♚Chapter 2: How to Take a Stroll in the Shantytown of Junk

 

 

 

♚Chapter 2: How to Take a Stroll in the Shantytown of Junk

 

ROCK stood rooted to the spot inside the clothes shop after Phoebe had left in a swish of skirts.

The reason being Ebel’s chiseled face inches from her own. Earnestness brimming brightly in his golden eyes, he appealed to Rock again while holding her hand. “Rock, I want you.”

She couldn’t run away with her hand caught in his, and something kept her from averting her eyes. In an embarrassed quandary, she found herself returning his gaze as if held captive by him.

“U-Um, just because you say that doesn’t mean I can respond in kind…”

“Even if others are trying to court you, I swear on my name that I will love and cherish you more than anyone. I want to obtain you no matter the cost.”

Dizziness washed over Rock at his passionate words. Ebel’s affections had exploded to new heights thanks to Phoebe’s unnecessary meddling.

Some customers did indeed hit on Rock while she was dressed as a man. Her far-too-dainty-for-a-man frame temporarily aroused the interest of the riffraff living in the slums, resulting in their tossing vulgar invitations her way more than once in the past. But those were nothing more than demands for her to act as a substitute to satiate their desires, so she never took any of them seriously. She shot them down as quickly as they came.

Today was the first time anyone said they wanted her for her, not as some sort of stand-in because of the lack of women in the slums.

“P-Please stop this, Your Excellency.” Inordinately flustered, Rock tried to shake off his hand. But her strength was paltry compared with his, leaving her to make her counterargument while still in his grip. “It will become a big scandal if someone of your standing makes a move on someone from the slums, and man at that.”

“I don’t care about those things.” Ebel punted away Rock’s concerns without a second thought.

“Y-You don’t care…?” she stammered.

“Only fools give up on love because they fear scandals. Besides, as long as I have you at my side, I can lose myself in the sound of your sweet voice. I won’t have time to be bothered by the whispers of idle people.” Ebel pressed on with his seduction.

Rattled, Rock played her next big card. “Moreover, it will be a great disaster if the Mateus family line ended with you. That is to say…two men can’t leave behind an heir…”

“That’s nothing to worry about. We can just adopt.”

Rock could guess from his instantaneous responses that this idea had taken root in him and he wouldn’t be dissuaded so easily. The way things were going, it seemed Ebel had already thought through all the excuses Rock would come up with and had a counter for everything.

“I’m grateful you are worried about me, but I’m more interested in hearing your thoughts on the matter.” Ebel gazed into Rock’s eyes and continued, “Rock, will you allow me to court you?”

“Huh? Um…”

“What do you think of love between men? I would love to hear your opinion.”

“Wh-What do I think? I-I’m…” Rock sank further into confusion at his straightforward question.

She started dressing as a man to ward off the indiscriminate, promiscuous creeps haunting the slums. Phoebe recommended she do so as soon as she started living in the imperial capital. She had looked after Rock, who was her lover’s hidden child, more than anyone else and taught her how to survive here. It was thanks to her that Rock’s days had until now been peaceful, if not somewhat turbulent.

But Ebel was upending that peace with his actions. What in the world was she supposed to do if dressing as a man did nothing to scare off men?

Stuck for an answer, she could only look up at Ebel nervously. He was serious through and through. Fire flared in his eyes, and she felt her skin tingle under his passionate stare. Did he swallow loudly because he was anxious while waiting for her reply? If so, she should say something.

But what should she say? Rock was a woman in mind and body—she couldn’t experience a relationship between men even if she tried. That would be her honest reply, but no way would Ebel back down once he knew the truth. Since he claimed “I care not whether Rock is a man or a woman,” he’d doubtless rejoice at the news she was a woman, rather than be discouraged.

Then there was but one answer.

She needed to persuade him that she had no interest in romantic relationships period.

“I—” Rock was about to tell him when the doorbell abruptly rang, and Phoebe appeared in the doorway, after having disappeared once already.

“I seriously can’t stand to watch you, Rock!” she huffed.

“Phoebe!” Rock half shouted the name of the person she thought had abandoned her to fend for herself. “Where the heck did you go?! You abandoned me!”

“Oh? I did, did I? Weren’t you the one who said ‘I’m not a child anymore’?” Phoebe teased. Rock swallowed her words. Phoebe took advantage of the pause to cast a sidelong glance at Ebel and confidently proclaim, “As you can see, Your Excellency, this young man here is still but a kid. I don’t think you will get an immediate response to your entreaties, so please don’t corner the poor child like this.”

Evidently, Phoebe was trying to give Rock a hand now.

Rock didn’t know why she had come back after leaving her high and dry, but her presence was comforting nonetheless.

Ebel, on the other hand, was perplexed by the sudden intruder. His well-groomed eyebrows knit together as he answered with an air of keeping his cool. “A child…you say? I greatly disagree, but if you are suggesting I shouldn’t push things along so impatiently, I’ll do as much as that.” He finally let go of Rock’s hand. “But there is one thing I would like to know first,” he stated, his eyes still locked with hers. “Is it all right for me to continue having feelings for you?”

His words made Rock take another look at him. She had been disoriented by his passionate advances, but he’d remained serious throughout. There was no mistaking that he meant it when he said her gender didn’t matter and when he shared his ardor for her.

Rock was the one lying. Of course, she knew nothing good would come of telling him the truth, but then why did she feel oddly guilty about it? Since she felt bad, she wanted to at least convey the one truth she could.

“Your Excellency, I have no intention of ever being in love.” Rock’s declaration earned a wide-eyed look from more than just Ebel.

“What do you mean…you have no intention of being in love?”

“You wanting to become a monk is news to me,” Phoebe cut in, her objection spoken in a skeptical tone.

This wasn’t easy to say in front of her, but Rock couldn’t get around it in this situation. Rock opened her heavy mouth and confided the truth. “My mother, who died three years ago, was a woman who went through much to raise me alone.”

Rock’s mother, Vale Floria, raised her daughter in poverty while making ends meet as a tailor in a rural farm village. The gossipers traduced her for giving birth to a fatherless child, but Vale never once complained in front of Rock. Nor did she ever speak grudgingly about Rock’s father.

It was exactly because she watched the hardship her mother went through up close that Rock harbored complicated feelings about the father she’d never met.

“If only Father had hung around, he could have married Mother and lived with her, easing the stress she had to endure. Then she wouldn’t have died so early—” Rock paused. “But Father left my hardworking mother and me to go off to God knows where.”

“COUGH! COUGH!” Phoebe began loudly hacking.

“What’s wrong, Phoebe?”

“…Nothing. Please go on.”

Encouraged, Rock continued, though she found Phoebe’s coughing fit to be oddly timed. “I don’t resent my father. But when I think his presence could have made a difference for Mother… I haven’t the least desire to live like she did.”

“Is that the reason why you don’t want to be in love?”

Rock gave a great big nod to Ebel’s question. “Yes.”

“I see… It appears you have many dimensions to your life as well,” Ebel responded, his voice curiously colored with an intimate understanding. “And what about your father?”

