〈 Episode 4 〉 Yandere Youngae 4

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"Dahlgrak! Dahlgrak!

I hear the noise of wheels rolling over rough gravel in my ears.

"Looks like we're on our way, huh?"

I look out the window and see a familiar backdrop.

"Uh..."

"Tir. Shouldn't you stop by the house first and get what you need?"

Yesterday, I had been dragged by Noelle in a frenzy and made a servant of Count Deckard. Therefore, I felt a sense of eeriness at her words, along with kindness.

"Yes..."

The Earl's intelligence? How could she know anything but the two letters of my name, Tyr? And given the nature of the people in the slums, they never divulge intimate information to outsiders. That's why I've been able to get away with pickpocketing for so long.

'They even know where my house is. That means...'

It may also reveal roughly how many people I've picked in my career as a pickpocket. This is an earl's estate, which is why I am...

'Criminal.

A prisoner with a rap sheet that, from Noel's point of view, would not be out of place on the gallows or in prison at any moment. That's why I felt like the carriage wasn't traveling home now, but a ferry across the river of death.

"Well, I guess we're here."

We had indeed arrived, and since my home existed in this neighborhood, I knew I couldn't hide if I wanted to, so I slowly opened the carriage door, hiding my trembling hands.

"Show me around."

She wore a white silk dress. It was the kind of outfit that would never belong in this slum.

"The floor is...dirty."

I worried that her high heels would get dirty. The streets in the slums were never tiled or organized, just loose piles of dirt that could always be washed away.

"I see."

An unconcerned laugh. I took her hand and helped her out of the carriage, but then.

"I need you to...let go of my hand."

I tried to pull my hand away, but she wouldn't let go. I didn't know if it would be rude to force it, so I spoke to her slowly.

"You're an escort, shouldn't you be leading us?"

"Uh...yes."

Having never been taught proper etiquette, I realized that I was supposed to hold a lady's hand when escorting her to her first appointment. I blushed as her small hand came into contact with the white gloves I'd been given when she became my servant.

"They're a little dirty."

The road felt squalid, stained with stains from whatever had been thrown away. Stray cats or homeless people and beggars who never knew when or where to come out. Drunks might show up, reeking of alcohol, or slumlord self-proclaimed vigilantes might approach, looking for money.

"You don't have an escort?"

"Huh?"

A puzzled look.

"No...these places are pretty dangerous for you, Noelle. You never know what might show up at any moment, and..."

I stopped, about to say, "Couldn't there be pickpockets like me?

"Tir, you'll protect me, won't you?"

There were almost three ways to survive in this slum. You either have a large group, you look dangerous, or you have nothing. I wanted to protest that I wasn't trustworthy, but the lady holding my hand made it harder to do so.

"Let's go."

Inviting a woman into my home for the first time. I put aside my misgivings and realized that a countess in a white silk dress in such a dangerous neighborhood was likely to be a high-risk target.

"Of course...she's stronger than me.

It was obvious that it was Noel who had lifted me up in one fell swoop. However, he's more than capable of defeating any ordinary pickpocket, even those who can't get into the Thieves Guild like me.

"You're overconfident.

"What are you looking at so hard?"

"Oh, nothing."

Even if you're trained in self-defense at the White Castle and are able to subdue me, you're going to be in trouble if you run into a gang of thugs in this slum. I turned, checking the dagger I'd hidden in my waistband.

"Here...

He turned down an unlikely side street on what could be called the slum's main thoroughfare. Turning around, he walked through the shanty town's streets and into the center.

"It can get pretty...dirty, Noel."

"Are you embarrassed?"

I hear her whisper beside me, and I can barely hide my embarrassed cheeks.

"Yes..."

A house that would not be well organized. I hesitate, but she calmly grabs my hand and pulls me closer.

"My home?

I wonder if the countess really has this much intelligence. She hesitantly opens the door to the house and enters. Pushing aside what looked like a pile of shredded boards that could hardly be called a door, they stepped inside.

"I'm embarrassed..."

The room was simple: a straw cot piled high and covered with a fur blanket, an old broken-down chest of drawers that served as a table, a basket with some food and water bottles, and a few raggedy bags for luggage.

"You invited me to your home for the first time?"

"What?"

First time? That means she's seen me before now... I've been thinking about it since yesterday, but I've never seen her, not since our first meeting, when I wondered if she remembered me. Isn't it possible that she and I were close in the first place?

'She wouldn't even be close enough to invite me to her home...'

Noel stared into my eyes, lost in thought.

"Rejoice."

"Now, wait a minute, young lady!"

Slowly, she wraps her arms around my neck.

"Noelle."

Her cheeks puff out slightly.

"No, Noel..."

"Yeah, why?"

"You're too close!"

I tried to back away, but her arms were already around my neck, and if I went backwards, I'd likely fall on my ass. I slowly pried her arms away and grabbed her elbows.

"Tir."

"Yes, what?"

My face was all red, and I could barely answer her question.

"You're supposed to grab her around the waist, not her arms."

"Noel! Oh, no, that's..."

The feel of her lips on my reddened cheeks.

"..."

"More?"

Her breathing is unbearable, her heartbeat quickening.

"Wait!"

Somehow, I manage to tease myself quickly and head for the pile of luggage.

"Chae, I have to pack, isn't this the day I came to get my stuff?"

I quickly open the bags, checking the contents. I don't have much to pack, but I'm afraid I'll lose my mind if I wait any longer, so I quickly grab my bag and shove everything in.

