Reaffirmation
Floria’s Side
To think someone would steal Lux-sama’s wallet… Judging by his manner and clothing, they must have correctly guessed he was a noble from another country and chose him as their target. But as long as I am here, I have no intention of letting anyone who would commit such a vile act against Lux-sama get away.
The man had the advantage of knowing the terrain. He weaved his way along the main street with practiced ease, moving as if he knew exactly where the crowds would thin and where they would thicken, before finally turning into an alley.
Normally, catching up to someone like that would have been impossible. However, thanks to their daily sword training, Floria Florence and Lux had built up their stamina, and although they lacked the advantage of terrain, they were still able to keep up.
“Hah… hah… if I’ve made it this far…”
“You probably thought you could lose us in the crowd, but if you can’t even see who’s following you, then it defeats the purpose.”
“What…!?”
When Floria said this to the man who had stolen Lux’s wallet, he reacted with surprise.
“Y-You guys, how did you… get here…!?”
“I heard you stole my wallet, so I chased after you.”
“…”
The man who had stolen Lux’s wallet looked somewhat shaken, but he didn’t seem like someone who felt truly cornered.
Is he underestimating the two of us, or does he have some kind of plan? Judging from the situation, it’s probably the latter.
Floria grew slightly more alert, but Lux appeared completely unfazed as he continued speaking.
“But please don’t misunderstand. I don’t intend to escalate this into anything bigger.”
When Lux said that, the man curled his lips into a grin and responded.
“Haha, you don’t have to tell me that. I’m not gonna let it get bigger anyway! Get out here, guys!!”
At his shout, four more men emerged from the shadows of the alley, each gripping a weapon.
So this was the plan. I may have become overly cautious lately, after facing people like the Third Princess or that woman in the pink hood.
As Floria murmured to herself, Lux raised his voice while taking in the scene before them.
“W-Wait! Like I said earlier, I’m not trying to make a big deal out of this…”
“Lux-sama, I believe the best course right now is to disarm them first.”
Even in this situation, Lux still thought they could resolve things with words. Floria told him this, and after a brief pause, Lux responded with obvious reluctance.
“…Understood. But I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
“Yes, I expected you would say that, Lux-sama. Of course we will not hurt them.”
As Floria said this, both she and Lux drew their swords.
“You think the two of you can take on the five of us?!”
As the five men charged all at once, Lux and Floria each used their swords to knock the weapons from their hands.
Immediately afterward, Lux sheathed his sword and spoke to the five men with a panicked expression.
“A-Are you hurt?”
If Lux had been alone, the men might have attacked again once he put away his sword. But Floria kept hers drawn, keeping them in check, and none of them dared to move.
To instantly worry about those who tried to harm him… Lux-sama, just how kind can one person be?
As Floria once again felt herself falling for Lux, a feeling she had already experienced more times than she could count, one of the five men spoke up.
“…Yeah.”
He had probably planned to stay silent, but in this situation, he no longer had a choice.
When Lux received that answer, he looked visibly relieved and spoke.
“I’m glad. I’ll say it again, I don’t want this to become anything bigger. If you just return the wallet, I won’t do anything else.”
“…”
As the five men stood frozen, unsure of what to do, Floria spoke to them.
“Were you perhaps merchants who failed in business here and lost your sources of income?”
“Tch…”
One of the men grimaced, his expression confirming that Floria’s words had hit the mark.
“I see. So that’s what happened after all.”
“After all…?”
Lux looked puzzled as he asked, and Floria answered.
“I was about to explain earlier, but while this country is indeed relatively safe, it is also a commercial nation. That means many who fail in business fall on hard times. Compared to the entire population of the Katiswear Empire, they are few, but there is still a number of people who struggle financially.”
“I see…”
With a sorrowful look, Lux turned back to the five men and said,
“…Since I’m just a traveler here, I can’t do everything. But if you promise me you won’t do something like this again, I’ll give you half of what’s in that wallet.”
“What…!?”
The five men reacted with stunned expressions at Lux’s offer. Floria, too, was just as surprised.
I thought it might be possible, since it’s Lux-sama… but I didn’t expect him to actually go through with it.
As Floria once again witnessed Lux’s kindness up close, she reaffirmed her resolve that he was someone she loved and must protect. At the same time, she also reaffirmed just how precarious he was.
Third Princess… is it that you stain your hands with blood to remove the dangers around Lux-sama? Even if that is the case, I still cannot agree with your methods. I will protect Lux-sama in the way he wishes to be protected.