***

It was before Friedrich died.

Valetta had just turned eighteen and was overjoyed to be of age at last. Not only because it meant that Friedrich would no longer have to fight with her uncle, the Count of Dampierre, for guardianship – but also because her brother, now a celebrated hero, had found her a new home and taken her away from the Count’s household.

The house Friedrich found was in every way inferior to the Count’s grand estate. There were no luxurious gardens, no museum-like corridors.

But the second floor, where Friedrich and Valetta’s rooms were, was bright with natural sunlight. And just beyond the windows were the branches of an apple tree.

There was a small vegetable garden in the courtyard, which Friedrich had tended, and Valetta’s room was no longer a shabby conversion of a storeroom.

Although the house was on the outskirts of the capital and they couldn’t afford servants, Valetta didn’t mind – she had done all sorts of odd jobs while living with her aunt.

Above all, there was no Count Dampierre, no aunt and no Irmina in their modest two-storey house. That alone made every day a joy for Valetta.

“If someone asks for a glass of water, don’t just open the door. And if they offer you an apple, don’t eat it – ever.”

Even as he laced up his leather shoes, Friedrich was rattling off warnings. He told the tale of the princess who died from eating a poisoned apple, and Valetta burst into laughter at his dramatics.

“Valetta, seeing you laughing like that is exactly what worries me. It’s like leaving a child unattended by the water.”

“I’m an adult now.”

“Only in size.”

Twenty-two-year-old Friedrich wasn’t exactly an adult himself, but eighteen-year-old Valetta still seemed like a child to him.

And with good reason – Valetta was a gentle, meek young lady. Even when Irmina tormented her with petty cruelties, all she did was pout and stare. This alone made Friedrich worry constantly about his little sister.

After tying the last knot on his boots, he playfully ruffled Valetta’s hair.

“I have some errands to run today, so I may be late. Don’t wait up – just go to bed early.”

“I wanted to tell you something…”

Valetta looked up at him with blue eyes that mirrored his own.

“What is it?”

“Well…”

Valetta’s blue eyes rolled slightly. She wanted to tell him that she was planning to enrol in school to become a healer – but it didn’t feel like something to bring up casually while he was on his way to work. Being a healer was notoriously hard work for a woman, involving constant exposure to blood, running around and working in harsh conditions.

That’s why it was often taken up by young working class women struggling to make ends meet.

Friedrich would surely have disapproved. He had always wanted his sister to live like a proper noble lady, free from hardship, growing up gracefully and one day marrying someone who would truly love her. That was the future he had dreamed for her. To make it happen, he had joined numerous expeditions to slay evil dragons in the hope of making a fortune.

“It’s not urgent. I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

“All right. I’m off.”

Friedrich smiled brightly and left for work, and Valetta began her day, watching her brother’s figure grow smaller in the distance.

The house where Valetta and Friedrich lived was a long way from the village, so it was important to stock up on food. It happened to be market day, so Valetta quickly grabbed a basket and headed down to the village. In truth, going to the market wasn’t just about buying food.

Since settling in this rural village on the outskirts of the capital after leaving the Count’s estate, Valetta had eagerly looked forward to market days.

She couldn’t enjoy social gatherings like Irmina, and back at Count Dampierre’s mansion, she’d always been stuck with household chores. So mingling with people at the market gave her a sense of vitality.

Unlike Valetta, who was content with her present life, it still pained Friedrich to see his noble-born sister working with her own hands like a servant, even though her family had fallen from grace.

But he’d spent all the money he’d earned from slaying dragons on buying their home, and at the moment they couldn’t afford to hire a maid.

In truth, the fact that he’d managed to buy a solid two-storey house without going into debt at such a young age was a remarkable achievement.

“Three hundred berks’ worth of strawberries, please.”

“Oh my, such a pretty young lady. You’re back again. That’s quite a lot – will you be able to eat them all?”

“I’m going to make strawberry jam, so it’s all right even if it’s a lot.”

“Do you make that much jam?”

“My brother and I both love it.”

Valetta smiled shyly and bought a few other things along with the strawberries, including chamomile tea, which Friedrich liked.

