~Lugh and Maha’s Encounter~
Everything was stolen from me.
“In order to trust someone, you must first doubt them.”
Whenever I was having a hard time, I recalled my father’s favorite phrase.
He was an excellent merchant. Leaving his small hometown to find work, he ended up founding a company that grew very successful in only a single generation.
Father’s belief was that “in order to trust someone, you must first doubt them.”
It was impossible to unconditionally trust another person. First, it was best to be wary of them. Only decide to trust them once they’d done enough to earn it.
Blindly trusting others wasn’t a virtue—it was simple carelessness.
I think those words are the reason I’m alive today.
… Through a plot orchestrated by Father’s right-hand man, my parents were both killed.
They’d been on the way to an important business meeting when their carriage was assaulted by a large group of thieves.
The thieves knew ahead of time when the carriage was coming, and they waited for it in full armor. The escort Father hired had also turned out to be entirely made up of disguised thieves.
There was no way that was a coincidence. It was a plot by Father’s right-hand man to take over the company.
After the funeral, that man approached me and started crying over my father’s demise. He hugged me, saying that he would protect me and the company.
I’d just lost my parents, and he was a friend of Father’s and an acquaintance of mine, so I put my head to his chest and cried.
I doubted his intentions nonetheless. If I’d really believed his words, I probably would’ve been killed, too.
In the midst of my despair, I still managed to recall my father’s most important lesson.
I didn’t have a family. The only person I had to rely on was this man, Father’s friend and former adjutant.
I resisted the temptation to entrust myself to him and did some investigating. Through that, I discovered that he was the one who killed my parents, and in order to take the company, he was going to kill me next.
So I ran.
I barely got away. He’d assigned a guard to watch me, one who didn’t hesitate to try to kill me once he saw I was running. If I didn’t have mana, I doubt I would have been able to escape.
Father had always told me to hide my mana.
Being a mage came with a variety of perks, but in exchange, you ended up saddled with a lot of responsibility. If I was to inherit the company someday, it was far better for me to hide my mana. Concealing it had been the thing that saved my life.
I escaped the guard, took all the money I could hold, disguised myself as a simple town girl, and headed for the large city of Milteu, where I hoped I wouldn’t be found.
A bit of fortune found me as I purchased goods from a traveling merchant for higher than market price, and I was given a ride in his carriage in exchange.
“I’ll be back someday,” I said while hiding among the merchant’s goods as the carriage left town.
I wanted to protect Father’s company, but it was due to the education my parents had given me that I knew I had to leave.
My safety could never have been guaranteed in that town. No matter what I did, I surely would’ve been killed.
If I wanted to protect my father’s company, I had no choice but to run to prolong my life, and return once I’d become stronger.
That’s why I left.
Gathering my resolve, I swore to myself that I’d focus on becoming stronger in Milteu, then return to my hometown someday to take back Father’s company.
Life in Milteu was rough.
Even though I had knowledge as a merchant, no one would hire a child without any relatives.
One night a burglar broke into the cheap inn I was staying at and stole all of my possessions aside from my wallet, which I’d made sure never to let go of.
That unfortunate event ended up lighting a fire under me, inspiring me to start a new business using the street children who lived in the slums.
I gathered orphans, picking the smart ones who could read and write, and used the money I had on hand to get them some nice clothes. Then I had them act as tour guides.
I sent the kids in the best physical shape into the mountains to collect snow and ice from the caves in summer, and firewood in the winter.
Milteu was a large city and saw a lot of tourists. As such, there ended up being a demand for the exhaustive knowledge of the city that street children could provide.
One thing I was surprised to discover was how knowledgeable the kids were about good restaurants in the city, thanks to all the garbage they regularly rooted through while looking for their next meal.
The snow and ice we sold in the summer ended up being popular products, and there was high demand for the firewood in the winter. I sold our products below market price to target the poorer population of Milteu, which led to some impressive sales.
I was able to run a reasonably successful business employing kids I found on the streets.
If you had the ability to read demand and put your employees in the right place to succeed, then you could run a business. Father’s teachings ended up saving me.
When everyone reaches adulthood, I’ll start a small company… That was the naive dream I’d started clinging to.
Unfortunately, things soon went bad for my business, thanks to philanthropic efforts seeking to give aid to orphans.
After receiving some sudden inspiration, Count Milteu’s wife took an interest in welfare and started to invest large sums of surplus tax revenue into relief for the poor.
Orphanages started to pop up all over town, each one after the large subsidies being offered. Thus, orphan hunting began. My street children were the first to be targeted, and we were all sent to orphanages. That marked the end of my business.
