"Anas, I've lived my whole life with no place to return to, no one to accept me. Are you going to make me lose it now that I've found it? Think carefully—do you really have to fight?"
Naivy's soft, childlike voice pierces Anas' ears as she grips his arm weakly amid the rubble.
He raises the hand holding the dagger. Naivy closes her eyes tightly, letting out a small whimper. Yet Anas slips the dagger back into his belt, never taking his gaze off hers.
Slowly, Naivy opens her eyes and stares at him: "You won't hit me?"
Her words are quiet but audible to him.
"No. I won't. Hitting you won't accomplish anything, and I don't want to. But do you really want to share food with those idiots? Their bellies are probably fuller than ours, and they'll survive without it longer than we will," Anas replies.
Naivy looks at the boy and girl standing opposite them, then says: "Even so… I've been hungry my whole life. I'm sure sharing will be enough for all of us. Besides, I don't want anyone to get hurt."
Anas stares at Naivy for a moment, then says: "I don't want to share anything with those filthy lovebirds."
He lifts his gaze from her, fixing a sharp stare on the boy and girl.
The girl hears him and, noticing his gaze, speaks quickly: "We're not lovers! We're siblings. All we want is some food." She extends her hand to her ear, removing earrings hidden beneath her hair, and opens her hand toward Anas to show the gold earrings. "I'll give you these for food—they're pure gold."
The boy interrupts sharply this time: "Leona! That's a gift from our mother! Will you really sell it for food?!"
Leona turns to him, her eyes starting to glisten.
Her lips form a tight line: "I don't care! I don't care, Edward! I won't let you fight to protect me again—it's my turn now!"
Edward grips his sword so tightly that his knuckles whiten, but he lowers his head.
Leona turns to Anas, giving a faint smile that barely reaches her eyes: "What do you think? Shall we agree?"
Anas' gaze returns to its usual cold, emotionless stare. He looks at Leona flatly: "Do you think everything can be bought? You don't understand. I have no desire for the filth of nobles like you. I want my things. In fact, you've wasted enough of my time, and I've been far too kind. But I'm extremely annoyed now, so it's best you disappear from my sight."
The girl stiffens, her smile fading, lips paling. For the first time, she unconsciously grabs Edward's arm and whispers: "Edward… I'm scared, brother. I'm scared. I don't know what to do."
Edward gently holds his sister's hand, stepping forward: "Don't worry, sister. I'm here to protect you."
Suddenly, as Edward lifts his head to glance from Leona to Anas, he realizes the distance between him and Anas is just a few steps.
While they speak, Anas dashes toward them again, dagger in hand—but this time held inverted.
Edward raises his sword to strike as Anas approaches.
But Anas kicks his advancing leg just as Edward prepares, and Edward thinks quickly: "An active defense? Who is this scoundrel?"
He tries to adjust, but his leg with the bloodstain trembles for a moment. Anas seizes the chance.
He strikes Edward's stomach with his elbow, forcing him to spit out some saliva.
Anas raises the dagger, aiming to stab Edward directly in the heart.
Blood splatters across Anas' face—but it's not Edward's blood.
Golden hair covers Edward's vision. His eyes widen in shock.
Leona has thrown herself forward, taking the blow meant for her brother.
Anas meets her eyes. She smiles faintly, and he says flatly: "Weren't you scared before? Why throw yourself into danger now?"
Leona doesn't avert her piercing blue eyes from Anas' dark brown ones: "Yes, I'm scared. But I'm the older sister. It's my duty to protect him, not the other way around."
Edward lunges at Anas, driving his sword toward him.
Anas tightens his abdominal muscles and grips the sword to prevent it from going deeper. His hand bleeds, but his gaze remains fixed on Edward, emotionless, jaw clenched.
Edward withdraws the sword and turns to his sister, whose eyes have widened.
He stares at her chest, noticing blood stains her white dress—but… there's no wound.
Edward is shocked, mouth open, staring at Anas, realizing Anas had not flipped the dagger back. The blood was from the cut on Anas' hand.
Anas places his hand on his abdomen, where blood is seeping.