“He is no longer with us,” Rock answered honestly.

Ebel exhaled a lamenting sigh. “I see… You and I are very similar.” He gave a lonely smile. “I won’t force you into something you have no interest in.”

“I am sorry, Your Excellency.” Rock had been able to make her intentions clear. Relief washed over her as she apologized to him.

“No desire to be in love, huh…?” Phoebe somberly brushed her hair back and sunk into contemplative silence.

As for Ebel, he recovered from his gloom and cheerfully played his next card. “You don’t mind if I retain your services as a customer, though, do you?”

“You are of course welcome to shop here. I warmly welcome your business.”

Between his not rushing the order and splurging on payment, the count was the best possible customer a tailor could have. A smile slipped past Rock’s guard, and Ebel beamed beautifully when he caught sight of it.

“In that case, I want to put in a clothing request right now.”

“All right. What would you like to have made?” Rock immediately slipped into business mode.

“Good question. I would like to speak about it at length with you, so let’s change venues.”

“…Come again?” Rock’s voice cracked at his unexpected proposal.

Undeterred, Ebel doubled down by further proposing, “How about dinner together? My treat, of course.”

“Um… You mean to discuss…business, right?” Rock had an inkling that that wasn’t his intention, which was why she asked.

But Ebel grinned, insisting, “That is what I said. I can’t talk on an empty stomach.”

Ebel was the very same man who’d been seducing Rock with sweet nothings and trying to make a pass at her merely moments ago. Common sense dictated that it wasn’t smart to share a meal with him. He seemed earnest, but that didn’t change his infatuation with her. Remembering their flirtatious exchange superheated Rock’s cheeks and caused her heart to hammer so hard it hurt. If possible, she’d rather never think of it again.

On the other hand, she’d forever regret letting such an excellent customer off the leash after catching him. She even closed shop early just for him. While he’d already paid her for that work, she couldn’t resist another opportunity to earn even more money when it was dangled in front of her.

Besides, she’d already turned him down loud and clear. I’m sure he understands, Rock, inexperienced with relationships, obliviously concluded.

In the end, she jumped at the attractive deal that seemed, at that moment, the right one.

“I will join you at your table if you are going to place an order.”

“Of course. I’ll place an order that will please you.” Excitement filled Ebel’s voice.

Rock’s heart did flips at this unique opportunity to make a huge profit, but—

“…Oh dear. I wonder who has the upper hand here.”

Something stirred restlessly inside her at Phoebe’s muttered remark.

♚♚♚

“DO you mind waiting while I lock up?”

Ebel happily agreed to Rock’s request. “I’ll change into the garments you tailored for me while I’m waiting.” He picked up what she’d given him when he’d arrived. “It’s only fitting for me to wear new clothing on an excursion with you.”

She had forgotten, in all the hullabaloo triggered by Ebel’s abrupt love confession, that he hadn’t tried the clothes on yet. Thinking it’d be smart for him to do so before leaving, Rock showed him to the fitting room.

“Please call for me if anything doesn’t fit right. I will fix it,” she told him once he stepped inside.

The area around his eyes softened as if he was remembering a fond memory. “I will. Though I must be careful not to call for you while I’m in the midst of changing.”

“I only panicked the last time because it was so sudden! I am quite fine, thank you!” Rock yanked the fitting room curtain shut in a tizzy.

Losing her presence of mind when he stripped in front of her that last time had been a huge failure on her part. This was her third year since donning a male guise. She’d believed she had grown fully accustomed to living as a man, but perhaps she had made this blunder because she’d become less cautious after growing used to it.

She couldn’t slip up in front of Ebel either. His nose was too good as it was—she mustn’t give him grounds to further suspect her. Rock reassessed the situation and put up her mental guard.

She returned to the front of the shop where Phoebe was lowering slatted shutters over the windows.

“Are you seriously going out to eat with His Excellency?” Phoebe probed, looking over her shoulder at Rock.

“Of course I am. Opportunities like this don’t fall into my lap every day.”

Phoebe shrugged her broad shoulders at Rock’s instant reply. “If it were me, I wouldn’t raise the hopes of someone I have no interest in.”

Rock understood what Phoebe was getting at. But she also couldn’t bear to look the other way when a big account was dangling just out of reach.

“His Excellency is an outstanding customer, Phoebe,” Rock said in a whisper so he couldn’t hear her in the fitting room. “I’ll be able to increase your wages if he places another order.”

A tailor in the slums couldn’t expect to make much on any single order, and Floria Clothes Shop’s profits were just barely enough for Rock to live off of. She paid Phoebe a pittance, but she worked for it without complaining.

“No point in changing things now. Don’t do it for me,” Phoebe huffed, tossing a curl behind her shoulder.

But Rock felt a debt of gratitude and deep affection toward her. On a daily basis, she wished she could afford to pay her according to the work she did.

“Then how about I make you a new dress?”

Phoebe’s dresses were tailored by Rock to make up the difference in her lacking wages.

While her looks left no room for doubt that she was a beautiful woman, Phoebe’s figure was still that of a man’s. So Rock accordingly reduced the amount of skin showing and ingeniously sewed the dresses to hide the body’s curves. The dress collar she designed to hide Phoebe’s protruding Adam’s apple, the puff sleeves were to distract from her muscled arms, and the skirt was draped in layers to obscure the shape of Phoebe’s legs. The first time Rock tailored a dress for her, Phoebe pulled her into a thrilled hug and even rubbed her cheek against Rock’s.

“I’ll make this one with even better materials. It’ll be a dress you can wear to a banquet.”

Rock’s dress details finally drew a smile out of Phoebe. “You’re a genius at getting someone’s hopes up as high as they can go, dear.”

“Look forward to it, Phoebe!”

“I will. But watch yourself. Men are wolves.”

Phoebe’s warning was a common expression, but what gave Rock the chills was the reminder of a completely different meaning.

Men are wolves.

In a sense, no man suited that saying more than Ebel Mateus.

“I’ll be okay. Worse comes to worst, I’ll run for it,” Rock asserted, more for herself than Phoebe. “This is my garden. It’ll be a piece of cake to lose him.”

Ebel mentioned he patrolled this area, but he shouldn’t have a more intimate knowledge of it than Rock, who’d lived there for three years. Left out of the various land readjustment projects to hit the capital, the slums were an easy place to escape from those who weren’t familiar with its layout.

“I sure hope that’s true.” Phoebe recommenced lowering the shutters despite looking as though she had more to say.

Rock balanced the shop ledgers at the counter to do her part in closing for the day too. After she put the day’s proceeds into the safe, she noticed Phoebe looking pensively in her direction.

“Are you that worried about me?” Rock asked with a laugh.

Phoebe smiled weakly in return. “Not in that sense… Say, about your mother—”

“Aah, sorry about that.” Rock quickly apologized when Phoebe broached the subject.

Rock may have brought up her mother to reject Ebel’s advances, but she had still spoken of her in front of her father’s lover. It couldn’t have been a pleasant story for Phoebe to hear.

