CH 463

Citrina Killing Time

“My, both of you went out too?”

Mia asked Bel a question, and Bel smiled and nodded.

“Yes, and we found out about a really cool place. It’s called an open market.”

Citrina heard Bel talk about their trip. As she did this, she thought about how to use what she had learned.

A market that all businesses in the area can use for free… Prince Echard went missing in a place where there was probably a lot of shady coming and going. It was only for a brief moment, but he did vanish. That brings up a lot of questions…

If he had just gotten lost, that would have been fine, but what if he had met the Chaos Serpents? Citrina thought the risk was too big to ignore, so she asked Mia what to do. She waited until Bel was done telling her story and started walking around the room before whispering something to Mia.

“Your Highness, I was wondering about the open market, and how—”

“…Prince Echard is the real problem, isn’t he?”

The answer that Mia mumbled took the breath out of Citrina’s lungs. She just stared at her in shock. She felt like someone had just read her mind.

She…knows already?

It was true that they had been in the city for a few days. That was enough time for her to find out on her own what she needed to know. Even so…

Connery sure isn’t keeping his mouth shut for someone who made me swear not to tell anyone else.

Citrina remembered the man who had been with them the whole time. He looked like the kind of person whose hard work only got him more work. She was worried about the man.

Citrina had kept all of her relationships on the emotional edge for most of her life. She could get orders to kill a friend at any time, so she tried to block out any feelings she had for the people around her. Mia, on the other hand, wouldn’t ask her to kill anyone. She had said it very clearly. When this restriction was taken away, Citrina automatically started to make friends and show kindness and care to those who had done the same for her. Especially Connery had helped her get a lot of time to play with Bel. To be honest, it was harder to ask her to not like him.

In any event…

“What should I do next?”

Citrina asked Mia for directions without giving it much thought. She had always lived this way: she would ask for direction and then do what she was commanded. She had done this for both Barbara and her father. Now, it was Mia telling her what to do. So, that’s it. No other changes had happened. Most importantly, she was still an ex-Chaos Serpent, no matter how much she had changed. Even worse, she had tried to kill Mia. How could she have any control over what she did? She should and could only do what Mia told her to.

At least, that’s what she thought.

“Let’s say that… I’ll leave it up to you.”

Mia ceded the decision making, which was the opposite of what she thought would happen. Mia was relying on her good sense. Giving her information about the Serpent. She had to decide.

“Okay, I get it. It will be done, or I’ll die trying…”

Citrina felt her feelings rising as she looked into Mia’s trusting eyes. She felt the weight of duty on her shoulders and did her best to carry it.

—

Citrina sneaked out of the Lampron house by using the information she got from Connery to avoid the guards.

Connery definitely needs to keep his mouth shut. Before I leave, I probably should lecture him on how to keep his mouth shut.

She walked down a path with the confidence of someone who lived there. During the day, when she went around town with Bel, she got to know how the city was set up. After getting some distance from the house, she lit a handheld lantern. The night was pushed back by a yellow glow.

“Okay… Let’s get started.”

She slipped from dark alley to dark alley on her way to the open market. Even though the streets of the royal city were busy during the day, they were empty at night. A few guards evaded, but she had already left District One, which was close to the royal house. As she moved forward, the tall castle faded into the distance, and the smell of the air started to change. It had a light scent of perfume. At times, she smelled something stronger and more intoxicating: hard liquor, the kind that is used to get people to drink even when they don’t want to. Danger was in the air that night. It wasn’t a place for a girl of her class.

Unlike the man who appeared from the shadows. He looked like he should have been there.

“Hey, what do we have here? How did a young noble end up in this part of town?”

He walked into the light from her lantern, showing a badly scarred face and a thug’s grin. She stole a quick look behind her. Behind her, there was a second man.

“Heh, heh, heh, you shouldn’t be out there by yourself. See, it’s dangerous here? How about letting me and my friend protect you from the bad guys in town?”

He looked at her like a wolf. Based on how he knew at first glance that she was a noble…

Connery was right. It was a thief or maybe a human trafficker. This area is not a good place to live.

Citrina made these observations without sounding worried. She wasn’t very good at fighting, and she wasn’t any better at acrobatics than the normal noble girl her age. No matter how good she was at killing people, it wouldn’t help her in this position. Things that happened around her showed that she should be scared. But if she should have been, why wasn’t she?

That’s not even the right question, though. The first question to ask is why she was holding a lantern in the first place. Citrina knew that weak people shouldn’t carry lights when going around in the dark. It would show where the carrier was, which could attract predators. Whatever bonus is there for having a light, is totally useless in a brawl. If there was enough moonlight to see, there was no need for candles. So why was she holding it?

Well, she was actually trying to get a predator to come to her. And not just any predator. One who probably knew this open market like the back of his hand and could get guys like these two to fall asleep in a ditch for the rest of the night.

That’s right. Mia herself had said so. Their good friend had been looking a little bored lately, so she didn’t mind if Citrina did her thing with that friend. Also, this friend didn’t come with Mia to eat with the Sunkland king, which was very handy. If this were a game, the answers would be too easy to figure out.

She had planned to do that. To keep her from getting hurt. Mia gave Citrina the best sword she had.

So, Citrina did nothing. She just waited, hoping that the man would not be so bored that he would let the Yellowmoon girl sneak away in a very suspicious way while he did nothing.

I know his kind. If you ask them for help, they will say no. Tell them to leave you alone, and they will follow you around all day.

Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original.

She didn’t have any proof that she was right. She came here on conviction alone. Conviction and a little bit of consideration – that’s why she brought a lantern.

“It’s rude to keep a lady waiting, you know,” she said into the dark and empty gloom. “Or is this pair not even worth your time?”

“What the hell are you saying, girl?”

“I really hope it’s not because you’re a sick person who likes to see girls like Rina scared and crying.”

“Who the hell are you talking—Ugh!” The man cried out in pain and fell to the ground.

“Well, well, well, well… It looks like I gave you exactly what you wanted. That really gets under my skin. Also, just so you know, I saw you cry a lot at the Yellowmoon house, but I didn’t really care. I’d rather make the princess cry than any other person. It sounds way more fun to watch her lose her head.”

Where the bad guy used to stand, the man Citrina had been waiting for came out of the darkness. Dion Alaia, one of the best soldiers in the Empire, had come.

“Is that so? I’m sorry I wasn’t able to satisfy your tastes. Could I make it up to you with some conversation? I’m sure it will keep you from getting bored. I’ve been meaning to talk to you for a long time.” Citrina smiled at him with one of her best smiles and tilted her head like a cute cherry. “Well, I’ve seen that you and Bel seem to know each other pretty well, and I was wondering… What’s the big idea, hmm?”