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"Who are you, woman, and why did you intrude upon our town?" a soldier asked me as he pushed me to the ground.
'Great Maven, what should I do?' I asked the system using my mind.
[Based on my data, you have three options. First, tell them the truth. Second, lie to them. And third, remain silent.] Great Maven provided me with options, but it seemed like these statements from the system wouldn't be of much help to me.
"Well, what would happen if they catch me lying?" I asked again.
[Adventurers in the Stone Mist District are known for their short tempers. You might get into trouble if you're not careful about what you say.]
Oh dear. I might need to call upon a saint!
"What's your answer?!" the soldier yelled at me.
"What's happening?" We both looked towards the man who had just arrived, dressed in fine attire, looking like he came from a wealthy family upon closer inspection.
"Young Master Greed." The soldiers bowed as Greed arrived before returning to their positions. "We caught this woman wandering in our town, and it seems she's not from our continent," the soldier named Greed said.
"The witness who saw her is here." The soldier turned to the elder behind me.
Oh no. This old man is trouble!
It seems like I've just come back to life only to face death again.
The old man also knelt down when Greed looked at him.
"What the old man says, Young Master Greed, is true. It's suspicious that this woman knows nothing about our continent. She might be a spy!" he accused.
Greed then turned to look at me.
"Is what he's accusing you of true?" Greed asked me.
Here comes the trouble?!?!
The sharpness in his gaze makes it seem like he wants to kill me right away.
'What should I say?' I shouted in my mind, but Great Maven wasn't responding to me anymore. At this moment, it seems I can only rely on myself.
"I'll repeat my question, woman. Is what this old man said about you true?" Greed asked me again.
"Yes... but—." I didn't get to finish my sentence before the soldiers grabbed me.
"Let go of me!" I struggled against them. "Yes! What the old man said is true, but I'm not a spy! I— I just can't remember." I defended myself.
"You can't remember?" he asked in surprise.
"Yes, I can't." I lied.
I hope it works.
"If it's proven that you're lying, you could be sentenced to death." Greed smiled wickedly.
"I have no reason to lie to you." I felt anxious because of what Greed said. It seems like Greed reconsidered his words because of what I said.
To prevent him from thinking of other things that could harm me, I made up my own story. "I just found myself in a place I'm not familiar with. Maybe I was kidnapped by unknown people and taken there." I hugged myself tightly.
I just looked at Greed. He turned to the soldiers.
"Release her. She's not a spy. Something might have happened to her, that's why she can't remember." Greed ordered the soldiers holding me.
I breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Greed's orders and words.
"Oh! You can let go of me now." I raised my eyebrows at the soldiers holding me, and they immediately released me. I then looked at the old man who accused me.
"Sorry, Young Master Greed." He still bowed before Greed.
Greed's lips twitched upwards.
"Hmp. Take that old man and imprison him for falsely accusing this woman." Greed pronounced his judgment mercilessly on the old man, which the soldiers promptly followed.
"Wait, he made a mistake. Can't you forgive him?" I pleaded with Greed. I didn't want the old man to get into trouble.
"Sorry, but in this town, forgiveness isn't common. His wrongdoing is clear, so there's no reason not to imprison him." Greed's response was firm.
"But—."
"No 'buts.' If you don't want to see him imprisoned, it's better to accompany him to jail for now." Greed said.
I gritted my teeth at his audacity.
"Do you have anything else to say?" Greed asked with a smile.
"No." I looked away from him and glanced at the old man being led away by the soldiers.
Meanwhile, Greed stood in front of me, tying my fate to him.
"If you truly can't remember, your wandering around our town is very dangerous. You might attract unwanted attention. So, accept my invitation to accompany me," Greed offered his hand to me.
I looked at his hand before shaking my head.
"Sorry—I mean, forgive me, Young Master Greed, but I refuse your offer. I'm already grateful for your defense earlier, so I'm too embarrassed to accept your offer," I replied, hearing his gentlemanly laugh.
Darn. He looks handsome when he laughs!
"That's nothing. As a member of an aristocratic family, it's my duty to take care of my subjects," Greed explained with a smile.
I was impressed. It turns out he possesses kindness.
"It seems I can't refuse, so alright, I agree," I smiled in agreement with Greed.
Stanas Mansion
I looked around at the huge mansion. Indeed, Greed is wealthy. As soon as we entered through the large, ancient door, many servants welcomed us.
"Welcome back, Young Master Greed," the servants greeted us in unison.
"Thank you. Follow me, uh—what's your name?" Greed suddenly asked me.
"Lethe. Lethe Malfori is my name," I replied.
"That's a beautiful name. I've never heard such a name before." Greed seemed to ponder, making me slightly nervous. "Follow me." Greed smiled invitingly before taking my arm, leaving me stunned.
As we walked through the hallway, all the servants we passed by bowed and respected Greed. It seems Greed is truly respected in his town. I couldn't help but regret not being born wealthy this time!
"Sister, you're home already. Who's the girl with you?" We stopped in our tracks as we encountered a beautiful young woman, seemingly my age. She wore a brown dress and expensive jewelry.
"Isabella, this is Lethe, and Lethe, this is my younger sister, Isabella," Greed introduced us with a smile.
Isabella's eyes sparkled as she looked at Greed. I was surprised when Isabella suddenly pulled me away from her older brother for reasons I didn't know.
"Isabella," Greed warned his sister.
"I'll take her with me for now, Greed." Isabella said seriously, pulling me along. I noticed Greed's irritated expression as he watched where we were headed.
"Wait, Young Lady Isabella. Where are we going?" I asked her in surprise.
"I just need to take you away from my brother, Greed, so I can get back at him for what he did to me." Isabella furrowed her brows at me.
It seems I might get involved in this sibling feud.
"How did I get involved in your revenge?" I furrowed my brows in confusion, Isabella sighed and stopped walking.
"Don't you know why Greed brought you here?" She furrowed her brow.
"Perhaps Young Master Greed just wanted to help someone like me," I replied uncertainly, which made Isabella chuckle.
"You're naive if you think that's all he wants from you." Isabella shook her head before continuing, "He just wants to make you his eleventh mistress. You should be thankful he saved you."
I felt taken aback by her words. I thought Greed was a saint for wanting to take me in, but it turns out he planned to use me.
"Thank you," I grinned sarcastically at her, earning a glare from Isabella.
"You stink, where did my brother find you?" She asked, causing me to sniff myself.
Hmm? Do I smell cursed?
I nearly gagged at my own smell.
What did I get myself into?
I continued to follow Isabella, feeling conflicted about my situation.
- Writer