“Don’t let it bother you, Phoebe. I believe my father had his own reasons for what he did.”

Phoebe nodded as if to say Rock’s apprehensions reached her loud and clear. “…I see. All right.” But she seemed gloomy and deep in thought afterward.

Rock wanted to talk more, but Ebel had just called for her from the fitting room, so the conversation ended there.

♚♚♚

AFTER locking up the shop, Rock descended into the slums with Ebel.

“As I’d expect, the clothes tailored by you feel remarkably comfortable.” Having finished changing, Ebel was in the best of moods and showered the ultimate praise on Rock’s handiwork.

Rock was satisfied with her work too. Ebel pulled off the new look with ease. The white hemp shirt covered by the black hook vest paired perfectly with the leather trousers held up by the sash belt. Every piece stunningly fit his sleek frame and surprisingly suited him to a T. The style might not be up to the standard that social etiquette and the rank of count required, but it worked perfectly for a dandy going about town.

“I am honored you like it, Your Excellency,” Rock responded.

A disapproving smile strained Ebel’s face. “Stop that. I wish you would call me Ebel instead.”

“Isn’t that…rude?” Rock cautiously asked, looking for clarification and hesitating over his unexpected request. She had never possessed even an inkling of respect for the aristocrats, but she wanted to avoid anything that might negatively affect business.

“I don’t enjoy needless controversy either,” Ebel explained clearly. “Precautions should be taken when walking in this area.”

If word got out that a count was aimlessly wandering the slums, money-grubbers would flock to him to extort money. Rock had heard Ebel’s stories of running into situations during his patrols where transforming into a werewolf was his only option, so there were probably already outlaws who’d carelessly jumped him and had the tables turned on them.

Wanting to safely wrap up their business discussions, Rock also didn’t want to cause pointless commotion. “I will consent if that’s the reason, Ebel.” She awkwardly fumbled over the name she wasn’t used to saying.

An ecstatic smile burst onto Ebel’s face. “Thank you, Rock.” He said her name in the softest, most caring voice.

Taken aback by his tone, Rock forcefully moved the conversation along. “By the way, Your E—Ebel, are you acquainted with the eateries in the area?”

“My knowledge surely pales in comparison to yours.” Ebel shook his head. “I thought we could just walk around for a bit and enter a good restaurant when we came by it.”

“Allow me to lead the way, then. There is a cheap and delicious hash house near here.”

“Lead the way,” Ebel said in agreement, and he fell in step beside her.

The complex layout of the slums turned it into a maze for people unfamiliar with it. Unlike the urban areas managed by the imperial capital’s government, hovels were built on whatever leftover parcel each person wrested for themselves. To make the most effective use of the limited terrain, people recklessly constructed extensions from the roofs of already unstable buildings and arbitrarily laid ladders across to the surrounding buildings, and some even took over bridges and built makeshift houses on top of them. Oftentimes the street one passed through yesterday would be gone today, for the shantytown constructed from a mishmash of junk expanded and changed on a daily basis.

But even the shantytown could be dyed in beautiful evening colors.

Rock loved strolling through these streets at this hour. Because it was in these fleeting moments that the filthy slums took on a brilliant light like a candle’s flame. Whenever she slipped out of the shop for dinner, she always walked while watching, with fascination, the sunset glow.

Not that she had the time or leisure to be taken by the sunset today. She needed to show Ebel the way. He seemed unfamiliar with the area, as she’d expected, because he followed her as if he were glued to her side.

“It’s this way, Ebel,” Rock said, courteously explaining the directions for his benefit. It was a kindness meant for a customer who didn’t know much about where he was, and Ebel relied entirely on her, gazing her way every time they came to a fork in the road.

“Which way do we turn on this street?”

“Left. We will travel straight for a few minutes before taking a right turn.”

“All right.”

Rock couldn’t walk too far away from him while leading the way. They advanced down the dusk-colored streets at the same pace.

“A fine sunset,” Ebel commented, satisfaction in his voice, as he walked shoulder to shoulder with her.

Just like the shantytown, his handsome profile was gorgeously dyed by the changing colors. Rock felt the urgent need to not look at him or be fascinated by him.

At last, the hash house came into view across the street.

“Ebel, that’s the place.”

A two-story stone building, rare for the slums, housed their destination. The second floor had been turned into a bathhouse, while a bakery took up the first floor. Boiling the bathhouse water with the heat of the bread ovens was fairly commonplace in the capital.

The first-floor bakery doubled as a hash house and was Rock’s favorite place to eat. A wide variety of pubs, from respectable to reprehensible, littered the slums, but this spot was the easiest for Rock to relax in because she wasn’t a drinker.

“Their potato bread is famous. It’s delicious,” Rock explained.

Ebel blinked once. “Oh, you mean that shop?” he confirmed with a knowing tone, taking Rock by surprise instead.

“You know of it?”

“I’ve dropped by on multiple occasions during my patrol. A young married couple runs it, right?”

“Th-That’s right…”

By the sound of it, Ebel knew this area somewhat. He stepped ahead of Rock toward the bakery storefront, leaving her to muddle through her bewilderment.

The proprietress, Justia, happened to be out front, and her face lit up when she noticed Ebel. “Oh, why, if it isn’t His Excellency! Are you dropping by to honor us with a visit again today?”

“I wanted to get a bite to eat. Is the back table free? I have someone with me.”

“Yes, go right ahead and take it. I will bring your food right out!” Justia hospitably received Ebel, who acted like a regular. The moment Justia recognized Rock as his companion, she gave them a curious look. “When Your Excellency said you had someone with you, I assumed it was a lady, but it was you, Rock? I didn’t know you were acquainted with the count.”

“I’m not really… He’s a customer…” Rock fumbled over her words, still trying to get a grasp on the situation.

Ebel smoothed things over for her. “He’s tailoring clothes at my request. We’re having dinner together today to discuss business too.”

“Oh my. I didn’t know. Please do come inside, then.”

His Excellency the Count had to be a golden customer to the bakery as well. Justia gave a winning smile Rock had never seen in her three years of being a regular there, and the proprietress showed the pair to the best table in the house.

At the back of the store illuminated by lanterns, Rock sat across from Ebel. And then she aired her grievances to the count, who watched her with great amusement. “I wish you had told me that you’re familiar with the area.”

“Didn’t I say I’ve dropped by on multiple occasions? Why are you upset?” Mirth danced in his golden eyes.

True enough, he never lied to her, so why was she holding a grudge?

“There was no need for me to show you around, was there?”

“I wouldn’t say that. I had great fun on my short guided tour by you.”

From the sound of it, he had a real blast getting here.

Rock sighed and addressed her other point of dissatisfaction. “Justia—the proprietress—called you ‘Your Excellency’ and ‘Count.’”

“She did. What about it?”

“Then what need is there for me to call you by name?”

Taking precautions was meaningless since his face and identity were already known at Rock’s favorite hash house.

Ebel laughed off Rock’s complaints. “I asked you to because I want you to. Isn’t that enough of a reason?”

Men are wolves. The aphorism Phoebe used suddenly came to Rock’s mind.

