One of the three men, a dark-skinned man wearing a brown vest, stared at me intently.

“Who…?”

“It’s me!”

Why doesn’t he recognize me? Thinking my face might be too covered by the robe, I quickly took off my hat.

There wasn’t much risk of being noticed since it was an alley where not many people passed by.

My long hair fell, swaying down to my waist.

For some reason, I felt the eyes of the two men beside me widen in surprise.

And Jenald was the same.

In fact, Jenald seemed the most surprised of all.

“My goodness. Could it be, Latieana?”

“Yes.”

When I nodded, Jenald strode forward with a bright smile.

“Damn. Is it really you, Latieana?”

Why is he acting like this? Is he awkward because it’s been so long?

“It’s me, Jenald. It’s been a long time… Ugh!”

“Latieana!”

Jenald suddenly hugged me tightly.

The smell of alcohol wafted strongly. Still, I tried not to show any sign of discomfort.

Because the two men behind, who seemed to be Jenald’s acquaintances, were staring at me intently.

“It’s been so long! Latieana! I missed you!”

“Y-yeah. Me too.”

I patted Jenald’s back as he hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe, and gave a slight smile to the two men over his shoulder.

Jenald subtly caressed my back and waist, then nuzzled his face against my neck before letting go.

There had never been this much skinship in my memories with Jenald before.

So I was flustered enough to break a sweat.

But I couldn’t push away Jenald, my fiancé, so I endured it until his hand started to move up from my waist towards my chest. Then I pushed his chest hard and stepped back.

“Jenald!”

“Hahaha. Sorry, I was just so happy to see you after so long. So happy.”

Jenald’s face, apologizing with a bright smile, was flushed red.

“Have you been drinking?”

“Yeah.”

“How much? Did you drink a lot?”

“Ah, just a little. A little.”

“What about work?”

“Ah…”

Jenald’s lips quivered for a moment, seemingly flustered by my question.

“Well, today’s my day off. If I had known you’d really come all the way here, I would have pretended to be working.”

Pretended to be working? What does that mean?

I was truly perplexed.

“Sorry, sorry, Latieana. But I’m not that drunk.”

Looking dejected, Jenald slapped his cheeks with his palms as if trying to prove he wasn’t intoxicated.

I observed Jenald carefully.

There’s a smell, but his pronunciation is fine, he’s standing steadily, and he seems to have drunk just enough to be in a good mood. But…

I looked up. A bright blue sky with blazing sunshine. The giant clock tower visible at the end of the alley pointed to 2 PM. Drinking at this hour? Did Jenald used to drink before?

As I was trying to recall memories from a few months ago when we were together, the two men who had been standing at a distance approached.

“Hey, Jenald. Who’s this?”

“You should introduce us too.”

“Ah! Right. Of course.”

Jenald quickly put his arm around my shoulder.

“Say hello. This is Latieana Merigold, my friend.”

I was taken aback. Because Jenald introduced me as a friend, not his fiancée.

“Oh. So this beautiful lady is your friend.”

“You had such a pretty friend? This guy’s not bad.”

The two men who were introduced to me were busy evaluating me without even thinking of greeting me.

“Bring her inside!”

“Yeah. Ask her to join us.”

“Alright. Go in first.”

The two men who had been looking me up and down went into the pub, giggling.

“Want to go in? Latieana? It’s not as dangerous as it looks. It’s just a pub where they play poker inside, and it’ll be fun if you bet a little money.”

I was dumbfounded. But since the past me was an innocent and kind girl to Jenald, I called out to him in a gentle voice.

“Hey, Jenald. Let’s talk for a bit.”

Fortunately, Jenald smiled kindly like before.

“You want to? Let’s do that then.”

“Is it okay if we don’t go in?”

“Of course. You’re here. It’s fine. Let’s do whatever you want since we met after so long.”

I nodded. Jenald took my hand so gently that all those unsettling and unpleasant feelings from earlier completely disappeared, and we began to leave the pub alley.

As we came out of the dark shadows of the alley into the bright area, I could properly see Jenald’s face.

Jenald, who looked as gentle as a golden retriever, had hardly changed from before.

Seeing him the same as before brought a sense of relief. The alcohol smell was also dissipating in the wind, and the unpleasant feeling was fading away.

Still, I had to ask.

“Why did you introduce me as your friend?”

“Huh?”

Jenald, who had been walking with a goofy grin, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

“Ah, that… Just a moment, Latieana!”

Jenald, who had been scratching his forehead, let go of my hand and suddenly ran off.