Just like that, my naive dream was over.
Life at the orphanage was miserable, and that was putting it mildly.
It was so awful that my time spent with the other kids on the street seemed like heaven in comparison.
As the orphanage was opened for the sole purpose of reaping the benefits, the director, unsurprisingly, thought of nothing other than reducing maintenance costs. All he needed to do was keep the children alive to ensure they could keep lining their pockets.
We were given the cheapest food imaginable, all of which tasted horrible.
Children were regularly beat to silence them when they were loud, and the abuse only got worse from there. It was an everyday occurrence to see children bound and gagged with rags stuffed into their mouths.
There was only one other adult working at my orphanage, probably to keep labor costs low.
His sole job was to keep watch. He wasn’t tasked with educating or taking care of the children in any way. The kids had to do all of the chores and look after the smaller children themselves. We were even forced to take on various odd jobs, and any who dragged their feet at work were hit. Any money we earned went straight into the pockets of the orphanage.
Once the good-looking children were deemed mature enough, they were forced to start taking customers.
A girl one year older than me named Noine returned to the orphanage one day and, likely because she’d been so traumatized by a client, took a knife and slashed her face repeatedly so that no customer would ever approach her again.
She’d been such a beautiful girl, but after that, she was unrecognizable.
Some children tried to escape, but that wasn’t tolerated.
If the number of children in the orphanage dropped, so would the subsidies. Such a thing would incur the wrath of the director.
A failed escape attempt meant a kid would be mutilated both to ensure they would never be able to run again and to serve as an example to the others.
Nothing had ever made me hate my own powerlessness more.
Violence and fear ruled that place. My intelligence, and everything Father had taught me as a merchant, was worthless there.
While doing laundry in the garden one day, I overheard the director and the guard speaking.
“Do you think Maha will be able to take customers soon? Lately I’ve been getting the urge to pin her down and take her myself.”
“That’s a great idea, boss. She’s a real looker, and a virgin, too. She’s sure to fetch a good price. I’m reaching out to the perverts in the nobility who like them young.”
“Hmm, don’t give her away for cheap. Virgins can sell pretty high. Her price will drop if she’s too scrawny, though, so make sure to feed her a well-balanced diet.”
“Don’t worry—I’ve been doing just that. She’s already starting to put on a little meat.”
“Once she sells, I might have a go at her. Sounds like she’s growing into a fine young girl.”
Feeling like I might scream, I covered my mouth with my hand and sat down on the ground.
They were going to make me take clients. Just thinking about it was making me sick, and I couldn’t help but picture Noine, her face slashed beyond recognition.
I can’t end up like that. I won’t end up like that , I thought, but I knew I didn’t want to take clients, either.
Unless I escaped, I’d be forced to suffer something terrible. There are no words to describe how scared I was.
No one at the orphanage knew I had mana. Regardless of how big and scary the adults were, if I could take them by surprise, I was sure I could get away.
I made a plan, devoting all of my time to preparation. I had to escape before they made me do the unspeakable.
Careful not to give away that I knew anything, I did my best to act as I usually did. There was no telling what they’d do to me if my scheme was discovered.
The night of my breakout had arrived.
A frenzy suddenly fell upon the orphanage.
Apparently, the son of the head of the Balor Company, who also happened to be one of the company’s executives, was coming to the orphanage and looking to adopt.
Other children were excitedly talking about how if he found someone he liked, he’d adopt them and have them work at the Balor Company. Not only would the child who got adopted be able to escape this nightmare, but they’d also be set up with a job at the biggest company in the city.
This was the chance of a lifetime, the rope dangling down to the bottom of a pit. Everyone was abuzz, discussing ways to appeal to the visitor.
If I was chosen, I could get out without taking any risks. Working at a big company was also very appealing. Saving up money would put me toward the goal of getting my father’s company back, plus it would afford me some invaluable experience.
Was it really all right for me to be chosen, though?
I had mana, a power that gave me a chance of escape. I’d already been working on a plan to run away. The other children didn’t have that option. Without mana, they had no hope of getting out of here.
I let out a long sigh, looked at the ceiling, and decided that I would do my best not to catch the Balor Company man’s eye. It was better to leave that opportunity to one of the other kids.
For a moment, I wondered if I’d become too soft. I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for all the other children stuck in this wretched place with me.
Later on, the rumored executive of the Balor Company arrived at the orphanage.
Everyone was surprised to discover that the executive turned out to be a young boy the same age I was.
I was struck by how handsome he was. He wasn’t just good-looking—he also had a certain elegance about him, and he radiated confidence.
“He’s my prince,” I muttered without thinking. I understood that he was special and that he was cut from a different cloth than I was.