Setting aside his being an authentic werewolf, it appeared the count truly was a crafty man.

♚♚♚

JUSTIA came back a short while later carrying a small mountain of food. “Thank you for waiting!”

Finely chopped potatoes were sprinkled over the dough before putting the bakery’s special potato bread into the oven to bake until browned. It was one of Rock’s favorite foods, but it lost some of its appeal when brought out in stacks of five to six slices.

“H-Hold on, Justia. Why did you bring so many?!”

“Because His Excellency’s a special patron, of course!”

Corn soup, pickled red radishes and cabbage, and honey and baked cheese were brought to their table next, topped off by a high-quality cut of cured pork. As the dishes piled up, Rock’s anxiety went through the roof because of her scarce wallet contents. Ebel said he’d cover the bill, but on the off-chance he ate and ran, she’d be stuck paying for the whole feast.

That’d be a big problem. Or more like impossible for me.

“Ebel, are you comfortable with all this?” Rock asked him in a quiet voice once Justia returned to the kitchen. “If you don’t stop her, Justia will continue bringing out food until the table is covered.”

“It’s not an entertaining meal if the table is bare. I’m fine with this,” Ebel calmly reassured her, smiling in welcome as Justia returned with another plate of food.

“His Excellency eats a lot.” Justia, in the best mood Rock had ever seen her in, placed a bowl of grapes on the table. “Rock, why don’t you learn from him and start eating more? You’re nothing but skin and bones. Otherwise, you’ll remain weak and frail forever,” she nagged, then turned to seek affirmation from her husband in the kitchen. “Isn’t that right, Cargus?”

Taciturn where his wife was talkative, Cargus’s voice couldn’t be heard in the dining area, but Justia apparently saw him nod, since she spoke confidently of his agreement. “See, even Cargus thinks so.”

“I eat my fair share!”

Justia snorted at Rock’s protest and firmly pinched her upper arms. Rock was always mocked by others for her arms, which were far too slender for someone claiming to be a twenty-year-old man.

“Hey, that hurts, Justia!”

“Don’t cry over a little roughhousing! This is why you’re weak!” Justia laughed like a horse, then dropped into a proper curtsy in front of Ebel before departing.

A new patron had just entered the hash house. Rock caught a brief look at the large figure hidden under a deep hood being greeted by Justia at the entrance.

Rubbing her pinched arm, Rock told the count, who’d watched the whole scene, “She’s always like that. She loves to pick on me…”

The good-natured yet foulmouthed Justia worried about how little Rock ate whenever she came in for a meal. Occasionally, she added an extra plate of food for free, calling it a “bonus.” By no means was Rock a light eater, but she gave that impression when Phoebe, another regular, ate three times as much as she did. The care and concern showed to her by the proprietress was one reason why Rock was a repeat customer.

She couldn’t do squat about her frailty, so she wished Justia would lay off it.

“You certainly are slender.” Ebel glanced at Rock’s arms, then smiled with just his lips. “But you’re more attractive than you are slender.”

“…Pardon me?”

“You have looks that no one can ignore. They treat you kindly because of that too.” The smile didn’t reach Ebel’s eyes, which gleamed more golden than the swaying lantern flames.

Ebel perplexed Rock. He seemed to be complimenting her looks, when her deceased mother and Phoebe were the only two people in the world to ever do so. Not to mention, Ebel, the one complimenting her now, seemed displeased about it.

Before she could figure out why, he pulled himself together. “All right, shall we eat?” he asked, changing the topic.

Rock agreed for now. “I will eat the food you pay for, Ebel.” She had to stress that point. The money she had on hand wouldn’t come close to covering this evening’s check.

“Good. Eat as much as you like.” Ebel’s smile reflected true mirth this time as he picked up his fork.

This was Rock’s first time dining with someone of noble status. Maybe that’s why? Without even realizing she was doing it, she watched Ebel’s every move with fascination.

For example, he gracefully scooped up the corn soup with his spoon and brought it to his mouth. He smoothly cut through the bread and cheese with his knife. Rock thought he was the attractive one when even his expression possessed an air of refinement as he enjoyed food with his eyes cast down.

“…Is something the matter, Rock?” Noticing Rock’s eyes glued to him, he flashed an astute smile. “You seem awfully interested in my table manners. Did I do something to pique your curiosity?” Ebel acted amused by her scrutiny.

“You really are a count.”

He burst into laughter, perhaps because she showed she was impressed. “You could tell by my table manners?”

“Yes. Slum dwellers don’t eat like you do.”

The handsome young count was refined down to his etiquette at the table. No one would ever believe his true identity was the rumored werewolf.

According to the city gossipers, werewolves attacked people and dined upon their flesh and bones. But if those rumors were true, Rock should’ve been devoured long ago. Besides, it was strange to believe in rumors spread from people who would sooner scam you then tell the truth.

“So what kind of clothes do you think would fit me the way you see me?”

“The way I…see you?”

“Yes. I want you to choose my next order.” Ebel gazed at Rock as if he had total faith in her. “I absolutely want to know what you conceptualize when you look at me.”

A fairly difficult request, but her pride as a tailor wouldn’t allow her to say she couldn’t do it. Rock took a moment to carefully ponder his question.

To start with, was there actually any clothing Ebel couldn’t pull off?

From traditional court clothing to the latest fashion trends, he’d look like a model in whatever he wore. His chiseled face, tempered body, and graceful bearing made him the perfect customer for Rock to flex the tailoring skills she took pride in.

Trousers with suspenders were the most popular item with the men who frequented her shop in the slums. Suspenders used to be a fashion accessory for the upper classes, but their popularity had spread to the commoners in recent years. Meanwhile, snug-fitting jackets called doublets were all the rage at top-tier tailor shops in the commercial district because of the fashionable shape and padding it added to the male body. The best shops tailored clothing with velvet, silk, and satin, but customers with that kind of money rarely visited Rock’s shop. She often used the cheapest textiles such as quilt fabric and wool to make affordable clothing for her clientele.

But she needn’t be frugal with materials for Ebel.

This might just be the optimum opportunity for Rock to create the kind of clothing she had always envisioned.

“I want to tailor a doublet with the finest materials for you,” Rock informed Ebel with enthusiasm. “I would like to try my hand at tailoring a jacket at the forefront of the current trends.”

“I see. I guess it’s only natural for a tailor to be knowledgeable about the latest fashions.” Ebel sounded surprised by this, but he immediately consented. “Sounds good to me. I’ll have many occasions to wear a doublet, and I’d like to be able to walk around wearing what you made for me.” He paused, then added for emphasis, “I’d be very happy if you would tailor the clothes with love.”

“Of course I will. I always put my heart into what I create.” Rock never cut corners when it came to work. She sewed each piece together with her whole heart.

This order was a rare chance to create high-end clothing for a particularly well-paying customer. Better yet, it was for the good-looking count, who was worthy of wearing the finest clothing. Jobs that stirred up this much enthusiasm in a tailor didn’t come often.