Naivy gasps: "Anas!!!" and rushes to him.
Anas feels pain but also a strange sensation.
Suddenly, a fire seems to burn within his chest, and he hears a familiar feminine voice screaming in his mind: "I'll tear you apart, you noble trash! I'll separate your head from your body, pull out your guts, and burn them!"
Anas tilts his head slightly from the intensity of the voice—Priscilla is screaming madly in his head.
At the same moment, Naivy reaches him, tearing the poor dress she wears to reveal her knees, and starts bandaging his wound. She cries heavily, saying: "Idiot… you idiot… biggest fool in the world." Gradually, the burning sensation begins to fade.
Meanwhile, Edward and Leona, still holding his hand, stare at Anas and Naivy treating him. Edward says: "Why didn't you kill her? Why did you do all this then?!"
Anas looks at Edward: "I never intended to kill you in the first place. Now, you can take the food—but you owe me your life. And I expect you to repay the debt the next time we meet."
Naivy finishes bandaging Anas' abdomen. He turns and begins walking toward the sewer entrance with her.
Edward frowns but carries the food, heading in the opposite direction.
Suddenly…
Thwack!
Anas and Naivy see Leona slap Edward hard across the cheek, turning it red. She shouts: "Is this how our mother taught us?! Do you want the world to see us as other noble fools?! (She points at Anas.) Apologize to him now!"
Edward's eyes widen in confusion. He lowers his gaze to the ground, whispering: "I… I'm sorry."
Anas tilts his head, expression returning to normal as Leona says: "I apologize on behalf of my brother and for what he caused you."
Anas glances at Leona, then everyone turns toward the left as the sound of fast-approaching footsteps draws near. Anas silently pushes Naivy toward the sewer entrance.
Naivy understands and begins descending.
Leona holds her brother's arm, hand on the spot of the slap, as if the sting was deeper than the physical pain. She walks carefully and quietly toward Anas, saying: "C-could we come with you? I promise Edward the fool won't bother you again. And I want to repay the debt quickly."
Anas looks at Leona and Edward without speaking, descending into the sewers: "All I asked was that you return my things. But you refused, wounded me, and now you ask for my help? Unfortunately, I am not a noble like you. So I have no desire to do so. Fighting things that want to kill you is better than fighting me."
He begins closing the sewer cover as drops of water fall on his face. Raising his head, he sees Leona crying: "We didn't choose to be born nobles. Just because you hate nobles, will you hate us too and leave us to die? Aren't we all human? My mother always gave food to the poor, but they killed her because she was noble. This isn't fair… I want to live, not die."
Anas hears her, sighs, and reopens the cover, motioning for her to enter.
Footsteps draw closer, but Anas closes the door after everyone enters.
Leona looks at him: "Thank you. I'll never forget this as long as I live."
Anas turns and begins walking on the gray, foul-smelling sewer tiles. He nearly falls, but Naivy quickly steadies him, helping him continue, while Edward and Leona follow.
Naivy, aiding him gently, asks: "So… where are we going?"
Anas looks at her: "I don't know. I suppose we'll stay in one of the rooms here in the sewers until I recover a little, then we'll plan what's next."
Leona, hearing him and Naivy, says: "But you need a doctor. You're injured."
Without looking at her, Anas says: "Well… perhaps you nobles don't understand. But there's something like a city here in the sewers. Maybe we'll find a doctor here. Or… I simply die."
Edward asks: "Why do you talk about dying like it's nothing? Are you pretending to be strong or something?"
Anas ignores him, but Naivy suddenly spins around, shouting: "Shut up, fool! You're the one pretending to be strong while hurting someone injured and weak! Don't ever speak about Anas like that again!"
Naivy turns her face from Edward, who frowns and looks away.
"Come on. I've found a place suitable for staying." Anas' voice cuts through the tense air. Naivy turns quickly and runs toward him, spotting a room behind a wall.
She says: "So this will be our temporary home? That's fine as long as you're here."
Anas sighs, thinking: 'What should we do in the coming days? I'm really exhausted. How's everyone in the shelter, I wonder?'