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Chapter 168 - Visitor From The Past

"Are you going somewhere, Ms. Lecia?" The receptionist asked me.

"Ah, yes. I\'m going out for shopping. Also, I said this before, but you do not need to be so formal with me."

It feels very weird to have someone older than me treat me like their boss. Anemone says that I\'ll get used to it, but I doubt that will happen anytime soon.

Besides, I don\'t want to get used to it.

"Ah, my apologies," Anemone giggled. "It\'s a habit I can\'t seem to get rid of."

"I\'ll get angry if you do this again."

"I will keep that in mind," she giggled again.

"I am serious though…" I couldn\'t help but sigh.

All adults are the same; they never take children seriously.

Hell, even children younger than me don\'t take me any more seriously than the adults. Why is my life like this?

"Anyway, if you need something from the market, just tell me. I\'ll get it for you."

"Uh, no, don\'t worry about that. You must be busy."

"I won\'t be going out myself, so there\'s no need to worry. I\'ll just send one of the errand boys, so you can give the list to me."

"There\'s no need, I\'ll go myself. I also want to get a breath of fresh air."

And I want to get away from this place full of men.

"Hmm, then how about taking someone with you? It\'s dangerous to go out alone at this time."

"Oh, come on, what could even happen in broad daylight?"

It\'s not like someone will try to kidnap me in the middle of the day right in front of me.

"A lot, actually," she replied with a firm tone. "It\'s better to take someone with you."

Why is she so adamant about this…? Does she believe that I\'m too young to go out by myself?

I think I\'m old enough to take care of myself, though.

"I doubt anyone is free enough to accompany me."

As far as I know, all the women I know are busy, and I\'d rather go alone than go with a man.

Unless, it\'s Azell.

"Sir Samur might be free-"

"Oh, hell no! I\'m not going anywhere with him!"

It\'s better to just stay home than go out with that maniac. What if he pulls a gun on me in the name of a joke?

I seriously wonder if I should not have saved him back then.

"…Uh, okay…" her voice trailed off.

Oops.

"Look, I\'m just going out for a bit. In and out in 20 minutes. Nothing will happen."

"But…" she stroked her chin. "Sir Samur told me not to let you go out alone."

He did? Why?

Even a child wants to deprive me of my freedom? Is that really my fate?

"Well, I\'m definitely going out alone now."

"But-"

"Just tell him that I forced you to let me go."

"I\'m not worried about that…" Anemone sighed. "Just stay safe, okay?"

"You can bet on it."

"Stay on the main roads; no alleys. Don\'t talk to strangers unless it\'s the shopkeepers, and come back home by evening."

Home, eh?

"Sheesh, I know, I know. You worry too much."

Is this what it is like to have a mother? If yes, then… it feels really good.

"Hehehehehe…"

I like this warm, fuzzy feeling in my heart.

Coming to this Guild with Mr. Azell was really the best decision I have ever made in my life.

"Hmm?" She frowned.

Oh shoot!

"Oh, nothing. I\'ll see you later," I waved her goodbye and left the building.

I bet she found my laugh creepy. That was awkward.

I left the building and was immediately forced to scowl due to the blinding light.

And not only was it blinding, it was also incredibly hot. It\'s the afternoon, the hottest time of the day, so it makes sense for the sun to bear down so heavily on me, but this is just too much.

It\'s almost like the sun itself doesn\'t want me to go out.

Looks like even the sun wants to restraint my freedom.

"Pfft!"

As if. Something as big as the sun probably wouldn\'t even know that I exist.

Seriously though, why is it so hot?

As I thought, I hate summers.

If it was up to me, I\'d make it so that it was winter all year long. That way, I could just lie in my blanket all day.

Anyway, I need to go to the market. The market is close to \'that\' place.

I kinda don\'t want to go, but I have no choice. I guess I\'ll just stay away from that place.

And so, I started walking down the road.

"The sun is too strong…"

After about 20 minutes, however, I started sweating profusely. My dress disgustingly stuck to my skin.

I seriously might faint from this stupid heat. I should have brought a hat or something.

At this rate, I might not even make it to the market.

"Should I go there…"

On my left was a narrow alley. Because it was surrounded by buildings on both sides, only a little sunlight made it inside thus making it a bit dark.

It should be a lot cooler though than this road though…

No, let\'s not. I promised Anemone that I\'ll keep to the main roads-

"Urk!"

Something suddenly grabbed me and pulled me inside the alley just as I was about to go past it.

"What the hell- ump!"

Before I could scream to ask for help, someone tightly put a hand over my mouth.

Am I being kidnapped? Really? Just like this, in the middle of the day?

Am I really going to lose my freedom again?

No, no, no, no, no, no! I can\'t let that happen! No matter what, I cannot let myself be kidnapped!

Okay, calm down, Lecia, you still got this.

