Chapter 13. Broken Apple

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“One, twoooo, three!”

Bang!

At the magician’s signal, his assistant set off a small firework.  

Smoke billowed as he pulled a pair of rabbit ears from his bag.

Cheers and applause poured from the audience. A boy collecting fees went around with his hat among the people.

Marienne and Bell also enjoyed it and put in some copper coins.

After finishing breakfast, the two had taken a carriage into the town in Rockshield.

The accompanying imperial knight silently followed them.

The streets were bustling with flowers and people for the Nucria festival, and Marienne and Bell roamed freely enjoying themselves.

After seeing puppet shows, drinking contests, Nucria flower wreaths and perfumes, they ended up at the magician’s performance.

“How amazing! Miss, how did the rabbit get in there?”

“I know. Could it be magic? It must be, right?”

Though the audience was leaving one by one, Marienne and Bell were too excited to leave their seats.

“Lovely ladies, shall I tell you that fraud’s secret?”

Marienne turned at the strange man’s voice.

A man with long blonde hair tied loosely wore a stylish wide-brimmed hat.

Though his attire of cloak, tunic, pants and tall boots suggested he might be a knight, there was no sword visible on him.

Marienne got up, signaling to Bell with her eyes.

Their steps quickened as they tried to avoid the man’s advances.

“Miss, who could he be?”

“I don’t know. Let’s hurry.”

However, their escape was futile as the blonde-haired man appeared again.

It was a quiet alley in town.

The man wearing a feathered hat askew had an earring glinting in one ear, and held an elegant cane.

Marienne grabbed Bell’s wrist in disgust and moved to avoid him.

But the man blocked their path.

When they turned the other way, he blocked them again.

Marienne’s eyes flashed sharply.

“Will you move aside?”

Under the large hat brim that covered half his face, the man looked down at Marienne.

Thoroughly, at every inch of her, somewhat stickily.

“Ladies, what have I done to make you run away so quickly? My, my. My feelings are hurt. You’re the first women to flee at the sight of my face, I’d like to know why.”

“Miss, what should we do?”

Bell whispered to Marienne while trembling.

Marienne glared at the man with force in her eyes.

“Is there a reason? We simply hate you.”

“Hate? Me? Which part of this perfect appearance could you possibly hate?”

The man glared with blue eyes and took off his hat, thrusting his face toward Marienne.

Bell, who had been frightened, gaped at the young man’s handsome features.

He was a rare beauty, different in style from the masculine Duke Bernac.

Marienne replied coldly.

“Will you move? You’re unsightly.”

“Ah…… I see. So that’s how you’re trying to provoke me. I’ll admit it’s a fresh stimulus. Usually people react like that when they see my face.”

The man’s index finger pointed at the admiring Bell.

“You’re quite stiff, Miss. Though you’re actually trembling. Isn’t your dainty hand holding that purse getting wet?”

The man lowered himself to Marienne’s ear.

“All moist.”

Marienne casually opened her palm, then rubbed it against the man’s chest.

Bell couldn’t close her gaping mouth.

“Indeed. It got wet from disgust. All clammy.”

The man pulled his lips and tilted his head crookedly.

“I knew redheads had nasty tempers, but….”

“Just as obvious as a blonde man with pierced ears being a playboy.”

“You won’t back down, will you?”

“Should I?”

“Wait.”

The man who was glaring at Marienne suddenly shifted his eyes to the corner of the street. Then he grabbed one of Marienne’s arms.

“What are you doing? Let go!”

“You seem to have brought something more troublesome than me.”

“Stop your tricks!”

Marienne, who was angrily protesting, turned her head at Bell’s scream.

“Bell?”

“Miss!”

A masked assailant wielding a dagger rushed at Marienne.

In the instant the sharpened blade cut through the sunlight, Marienne sensed death.

Frozen with fear, Marienne tightly shut her eyes.

Nigel…… Nigel Bernac.

At the moment facing death, only one person’s name came to mind.

“Wake up!”

At the thunderous shout, Marienne’s eyes flew open.

The blonde man roughly grabbed her hand and started running.

“Bell! I can’t leave Bell behind!”

The man gripping Marienne’s wrist limped as he ran toward the bustling streets.

When they reached the middle of the main street packed with people, the man stopped.

“I have to go back! Let go of my hand!”

Though slim and limping, he was still a man. Despite using all her strength to pull free, he didn’t budge.

“Shouldn’t thanks come first?”

“I left Bell behind!”

“Don’t worry about that woman. Her screaming was so loud half the townspeople came running.”

“Is she safe?”

When the man nodded, Marienne breathed in relief.

“What about the assailant?”

The man showed her his broken cane with an exasperated expression.

“You didn’t see my heroics? I saved a lady from danger but the very person didn’t even see it! Unbelievable!”

Only then did Marienne take in the man’s appearance.

His stylish hat was nowhere to be seen, his fine hair was disheveled, and only the handle remained of his cane.

“I’ll compensate you.”

The man snorted, placing a hand on his side.

“You’re getting worse and worse.”

“Look here!”

“Do I look like someone who’d demand payment for a cane after saving a woman’s life? And it’s not ‘look here.’ My name is……”

The man awkwardly closed his opened mouth and furrowed his brow.

“My name is…… Josh Miller. And you?”

When Marienne hesitated, the man clicked his tongue.

