Chapter 5 - MCs have f*cked up background stories

"Come on." I gently help the boy up. "This money is very precious. You know that right?"

The boy meekly nods.

"Do you have someone you can trust to help you keep that money?"

He shakes his head immediately.

"No mom or dad?"

He bites his underlip and said nothing.

Ah… dammit. Poor thing's either alone or abused at home too.

Now, don't expect me to pick him up and carry him home. That's what a heroine would do. I'm not THAT one dimensional of a character to think everything is all good and dandy. I have my own survival to worry about and I'm not the best at childcare.

I can't be arsed to pick up people and just let them enter my house. Am I a saint? No way.

"Here have an apple" I pull one out from the paper bag. He eyes at this gesture before gently taking it with two hands. "Come with me." I pull the boy along and lead him to the merchant's guild.

The merchant's guild has some sort of banking system, so I took his gold coin to exchange for silver and copper coins with equivalent amount.

I hand it to him in a small cloth bag.

"Now. Go to a different town with this. There are a lot of carts moving in between towns during this festival so you can hitchhike. People here will know you have money so they'll come bully you to get it. Don't show anyone this bag, don't tell other people you have this money and don't move this bag around too much because it'll make sounds."

He stays silent.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?"

He looks at me with big eyes, and slowly nodded.

"Good. Now go." I indifferently wave him goodbye and leave.

A few steps away from the guild, I pat my chest slowly to calm my heart down.

That was close!!!

Why didn't I notice the boy's pink hair dyed brown with dirt and mud?

Am I blind to only notice it after pulling him all the way to merchant's guild?

Am I stupid to forget how main characters have some severely fucked up background stories to help with their character growth?

It's fine it's fine. I didn't tell him my name or address, so he can't stick to me right? I turn back and look to see the boy's eyes still on me.

Fuck.

Should I just move? Change my name and live as a goat somewhere in the mountains?

Nonononono, it's okay. He's still young and hopefully his memories are short lived.

Plus I have no discerning features that he can remember me by. Look at that woman who just passed me, she looks exactly like me. See? That girl over there too. That girl too.

Plus he's what four or five? Am I a pedophile? No way.

With heavy thoughts in my heart, I continue my shopping and return home shortly.

Then to no surprise, I see the knight commander lingering in my neighbourhood, sitting on a bench underneath a tree just casually spying on my neighbour's house.

Wait, did he just stalk his whole way back here?

Isn't that a crime?

Hey just because your face is a little nice does this action get tolerated?

You're a goddamn knight commander, go do your job! Am I paying taxes so you can wave your ass here and spy on your love interest?

Ugh, who finds these kind of characters charming?

Doesn't it creep you out that you're being watched by someone you don't know without consent? Isn't that an invasion of privacy?

My head hurts.

I ignore him and enter my house. Sorting the goods I bought today, my eyes land on the three remaining apples in the paper bag and anger rises in my chest upon this sight.

"Haahh calm down Tina, you paid for those with your own money. You can't do just throw them away because you're frustrated with your own stupidity..... Nonono these apples did no faults let's make them into a nice pie."

I start preparing to make an apple pie.

The poor apples can only lifelessly suffer under my angry chopping.