“Please leave everything to me, Ebel. I will tailor a doublet that suits you better than any other in the world,” Rock grandly promised as she stuffed her cheeks with potato bread.

Ebel’s eyes softened as he watched her. “I leave it in your capable hands, Rock.” He gently laid his hand on the shirt covering his chest. “I have to treasure these clothes even more now that I know your love has been included in every stitch,” he said in a whisper.

Joy radiated from his face, which looked divinely beautiful to Rock’s eyes. His smile, like a ray of light bursting forth through a gap in the clouds, sent her heart fluttering.

“Um… Treasuring the clothes you wear brings great joy—to the clothes.” Forgetting to chew the bread in her mouth, Rock barely managed to choke out those words.

Ebel watched Rock’s reaction with heavenly satisfaction.

♚♚♚

THE sun had sunk below the horizon long before they finished eating and set out from the bakery. A starry sky loomed above, and a chilly breeze blew through the alley. Light spilled from the windows of the public bathhouse on the second floor, illuminating the surrounding alleyways in a soft light.

“Thank you for treating me to dinner, Ebel,” Rock said as soon as they left the hash house.

Ebel paid for the entire food bill as he had promised. His voracious appetite was eye-catching, just as Justia had said. He polished off every single plate of food by the end of dinner, prompting Justia to nag Rock again about learning a thing or two about a hearty appetite from him.

The big eater shook his head with a tender smile. “I’m the one who’s grateful. I had fun, Rock.”

“Nonsense. I’m grateful to have received another order from you.”

Now that it was over, she realized she was saved from having to pay for dinner that night and had received a new, expensive job order. It had been a really good night indeed.

Phoebe was likely fretting with worry over Rock’s safety, but she could go home with her head held high as she announced the good news to her. Rock planned to let her know about how things went when she saw her at work tomorrow morning.

“Then if you will excuse me for the night—”

Ebel swiftly stopped Rock from bidding him good night. “I’ll escort you home, Rock.”

“You jest!” Rock naturally laughed off his offer. “It’s unnatural for two men to go out to eat and then have one escort the other home.”

Even without that aspect to consider, the slums were Rock’s playground; she had nothing to worry about here. The room she rented was within a stone’s throw of the hash house, and Phoebe lived in the neighborhood. Ebel didn’t have to be concerned for her safety.

“And besides, your residence is far from here, Ebel. You can arrive home without being late if you leave me to look after myself.”

There was a significant walking distance from the shantytown that took rise as a home for drifters on the outskirts of the imperial capital to the center where the aristocrat district was located. A partial smile appeared on Ebel’s face from Rock’s show of concern.

“I’m confident in my legs to get me there fast. You needn’t worry about me.”

“Hah,” she openly sighed. “But—”

“Something else concerns me right now.” Ebel suddenly frowned, cutting Rock’s argument short. His golden eyes whipped around the alleyways.

“What is it?”

He grabbed Rock’s arm and walked in a random direction down the street in front of the hash house. The memory of his furry werewolf hand clutching her wrist was still fresh in her mind. Uneasy with his hold on her, Rock called out to Ebel, though she did not stop him from dragging her along.

“Hello? Ebel?”

He dropped his voice and whispered in her ear. “…It appears we’re being followed.”

“We are?!” She instinctively went to look over her shoulder, but a tug on her arm stopped her.

“You mustn’t look. Let’s lose them before they suspect we notice.”

His advice rendered Rock incapable of knowing who pursued them or what they wanted. She simply let Ebel lead her away.

Leaving the street in front of the hash house, the pair slipped ever deeper into the maze of the slums.

Very few people were out and about at this hour, and their two sets of feet echoed loudly on the night street. Yet the footsteps of their pursuer never reached Rock’s ears. Should she truly believe what Ebel told her? Could he have just imagined it? Such thoughts crossed her mind.

Losing confidence in him, she questioned, “Who exactly are you claiming is following us?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. More than one person for sure.” Ebel gradually increased walking speed, grimly shaking his neatly groomed sienna hair. “Four—no, make that three and one. The three are hired thugs at best, but the separate one is no amateur.”

“You can tell all that?”

“My ears are as sharp as my nose, Rock.” Unwavering confidence filled his voice, quadrupling Rock’s already hyped-up tension.

If what Ebel said was true, what in the world were these skilled pursuers after?

Without any proof, Rock was guided by the arm deeper into the back alleys where the streetlights scarcely reached.

♚♚♚

AFTER Ebel and Rock had turned down several different roads, a wall blocked their path. Jury-rigged by randomly nailing dilapidated plywood together, the flimsy wall looked as if a sudden gust of wind could knock it over. But it stood tall enough to cast a shadow on Rock and block her view beyond.

“Huh. Now that’s odd. This wall wasn’t here yesterday,” Ebel groaned, his frustration understandable. This was just the kind of place the slums were.

But before Rock could explain that to him, she heard the incoming footsteps of the people trailing them. Just as Ebel had said, there were several pairs of feet. She couldn’t tell who they were by the sound of their steps, but she acutely sensed they meant trouble.

“Ebel, let’s turn back for now. We don’t want to get stuck with our backs literally up against the wall,” Rock advised.

“We don’t have to turn back.” Ebel shook his head. “Come here, Rock.” He wrapped his arm around Rock’s waist, taking her by complete surprise.

“Hyaah!”

Ignoring her screams, Ebel crouched down and then sprang into the air.

He easily leaped over the quickly-slapped-together wall with Rock in his grip and landed on top of a private house’s rooftop on the other side. Then he whirled around to ascertain the identities of the stalkers rushing into the dead-end alleyway.

Still held in his arm, Rock looked down at them from the rooftop as well.

Three burly men wearing patchwork clothing searched the alley. Their hardened, scarred faces looked villainous at a glance, and disturbingly, they each carried a dangerous weapon.

After doing a sweep of the dead end, they looked up and spotted Ebel on top of the roof. “Yer runnin’?! And ya call yerself a count! Ya wuss!” one of the thugs cursed at him.

“Now that’s a rude way of speaking when you’re the ones who started tailing me for no reason,” Ebel fearlessly countered as he hid Rock behind his back.

Rock hadn’t grasped the situation yet, but she knew having her face exposed to nasty thugs would be bad for business. She clung to Ebel’s back for the time being.

“What business do you have with me?”

Each of the three men smirked vaguely at Ebel’s question.

“Some people are sick of ya gallivantin’ ‘round these parts.”

They were presumably hired by someone, then.

Many people in the slums accepted dirty jobs for quick and easy money. Most of them were vagabonds who lived day to day scraping out a meager existence, so hiring them didn’t pay off much. But with nothing to lose, their rashness occasionally made them excellent hunting dogs.

“Get yer arse down ’ere! Ya bluebloods can’t stand to run from a fight with a lass watchin’!” one of the crooks provoked, peeved his target was out of reach.

Apparently, they hadn’t realized that Ebel’s companion was the slums’ tailor. Being mistaken for a woman, though she was one, upset her, but she sucked it up for the sake of her business.