"Yeah."

I hear a voice say, "Small is good," but I try to ignore it. She seems to have a high tolerance for teasing people.

"Go, I think you should go."

In my bag, I have two silver coins, eleven fairy tales, and a few very small daggers that I have to keep under control because of my job. Just a few items for emergencies.

"Right."

Smiling, she held out her hand again. I took it again, knowing I already knew the way back... but I was powerless to resist her.

"Is there anywhere to eat nearby?"

"There aren't any good lunch or dessert places here. I suggest we take the carriage, then head into town."

"What's your favorite bakery?"

"...."

Where was this searching me? The bakery... the one that Sofia's mom owns. We had been friends since childhood, but she had traveled to become an adventurer. I had often visited the bakery that her mother ran alone, and when Noel asked me about it, I tried to reason with him.

"Do you think her mom would have told her where I lived?

She doesn't know exactly where I live, but as a regular customer, she might have a general idea of which way I go, making her a prime suspect for a clue to my home.

"No, she's not the one...

I shook my head, then glanced at Noelle. His inscrutable smile seemed to read my eyes, and his pupils fluttered several times before he spoke.

"It's not a particularly nice shop..."

It's just a bakery in a shabby neighborhood with no signage.

"...That bitch left, so it doesn't matter."

"What?"

A smirk, as if to say move on.

"This way..."

I take her hand and we're walking down the shabby slum street again. It's a completely different street from the carriage and far from downtown, and I'm nervous.

"If something were to happen, would I be able to protect Noelle...

As the uneasy feeling flashed through her mind, Noelle paused in her steps.

"Noel?"

"Huh?"

I stared at her for a moment, puzzled by her unknown behavior, and then...

"Ugh! Look who it is!!!"

With a single exclamation, I knew something was wrong.

"Noel!"

I grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the slum as fast as I could. But along with the sound of fast footsteps, I hear a loud crashing sound nearby.

"Damn it!"

It's a characteristic of the slumlords on this side to surround you, whether in front or behind.

"Tir, right? You've grown up, haven't you?"

"Fuck.

The last thing I want to do is get caught. The self-proclaimed vigilante bastards who run this slum, collecting protection money by force, thuggery, and all sorts of other shitty things near the White House, are known collectively as the Bastards. In a word, bastards.

"Bastards...

Place your hands near your waist. A dagger is drawn, but it's a small one, mostly for pickpocketing. It doesn't make a good weapon to threaten people with.

"If I were alone...

I would have scaled the walls on either side and escaped somehow. But Noel is trapped.

"Noel, on my side..."

In front of her and behind her, the guys are swarming and squeezing. I can't help but feel uncomfortable and anxious, unable to pull her back, unable to keep her by my side.

"You've been doing well so far, haven't you, little one?"

"...Yeah."

"Then what's with your appearance? What kind of servant are you?"

Tyr dressed as a servant. I didn't think his face was very recognizable, but seeing how quickly they recognized him even when he changed his outfit, I wonder if he had a distinctive face.

Perhaps being a rogue wasn't the best fit.

"Well, I suppose we should thank the vigilantes for doing the hard work we haven't seen in a while, huh?"

Tyr reached into his satchel and put his hand in. And.

"Bang!

Coins rained down on the floor. I yelped nervously as the two silver and eleven bronze coins I'd brought from home earlier hit the floor, making a friction sound.

"That's it. Take it and get out of here."

"Oooh, Tir, you were rich, weren't you?!"

"Two silver coins, man, I've been running around all this fucking time, I thought I had something!"

Zusom Zusom Zusom Zusom Zusom Zusom.

"But what else do you have?"

"..."

One of the assholes pointed with a wooden club. The one he was pointing at was Noelle.

"Her."

"She's not for you assholes to touch."

"That's faster talk, then. Because that means she's worth the money."

Two silver coins are hard to come by. Usually, they'd be happy to give you three fairy tales, let alone one silver coin. Like a beast that hasn't seen a beautiful woman in a long time, they've been targeting Noel all along.

"You think you're going to make it out alive?"

"I have brothers who specialize in kidnappings. If we bring them to them, we can get paid for our services, which means we can hand them over to them and there won't be any problems. Of course..."

The first one to step forward sneered.

"As long as you keep your mouth shut."

In the slums, that phrase means "fuck off. Hand Noel over to the kidnappers, and kill me if I can give them Bastard's approximate whereabouts. It's not like they haven't done this before.

"Fuck...

I slip the dagger in my hand into my cuff. I'd have enough to fight them off on the way back if they charged.

"What are you doing? Let's get to work."

"Dude, don't touch him until you get caught."

"Right. Let's get a good taste before we hand it over."

The gigglers. Hyenas in the slums, assholes in the city. Cursing under my breath, I cautiously extended my arm toward them as they slowly approached.

"You motherfucker!"

One of them lunges at me with a big stick. I quickly spun around, grabbed his big elbow, and aimed the knife in my cuff at his throat, intending to take him hostage.

"Poof!

But then, there was a little more force in my arm. As if someone had pushed.

"Ugh..."

One of Bastard's bastards, clearly stabbed in the carotid artery, collapses, eyes rolling back in his head.

"...."

Everyone goes rigid. The dagger pulled out in a long trail of blood. I could only stand there, frozen in place. Today was...the day of my first kill.

"Hmph."

And there she was, humming contentment somewhere I couldn't see.

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