Chapter 16
He apologized with a slight tip of his hat. Though only his mouth was visible in the shadows, it was clear that he had a strikingly handsome face.
“Oh, no,” Regina stammered.
“What is a young lady like yourself doing here at this hour? Is this your first time in the capital?” His words implied that she was out of place and might be in danger. Regina caught on to the nuance and nodded awkwardly.
“You don’t need to be so wary. I won’t come any closer if it makes you uncomfortable,” he said, raising his hands to show he meant no harm. Despite his reassurance, Regina’s guarded expression didn’t soften.
“My name is Sasha, Lady. If you’re waiting for your companion, may I stay with you until they arrive? You seem uneasy.”
“Ah… yes.”
Although she didn’t voice it, her expression conveyed that he was the one making her uneasy. Sasha held back a smile, standing protectively by her side. As he glanced around, he noticed a group across the street watching them before turning away in frustration.
‘They were likely planning to abduct you,’ he thought. Looking back at Regina, he couldn’t help but offer his assistance. Although she didn’t seem to appreciate his kindness, he couldn’t just walk away.
“This street is safe during the day, but it becomes dangerous at night,” he warned.
Despite his words, he seemed more threatening to her than the potential dangers. Regina forced a weak smile and took a few steps back.
Just then, the streetlight between them flickered on, illuminating Sasha’s face. Regina involuntarily looked up at him, meeting his gaze.
His eyes were red.
“Oh dear,” Sasha said, quickly readjusting his hat and stepping back. Regina didn’t understand his sudden shift but kept her gaze on him. His lips curved into a gentle smile.
“Did you see my face?” he asked.
“Yes? …Yes, you’re very handsome,” she replied, recalling a mystery novel she had read where a killer asked the same question. She figured it was safer to acknowledge having seen his face than to deny it.
“Haha, really? I’m glad you find me attractive,” he said, seemingly amused. He wasn’t planning to harm her; instead, he seemed to give up on something and smiled warmly.
Before he could say more, Sasha turned abruptly as if sensing something. He looked back at Regina and smiled, his red lips leaving a strong impression.
“Is that your companion? He’s hurrying this way. It was nice meeting you, Lady. Enjoy your stay in the capital.”
With that, Sasha, as he called himself, bowed politely and walked away. Regina watched his elegant departure with wary eyes, then turned to see who he had pointed out.
“…?”
Seeing the empty street, she squinted her eyes. In the distance, she noticed a familiar figure under the streetlight.
“Noah!”
Noah approached with a look of clear annoyance. He didn’t appear to be in a hurry, but his long strides quickly closed the distance. Regina wondered if his height made him cover ground faster. As he neared, he asked in a sleepy voice,
“Did you get everything you needed? Hurry up, I’m tired.”
He looked like someone who had already taken a nap, confirming Regina’s suspicion that he had forgotten to pick her up on time. Feeling a mix of frustration and determination, Regina maintained her smile. Maybe if she kept smiling, he might develop some reluctant affection for her and spare her life.
“Yes, Noah. Thank you for coming to get me!”
Noah shrugged and turned to walk away, the streetlight casting a beautiful glow on the cobblestone path. As she followed, Regina’s footsteps echoed softly. Suddenly, she turned back, thinking of the man named Sasha.
He was a strange person indeed.
* * *
The inn was better than expected. To be honest, it was excellent. The spacious bathroom had hot water gushing out, and the room was large and clean. The bedding was so soft that Regina almost fell asleep the moment she sat on the bed. She was secretly amazed, having expected a shabby and dirty inn.
“This is more like a small villa than an inn.”
The place was that well-decorated. Feeling refreshed after a long soak in the bathtub, Regina changed into the new clothes she had bought. She roughly dried her damp hair with a towel and hung it over a chair. When she checked the time, it was already evening.
“Oh, I ordered dinner. I should head down.”
Remembering she had ordered dinner before coming up to her room, she hurried down to the first floor. The dining area was bustling with people who had come just to eat. Regina found a seat and asked a passing staff member to bring her meal.