Another one of the scoundrels strained his eyes to see behind Ebel’s back. “Oi, take ’nother look. That’s the Market Street tailor,” he blurted, causing the other two to recognize Rock.

“Bloody ’ell. He’s so slender I mistook ’im for a woman.”

“Hidin’ behind ’nother man’s back makes ’im even more of a woman.”

“Sh-Shut up!” Rock lashed out without meaning to.

Ebel held out his hand. “Don’t let them provoke you, Rock. They can’t do anything to you up here.”

“…I’m sorry. Shall we just shake them off our trail now?”

Fortunately, Rock and Ebel were standing on top of a roof two stories high. Escaping over the rooftops posed some risk of falling, but it was a convenient way to get rid of the thugs.

Ebel answered her without a moment’s delay. “Of course. But I’ll take care of them first.”

“You will? There are three of them—”

“Less than usual,” Ebel asserted flatly, looking over his shoulder at Rock. A roguish smile unsuited for the situation played across his face. “Plus, this is a great chance to try out your clothes.”

Put another way, he planned to use his werewolf powers.

“You needn’t worry.” Ebel knelt before Rock and, without any sign of embarrassment, swore, “I’ll protect you to the end no matter what comes.” He leaped from the roof and smoothly landed in front of the thugs.

“Ebel!” Rock shouted, but she knew not to follow him. It was painfully obvious to her that she wouldn’t be much help in a fight.

She watched from the safety of the roof while Ebel boldly squared off with the men closing in around him with their knives and cudgels. It was starting to look as though she was finally going to witness his transformation into a werewolf with her own eyes tonight. But should that happen, the clothing Rock tailored to easily slide off would do just that, and she would have to find somewhere else to look.

Ebel reached for the sash belt around his waist.

“Ugh…,” Rock groaned, red in the face, and averted her eyes.

“Hold it right there!” A familiar gruff voice shook the tense backstreet. Rock immediately looked to where a tall figure had rushed into the alleyway. “URAAAH!”

A big-boned “beautiful woman” with curly chestnut hair kicked one of the thugs gunning for Ebel in the back.

“BLERGH!” The thug pitched forward, smashing face-first into the dirty ground, startling his friends.

“What the ’ell’s the big idea, ya molly?!”

“I hope ya interfered prepared for an ass whooping!”

Not even batting an eye at their insults, Phoebe tightened her fists. “Rock’s in danger. Of course I’d interfere!” She made it sound as if she had come to save Rock. It was a mystery how she knew where Rock was, but Phoebe’s words and actions moved her.

“Phoebe!” Rock called out encouragingly. Phoebe grinned and raised her right hand in greeting.

Meanwhile, Ebel shot a grudging look back at Rock. “Rock, cheer me on too,” he pouted.

“S-Sure! Please be careful as well, Ebel!”

“Thank you!” he exclaimed with newfound enthusiasm. Still in his handsome young man form, he charged at one of the thugs.

Phoebe likewise pounded her fists into the last remaining scoundrel.

The fight was finished faster than Rock could blink.

The thugs were laid out on the ground after taking an intense beating and never getting a counterpunch in, while Ebel and Phoebe towered over them, not even having broken a sweat.

“Thanks for having my back, Phoebe,” Ebel said.

Phoebe snorted. “I simply happened to be passing by the area, Your Excellency. Anyway, please take Rock away from here.”

“Why?” Rock asked from the rooftop.

“We can’t just leave these Neanderthals lying around. The rats will eat out their eyes. I’ll take care of the cleanup, so please vacate the area.” Phoebe gave her shoulders a tired shrug. Ebel seemed to suddenly understand everything.

“Then I leave this to you. I promise to safely escort Rock home.”

“You’d better! Let me be clear: if you bring that child home with a single scratch, I will make it so you can never enter our neck of the woods again!”

“I wouldn’t want that.” Ebel cracked a smile and leaped back onto the roof. “You heard Phoebe, Rock. Let’s make haste from this place.”

“A-All right. We had better get down from here first—”

“No. We would be in a tight spot if more come. Let’s travel over the rooftops.” Before he finished talking, Ebel lifted Rock onto his shoulder with one hand.

“Whoa?! Hey! Um…I can walk by myself!”

“I can’t put you in possible danger. Hang on tight.” Ebel sprung off the rooftop. Just when Rock was reeling from the incredible power and height of his jump, he broke into a run, traveling faster than a whirlwind.

“Aaaah!” The wind whooshed away Rock’s screams as Ebel dashed across the buildings. Nimbly transferring from roof to roof, he carried her while easily jumping across the spaces between the hovels.

Slung over his shoulder, she could only see the cityscape and sky as it whisked by with dizzying speed. The force of the wind pressure dried out her eyes, and Rock’s hair whipped her cheeks. Consumed by fear of the extreme speed, she couldn’t think about anything else.

“WAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Her reflexive screams were absorbed by the starry sky.

♚♚♚

HOW long had Ebel been running before he finally decelerated, leaped across another roof, and lowered Rock from his shoulder?

“We should be fine at this distance. How are you feeling, Rock?”

“Urgh…I-I’m all right…” Her legs trembled on the solid rooftop. Unable to stand on her own, she remained seated and glanced up at Ebel standing beside her.

Ebel offered a faint smile when their eyes met. “I’ll bring you home once you recover. You should rest a bit first.”

She wholly agreed with him. Her head still spun, and her pulse and breathing came fast and uneven. Hired thugs might still be prowling the area too.

“I’m sorry for putting you through that.” Ebel sat next to her and brushed down her windswept hair.

Startled by his gentle touch, Rock cleared her throat, feeling the need to keep up appearances. “…I apologize for the unsightly display earlier.”

“Unsightly? At what point did you put on such a display?” Ebel sounded doubtful, but as far as Rock was concerned, what had happened was pure humiliation.

“I screamed…while you were carrying me…,” she admitted weakly.

Ebel eased the moment with a light chuckle. “Almost anyone would have done the same in your position.”

“They would?”

“They would. I wish I could’ve carried you more gently,” he admitted, his voice soft as he stroked her hair some more.

Hair didn’t have any feeling, and yet Rock’s heart drummed away. “I-I can fix it myself, thank you.” Flustered, Rock gently batted away his hand.

Blinking his golden eyes, Ebel didn’t look particularly put off. Rock, on the other hand, squirmed under awkward guilt as she raked her fingers through her messy hair and finally had enough mind to look around her.

They were sitting on top of a building that was especially tall for the slums. Except for the part directly under the narrow rectangular rooftop, the unattended lookout platform was in plain view. Ignored by the constables who viewed patrolling the area as a waste of time, the slums’ lookout tower never had visitors. Because of that, their negligence had created a space where Rock could relax right now.

She could see a panoramic view of the whole district from this roof. What looked like a disorganized shantytown of junk during the day became beautiful when seen lit up at night. Just like the star-studded sky sprawling overhead, the town was speckled with warm points of light too.

“That light over there belongs to the bathhouse,” Ebel observed, pointing toward the dimly glowing circular building in the distance.

“Yes, it does.” Rock nodded. “We came a long way.”