“Valetta, that looks heavy. I can carry it to your house if you’d like – just say the word.”

A young man from the village offered with a twinkle in his eye. Valetta paid for the mushrooms and shook her head.

“It’s all right. I’m strong.”

Valetta’s arrival had caused quite a stir in the rural village – she was, without exaggeration, a true beauty.

Local men often lingered around her house just to catch a glimpse of her, and some had even made advances in front of Friedrich. Some of them were beaten up and chased away.

Then it was revealed that Friedrich was one of the three warriors who had slain the evil dragon.

After that, the men approached Valetta less boldly, but still threw subtle flirtations her way. As Friedrich had warned her countless times, Valetta never gave them the slightest opening.

After her shopping, she took a shortcut through a narrow alley to get home.

“Valetta, come hang out with us for a while.”

The men huddled in the alley whistled loudly as soon as they recognised her. Valetta’s face hardened. It wasn’t embarrassment or shame she felt – it was fear of the situation itself.

She had experienced this kind of harassment before, but she could never get used to it.

Each time was frightening in a new way, and she worried about what might happen next. These men could easily misinterpret the simplest look and build dangerous fantasies that could turn into real trouble.

Even the village boy Jack had misunderstood Valetta’s look once – she had merely admired the scarf he was wearing and thought it looked nice, but he had taken it as a sign of flirtation and tried to force himself on her.

If Friedrich hadn’t come running at the sound of her scream – if it hadn’t been his day off – something terrible might have happened. Jack was beaten to a pulp by Friedrich and Valetta cried all night in shock.

It was because of this incident that Friedrich had warned her before she went to work. After the incident with Jack, word spread that he was one of the heroes who had defeated the evil dragon and saved the Empire. Since then, no one dared lay a hand on her – but still, he couldn’t help but worry.

“……”

Valetta chose not to answer, pretending she hadn’t heard them. She didn’t want to get involved, nor did she want to give them a reaction.

She lowered her head and just stared at the ground as she walked. Then a shadow fell across her path and a face with a blade of grass in its mouth appeared in front of her.

“Huh? Come on, let’s hang out.”

“I don’t have time.”

Valetta’s face turned pale. Her heart was pounding and a wave of fear washed over her. She regretted choosing the alley as a shortcut. She choked back the tears that welled up in her eyes.

“Oh, don’t be like that. Just ten minutes. Your brother won’t even know. And you’ll have a really good time for those ten minutes – thanks to me.”

Her face turned red with humiliation. People always cowered in front of Friedrich.

With his towering height, massive muscles, immense strength and genius with the sword, there were few in the realm who could match him. Even her shameless uncle dared not cross him.

Yet somehow people had no problem treating his defenceless little sister so badly. Unlike Friedrich, Valetta was delicate and slender, with a kind and gentle demeanour.

“Please move aside.”

She gathered her courage and spoke firmly, but the men just giggled and burst into laughter. They took a step towards her.

As the distance between them shrank, Valetta began to panic and instinctively stepped back. And then – she bumped into something solid behind her.

“Ah…”

She turned reflexively to see that she had run into someone’s chest. The man was so tall and broad that even Valetta – who was used to Friedrich’s large frame – felt overwhelmed. The sheer pressure he exerted made her knees tremble.

His face, silhouetted against the light, turned towards her. Though shaded, his features were prominent – it was clear at a glance that he was incredibly handsome.

“Are you alright?”

The deep, steady voice sent a slight shiver down her spine.

“Ah…”

“Milady?”

“I-I…”

Will this man bother me like the others? If so, I’d better drop the basket and run. Just as this thought crossed her mind, the man asked.

“Do you happen to know where Mannheim Strasse 30 is?”

“Uh… yes.”

“Great. Then…”

The thugs in the alley cut the man off mid-sentence.

“Valetta. So you don’t have time for us, but you have time to chat with this guy?”

The man’s eyebrows furrowed. Valetta’s shoulders began to shake slightly. Sensing her fear, the man stepped forward and pulled her behind him.

“Enough of this harassment. It’s best if you all go about your business.”

“Shouldn’t you be the one on your way? We still have a few things to discuss with Valetta.”

“She will show me the way, so step aside.”