"Hmm… This looks good on you, but this can't be left out either…"
"…"
"Ah! This looks nice too! Ugh, the anguish…!"
It had been an hour since we split up with Father, and we still hadn't moved from the first clothing shop. Of course, it wasn't my fault—rather, it was because Miranda was way too cute.
"A maid outfit? No, a dress would be nice too!"
Thus, I was stuck with my limited budget, unable to decide which clothes to pick.
I only had three Large Silver coins with me, after all. At most, I could buy ten sets; anything more than that would be unaffordable.
What? Ten sets are more than enough?
NAIVE!
A cute girl needs a lot of clothes to keep her cuteness at its peak!
Well, it's my personal opinion, but I'm sure I'm not alone in that sentiment!
If only Miranda were more cooperative, this could've ended faster, but whenever I asked her what clothes she wanted, her only reply was, "I'll leave it to Master's decision."
Nothing is harder than deciding when anything is acceptable… after all, a woman's "anything" is definitely not as simple as the word suggests!
Anyway, after wrestling between my desires and what was considered normal, I ended up buying thirteen sets of clothes for her. Of course, that included underwear as part of the sets…
I managed to get quite a discount, so I only spent two Large Silver coins on everything.
Really, that was a major discount.
Did my "bodyguards" do something behind the scenes?
Anyway, after letting Miranda change into one of the newly bought dresses, I arranged for someone to deliver the rest back to our mansion. Now that we had enough clothes, it was time to roam around and look for something else!
"Let's go over there!" I urged, pulling Miranda by the hand.
Unaccustomed to her new white dress—matching her white hair—her steps were slow… but due to the difference in our strides, our pace matched perfectly anyway.
"Hey, kid…"
"Huh?"
Then, an unexpected event occurred.
A man stepped into our path, blocking the road. He had spiky brown hair, oily from not bathing. His face bore an X-shaped scar across his cheek, and he wore clothes that fit a brigand perfectly…
"…"
Yeah, I know.
With just one glance—even without Appraisal—I could tell this guy was up to no good.
'My bodyguards…'
I glanced around but couldn't find them.
Their presences were still nearby, though. They might've been engaged with this man's accomplices. That alone was enough to send warning bells ringing in my head.
They were far too coordinated for simple bandits, and bold enough to confront me in the middle of a busy street, in the middle of our territory.
Miranda seemed to realize the situation and stepped forward, hiding me behind her.
That act—trying to protect me despite being powerless, despite her legs shaking like there was an earthquake—was enough to warm my heart. Even in this grim situation, I couldn't help but smile.
"What's wrong, Mister?" I tugged on Miranda's hand, reassuring her as I spoke. "Are you perhaps lost?" I asked, feigning ignorance.
My acting skills were already top-notch after years of practice, of course. I was confident I looked like nothing more than an innocent child in this bad man's eyes.
'The path behind us is blocked, as are the nearby alleys—except one.' I analyzed the surroundings through mana detection and sighed internally. 'A clear trap.'
"Heheh, yeah, kid. I got lost while roaming around," the man grinned, stepping forward confidently. "So I'll ask you to come with me somewhere. If you behave, I promise I won't hurt you."
As he approached, his burly hand reached toward Miranda… toward her chest, despite there being nothing there yet. His eyes were bloodshot, as if aroused by her young body—a bastard through and through.
Well, I'd already figured out their positions… Enough playing around.
"Piss off," I growled, stretching my hand forward. "Dominator's Hand!"
In the next instant, I lifted him by the neck, not letting him lay a finger on Miranda.
As the invisible force tightened around his throat, the man's face turned blue with fear. I didn't stop there. Stepping closer, I stared directly into his face.
"You… dare touch something that belongs to me," I said in a low, furious voice. "That alone deserves death!"
And just as I was about to snap his neck—
"Stop, kid!" A new voice rang out from behind.
A presence I hadn't detected until he spoke. Panicked, I tried to turn around—but froze when I heard a short grunt of pain.
Miranda's voice.
"I said don't move!" the voice barked again. "If you do, I'll stab this slave's neck!"
"…"
They got me.
Dominator's Hand required visual confirmation, meaning I couldn't use it on the man behind me. At the same time, even the slightest movement could mean Miranda's death.
"…Let my slave go."
In the end, I could only negotiate.
"If you let her return to my bodyguards safely, I'll ensure I won't kill you or this guy, and I'll come with you without a fight," I said. "But if you kill her, I swear I'll make all of you regret being alive."
"Heh!" The voice cackled.
"That's not something a four-year-old would say… Damn, what an unlucky job we got!"
"Hurry and decide," I urged.
"I'm getting stiff holding this guy up. My hand might slip and snap his neck if you take too long."
I wasn't bluffing.
Snapping his neck would be easy. However, that would push everything past the point of no return. The man behind me might stab Miranda the moment I did.
Silence followed—long enough that the man I was holding began to suffocate.
As he clawed at his own neck, gasping for air… a response finally came.
"Alright, alright!" the voice cracked. "I'll let the girl go. But first, lower Brutus and let me tie you up."
"Nope."
Of course, I didn't agree.
"Release her first," I repeated. "And don't worry—unlike people like you, I keep my promises."
After a brief pause, he clicked his tongue. Then I felt Miranda's presence move—quickly, but hesitantly—away from me.
That alone was enough to make me sigh in relief…
Now that nothing shackles me, time to wipe them out—
THUMP!
"…Ugh?!"
But before I could move, a powerful blow struck the back of my head. My vision spun as I hit the ground. No doubt—it was the man whose presence I still couldn't properly grasp.
Shit… My consciousness…