Ebel let out an amused laugh. “Our stroll turned into quite the extreme after-dinner exercise. Though we finally get to be alone thanks to it.”

Deserted at night for the safety of the indoors, the roads below were clear of their pursuers and any sign of Phoebe catching up to them. And they were on top of a lookout tower even the soldiers didn’t visit.

Realizing they were truly alone together, Rock struggled to calm herself. She went out to dinner only to receive his clothing order, yet she unknowingly ended up coming to a place like this with him. She timidly stole a peek at the man beside her.

Ebel was staring at the night scenery with an unexpectedly serious visage. “I have a question for you.” He suddenly lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper.

“Y-Yes? What is it?” Rock nearly jumped to her feet.

“Phoebe—who is she?” Ebel calmly inquired. “The way she handles herself in a fight makes me doubt she’s an amateur.”

“Oh, I can answer that.” Unusually relieved by his topic choice, Rock happily explained, “She used to be a mercenary.”

“A mercenary? She doesn’t look the type.”

“Yes, I often think the same thing. But she’s actually an incredibly strong fighter.”

Rock had never witnessed Phoebe lose a fight. Every time drunks challenged her, shady conmen stalked her, and brainless jerks tormented her for her looks, Phoebe used her physical strength to knock them down a few notches. She’d said herself that she was a famous mercenary in the past.

“Apparently she met my father through their mercenary work.” Rock stopped talking when she noticed the dubious expression on Ebel’s face. She rushed a mumbled explanation: “Er…it’s hard for me to say this, but Phoebe was my father’s lover.”

“…Is that the story?” Even Ebel sounded astonished.

“After my mother passed, I came in search of my father when I learned he lived in the imperial capital. But I only found Phoebe and the news that my father was gone…”

And to this day, Phoebe was the sole person Rock considered family.

She harbored mixed feelings about the father who had abandoned her and her mother. At first, aggravated, jumbled emotions swirled in her toward the person her father had chosen to love. But after all this time, she had come to understand the reasons why the father she never met fell in love with Phoebe.

“But she surprised me earlier. I never thought she would come to our rescue… I’m glad she happened to be passing by the area when we needed her,” Rock innocently shared.

Ebel, however, was pressing his fingers against his temple. “I don’t know how to tell you this, Rock…”

“What is it?”

“She was following us the whole time. Since we entered the bakery.”

“No way!” Rock demurred with a half smile.

Already positive it was true, Ebel wryly smiled back at her. “Remember the customer who entered soon after us? The tall customer concealed under a deep hood? That was her.”

“…Ah.” Rock remembered.

Now that he mentioned it, Rock never did spot that customer again after they entered the building. Perhaps the proprietress, Justia, knowingly sat her somewhere out of sight.

“I think she probably tailed us out of concern for me…,” Rock speculated, attempting to vindicate Phoebe while wrestling with her embarrassment.

“I’m sure she did. It’s a good thing because she assisted in repelling the other pursuers as a result…” So Ebel said, sounding vaguely discontent about it.

It was then that Rock suddenly noticed a tiny snag in his shirt collar. “Ebel, your shirt ripped,” she told him, pointing to the spot.

He looked down at his collar. The color instantly drained from his face upon spotting the tear. “When in the world did that happen?!”

“Perhaps it snagged on something earlier.”

“I can’t believe it…” Ebel lamented, his face pensive, crestfallen over the discovery. “Forgive me, Rock. I had decided to wear the clothes from your shop with great care…yet I ripped the clothing you sewed with love!”

“P-Please don’t apologize.” His grief threw her for a loop. “Clothes will naturally tear when you fight and run over rooftops in them.”

“I ruined your hard work because of that…”

“But you saved me too.”

“Even so, what I’ve done to you is inexcusable.” Depression had completely overtaken Ebel. If his werewolf ears had been visible, they would’ve surely been sagging against his head.

As a tailor, she couldn’t let things stand. “I can make it so the rip doesn’t stand out, if you don’t mind me using a temporary patch,” she offered in a placating tone.

“You can?!” Ebel jerked his head up as if brought back from the edge of despair. His honest joy was so funny it drew a small laugh from her.

“It won’t be as good as new, but I can mend it.”

“With your skills, anything is possible. Please do fix it.”

“I accept your order. In that case…” Rock procured the sewing kit from the tool bag hanging from her belt. Being a tailor, she always walked around with needle, thread, and fabric on hand. After all, being prepared tended to earn her some extra coin.

Next she leaned toward Ebel and inspected the tear. A small hole the size of a fingertip had appeared in the cloth, requiring a patch. Fortunately, she had some spare fabric left over in her tool bag from tailoring his clothes. But with the tear located where it was, she couldn’t do a thing about it while he was wearing the shirt.

“I’m sorry, but could you lend me your shirt?” Rock requested.

Ebel’s eyes narrowed suggestively. “You want me to remove my shirt and hand it over to you?”

“Yes. I can’t sew unless you do.”

“Got it.” Giving his consent, Ebel started by removing his vest, then set about pulling off his shirt. It slipped off in no time, just as she had designed it to.

Thanks to that, Rock got to see with her own eyes that Ebel wasn’t wearing anything else under his shirt. “Wow! U-Um, I’m sorry!”

“Why do you apologize? And avert your eyes?”

“I-I’m not. Y-You just surprised me is all…”

She should’ve been used to seeing naked chests in her line of work, but when it came to Ebel, she never reacted normally. With her eyes still averted, she accepted the shirt and hastily mended it.

Rock began by inserting the needle into the fold of the hem, in between the two layers of fabric, and pulling the thread through until it was taut. She continued carefully sewing through the fabric one stitch at a time. There weren’t any lights on top of the lookout tower, but the starlight shining down on them illuminated the area enough to see her hands.

“Interesting. So that’s how you mend it?” Ebel hummed, impressed as he moved closer to observe Rock pull off a slip stitch.

Rock was frazzled by having a half-naked man right next to her, closing the last few inches of space between them. Her concentration was shattered by the glimpses of bare chest she caught out of the corner of her eye.

“Anyway, you sure do find yourself the center of trouble often, don’t you?” Rock said in a bid to change the subject. Someone had to have hired them with money, but who? “Did you incur someone’s wrath? Be careful. The slums are crawling with brutes.”

“Yeah.” Ebel’s response to her warning was perfunctory. Her eyes were focused on the needle at the time, so she didn’t catch the look on his face. After pausing a moment, he softly divulged, “It appears one of the people I confronted during my patrols is a tad ornery. He occasionally sics his hired dogs on me.”

“You have my condolences. Why don’t you cut back on your patrols some?”

“Hearing you worry for me makes me one happy man,” Ebel purred, as if his happiness came from the heart, but it didn’t seem as though he intended to listen to her advice. “You live here. I want to make this district safe and peaceful for your sake as well.” His tone gave away his unwavering will of steel.

“I can’t even picture safe and peaceful slums,” Rock remarked without sarcasm.