Other kids quickly got over the shock of his age and hastily swarmed him, each one begging to be chosen.
“My name is Illig Balor. I’m looking for someone who could be my future assistant. Please tell me about yourselves.”
The prospect of working so closely with a major player at the biggest company in the city only made the children more excited.
I watched the scene play out a few steps behind the other kids, while the greedy director fawned over the boy. He was probably offering a lot of money for the adoption. The director acted like that only toward people who were going to fill his pockets.
The boy closely examined the children one by one, asking each of them questions. He was well-mannered and had a wonderful smile. All the girls were looking at him as though he were a prince who’d come to whisk them away.
I was tempted to go to him, but I just stayed back and watched.
Then, after a little time passed, the prince pushed his way through the crowd of children and walked straight up to me. Looking me up and down with those unusual eyes of his, he smiled at me. My heart pounded in my chest.
“I found you. I have need of your strength. Will you come with me?”
He extended a hand…and I grabbed it.
Even though I’d said to myself that I wouldn’t steal this chance from the other kids, I’d been unable to resist. I’d taken his hand almost unconsciously.
“Yes, I’d love to.”
I don’t think I’d intended to say yes, but the prince was so much larger than life, so handsome, that he’d stolen my heart before I knew what’d happened.
… I’m sorry , I apologized silently to the other kids.
I needed to do more than that, though. I resolved to one day return to that orphanage and save all of those poor children. With the support of an executive from the Balor Company, that should’ve been possible.
“Director Torran, I want to adopt this girl.”
“An excellent choice. Unfortunately, this girl is a bit of a special case, so I’ll have to double the price we discussed earlier… Actually, no, I’m going to need even more than that.”
“How much are you asking for?”
The director then proceeded to give an outrageously high price. He was probably just trying to start negotiations with a high price, expecting a counter.
That kind of money could buy you multiple slaves.
“Very well. Here you are.”
The prince coolly motioned for his attendant to take out some gold coins and stuffed them into a leather bag. Eyes wide in shock, the director eagerly accepted the money while bowing profusely.
“I-it’s a deal. However, I’m afraid we can’t hand her over just yet. We need to give Maha some time to prepare, so please come back in three days.”
“Understood. See you in three days.”
It wasn’t time to prepare. The director wanted to sell me to some noble for a night to make a little more money while he still could. He likely wanted to have his turn at me himself.
I nearly called out to the prince to save me, but I ended up swallowing the words. The director was glaring daggers at me with bloodshot eyes, warning me not to say anything out of line. Fear gripped me, and I stayed quiet.
The prince looked at me and smiled. It felt like he was telling me that everything would be okay.
“Director Torran, I will come to adopt her in three days, but our contract is complete, and I am now her guardian. Make sure not to forget that.”
“Of course, my good sir. I’ll treat her with the utmost care.”
It was a lie, of course. Once again, the director was warning me not to say anything. Even without him threatening me, I don’t think I could’ve said anything. I didn’t want the prince to think of me as defiled.
My hunch about why I was detained for three days was quickly proved right.
The very night I’d been adopted, a customer was lined up for me. The director had probably rushed to find a customer because the prince was coming to collect me in a few days.
Unfortunately, my customer was a nobleman, which reduced my chances of escape.
After being washed and dressed up in the nicest clothes I’ve worn since I ran away from home, I was loaded into a horse-drawn carriage.
The guard and the director sat next to me. Unless I did something, I was going to be raped.
My customer was the same person who’d treated poor Noine so horribly that she’d mutilated her own face afterward.
All of the kids who’d been forced to take clients always said that nobles were the roughest.
I’m scared, I’m scared, I’m scared.
All I had to do was endure this for three days, and then I could be with the prince. The image of his face came to mind. I couldn’t stand the thought of being violated before I went to him.
It really wasn’t like me to have such thoughts; they made me feel like a young maiden out of a fairy tale. I’d been focused on survival for so long that I’d forgotten those kinds of emotions. While I began to wonder what had changed in me, I quickly realized the answer.
It was love at first sight.
Honestly, I was surprised at myself for still being capable of such a feeling. It certainly explained the strange thoughts I was having.
I thought that if I managed to jump out the carriage window, ran to the first Balor Company store I could find, and then called his name, the people there would surely help me.
I had two choices. The first was to do as I was told and go to the prince in three days. The second was to risk danger and go to my prince still a maiden.
To me, the decision was easy.
“It’s a shame,” the director said with a sigh. “If that boy had only come a month later, I could’ve had my fill of this girl.”
“…!”
