Chapter 59 – Lost in the Sea of People

“Just as I thought. My eyes don’t deceive me that often. Hoorah! Growing fairy flowers is great entertainment for a cute and fresh couple. A year later, on your special anniversary day, a fully-grown flower would be an unforgettable gift!” the vendor beamed.

While the street vendor was jumping around in excitement, Pel looked down at Levisia. He stared like he had been stabbed in the back by a loved one. His sulky eyes held an expression of betrayal.

‘Sorry, Pel. It’s all because it has meaning.’

Levisia offered him her most sincere apologies, pulled him close, and asked the street vendor proudly, “So, can you give us a discount?”

Eventually, the two pots made their way into Pel’s hands. Looking at him walking with the pots, Levisia glanced at him and asked, “Is it really that bad?”

“What do you mean?” Pel fired with an aura of inquisitiveness.

“Pretending to be lovers.”

When the words left her lips, Pel stood awestruck, clearing his throat in bewilderment. While patting his back, Levisia stopped after realizing her physical touch might be too imposing. Soon, Pel, who raised his head, almost clenching his teeth, spoke out, “That, please stop saying that.”

“Alright. Alright.” Levisia didn’t think she’d get a reaction as such. Soon, she became the only odd character in the stage play that he thought he’d casually be involved in. “I said that because I thought she would give us a discount. It would have been better than just saying no,” she lied.

In reality, she saw the look in his eyes at the time when she was acting like we were a couple. Pel looked like an unfortunate character who ended up in a marriage proposal to a swindling capitalist.

‘Could there be a more proper analogy?’ Levisia thought. She was bothered if her role is to fall in love first after telling him not to love her regardless. While she was deep in her thoughts, Pel protested, “There was no need to go that far.”

“Because you think I like wasting money. We could have at least saved a few coins,” Levisia responded after a timely ponder.

Even so, Pel had to save money as part of the monthly payments he received from the royal family was for living expenses, and the other part was funded to escape the imperial palace. How could he react like this when Levisia cut corners and spent precious time with him?

“You’re right, it is a waste of money. Who on earth buys this sort of thing?” Pel shrugged.

“The kind of person standing next to you buys this sort of thing,” Levisia sputtered carelessly.

Pel was openly displeased but there wasn’t anything she could do about the pots.

“It’s fun to plant seeds and watch flowers grow,” Levisia noted as she raised her head for a temporal view at the dark clouds.

“What if they don’t grow? It’ll be a problem.”

“Something tells me one of these is going to grow.”

“That’s what everyone thinks. What you’re thinking isn’t different from everyone else’s.”

Levisia thought he was obviously going too far. Without an answer, she evasively ended the conversation.

“Anyway, just try your best to take care of it. By the way, is this the right path?” Pel questioned.

They were looking for the path that the fairy flower vendor had told them; she had said they should go towards the plaza where the fairy fountain.

“Oh, I see it over there. The fountain”

“It’s packed with people,” Pel mumbled in a low voice. After looking around for some time, he said, “Stay by my side.”

“Okay.”

The plaza with the fairy fountain was full of kiosks and people. Contrary to their worries, Pel and Levisia were pretty good together in the midst of the crowd.

It was definitely a little while ago.

Apparently, Pel had gotten his head together, but before Levisia knew it, he disappeared from her sight. While she made a frantic search for him, the crowd appeared like a wave. She could only walk through the shoving shoulders of others.

‘If this continues, we’re going to lose each other completely,” Levisia uttered in a fairly loud tone. Her body was being pushed left and right. She thought about going back through the crowd that was heading to the city.

“Wait a second. Excuse me. I’m sorry…” Levisia ranted as she walked.

While wondering the number of times she had bumped into people, she finally recognized his back from near the kiosk in front of the fountain.

‘There he is.’

There was no doubt that the figure standing with his hood pulled over his head was Pel. Levisia was glad she found him so quickly. She reached for his back with relief.

“Pel.”

He turned around when she called out. Then, she realized she was mistaken the moment when the person flashed a smile.

“You’re not Pel?” Levisia uttered suddenly.

The man reached out to Levisia quickly, as if he had been waiting for her to come. She flinched in surprise, and the moment she stepped back a necklace appeared from out of his robe. It was the one with the horned flute pendant that Pel gave her.

She couldn’t help but feel regret after noticing the pendant. ‘Oh, if I had worn that from the beginning―’, Levisia thought. She was unable to make do with her thoughts. A huge hand stretched out forward and covered her eyes.

Soon after, there was a clunking noise, followed by a sound accompanied by the pain of something rubbing against Levisia’s neck.