His hurried footsteps led him to a flower shop. Jenald, who bought a bouquet of yellow hyacinths mixed with white daisies, held it out to me.

“Here, take this, Latieana.”

“Ah. Th-thank you?”

It was a sudden gift of flowers.

I accepted it since he gave it to me, but I hadn’t heard the answer to my earlier question, so I was about to ask again when Jenald took my hand once more.

“Back when we were together in the countryside, I couldn’t buy you a proper flower. It’s been weighing on my mind.”

“No, you picked wildflowers for me. I liked that too.”

“Come on. Wildflowers for a pretty girl like you? That’s not right.”

Pretty…?

“Now I feel a bit better.”

Jenald smiled brightly and stroked the back of my hand with his finger. I couldn’t smile.

The old Jenald had never complimented me as pretty. Of course, he had been kind, but this kind of skinship wasn’t familiar either.

“Are you saying I’m pretty for real?”

Jenald widened his eyes as if in disbelief.

“Of course. Latieana, do you know how much prettier you’ve become?”

“Me?”

“Yeah! Ah, no… I don’t mean you weren’t pretty before, but now you’re incredibly beautiful.”

Jenald continued his praise, exaggeratedly raising both hands and waving them as if imitating stars, seemingly trying to make up for his mistake.

“You were pretty then and you’re pretty now. But now, how should I put it? The atmosphere is different? You’re radiant? Anyway, you’re incredibly beautiful.”

It doesn’t seem to be a lie.

Jenald’s mouth was stretched in a wide smile, and I could feel something different in the way he looked at me compared to before.

If the previous Jenald had only seen me as a nice girl, now Jenald’s eyes… were looking at me completely as a woman.

But I couldn’t help but tilt my head.

Suddenly, I remembered Smith saying I was pretty.

‘Your smile is so pretty.’

And what Hillstain had said.

‘You’re prettier than I thought. You’re pretty.’

Even the two men who were Jenald’s acquaintances just now clearly said I was pretty.

What’s this? Am I really pretty? Edan said I was ugly.

No. No. As soon as Edan’s face mocking me in my mind appeared, I shook my head from side to side.

Get a grip. This much of a happy reunion with Jenald is enough.

“But weren’t you supposed to come next week? You came early?”

Jenald, who had naturally led me to sit on a park bench, curved his eyes into half-moons.

“Listen, Jenald. Actually, the reason I came to see you today is…”

That’s when it happened.

“Hey! Jenald Johan!”

A loud, sharp voice that could pierce the ears was heard.

Jenald and I turned our heads at the same time. A woman wearing a white apron was glaring at us, grinding her teeth and breathing heavily. Jenald’s hand, which had stood up from his seat as if startled, trembled, and his complexion turned pale.

“Jenald? Do you know her?”

“Cr-crazy.”

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

I got up and approached him to check his complexion, but Jenald’s face was as white as if he had committed a grave mistake that could end the world.

“Latieana. Ru-run away. Quickly!”

“What? Wait…!”

“I’ll see you at the inn! I’ll come in the evening! Okay? Go there and wait!”

Jenald, who had spoken in a whispered voice but urgently, pushed me behind the bench with all his might.

I tumbled down. In my upside-down view, I could see the clear sky without a single cloud.

My goodness. Is this situation real? I was pushed by my fiancé whom I met after a few months. A push I had never experienced in my life.

…What a bolt from the blue.

“Ouch…”

I frowned, rubbing the hurt area with my palm to ease the pain rising from my buttocks.

Then, the clock tower bell rang in the distance. Ding dong ding- three times.

My mind snapped to attention and I jumped up from my seat.

“No!”

Whip, as I turned my head, Jenald and the woman were already running far away.

“Jenald! Wait! Let me come with you!”

It’s already three o’clock! There was no time to waste. I hurriedly ran after the two.

Edan hadn’t said exactly when to return, but knowing his personality, he wouldn’t wait more than a day.

I have to leave today no matter what. This might be my last chance.

‘Come back after breaking off the engagement.’

Edan had said that with a smiling face but terrifying eyes. If I don’t leave the empire right away, Jenald might really be trampled to death by Edan.

In many ways, I really had no time.

“Huff, huff.”

But before long, I stopped, catching my breath roughly.

The two had completely disappeared from my sight before I could properly chase after them.

I put my hand on my forehead and looked around.

The complex, unfamiliar streets of the capital, so different from the rural east, gave me no idea where Jenald might have gone.

“This can’t be happening…”

That’s when it happened.

A very large and wide brown building came into my wandering view.

It was the city hall with the empire’s huge flag fluttering.