Now I was looking at her properly.
Analyzing her features.
White hair that flowed like fresh snow. Green eyes that sparkled with an almost childlike innocence. She was beautiful in a delicate, fragile sort of way.
Her outfit was strange. Somewhere between royalty and commoner. Like she had tried to dress down but didn't quite know how common people actually dressed.
She seemed to be around my age. Maybe a year younger. And there was something about her that screamed sheltered. Naïve. Like a baby bird that had just fallen out of its nest.
Focusing on her more clearly, a realization struck me.
'Wait. Was she on the cover of that Cursed book?'
The one I had read in my previous life. The novel about this world.
But nah. She was way too weak for that. She was just getting bullied by these weak mutts. No protagonist material here.
I looked down at the corpses beneath my feet.
Before I could continue thrashing them maybe break a few more bones for good measure—the girl spoke.
"I am scared." Her voice trembled.
"That's none of my concern." I didn't even look at her.
"You will be punished for beating them."
"I don't care."
She made a pouty face. Like a child throwing a tantrum because she didn't get her candy.
I sighed. "Fine. I won't continue."
I stepped back from the bloody mess.
"In fact, I think they're already dead."
I nudged one of them with my foot. A weak groan escaped his broken lips.
"And by some miracle, if they live? That would be even better."
I smiled. "I'll get to see their new ugly faces filled with fear every second year at the festival."
Then I walked off.
Didn't say another word to her.
After putting some distance between myself and that alley, I realized something.
I had missed that unholy act I wanted to witness.
TSK.
That prostitute and her customer had disappeared somewhere while I was busy turning the twins into modern art.
I was thinking about going back. Finding another customer to follow. Satisfying my curiosity about how this sexless world handled such services.
I could have bought all those bitches with the money I had. Lined them up. Tested their services one by one.
But due to that promise, my hands or rather, my dick was sealed.
Otherwise, all those chicks would be running away from a monster. Cum dripping from every used pussy. Screaming about the demon who had awakened their bodies.
I was laughing at my own dark thoughts when I heard it.
TAP. TAP. TAP.
Footsteps.
I turned.
The same girl. Following me like a lost puppy.
I ignored her. Continued walking.
I had completed my quest. I had no more business with her. And getting involved with a princess would only bring headaches.
Mountains of them.
But even as I neared my destination, I realized she wouldn't stop following me.
This was going to make my spying plans difficult.
Finally, I sighed and stopped. "What do you want?"
She panicked. Fumbled with something in her hands.
Then brought out a handkerchief.
I took it. Looked at it.
"What? Why the hell are you giving me this hanky that's soaked with your tears?"
I dangled it between two fingers like it was diseased.
"Do you think I have some kind of fetish for that?"
Her face turned bright red. She snatched it back immediately.
"D-Dummy! I was trying to help you!"
She pointed at my hands.
"Your knuckles are bleeding! And you have blood spots everywhere! So I thought..."
She trailed off. Made an innocent face while playing with her fingers nervously.
'Am I missing something here?'
"Are you really a princess?"
Her eyes literally glowed with excitement.
"Do you know that?! Oh! That's why you helped me, right?"
"Nope." I shook my head.
"I mean, anyone can see through you."
She tilted her head in confusion.
"You act like someone who isn't allowed to roam around freely. Someone who doesn't touch grass."
I gestured at her.
"Every step you took while following me, you were scared of your surroundings. Flinching at every noise. Jumping at every shadow."
I crossed my arms. "So it's either you're a high noble, a prisoner, or a criminal on the run."
Her eyes widened.
"But the last two are eliminated after seeing your silly and dumb side."
"Am I... that easy to tell?"
She rubbed the back of her head. Smiled sheepishly.
I didn't reply to that. Just continued my explanation.
"As for your second question, why did I help you?"
I looked her dead in the eyes.
"I'll be blunt. I did nothing to help you."
Her smile faltered.
"I had an old score to settle with those two. And I settled it. You just happened to be there at the right time."
I shrugged.
"You were lucky. That's all. So don't think too much about it. I don't need any thank you."
I waved my hand dismissively.
"Just go away from here. Hush hush."
Her expression shifted. From confused to angry.
"No one talks to me like that! I will—"
"Oh, congratulations then, princess." I cut her off with a smirk.
"And I feel honored to be the one who gave you your first."
She hissed. In the cutest, most unthreatening way possible.
Like an angry kitten.
"By the way." I tilted my head.
"Why were those cuntclones lashing out at you anyway? Didn't they know you were a princess?"
She struck an elegant pose. Chin raised high.
"Those fools weren't intelligent like you. They didn't recognize me at all." She pouted.
"And I don't even know why they started insulting me. Then they cornered me when I just offered them a job."
I blinked. "Job?"
"Yes! But let me start from the beginning."
She clasped her hands together. "This morning, I ran away from the mansion. Mother wasn't allowing me to explore the city. Father was too busy with meetings."
She puffed her cheeks. "So I ran away on my own."
Then she added, almost as an afterthought—
"Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention. My father is the King of Aetherion."
I made an exaggerated expression of surprise. "No way! You're the princess of Aetherion?!"
She stood there proudly. Chest puffed out. As if I wasn't internally cursing her golden spoon existence.
"Now get to the point."
"Right, right." She nodded eagerly.
"So when I got here, I was pretty nervous about how to talk with strangers."
She fidgeted.
"Then I found those two boys. And with all my courage, I finally said..."
She paused dramatically.
"I want to buy you two."
"You WHAT?"
"I offered them money!"
She pulled out a single gold coin. Held it up proudly.
"I just wanted them to be my bodyguards! I gave them a really good deal!"
She paused. Her expression fell.
"But in return... they lashed out at me. I got even more scared. Ran into the alley. And they followed."
I was stunned.
Absolutely stunned by the sheer foolishness of this girl.
But then I laughed.
Because now I understood why those two had been so angry.
She had tried to buy them. Like servants. Like property.
With a single gold coin.
Their noble pride must have shattered into a million pieces.
She held up the gold coin again.
"So... will you accept my offer?"
I felt it now. That same feeling those twins must have felt.
But instead of breaking her spirit, I simply pulled out my own bag of coins. Opened it wide.
"See this?"
Gold glittered inside.
"I have plenty of these. Why would I work for you?"
I turned away.
"Now go. I have important business to attend to. I'm not going to babysit a child."
"Wait!"
Her voice stopped me.
"How about this? I'll give you ten pouches like the one you have in your hand!"
I paused.
"I can't give it right now since I only have this one coin. But I promise! I will bring the full amount!"
Ten pouches.
Ten times what I currently had.
Without even thinking, I turned around.
Bowed slightly.
"Ma'am, what would this humble servant of yours like me to do for you?"