Chapter 6
The event had finally come to an end.
I leaned back against the carriage seat, letting out a long sigh as the temple slowly disappeared behind us.
It had been a surprisingly exhausting day.
I rested my head against the window and watched the capital pass by.
The streets were still crowded despite the late afternoon hour. Merchants called out to passing customers, children ran between the stalls, and people moved from one shop to another.
Then something caught my attention.
A market.
I turned toward the window, watching the rows of colorful stalls as our carriage passed by.
Fresh fruits, pastries, jewelry, fabrics...
It looked lively.
And suddenly, I didn't feel like going straight home anymore.
"Stop the carriage."
The coachman seemed surprised.
"My lady?"
"I want to look around the market for a while."
The carriage slowly came to a stop.
Before I could step down, the coachman spoke hesitantly.
"My lady... it may be dangerous to walk around alone."
I glanced toward him.
"I'll be fine. Just wait here until I return."
The coachman hesitated before giving a small nod.
"Yes, my lady."
I stepped out of the carriage and looked around.
The market was even livelier up close.
People crowded around the stalls, merchants called out their prices, and the smell of freshly baked pastries filled the air.
I smiled.
It felt nice to be somewhere that didn't involve nobles or temple formalities.
I wandered between the stalls, looking at whatever caught my attention.
There were colorful fabrics, handmade ornaments, strange little trinkets, and all kinds of food.
I stopped at a jewelry stall and picked up a small silver hairpin.
It was simple, with a tiny flower carved into the metal.
"Pretty."
I turned it between my fingers before placing it back.
Maybe I'd come back for it later.
I continued walking, my attention still wandering from one stall to another.
I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going when-
Thud.
I bumped into someone.
"Ah-sorry."
I instinctively stepped back.
The man in front of me was tall.
Very tall.
He wore a dark cloak with the hood pulled over his head, but it hadn't completely hidden his face.
Black hair fell loosely across his forehead, framing sharp, striking features.
Then his eyes met mine.
Red.
My breath caught.
I froze.
There was something terrifying about those eyes.
They weren't angry.
They weren't even particularly expressive.
Yet the moment he looked at me, a strange chill ran down my spine.
I suddenly felt nervous.
Something about this man made every instinct in me scream to keep my distance.
He didn't need to threaten me.
He didn't need to say anything.
Just standing there was enough to make the air around him feel heavy.
I swallowed.
Who is this man?
For a moment, neither of us moved.
His red eyes remained fixed on me, and I found myself unable to look away.
There was something strangely familiar about him.
His face...
His black hair...
Those unmistakable red eyes...
And yet I couldn't figure out why he looked so familiar.
I quickly lowered my gaze.
I stepped around him, putting a little distance between us.
As I walked away, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had just encountered someone I absolutely shouldn't mess with.
I glanced back once.
He was already walking in the opposite direction.
Why does he feel so familiar?
I shook my head.
Maybe I was just imagining it.
I continued deeper into the market.
At first, I didn't notice that the crowd was gradually thinning.
The lively stalls became fewer, replaced by narrower streets and older buildings.
I stopped.
Did I really walk this far? I turned around.
Maybe I should head back.
Then I heard footsteps behind me. I glanced over my shoulder.
Two men were standing several steps away. They didn't look like ordinary shoppers.
One of them smiled.
"Miss, you're alone?"
My stomach sank.
Oh.
Maybe the coachman had a point. I took a small step backward.
"That's none of your concern."
The man's smile disappeared.
"Hand over your valuables."
I looked around. There weren't many people nearby anymore.
I quietly cursed myself.
Why did I wander this far?
One of the men moved toward me.
I stepped back again.
The man suddenly lunged forward, reaching for my arm.
His fingers were only inches away from touching me when-
Slash!
A flash of steel swept through the air.
His hand was severed before it could reach me.
For a moment, everything went silent.
The man stared at his missing hand in disbelief.
Then-
"AAAAAGHHHH!"
His scream tore through the market.
He stumbled backward, clutching his bleeding arm as his face twisted in agony.
I froze.
I had seen people get hurt before. I had spent years rushing toward injured people, doing everything I could to keep them alive.
But this was different.
He had severed the man's hand without hesitation.
I stared at the knight standing between us, his sword still in his hand.
