be a doctor.”

But fortunately, the old man offered us a helping hand.

I thanked the old man and dragged the man to lay him on the shop floor.

“He just fainted for a moment!”

The old man, after examining the man here and there, cheerfully diagnosed.

I sighed in relief.

That was close.

“You can rest here until this young man wakes up.”

“Is that okay……?”

“Sure, our shop doesn’t have many customers anyway. Don’t worry and stay as long as you need.”

“Thank you so much.”

I bowed politely to the chuckling old man and squatted down next to the man.

I was so startled that my hunger disappeared, and instead, sleepiness crept in.

Ah, I shouldn’t sleep…….

But against my will, my eyelids grew heavy, and I dozed off.

And when I opened my eyes.

“……?”

A handsome and gloomy man was staring intently at me.

His eyes, visible through his hair long enough to reach his nose, were deep and black like black holes.

While staring blankly at his scruffy yet neat face, he flicked my forehead with his index finger.

The bracelet with a hawk pattern on his wrist lightly glinted.

“You have a very blank look.”

“Ah.”

Startled awake, I covered my forehead with both hands and jumped up.

“Y-you’re awake? How do you feel?”

“I’m fine.”

“That’s a relief…. I’m sorry, I mistook you for a pickpocket when you picked up my wallet and attacked you.”

I looked up at the man with apologetic eyes.

He, pondering something, slightly tilted his head.

“Did I?”

“……”

“I don’t remember.”

What is he talking about? Why doesn’t he remember something that happened just hours ago?

Confused, I stared at the man, and the old man walked out from inside the shop and said.

“It seems he hit his head hard when he fell and lost his memory.”

“……Really? Is that true?”

The old man nodded and asked the man standing in front of him.

“Young man, what’s your name?”

“……Carl.”

“Where were you going?”

“Not sure.”

“Where’s your home?”

Instead of answering, he shrugged.

He couldn’t answer anything properly except his name.

“He’s definitely got amnesia.”

The old man, who said he was a former doctor, now confidently diagnosed.

I, who had caused an innocent person to lose his memory, didn’t know what to do.

“I’m really sorry, Carl.”

“Hmm.”

Carl, leisurely crossing his arms, suddenly asked me an unexpected question.

“What’s your name?”

“It’s Shailyn.”

To hide my identity from the Count’s pursuit, I deliberately omitted my surname.

“Are you from this territory?”

“No, I was just passing through on my way to the capital……. But why are you speaking informally?”

Feeling a bit rebellious at his natural informality, he casually replied.

“Then you do it too.”

“……Okay.”

So we dropped the formalities upon our first meeting. Knowing only each other’s names.

And while I was lost in the uncertainty of what to do next…

Growl.

An untimely sound came from my stomach. Carl glanced at me.

“Are you hungry?”

“Yeah……. Want to go eat together?”

Seeing his state, Carl probably hadn’t eaten either.

He looked at me for a moment, then nodded to accept the suggestion.

We thanked the old man and headed to the restaurant I had gone to earlier.

“Oh my, there’s more of you now……I mean. Welcome.”

The owner, with an expression that said she didn’t expect us to return, greeted us.

I sat in a corner again, ordered, and while waiting for the food, I chatted with him.

“You don’t really remember anything? Like a mysterious woman’s face lingering in your mind, or someone’s voice desperately calling you. Nothing comes to mind?”

“Nothing.”

“…Oh, really?”

Hmm, maybe he’s not a significant character in this game world.

His appearance was rather extraordinary, so I thought he might be an important character I didn’t know, but it seems I was wrong.

Well, in a game known for its blond male leads, a black-haired character would just be an extra.

As I nodded to myself, Carl asked me a question this time.

“Why are you going to the capital?”

“To meet blond handsome men.”

Specifically, the blond male leads.

My answer, which was somewhat honest, left him looking incredulous.

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah. First, I’ll find a place to live, and then I’ll go looking for blond handsome men.”

“……That’s oddly specific.”

“It’s my type, so respect it.”

In truth, my type was more for black hair than blond.

But since the male leads in this world are blond, I had to love blond.

While talking with him, the appetizing food arrived before I knew it.

I picked up my spoon first and took a big bite of the stew.

Ah, this is it. I’ve been wanting to eat something cooked like this.

As I quickly devoured the food with sparkling eyes, Carl quietly pushed a piece of bread with strawberry jam towards me.

I didn’t refuse his kind offer

I scraped up the last small piece of meat on the plate, patted my full belly contentedly, and stepped outside.

It felt like I could live now that my stomach was filled with proper food for the first time in a while.

As I walked towards the square, I suggested to Carl.

“How about telling your situation to the local guards and asking for help?”

“Not interested.”

“Just live here?”

“Hate it.”

“Moving to another village?”

“Not really.”

Carl sharply rejected every suggestion I made.

What does he want to do?

As I looked at Carl in confusion, he stopped and looked at me.

The setting sun’s twilight cast shadows on his face.

He sent a serene yet detached gaze with his messy appearance, making it impossible to ignore because it was so pitiful and heartbreaking.

He reminded me of myself during my orphanage days, or a puppy abandoned by its owner and wandering for a long time, making it even more so.

‘……I can’t, I should at least give him what little money I have.’

I rummaged through my poor backpack and took out a small ruby earring and necklace.

“Sorry, this is all I can give you.”

“……”

“But if you sell it, you can get a few thousand gold. Do what you want with that money.”

I forced the jewels into Carl’s hand, who just stared without accepting them.

Taking him with me didn’t guarantee him a comfortable life, so it was best to part ways here.

“I’m sorry I can’t help you until the end because my situation isn’t good.”

“……”

“If fate allows, let’s meet again.”

Carl didn’t respond. But he didn’t seem unwilling to accept the farewell.

Not knowing what he was thinking, I waved my hand vigorously and turned away from him.

Naturally, Carl didn’t stop me.

* * *

Alone, I looked for an inn to stay at until I went to the capital.

By now, the sky was a mix of purple and dark blue, getting darker by the minute.

I wanted to find a place before it got completely dark, but there were too many inns on the street, making it hard to choose.

‘I want to go somewhere safe…….’

As I was focusing on places with female owners, a soft male voice suddenly interrupted from the side.

“Hello, are you looking for a place to stay right now?”

“What? No……”

Unintentionally turning my head, my eyes widened.

‘What is this, a puppy?!’

There stood a man with bright blond hair, delicate features, and skin as white as a rice cake.