I have the ring and the necklace that Samur gave to us. According to him, in such a situation, I have to call reinforcements first.

Then if I feel that my life might be in danger and the reinforcements will not make it in time, I can just use the necklace.

The problem is that something much more important than my life is in danger.

Alright, I\'ll first use the ring then use the necklace immediately after. If I do so, even that maniac won\'t have anything to complain about.

The guy who had caught hadn\'t bound my hands yet, but it\'ll only be a matter of time before he does. That\'s how they kidnap.

So I tapped the black ring 3 times. When I did, I felt a slight buzzing on my finger. Looks like it send the signal

Now, time for the necklace-

"Hello there, Lecia," suddenly, a man appeared from the shadows of the alley, followed by several other men. "Remember me?"

"T-Tristan…"

Shit, shit, shit, shit! Why is he here?! It could have been anyone, so why him?!

Is he here to take me back? No, I will never let that happen!

I need to get out of here right now! I have to activate the necklace!

However, contrary to my thoughts, my hand didn\'t move.

I tried once again, but the result remained the same.

I tried with all my might, but my hand just didn\'t want to move.

And that\'s when I noticed it; I was trembling. No, I was fiercely shaking.

With every tap of the step that that man, Tristan, took towards me, my body shrank even further and trembled harder. My legs bobbled and my vision clouded.

If not for the man holding me, I would have fallen down.

"No, please, no…" before I could think, my mouth eked out while my eyes cried.

That\'s when it dawned on me. I still feared this man.

I had thought that with the death of my father, I had overcome this fear, but I was so, so wrong.

I need to use the necklace. I have to move my hand and get out of here. Because if I don\'t, I will once again lose everything.

But my body didn\'t listen to me; it stayed unmoving.

Please, move. Just a little bit, just enough to reach for my necklace.

Move, move, move, move, move! I beg of you, move!

Then, as if my body had finally heard my pleas, my trembling hand started moving.

Ah, thank god-

"Hmm? What\'s this?" But before I could reach the necklace, Tristan reached me and gripped the necklace in his hand.

Oh no…

"Oh?" He grinned as he brought his face closer to me, his dark eyes boring into mine. "This is important to you, eh?"

"N-no…" I slowly shook my head.

I cannot let him have it. It\'s my only hope of ever returning to the Guild, to my home.

I have to protect it at all costs-

"Have I ever told you how bad of a liar you are?" Tristan chuckled and gripped the necklace even tighter.

I heard a cracking sound from it.

"No!" I yelled before I could think.

"See?" He loosened his grip. "Tell me, is it important to you? And remember, if you lie again, I\'ll break it."

Why….? Why is this happening to me?

All I wanted was to go out for a breath of fresh air and buy some things. I didn\'t want... this.

Just what did I do to have this happen to me?

"You don\'t have a lot of time," Tristan\'s grip on the necklace once again tightened.

Oh God… what should I do?

If I tell him, he\'ll definitely take it away. But if I don\'t, he\'ll break it.

No matter what I do, I won\'t be able to go back.

"Go on," Tristan beckoned. "I promise I\'ll give it back to you if you tell me the truth."

There\'s no way he\'ll return it. He has always been like that.

"You don\'t believe me? Oh come on…" he sighed. "I thought we trusted each other more."

Trust and him? Ha!

What a fucking joke!

"You fucking bitch!" He suddenly grabbed my hair.

"Ah!" I burst into even more tears.

"How dare you run away from me, hmm? Just you wait. Once we get back, I\'ll make sure you can never run. I\'ll break your fucking legs!"

As I looked into his manic eyes, I understood that he will do it. He will cut my legs and lock me in a jail cell.

And it\'s all because of that fucking skill! I never asked for it, so why did God give it to me?!

If not for it, I could have lived a normal life.

"Come now, it\'s time to go home," he gripped my arm.

"N-no…"

I don\'t want to go back to that place.

The place where they treat me like a tool, where they show no warmth to me, where they don\'t give me any freedom.

I don\'t want to return.

"Haa? What did you just say to me, you bitch?"

"P-please don\'t take me back," I begged. "I will do anything, so please…"

"You\'ll do anything, eh?" His hold on my arm loosened.

"Y-yes, anything, so-"

"You know what?" He grinned. "I don\'t fucking care. We are going back."

"Nooo…."

Anything but that, please. I will do anything, so don\'t take me back there.

Please, just listen to me.

Please....

Someone, anyone, please save me. Azell, Anemone, Neia, Arteria, Noelle, Vafferan, Clementine, Antonio, Samur, please, just save me.

But no matter how much I begged, I knew that I could not be saved.

That\'s how it has been for all my life.

No one has ever saved me, and no one will ever save me.

No one…

Azell...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

?Ahem.?

Suddenly, the ring on my finger buzzed and a voice came out of it.

"Samur?"