“I saved your life and you won’t even tell me your name?”

“Marienne Rose.”

“Rose? Never heard of that family. By the way, do you have a grudge against the Cruneau Imperial Family? Perhaps a relative who failed at plotting treason. There seem to be quite a few such bold figures these days.”

“No.”

The man muttered while scratching his forehead with the broken cane.

“Then why would an imperial knight step in?”

“What did you say?”

“Just talking to myself. Don’t mind it.”

Marienne sighed and dropped her arms.

“Please. My wrist hurts, so let go. I don’t want to scream and embarrass my benefactor.”

“If I let go, you’ll go back there, won’t you?”

“Of course. Bell must be worried.”

“Alright, we’ll go later. That woman will be fine. The assailant was only targeting one person anyway. If you go now, I can’t guarantee your life.”

After listening quietly, Marienne reluctantly nodded in agreement.

“Fine. I’ll do that.”

“Good girl.”

Marienne glared at the man as he released her wrist.

“That’s unpleasant.”

“What? Ah, calling you a good girl? How prickly. Aren’t ‘good,’ ‘pretty,’ ‘gentle’ compliments for a lady?”

“To me, ‘good’ means foolish. I’ve never been gentle since birth. And as for ‘pretty’……”

Nigel’s whisper flashed through Marienne’s mind.

“I don’t want to hear it from anyone else.”

“Oh ho, so there’s a lover. No wonder you’re so stern. But you know what?”

The man leaned in close to Marienne’s face and drawled.

“I have a hobby of stealing them away.”

“Trash.”

The man stroked his glossy long blonde hair and smiled.

“You’ve got good judgment.”

Marienne clicked her heels and quickly walked past him.

Though she bumped shoulders with the incoming crowd, she pushed through regardless.

Come to think of it, the guard knight sent by the Imperial Princess was nowhere to be seen.

Well, she hadn’t expected him to save her from trouble anyway.

Marienne looked back, searching for the blonde man who had helped her.

She spotted him among the passing people.

He was leaning against a wall, massaging one leg.

But Marienne ignored him and crossed the street where carriages passed, searching for Bell.

* * *

“Don’t get along with redheads. Bad luck.”

Josh Miller massaged his stiffened leg. Running on his weak leg seemed to have been too much.

“Shall I help you?”

“Kind miss, I’m fine.”

Already the fifth one. Josh continued kneading his muscles while declining the women’s help.

Anything else would be fine, but he refused pitying looks for his injured leg.

Occasionally men approached, drawn by his flowing blonde hair, but they retreated in shock upon hearing his deep voice.

What could he do? Being exceptionally handsome was a sin if anything.

“Why did someone who’s not even in good health meddle and interfere?”

This woman really……”

“Weren’t you going to look for Bell or Ring or whoever?”

Josh grumbled while massaging his knee.

“I did.”

“You managed to come back alive.”

“That’s how it turned out.”

“Yes. Well then, go on.”

Marienne hesitated before carefully asking.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“It’s because of me though.”

Josh Miller straightened up and smiled as if painted by a brush.

He could freely make such false smiles regardless of his mood, having practiced them so often and so much.

“It was nice meeting you. I hope you break up with your lover soon. Well then, goodbye.”

Josh Miller stumbled badly as he habitually tried to lean on his cane. Ugh, a groan escaped involuntarily.

Josh Miller threw the broken cane to the ground.

Marienne, who had been watching, approached and offered him her bent arm, like a gentleman escorting a lady.

“What’s this?”

“Take it. I’ll help you to your destination.”

Josh Miller, standing crookedly with his weight on one leg, laughed softly.

“Are you sure you want to entrust yourself to trash?”

“I’m not entrusting my body.”

He grabbed Marienne’s thin arm, which could fit in one hand with room to spare.

“But you are.”

“Where should we go?”

“Hmm……”

Drawing out the sound, he pushed out his sharp lips.

“Where would you like? The forest, a carriage, behind a tavern, an inn room. For reference, I prefer other people’s bedrooms in broad daylight.”

“Would you tell me where you’re staying?”

“Playing it safe, I see. Clean bedding required, only br*ast fondling allowed, no messy kisses, probably never tasted a man’s loins. Tsk, maybe we’re not compatible. I prefer things a bit dirtier.”

Marienne walked slowly, considering the man’s injured leg.

“The weather’s cloudy. Such a shame during the festival.”

The man leaned toward Marienne with a smirk.

“How about it, want to play with me?”

“It seems the assailant was targeting me after all. Bell wasn’t there, but when I asked people, they said nothing happened. Why did you mention treason and family earlier? Do you know that assailant? Is he connected to the imperial family?”

“How boring.”

“Tell me. I’m asking because I have someone in mind.”

“Miss, unless you’re planning to sleep with me, just go.”

Marienne stared at him in bewilderment before wrinkling her face.

“You’re truly the most disgusting man I’ve ever met.”

“I said go.”

“I hate to. Even if you’re like a sh*t-covered stick, I don’t want to turn my back on someone who helped me.”

“What, what are you hitting?”

Grrrrowl.

As Josh Miller ground his teeth, a thunderous stomach growl echoed.

Startled, Marienne’s face turned red.

Though it was well past noon, she had only eaten half an apple for breakfast.

Biting her lower lip, Marienne glanced up.

Sure enough, a sly smile was spreading across the man’s face.

How could he!