"So lively."
About an hour later, Emilia and Ram entered the town. Shouts from vendors echoed through the streets, mixed with cheerful calls and laughter. The bustling atmosphere made it clear that this place was full of life.
Instinctively, Emilia tugged her cloak tighter, carefully covering her long silver hair and pointed ears. Her gaze wandered across the stalls lining both sides of the street, her eyes filled with curiosity and quiet yearning. Fresh fruit, colorful fabrics, and unfamiliar trinkets caught her attention one after another.
Yet despite her interest, she could only admire everything from a distance. With her appearance, blending into the crowd was impossible.
"Emilia sama, I will go handle matters with the supplier first," Ram said calmly.
"You can look around for a bit, but we must meet back here in two hours."
Ram's tone was meticulous and businesslike. This trip was not just an outing. She truly had work to attend to.
Emilia nodded lightly. "Mm."
Beneath her cloak, her smile bloomed, gentle and bright. She knew Ram had already seen through her excuse. Still, Ram said nothing more.
The two parted ways. Emilia wandered cautiously through the town streets while Ram headed off to conduct her business.
Neither of them noticed that everything was being quietly observed by a pair of amethyst‑colored eyes.
Before long, a small object rolled across the stone road and stopped near Emilia's feet. It was a ballpoint pen.
She paused, bent down, and picked it up. A few words were engraved along its surface.
"Gifted by a dear friend to Uranus An."
It was clearly something precious.
Emilia glanced around at the passing crowd, suddenly flustered. Holding the pen tightly, she gathered her courage and stepped forward.
"Excuse me, did you drop this?"
"No."
"I'm sorry."
"Um, excuse me, is this yours?"
"Excuse me…"
She asked again and again, her voice growing softer as time passed. After nearly half an hour, Emilia felt her throat dry from speaking. She retreated into a small alley and sat down on a set of stone steps, wiping sweat from her forehead.
Just then, a cold bottle was held out in front of her.
Emilia blinked in surprise.
She followed the bottle upward and met a warm, bright smile. The man's eyes were an unusual amethyst color, shining like polished gemstones. It was hard not to be drawn into them.
"F for me?"
Startled, Emilia instinctively reached up and pulled her hood down further, afraid he might see her face.
"This is a very popular drink from my hometown," Lucien said with an easy smile. "It is called Red Bull."
He glanced at the pen in her hand. "Also, that pen belongs to me. It is very important. Could you please return it?"
His tone was gentle, but there was a hint of urgency beneath it.
"Ah, I'm sorry."
Emilia stood up in a panic and hurried to hand the pen back. At that moment, a sudden gust of wind swept through the alley. Her hood was blown aside.
Silver hair spilled down like moonlight, and her blue‑violet eyes reflected the sunlight clearly. Startled, Emilia hurriedly pulled her hood back into place.
Lucien did not avert his gaze.
"Why hide?" he said softly. "Your hair is beautiful, your eyes are lovely, your ears are delicate, and your face is exquisite."
His voice flowed gently, calm and sincere, as if it could ease any unease.
Emilia clutched her cloak, her heart pounding. Then she froze.
Slowly, she lifted her head. "You… you're not afraid of me?"
"Why would I be afraid?" Lucien replied, tilting his head slightly in genuine confusion.
"You saw what I look like, didn't you?" Emilia whispered.
"And then?" Lucien sat down beside her, completely relaxed.
"I'm a half‑elf," Emilia said hesitantly. "And I also… I…"
"You resemble the Jealous Witch?" Lucien said calmly.
Emilia pulled her hood even lower.
"You are you," Lucien continued gently. "What others think does not matter. I know you are kind, just like my dear friend."
He let out a quiet sigh and offered her the drink again. "This drink helps refresh the mind. I am not sure how it works for mages, though."
Emilia hesitated, then accepted it. She took a cautious sip.
"Well?" Lucien asked with a smile. "How does it taste?"
"Mm."
Her eyes brightened. The flavor was strange, but refreshing, unlike anything she had tasted before.
Lucien then spoke again, his tone softening. "Could you give me the pen now? It is a very important memory to me."
There was sorrow in his expression, his eyes dimming slightly.
"Ah… I'm sorry."
Emilia quickly handed it back.
Lucien held the pen carefully, almost reverently. "To others, this may seem ordinary. To me, it is more important than life itself."
"It must have belonged to someone very important," Emilia said quietly, feeling a pang of empathy.
"Yes," Lucien nodded. "It was left to me by my closest friend."
He met her gaze sincerely. "This pen saved my life. If I had lost it, I do not know if I could have continued living."
Emilia listened intently.
"He told me that one day, this pen would guide me to the person who would walk through life with me. Someone even more important than my own life." Lucien smiled faintly. "I believe I have found her."
"Ah…"
It took Emilia a moment to realize he was looking directly at her.
"No, that's not… I'm not…" She waved her hands in a panic, her words tumbling over each other.
"Whether you are or not, I must repay you," Lucien said earnestly. "You returned my most important memory. My name is Lucien Graves. Please allow me to repay you."
Emilia was completely stunned.
"I once had a dear friend named Kyojuro," Lucien continued. "During a disaster, he sacrificed himself for me. This pen is all he left behind."
"For you, picking it up may have been a small act. For me, you saved a life. Mine."
"Please do not refuse. From now on, I will protect you. I swear it by this pen."
"But…" Emilia felt overwhelmed by the weight of his words.
At that moment, small sparkles gathered near her chest and formed into a tiny spirit.
"Liya."
"Puck, you're awake," Emilia said, relief flooding her voice.
"A spirit?" Lucien said, genuinely surprised.
"I apologize," Puck said, floating beside Emilia. "My child can be a bit clumsy."
"No," Lucien replied without hesitation. "I think she is the cutest girl in the world."
Puck froze. Emilia's face instantly turned red.
"You are not afraid of her?" Puck asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Why would I be?" Lucien replied calmly. "Kyojuro was also a spirit. Spirits are kinder and gentler than most races. I searched many lands to find others like him."
He looked at Emilia once more. "Perhaps this pen guided me here. I truly believe this meeting was fate."