“Is it wrong to eat alone? He did book the inn for me…”
Sitting down to eat alone, Regina felt a twinge of guilt towards Noah. But she quickly dismissed the idea of inviting him, knowing she wouldn’t enjoy her meal in his company.
However, the moment she took her first bite, Regina regretted her decision from five minutes ago.
“What are you doing here?”
She hadn’t sensed his presence, but there Noah was, standing across from her. He seemed to have just woken up, wearing a casual shirt and with his hair disheveled, partially covering his eyes. Regina was a bit surprised; Noah, who was always impeccably dressed, looked unfamiliar in his current state.
“Uh… eating? Do you want to join me?”
“Eating?”
“Yes.”
Noah repeated the word as if he had heard something strange. Regina felt awkward but nodded. He tilted his head, giving her a peculiar look.
“Hmm? Are you hungry?”
“…!”
“Strange. Usually, it lasts a month.”
Even without devouring humans. Though he didn’t finish the sentence, Regina understood. She swallowed the food in her mouth nervously. Noah’s eyes, faintly glowing blue, bore into her. He looked lazy, but his gaze was that of a predator.
The sight sent chills down her spine.
“What do you mean? People need to eat even if they’re not hungry! Haha, didn’t you know? Humans are supposed to eat three meals a day.”
Regina managed to maintain her smile as she responded. Noah, still not comprehending, asked,
“…You eat even when you’re not hungry?”
“Yes, because if people don’t eat, they’ll die.”
“But you’re not human.”
“I look like a human to anyone.”
Despite speaking the same language, they weren’t communicating. A brief silence fell between them. Noah, watching her, yawned lightly and pulled out a chair to sit across from her.
“I thought you had run away. Tell me where you’re going next time.”
“Yes? Oh, okay, I will.”
Regina’s heart skipped a beat at Noah’s words. She had assumed his guard was down because he was always sleeping, but that wasn’t the case.
As Regina continued eating, Noah sipped water with a bored expression. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he asked,
“Oh, by the way, who was that man with you until I arrived?”
“Man?”
“You know, the one in the black hat.”
When Noah pointed to his head, Regina recalled Sasha. Oh, the man who seemed like a character from a mystery novel.
“I don’t know. He was just there and started talking to me. He said ‘this street is safe during the day but dangerous at night’. Did you know that?”
“No.”
Noah answered confidently, as if wondering how she knew such a thing. Regina chuckled, thinking she expected that answer, but then a thought occurred to her, and she looked at Noah.
“Come to think of it, he was quite unusual. His eyes were red. I’ve never seen such eyes before. There are certainly a lot of different people in the capital.”
As Regina spoke with fascination, she suddenly realized Noah was no longer there. Just a moment ago, he had been slumped over the table like a wet rag. Now, the empty chair was pushed far back.
“…What?”
Startled, she looked around the dining area but couldn’t find Noah. It was like a ghost had taken him away. Confused, Regina sat back down. There was no point in looking for him at this late hour. It seemed better to wait for him here.
“It would be troublesome if he thought I ran away and tried to kill me again.”
Regina picked up her fork and knife, cutting a crispy sausage into bite-sized pieces and popping one into her mouth. The burst of juice was exquisite.
* * *
“Ugh, disgusting.”
A shadow loomed between the buildings. A man dressed entirely in black adjusted his slightly askew fedora and frowned. Clothes lay scattered beneath his polished black shoes, oddly as if the person had vanished from within them.
As the man walked forward, his white face emerged from the shadows. It was Sasha, who had introduced himself to Regina.
“Even without retracing the memories, just a taste tells me how worthless your lives were.”
Sasha’s red lips curled into a smirk.
“Hi-hiiik!”
One of the men who had been watching Regina to kidnap her was now pale with fear, having seen his two companions vanish instantly. He screamed belatedly, having been hiding behind a building.
“Ugh, uwaaaah!”
He trembled and crawled along the ground before managing to stand and run towards the main street. But before his feet touched the wide road, Sasha’s black coat extended.