He was wearing a dark cloak that covered most of his body. Two other men stood a few steps behind him, both dressed in similar cloaks.
His expression hadn't changed.
There was no panic, only cold composure.
The other thief stood frozen beside his companion.
Then, as one of the knights shifted, the fastening of his cloak came undone. The cloak slipped slightly from his shoulder, and the thief's eyes immediately fell on the crest embroidered on the uniform underneath.
The moment he saw it, his expression changed.
"G-Grimaldi..."
His voice trembled.
He took a step backward.
"Those are the Duke of Grimaldi's knights..."
His face went completely pale.
I froze.
How did they know I was here?
I looked at them again.
Did the Duke send them?
Before I could think any further, one of the knights raised his sword again.
My eyes widened.
"Wait!"
I rushed forward and grabbed the knight's arm before he could strike again.
"Don't kill him!" I shouted in a firm voice.
The knight looked at me in surprise.
His sword remained raised for a moment before he slowly lowered it.
I quickly turned my attention to the thief.
His severed arm was bleeding heavily, blood pooling beneath him.
Without wasting another second, I grabbed the skirt of my dress and tore off a long strip of fabric.
I dropped to my knees and pressed the fabric firmly against the wound, applying as much pressure as I could.
"Hold still," I said.
The thief groaned in pain.
I tore another strip of fabric from my dress and carefully wrapped it around the wound, securing it tightly to keep the bleeding under control.
Once I was satisfied with the bandage, I looked up.
The knights were staring at me.
All of them looked completely stunned, as if they had forgotten how to speak.
I frowned.
"Why are you just standing there?! Call an ambula-" I stopped.
An awkward silence followed.
...Right.
There were no ambulances here.
I slowly closed my eyes.
Of course.
This wasn't my world.
"Forget it," I muttered, looking down at my blood-covered hands.
I looked back at the injured thief.
Even though they had tried to rob me, that wasn't enough reason to kill them.
As a firefighter, saving people had always been my job.
I had spent years running toward danger when everyone else was running away.
Just because I was in another world now didn't mean I could forget that.
If someone was hurt and I could save them....
I would save them.
I looked toward the other thief.
He was still trembling, his eyes darting nervously between me and the knights. He looked completely confused by my behavior, as if he couldn't understand why the Duke's daughter was helping them.
"Take him and leave," I told him.
His eyes widened.
I nodded toward his injured companion.
He hesitated, clearly afraid that moving would provoke the knights.
I glanced at the knights.
This was the only thing I could do for them.
I couldn't undo what had already happened.
I couldn't give the man his arm back.
But I could at least stop things from getting any worse.
The thief carefully helped his injured companion to his feet.
"But, my lady-" the knight protested, clearly unwilling to let the thieves go so easily.
I immediately cut him off.
"Look at me. I'm a mess right now. What do you think people will say if they see the Duke's daughter looking like this?"
The knight's expression stiffened as his eyes briefly traveled over my torn dress and bloodstained hands.
He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"...And besides, I don't want any more trouble on the way home. So all of you are coming with me."
The knights exchanged another glance before reluctantly nodding.
"Yes, my lady."
Good. That should keep them from running after the thieves.
One of them turned toward the road.
"My lady, I'll call the coachman. Please wait here."
He headed toward the road, then another knight approached me and removed his cloak.
"My lady, please put this on."
He handed it to me.
I glanced down at my torn dress and bloodstained hands before accepting it.
"Thank you."
I wrapped the cloak around myself, covering the worst of the damage, and waited.
A few moments later, the carriage arrived.
I walked toward it, and the coachman's eyes widened the moment he saw my torn dress and bloodstained hands.
But he didn't dare to ask.
I climbed inside and let out a tired sigh.
After everything that had happened, I just wanted to go home.
As we neared the duchy, I took off the cloak and set it beside me. We were almost home anyway, and I was starting to sweat.
When we finally reached the estate, I stepped down from the carriage.
Then I froze.
Father was standing at the entrance.
His gaze immediately fell on my torn dress and bloodstained hands.
His expression darkened.
"It's not my blood," I quickly said.
Slowly, his eyes shifted toward the knights behind me.
The temperature around us seemed to drop.
The knights immediately straightened.
"What in the hell happened?"
The knights exchanged nervous glances.
I blinked.
Uh-oh.