Bandit

Noelle rapidly began searching her body roughly for something.

"My purse? Where is it?" she muttered tensely. "I placed it here didn't I?"

Noelle had placed her purse inside the pocket of her clothes. She had made sure to keep it safely. She didn't even want to keep it in her luggage simply because she was afraid that it might get lost, whenever she attempted to perhaps look for something in the luggage.

Noelle had kept it extra safely basically because that was where the several silver coins which James had gifted her earlier today was hidden. And now blatantly it was gone all of a sudden.

"That man… that hooded man that had bumped into me earlier. He must have sneakily snatched it away from me without my knowledge. Using the collision as a means of getting close to me. He must've been a thief!" Noelle eventually realized.

"That jerk!"

Noelle clenched her fists wrathfully. Her cheeks burning red in rage. As she furrowed her eyebrows.

In annoyance she flung open the carriage's white entrance curtains. Poking her head out of it. She glared around the market area, hoping to catch sight of that useless scoundrel that stole from her. She would probably pounce on him and beat him to a pulp if she ever layed eyes on him.

She was extremely aggravated by all this. Slowly calming herself down.

'What am I even doing? Given that he had stolen from me. He would have probably run far away from here already. It's no use trying to find him. He knows my face and I didn't even get to see his face.'

'I wouldn't be able to recognize him even if he sat beside me. I should probably forget about it,' Noelle admitted painfully.

Unclenching her fists.

'Just some few hours of riding and I had already gotten robbed of all my coins. Why does the universe despises me so much? What have I done to deserve this?!'

'What would I do now? I have no coins left with me to disburse!'

"That damned thief took it all! I'll definitely strangle him without a second thought if I ever get the chance!" Noelle mumbled frustratedly.

Clicking her tongues she thought about what to do next, as she meekly bite her fingernails like that of a little child.

Thankfully for her, James had already payed the horseman in full on her behalf before he left, so Noelle would not have to worry about paying anything to the horseman until she reached her final destination.

Anyways that aside, what she was presently more worried about was how she would be able to survive without any money at hand. It devastated her. She would probably starve until she reached her destination, and she didn't want that to happen.

'Or should I just request the horseman to turn backwards, and take me back to James so that I could ask him for another batch of coins instead?' she thought.

'No! I simply can't do that,' Noelle pushed the thoughts aside. 'He would probably be thinking that I'm just trying to take advantage of his kindness and blackmail him into doing me more favors. I can't do that. He must probably have his own things to worry about. I should leave him be.'

'Perhaps I could ask the horseman for a refund? But obviously he wouldn't offer me one. Or perhaps instead I could ask him to lend me some few coins?'

'No. He would probably make up some silly excuses and refuse. Besides he doesn't even know me from anywhere, so he wouldn't be willing to do me any favors.'

"Oh heavens! I'm doomed to starvation. This human world is so full of deceit!" Noelle complained, staring down at her flat belly.

She overwhelmed her face with her smooth palms in a disappointed manner.

With how things was presently deeming for her already, she could only wonder if things might eventually get better for her in the future or otherwise. Was this just the beginning of her sufferings? Or does something good actually awaits her in the future? She could only wonder deeply about all this.

Noelle removed her palms from her profoundly pale face. She gathered her refreshing black hairs aside abruptly, behind her ears.

"I guess I would have to starve until I arrive at the capital of Sunria then. It's just a few days of starvation. How difficult could it possibly be? I mean… I've starved for much longer than this while I was still beneath the sea if I couldn't catch any fishes to eat for days. So compared to that, this should be nothing. I think…?!" Noelle muttered nervously. Not believing what she herself just said.

"What am I even saying? Back then I was a mermaid so my body could still cope with the hunger. However now I'm a human, it might not work out as I would've thought it might. I haven't experienced being human being for so long. So I'm not really sure," she tackled with herself.

"But I still have some few muffins left in the plastic container. If I could just ration them properly then the starvation wouldn't have to become intensed like I would've assumed. I think I can definitely do this," Noelle sighed in satisfaction.

…

Relaxing herself upon the seat. She contemplated, and thought about a lot of things. And thinking about everything made her exhausted herself mentally, emotionally and physically, therefore she couldn't help but lost grip upon herself and fell asleep peacefully in the carriage.

The shaking, and quivering of the carriage didn't even bother her a bit, likewise the abundant noises and sounds coming from the surroundings. She was sleeping so peacefully, that if not for the movement of her belly up and down, and her slightly loud snores, then one would've been prompt in assuming that she was dead already.

Although Noelle had vowed to herself that she wouldn't fall asleep until it was nightfall, as she was extremely wary of those so called bandits and stinky thieves. She feared that if she fell asleep then they might rob her without her knowledge, and loot her of the remaining belongings she possessed.

In spite of that vow which Noelle had made to herself. She was already fast asleep. As her seductive, and ominously fine mermaid skin was now apparent to vulnerabilities and disasters.

Thankfully the white curtains of the carriage hid her body perfectly, or else she would have been under the scrutiny of some malicious beings.

The ride continued…