The director reached over and rubbed my leg with his greasy fingers. I pretended to be scared so I wouldn’t tip them off. Meanwhile, I measured the best time to escape.
The carriage turned on the road and swayed, causing both the director and the guard to lose their balance and tip to one side.
It was the best chance I was ever going to get. I opened the window and leaped out.
As I landed, I rolled along the ground to soften the impact. My dress was ruined in the process, but I didn’t care. I even ripped the skirt to make it easier to run.
During my time working with other street urchins, I’d gained plenty of physical training, and I’d learned the back alleys of Milteu very well.
There was no reason to hide my mana now, so I ran with all my power. Sadly, it wasn’t long before I was caught.
“How…?” I gasped.
I’d run into an alley but was able to make only two turns before the guard from the orphanage had caught up to me. No normal person should’ve been able to do that.
“You weren’t the only one hiding your mana, little girl. Awww, I’ll have to punish you for ruining your dress like that. Hyuk-hyuk-hyuk, not even the director will see us here. As long as I don’t leave a mark, I can do whatever I like. I’m always getting stuck with the director’s leftovers, so it’ll be nice to break one in myself for a change.”
This was terrible. Trying to escape into an alley had backfired.
The guard swung his arm at me as hard as he could, and I closed my eyes to brace myself for the impact. To my surprise, the strike never came.
I slowly opened my eyes and saw that someone had caught the guard’s arm.
“Y-you little bastard…”
“I believe I made myself quite clear. ‘Our contract is complete, and I am now her guardian. Make sure not to forget that.’ Maha is my little sister. What exactly were you about to do to her?”
My prince was there, standing right before my eyes. The guard cowered at the boy’s glare alone and backed away.
“How did you…?” I managed to say.
“When I left, I could see your eyes begging me to save you, so I did a little research on Torran. It didn’t take long for me to realize his intentions, so I kept an eye on you.”
I was suddenly overcome with emotion, and my heart began to beat dramatically.
“But that was dangerous,” I said.
“It may have been, but you’re part of my family now. Family members protect each other.” The prince let go of the guard’s arm and stood in position to protect me. “Let’s get out of here.” He draped a coat over me and smiled.
Suddenly aware of my state of dress, I looked away shyly.
The guard was standing there paralyzed. He seemed unsure if it was okay for him to hit an executive of the Balor Company. Then the director appeared in the alleyway, and I stifled a gasp.
“Well, this is problematic. Your adoption of Maha was supposed to be three days from now,” he said.
“I don’t like being made to repeat myself. This girl is a part of my family. I won’t overlook her being endangered,” the prince replied.
“… Then you leave me no choice. I already have your money, so I don’t need to kiss your ass anymore. I’ll put you in your place, you little shit!”
“Y-you sure about this, boss? Illig Balor is the son of the head of the Balor Company. This’ll make us enemies of theirs.”
“You think I care? I’ll just make him disappear. I’ll sell him off in some foreign country as a male prostitute!”
The guard sneered at the villainous proposal. Clearly, he was glad for any justification to beat on the prince.
“Please run. That guy is a mage!” I pleaded.
“Yes, I know.” The prince seemed surprisingly calm despite my warning.
He easily dodged the guard’s punch and lightly brought his arms down on the guard’s shoulders.
With a dull sound, the guard’s shoulder joints separated, and the prince rammed into him while he was off-balance. He then stepped on the guard’s knee, causing it to bend in a direction no knee rightly should have.
“GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!” the guard screamed, writhing in pain.
The prince turned to the director and smiled. He closed the distance between them in an instant and pressed a knife against his throat. A line of blood trickled down the director’s throat where the knife pricked him.
The director couldn’t even manage a response.
“E-eek…”
“I never had any need to make a deal with you, you know. I could just as easily take her by force… To be honest, force is where I excel.” The prince was smiling the whole time, but I could feel some kind of cold, dark aura emanating from him. It sent a chill down my spine.
The director, facing such a fearsome sensation head-on, wet his pants and was unable to move or respond.
“All right, Maha, let’s go home. I already have a room prepared for you.” The prince reached out his hand to me again, just like he had at the orphanage.
One thing I was certain of now was that this boy was not normal. If I took his hand, I’d cease being normal, too.
“Take me away, my prince.”
But I didn’t look back.
No matter how unusual he was, I fully believed I’d be happy anywhere as long as I was with him.
First, I had to doubt him, though. I would have to investigate who and what this boy was. Only then would I decide if he really was worthy of trust.
He may have been my prince and the savior I’d so longed for, but I still needed to be sure. That’s what my father had taught me, and that ideal is what had kept me alive through all my troubles.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login