Lily walked down the street. Her mind was straight, yet her body betrayed her.

She shook uncontrollably, her feet trembling with each step, her vision blurred, and her stomach rumbled loudly.

She bit her lip, trying to ignore it, and steadied herself by pressing her hands against an empty barrel beside the laundry shop.

I’m so hungry…” she whispered, punching her stomach lightly in frustration.

Suddenly, a warm hand touched her shoulder. She turned and saw Alice, smiling gently.

“Hello. Want to come with me for a bit?” Alice’s voice was calm, filled with warmth.

“No, thank you. I’m still on the clock. Please, don’t get in my way,” Lily said sharply.

Alice didn’t flinch. “Forget about that for now. How about lunch?” Her hand extended gently, offering more than words could.

But instead, Lily felt irritation flare. She slapped Alice’s hand away, her face darkening.

“Don’t pity me. I can manage on my own.” Her hands trembled, but her eyes dared Alice to leave.

Alice only smiled, her gaze soft and steady. “I don’t pity you, Lily.”

Lily’s gaze fixed at her, her expression slightly stiff, yet despite the tension, her stomach growled loudly.

Both their eyes met in surprise, the unexpected sound cutting through the heavy atmosphere.

“You don’t have to worry about the payment. I’ll pay for it,” Alice said gently, her voice warm and soothing.

She extended her hand, open and inviting. “Come, Lily.”

Lily bit her lip, the hunger gnawed at her, unable her to resist the temptation.

She looked below while her forehead knitted against each other.

Alice’s palm brushed gently across Lily’s cheek. “Let’s go. I know you’re hungry.”

Lily let out a heavy sigh. In the end, she doesn’t have a choice but to come.

Arthur walked down the narrow path. He barely visited this area and was unfamiliar with it.

The doctor gave him the information he knew where Lily was living.

The place felt different, as if the air itself carried an unspoken weight.

Groups of men lingered, their gazes following him, unblinking and menacing.

Despite the stares, Arthur's pace never faltered; his posture set in quiet determination;

he didn’t want to go back without knowing the truth of Lily’s situation.

One man stepped forward, gripping Arthur’s shoulder with a firm hand.

“Stop. You’re passing through our territory without permission, young man.”

His voice carried a thick, arrogant pride as he narrowed his eyes, sizing Arthur up. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

Arthur didn't flinch. "Can you let me pass?" His voice was calm, unwavering, as though the man's posture held no sway over him.

“No!” the man bellowed, his fist snapping toward Arthur with surprising speed.

But Arthur was faster.

In one clean, effortless motion, he caught the man’s punch mid-air, his grip like steel. With his other hand, he seized the man by the collar and drove him to the ground in a single, decisive shove.

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

No one had expected him to move like that—so fast, so effortlessly strong.

Arthur looked down at the man, his tone low but unwavering.

“I promised myself I’d never harm a civilian,” he said, each word sharp. “But I

will

defend myself when provoked.”

He lifted his gaze to the others watching. Not a hint of fear showed in his expression—only resolve. His posture stayed firm, grounded, and unyielding.

Then, slowly, deliberately, he raised his hand toward them, fingers spread.

A quiet warning.

He wasn’t going to back down..

One of the men, who had been standing farther back and observing quietly, rose to his feet. He began to clap, slow, deliberate.

Each clap echoed through the tense stillness, making the tension almost palpable.

A wide grin stretched across his face, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Those eyes were sharp, assessing Arthur with a curiosity.

“Alright, enough,” he said, amusement threading through his voice.

“You’ve made your point. With strength like that… even if all of us rushed you at once, I doubt we’d last a second.”

His tone carried a strange mix of respect, caution, and interest.

The man tilted his head, his gaze never once leaving Arthur’s face.

“Now tell me,” he continued, “what business do you have here?”

Arthur’s expression remained firm, his gaze steady.

"I’m looking for Lily’s house. If you know where it is, could you tell me?"

The man’s eyebrows arched slightly, his interest piqued.

"I know where it is. I’m a close friend of Lily’s," he said, his tone shifting, though still laced with suspicion.

"But why should we tell you?"

Arthur let out a deep sigh, his posture relaxing just enough to show that he wasn’t looking for trouble.

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice softer now, but no less direct.

The man’s eyes narrowed, his expression hardening once more.

"I don’t need anything from you," he growled. "But if you came here with bad intentions toward her, I’ll make sure you won’t get away from here." His gaze locked onto Arthur’s with such intensity it felt like a physical weight.

The atmosphere between them grew thick, palpable with the threat in the air.

Arthur immediately raised both hands in a gesture of peace, trying to defuse the tension.

"No, not at all," he said quickly, his voice steady, though he could feel the weight of the situation.

"Let me explain myself first."

As Arthur spoke, the man’s expression hardened—not in anger, but in shock. His jaw tightened, his lips twitching as if he were fighting the urge to curse under his breath. For a moment, he just stood there, frozen, trying to process Arthur’s words.

When he finally managed to speak, his voice came out low, almost subdued.

“I… told her to take care of herself…”

He clicked his tongue and dragged a hand down his face, frustration and something deeper flickering through his eyes, his shoulders slumped slightly, a bitter sigh escaping him, betraying emotions he rarely let surface.

“Alright,” he muttered, this time without hostility. His tone had softened into something neutral, even faintly warm. “Come with me. I’ll show you the way.”

Arthur nodded, his expression grateful but cautious.

"Thank you. I appreciate your help," he said, his voice sincere.

Without another word, the two of them began walking down the path, heading toward Lily’s house.

He noticed the wary eyes, the subtle tension in the villagers, and the heavy air—it told him Lily’s life here was harder than he imagined.

But for now, he had no choice but to follow, one step closer to uncovering the truth.

As they walked through the unfamiliar streets of the village, Arthur remained on high alert. His gaze swept over every corner, tracking every movement—children darting between houses, villagers hauling crates, stray dogs weaving through alleys.

Every detail imprinted itself in his mind.

Beside him, the man watched with mild amusement.

“You’re pretty tense,” he remarked, hands tucked casually into his pockets as if danger were the last thing on his mind.

“Relax. Nobody here’s gonna jump you… at least not while you’re with me.” he said, pausing before adding, “By the way, I’m Terrence.”

Arthur relaxed slightly, though the tension in his shoulders never fully eased.

“I’m Arthur,” he said. “I live in the northern part of the village.”

His gaze softened, but that lingering wariness remained in his eyes.

Terrence paused, tapping his chin, eyes narrowing in thought.

“Ah… that explains it. She was working her third job as a washer for the mayor there.”

Arthur’s brow furrowed.

“Third job?’

Arthur asked, his voice sharpening as curiosity and unease mixed in his voice.

Terrence’s expression hardened, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face. He glanced at the ground briefly, then met Arthur’s eyes.

“Yes,” he said.

"I have no idea why she needed to work that much. If we went inside her house, we’d probably understand.”

Arthur gave a single nod, his expression unreadable.

He drew in a steady breath, rolling his shoulders back as his muscles tightened instinctively.

The weight of what awaited him pressed heavily against his chest, but his resolve didn’t falter—not even for a moment.