Chương 19: The Heroine who plays a role (part 4)

"Haaa... the next day, they wake up in their houses and find all of their stolen goods waiting for them just outside... together with a cut-off hand that we assume belonged to the problematic merchant right there on their doorstep... And, of course, the merchant, his wagon, and his bodyguards are nowhere to be found."

"H-hold on..! They clearly went too far! I would also want my stuff back but doing something like that is too much! That should be it! Those local thugs are nothing less than hired assassins at this point! And... and since they illegally obtained the royal trading permit, they must be wanted criminals. Could it be that you find pursuing them difficult because you are feeling grateful for making some kleptomaniac merchant disappear?!"

The pixie-cut girl let the shock get the better of her, and a lot of her inner thoughts that she would be kept to herself otherwise have leaked out.

"Miss Ava. You are speaking to an officer of the royal army. I advise you not to throw such heavy accusation – you might not like the consequences."

"...!"

"Ava!"

Hector straightened his back, and his expression turned severe, making Ava want to punch herself for such reckless behavior – even her uncle urged her not to leave the situation like that.

She still was nowhere near influential enough to get away with acting like that.

"I'm sorry. I spoke without thinking."

"Please, forgive her, sir Hector. My niece is still young and has a lot to learn!"

Ava gulped down her saliva and bowed her head towards the strict-faced man, and Benjamin bowed alongside her while pleading.

"I'll let it slide this time, but remember – the royal army officers, even the lowest ones, are already equal in status with the lower nobility. I am rebuking you for your own good."

"Thank you very much!"

"Thank you."

Hector shook his head and scoffed dismissively, having the two commoners, who weren't yet granted any official titles, breathe out in relief.

"As for your question before you went too far, Miss Ava. The royal trading permit has been left on the doorstep of this mansion just before the morning patrol rounds. Since the only item we legally could be interested in was found, we could not pursue the items on the wagon because no one knew what was or was not on there. Similarly, no one reached out to us to start the search for the missing people – that either merchant or any of his bodyguards – tying our hands."

The officer finished

the explanation and moved as if he wanted to get up from the table.

"Wait, sir Hector!"

"...?"

The girl called out, and the light-brown-haired man stopped and looked at her awaiting her question.

"Then... you are saying that it's not safe for me to go shopping because we didn't pay for protection?"

"Yes."

Ava asked in a tone that suggested that she knew what the answer was but didn't want to accept it... and she ended up shocked because Hector didn't try to dodge the girl's question at all and gave it to her straight.

"Are... are you serious...? I am in danger even on the main street? Even during the day?!"

Ava gasped, highly discombobulated about the matter.

"I cannot guarantee your safety if you intend to walk around with a single companion who hasn't been through the appropriate training yet. He will get distracted. You will disappear. We will fail to complete our mission."

Hector closed his eyes and slowly shook his head from side to side before highlighting the problem.

"Fine! Then what if Theo and I will be locking arms or holding hands the whole time?! Even if he wants to go away, I will not let him!"

"Ava..."

The pixie-cut girl gritted her teeth and came up with a seemingly last-ditch effort – although it sounded like even her uncle had enough of that.

Even so...

"...that much should be enough... BUT we will dispatch a patrol just in case – you will not be under direct surveillance, but in case of danger, someone will be able to act at the moment's notice."

"Thank you, sir Hector!"

The officer gave in, well, mostly, and the girl jumped from joy.

All three then left the dining room and went their own ways.

Ava – back to her room to change, for example.

"...haa... good thing that uncle knew when to follow up. He made my clueless girl's act seem believable... I should not have gone as far as to claim that I don't know about the gang – that was a bit too far. I was getting impatient because I wanted to secure the date with Theo..."

The pixie-cut girl breathed out in relief while putting on the clothes she had chosen this morning.

"This might not be a scripted event, but holding hands for a long time should increase his affection nicely~"

She muttered to herself, slightly ashamed of how she presented herself in front of a remarkable man like Hector – but still, Hector wasn't the one she was aiming for.

Theo was.

Ava was ready within less than five minutes, but she spent some more time both to make sure that soldiers protecting the mansion would believe that the shopping trip was a spur-of-a-moment thing rather than something preplanned and also to make sure she remembereth pattern of answers that worked with Theo in game.

Only after that did the pixie-cut girl left her room and went downstairs...

"Young Miss."

Where a handsome dark-brown-haired boy with piercing icy-blue eyes was waiting for her.

"I was informed by Sir Hector that you wished to go shopping, and I am to escort you."

"Indeed, that would be the case. Thank you for being so dedicated, Theodore."

The boy with the piercing gaze, older than the hazelnut-haired girl by one year at most, straightened his back stiffly and bowed rather awkwardly, a bit unsure of how he should act, so Ava stepped in and put some distance between them...

...when it comes to the way they were supposed to address each other, that is, because when it comes to personal distance – the pixie-cut girl already closed it and securely locked herself to the boy's left arm.