As Holly raised an eyebrow and glared at him, the blond man muttered incomprehensibly at the growling voice.
âWhen did you fall for itâŠâ
She reached into the paper bag she was holding in her arms and tossed it wherever she caught and hard bread, rag dolls, and fake jewelry flew through the air. The man was speechless as he was avoiding the unruly, merciless attack.
âWait.â
When he avoided all the attacks with little movement of his body, Holly gritted her teeth and tossed the apple again. But even that, the blonde man grabbed with his hand.
After she rolled up the paper bag and threw it, she had nothing more to throw.
âListen to me! There seems to be a misunderstandingâŠâ
âWhat does he mean thereâs a misunderstanding?â
Her eyes widened as she bit her lip and glared at the man. The man looked puzzled when she looked surprised as she stared into the void.
âHuh?â
She raised her hand and pointed at the manâs back. While the man reflexively turned to where she pointed, Holly didnât miss the opportunity.
âPerverts should be nipped in the bud.â
No matter how nimble a man was, he could not avoid the attack when she threw her body with all her might. The blond man was taken aback when he saw Holly suddenly approaching him and she took the opportunity to grab the manâs collar and pull it.
The next moment, she raised her knees and attacked the man.
ââŠ.!â
The man whose vital part was taken with her knee couldnât even scream. He stared at Holly in disbelief, eyes wide on his pale, pale face.
âIf youâre going to knee at anyone, wouldnât it be better to just destroy it all?â
She gazed down at the man and twitched her lips.
The blond man reached out to her, looking at her with a face contorted in pain. However, Holly, who twisted her body to avoid it, ran out of the alley.
Drap, drap, drap.
Meanwhile, a man with light blue hair crossed her into the alley so Holly couldnât see him as she ran frantically.
The sky-blue haired man paused for a moment and stared at her as she walked away. At last, when she was hidden among the people and out of sight, he took his steps again. He then went to the side of the blond man, who was trembling with pain, and patted him on the bent waist.
âDid you ask me to give you time because you just wanted to end up like this?â
The blond manâs body trembled at the words mixed with a sigh. It was a different look from a moment ago when he was shaking in pain.
âSheâs a complete madwoman, that oneâŠ!â
Tears welled up in the blond manâs eyes.
The blue-haired man moved his gaze into the alley. First, a large man who had been kicked by Holly was rolling on the floor, clutching his groin. All he saw was she leaping at his colleague, followed by the blond man falling. Still, he was able to picture the situation a little while ago.
âIn my eyes, she looks like an apostle of justice.â
The blue-haired man removed his hand from his colleagueâs shoulders, feeling that his colleagueâs condition had improved.
âBadin!â
The blond man glared fiercely at the blue-haired man, Bardin. Because of his fine appearance, it did not have much effect.
âSo, what are you going to do now?â
Bardin asked with an indifferent look.
âIt is head-to-head. I will definitely remove that strange woman from His Highnessâ side!â
As Badin watched his colleague clenching his fists and burning his will to fight, he glanced back at the alley entrance Holly passed by. Cahillâs face, smiling for the first time in his life, came to mind.
ââŠI donât think so.â
âWhat did you say?â
The blond man reacted terribly to the low muttering.
âNo, nothing.â
Bardin shook his head with tired eyes. He hoped that he wouldnât get caught up in the tiring business.
* * *
Holly couldnât stop running even though she apologized to the people she bumped into in the middle. Perhaps the man would come after her, so she looked back and gritted her teeth.
âWhy am I always being chased?â
Both in Centuria and Sharif. Now she was being chased even in the green village where they didnât know anyone. At this point, she wondered if running away was her destiny.
âGasp, Cahill⊠is back, right?â
Holly ran frantically, not knowing where she was going, thinking of the only person who could help her. Then someone grabbed her arm.
âAgainâŠâ
Caught in the arm, she closed her mouth and reflexively stretched out her leg though she was caught by the opponent even on that leg.
Caught, Holly struggled desperately to get out.
âWhatâs the matter? What happenedâŠ?â
As if not wanting to let go, the other person wrapped his arms behind her back and hugged her tightly.
When the familiar body scent hit her nose, Holly, who was struggling to free herself from the tight grip, stopped her movement. She suddenly raised her head to see Cahill staring at her with his usually languid face.
All of a sudden, the tenseness drained from her body.
âHaaâŠÂ It is you.â
âWhy are you panting so much? What have you been doing?â
Doubt crept into Cahillâs eyes as he watched Holly lean on him like collapsing. He groped her legs over the skirt, examining her with open eyes but there was no stickiness in his hand like usual.
âItâs because I ran. A strange person keeps chasing after me.â
It was only did Holly realized that one of her legs was wrapped around his waist so she pushed Cahillâs hand out of her leg and stood upright on her legs.
âA strange person? A man?â
As Cahill tucked her sweaty hair back, she nodded her head.
âHandsome?â
Those words reminded Holly of the man who had been bullying her all day. Brilliant blonde hair and blue eyes⊠when she first saw him, she seemed to think that he looked like a prince.
As soon as she raised her eyes in affirmation, she saw Cahill looking at her with calm eyes. As she gazed at a color more mysterious than jewels, the blonde manâs face, which was clear in her mind, became blurred.
âNo more than you.â
With those words, a bright smile spread across Cahillâs face. She could feel the people passing by stop and stare.
âWhat⊠Heâs acting like someone whoâs only been told heâs handsome once or twice.â
She thought he had gotten used to his violent appearance, but that belief collapsed with his smile. As she stared at him with half-open eyes, Cahill smiled contentedly and stroked her hair.
ââŠWhat?â
Holly frowned, unable to bear the tickle, but he didnât look angry because of his flushed face.
âYou did well when I didnât follow you.â
Cahill uttered in an excited voice.
âI am not some child. I told you I wonât follow people you donât know.â
She grumbled unfairly. There was no energy in that voice. It was because she thought that she might have been taken by that man.
âIf he was more handsome than me, you might have followed him.â
âWhat do you see me asâŠâ
At that, she replied, dumbfounded by his laugh. Her heart, which seemed to burst with fear earlier, calmed down while she was talking to him.
âAre you done with your business?â
Cahill, who had been watching her, changed the topic. Holly suddenly thought that he might have been trying to calm her down with silly things.
âYes. I guess they didnât come here.â
It wasnât a good memory to recall, so she matched the rhythm with him.
âThen, there is no need to stay here any longer?â
âIt is, but⊠even if we have to leave, letâs go when the sun rises tomorrow.â
Until recently, she wanted to leave right away, but now she only wanted to rest her tired body. She lost all the things she bought while wandering around the market, so she had to buy new ones. Lately, she kept wasting money, so her mouth was bitter as her anger toward the blond man was about to rekindle.
âThen, letâs go back and rest.â
Cahill put his arm around her shoulder as his eyes twinkled. The ârestâ didnât seem to have a pure meaning.
Knowing it, Holly nodded her head.
âGuest!â
She was about to step away when a restless voice came from behind her. The two turned their heads at the same time. There, a vendor near the stall where they were standing was looking at Cahill with longing eyes.
âOh, right.â
Cahill, who identified the owner of the voice, spoke as if he had forgotten.
âI have to buy this.â
He turned his foot to the stall he had been watching until he met Holly and picked up one of the packages from among the stacks. The merchant, who had received gold coins from him, could not erase his embarrassment.