The face behind her was unfamiliar, but it was unforgettable.

A single glance was enough for her to carve the handsome appearance of the person into her brain. From the luscious black hair to the sword-like eyebrows and from the evil eyes to the lips stretched into a naughty smile, everything was iconic.

Akira's cold eyes rested on the man for a moment before turning back to the merchandise.

"I am looking for something. Are you an attendant in the shop?" She asked while touching a jade sculpture of a miniature lion-dog.

The man's smile widened and the eyes became more flirtatious and seductive. He looked down at Akira like an evil fox.

"For you, I will be an attendant." He smiled and took the lion-dog from Akira's hands. "I suppose that you are looking for a protective charm."

Akira turned and assessed the handsome man again. Still, the only word that could come to her mind was unforgettable.

If she had met him, she would not have forgotten him.

His actions had the air of a flirtatious playboy. However, there was something else that she could not put a finger on.

But she was sure of one thing: he was a suspicious character.

However, if he had nefarious interests, he would not have approached her in an open place.

Akira could not figure it out.

"I am indeed looking for a protective charm. I have the sense that there is a demon watching me from the shadows." Akira said with her cold voice.

The man looked at her with a widening fox smile. His black eyes seemed to glow and gain a reddish hue. To him, the cold voice sounded like an adorable sound, caressing the deepest parts of his heart, tickling him.

"Is that so? Perhaps the demon has been enthralled by your charms." The man responded.

Akira could not figure out the game that the man was playing. She felt like she was caught in a trap, but she could not see it. The thought made her want to fight to free herself from the unknown tangled web, but she did not know where to start.

"I would rather vanquish the demon else he becomes a menace." She fought against the sense of losing control.

The man was silent for a long moment, and Akira thought about making her exit. However, he reached a hand over her and placed the lion-dog miniature sculpture back on the shelf.

Akira was surrounded by a cherry blossom scent with a minty twist. The aroma washed over her as the man leaned over her. The coolness of it made her a little dazed.

"In that case, I recommend this." An amused voice broke into Akira's clouded mind.

The man revealed the item in his hand. The silver bracelet had a beautiful aged and oxidised appearance, and the intricacy of the design was indisputable. The weaved silver rope had ornate designs, reminiscent of old temple motifs.

However, the most charming thing was the little silver bell attached to the silver cord. When the man shook the bracelet, the little clapper at the centre hit the walls and let out a pure twinkling sound.

"If you would like to drive away the demon hovering over your shoulder, you should wear a bell. It is said that the sound is quite repellent to devils." The man smiled.

Akira could see that the man was acting deliberately obtuse. He knew that she was talking about him, but he deliberately acted like he was not aware.

Before she could respond, the man grabbed her left hand.

His hands were larger than hers, and they encompassed her small soft one. The strange thing was that his hand had some calluses despite looking like a carefree second-generation youth from Mountain Ridge.

With her attention lost for a few moments, the man attached the silver bell bracelet around her delicate wrist. He held her fingers for a moment, admiring his handiwork before releasing her hand.

Akira felt anger rise within her at the pleased look on the man's face. She did not know how he had weaved a spell over her.

More than being angry, she was embarrassed.

Was she the kind of person who would be enthralled by a man because he was a little more handsome than a common person?

In her wrathful shame, she lifted her right hand and got ready to perform a knifehand strike on the man. She forgot she was in a store in the middle of the day. Moreover, she had an identity that could not be associated with karate-chopping someone casually.

The handsome man seemed to step away strangely as if he was stumbling, making it impossible for her to reach him.

"No fighting in the store." The man at the counter shouted lazily without looking up.

The two people were both surprised by the words. They were both certain that the store had no surveillance cameras, and they were quite far from the counter. The man had to be some kind of expert. It was best not to mess with such a character.

Akira dropped her hand and glared at the man before her.

The man looked back at the reddened cheeks and the large glaring eyes. She wanted to look fierce, but she just seemed like the most adorable thing on earth.

It took everything in him not to pinch those soft cheeks.

If he encountered this face a few more times, he might take her away and hide her where only he could see.

"Until next time, my little red panda." The man said with a smile before he turned and walked away.

Akira's cheeks puffed up as he left.

She realised that she had been played like a simple song from the beginning. She did not know the man's identity, but he seemed to know her. Otherwise, he would not have baited her and put on a play for her sake.

She walked to the counter.

"How much for the bracelet?" She asked the scruffy man.

"It's already been paid for." He responded impatiently without looking up.

As Akira stepped out of Moonpoint, her lips stretched into a smile. To anyone looking, it seemed like a cute sweet smile. However, her heart was filled with evil intentions.

The man had definitely played her from the beginning, leading her by the nose.

She laughed.

"Until next time, shameless fox." She spoke softly.

Maybe Mountain Ridge would not be as boring as she thought.