The majority of the residents weren’t bad people, but it was a chaotic town where the meaning of freedom was often misunderstood. That was exactly why a country girl like Rock could run a business within the imperial capital. It wasn’t the best place in the world to live, but it was considered the last place where people who had no alternative could go to eke out a living.

A titled member of nobility like the count shouldn’t have any reason to loiter around the area to the point of exposing his identity.

“…Oh, that gives me an idea on what to do about your next clothing order.” Suddenly striking upon a golden idea, Rock suggested it to Ebel. “A cloak with a cowl to cover your face might be better than a doublet. If you insist on continuing your patrols, that is.”

“Good idea. I’m growing weary of running into trouble every time I go for a walk in these parts.” Ebel instantly approved of the idea. “Please take the appropriate measurements in the near future.”

“Sure. I will be waiting for you at my shop.” The conversation they held during their last measurement session vividly replayed in the back of her mind. Ebel seemed to have learned his lesson, so it shouldn’t happen again…

“After all, I need concealing clothes so I can invite you out to eat again,” he exclaimed, his voice filled with enthusiasm that didn’t help his case.

“Please don’t get the wrong idea… I only joined you for dinner to discuss work,” Rock stressed, but Ebel neither agreed nor disagreed with her.

After that exchange, he studiously watched Rock work in silence.

Before long, Rock finished the nearly invisible slip stitch and passed the shirt back to Ebel. “The hole shouldn’t stand out now. Please check for yourself.”

Ebel accepted the shirt and looked over where the tear had formed in the collar. The hole had been neatly mended to the point where it was invisible even when he brought it up to his eyes.

“Your skill impresses me every time, Rock. Commendable work.”

“Any tailor can pull off a slip stich,” Rock said humbly as she put away her sewing kit.

Deeply impressed by her abilities, Ebel scrutinized the shirt. “You know that isn’t true. With your skills, you could become His Imperial Majesty the Emperor’s personal tailor.”

“Th-There you go joking around again…”

To Rock, the emperor who resided in his castle within the imperial capital was a godlike existence. She highly doubted she’d ever have the opportunity to even lay her eyes upon His Imperial Majesty in her lifetime.

“Of course, then you would be out of reach for me,” Ebel said, discouraged, his tone lacking any hint of a joke. “I don’t want to hand you over to anyone, even His Imperial Majesty the Emperor.” Before Rock could object, he smoothly flowed into the next topic: “By the way, what do I owe you for the mend?”

“You don’t owe me anything for it.” She shook her head, still hung up on what they’d been discussing.

Ebel scrunched up his face. “We can’t have that. You shouldn’t sell your work short.”

“But the tear happened the same day you received it. I can’t accept extra money for it,” she said, rejecting him again.

She had already taken in more than enough money from his earlier payment. Mending fell under the realm of customer service. Doing this much for her best customer was more of a gain than a loss.

“It would make me happier if you wear it with care instead.”

“Of course. I’ll treasure these clothes,” he promptly agreed.

This was the same man who turned blue in the face just by getting a small tear in his shirt—she believed him when he said that.

“Also…,” Rock started, keeping her customer service charm turned on, “I am glad you are unharmed. You would have been cut if you weren’t wearing the clothes I made.”

Clothing was originally created to protect the human body. The garments Rock tailored served their rightful purpose that night.

Her remark was meant to be a calculating one. One said to prevent Ebel from growing upset over a tear forming in his shirt after having it for less than half a day, and to lure him into happily returning to shop with her again. Yet once the words left her tongue, she felt oddly embarrassed and lowered her head.

That was why she didn’t see Ebel’s reaction.

A second later, she couldn’t lift her head—Ebel had tightly wrapped his arms around her.

“Wah! Wh-What are—”

He tightened his grip so much it cut off Rock’s raised voice and locked her in his embrace. Ebel hadn’t put his shirt back on yet. She was pressed up against his bare chest, where she heard his soaring heartbeat directly through his warm skin.

There was nowhere to run on top of the lookout tower. Captured where she sat beside him, Rock froze in place from the fright.

“As I thought, I want you,” Ebel whispered sweetly in Rock’s ear as he clasped her to his chest. “I don’t mind if you are a man. What you are has no bearing on my feelings. Please be mine.”

Rock’s earlobes were tickled by his warm breath as he beseeched her to accept him. Instantly rendered motionless, she leaned against his chest, dazed.

“U-Um, er… We already covered that…earlier today.” She struggled to move her twisted tongue to form an answer for him. “I don’t intend to be in love. I cannot return your feelings.”

“In that case, I shall continue to inquire until you can respond to them,” Ebel firmly replied. “I’ll give up if you have someone else in your life. But if you don’t, then who’s to say what the future holds? If you ever decide you want to be in a relationship, I hope I am who you choose to be your partner.”

His ardent love confession confused and intoxicated Rock.

Plus, this was her first time being in contact with a man’s bare skin for this long. With no memories of being hugged by her father, the male body was an unknown realm for her. His muscled chest firmly held her, and the heat radiating from his skin felt as if it were going to melt her where they touched.

“I don’t want to let any other woman—or man—touch you.” Ebel’s hand brushed Rock’s waist and followed her hip bone. Gooseflesh sprung up on her skin from more than just the unfamiliar sensation.

“U-Um, ummm, even if you say that…” She was going to lose her head if she stayed with him any longer.

Sensing the danger, Rock abruptly shoved away from Ebel’s chest. It had seemed as though he’d been tightly embracing her, but his arms easily slipped away, freeing her. When she spotted the fervent yearning in his face, she impulsively shouted, “This is a first for me! I don’t understand how it works! Sorry!”

It took everything she had left to say that.

Rock moved on impulse then. She slid her way down the roof to the inside of the outlook tower and descended the ladder to the ground with trembling legs. Wanting nothing more than to race into the safety of her room, she bolted into the dark, tripping and stumbling.

“Rock!”

She pretended not to hear Ebel calling for her to stop.

Rock just ran. Back to her sanctuary she scurried.

♚♚♚

CALLING the slums her playground wasn’t empty boasting—Rock arrived at her building despite running senselessly.

She lived in a tiny room she rented on the second floor of a shady antique store. The building was located one backstreet away from Market Street, where Floria Clothes Shop was. It didn’t get great sun exposure, but the rent was cheap. Phoebe lived in the neighborhood and frequently dropped by.

Did Phoebe already go home? The thought crossed Rock’s mind, but she didn’t particularly want to see her right now. She didn’t want even Phoebe to see her face right now.

“Of course I’d be startled by his actions…” Something inside her snapped when she made it to her room, and she collapsed to her knees in front of the door. Her hammering heart and flushed cheeks were the result of running all this way. “How do I handle this…?”

Not even Rock understood why she muttered those words to herself.

For a while after that, she stayed crouched on the floor with her head between her knees without entering her room.

So she didn’t notice the figure watching over her from a different rooftop.

Till the very end, she never became aware of the figure in the properly worn white shirt who’d chased her all the way here from the lookout tower and who was wholly relieved when he saw her finally rise and enter her room.

Then he, too, turned on his heel and, surprisingly happy, made his long trek home.