Chapter 48: Innocent Little Bunny
I could only vaguely see the eyes of Raisa's bodyguard through her helt, but they were definitely glaring at .
"You are treating this matter far too trivially! Your status may protect you while in public, but not even being the daughter of the archduke is enough to protect you from everything in the black market. Countless desperate and ignorant people are there."
I raised both hands in the air.
"Alright, alright. It sounds like you're quite experienced in it though."
She didn't respond.
Raisa just ushered onto the carriage and shooed her bodyguard away before closing the door, leaving just the two of us.
"She's always super naggy like that, try to not let it get to you."
I dismissively nodded.
"Yeah, it's fine. But I can't help but wonder why she knows so much. It sounds as though she has gone there multiple tis to purchase things."
Raisa scratched her cheek with a finger.
"Well, I never knew another black market even existed. She never ntioned it to before."
I chuckled.
"It sounds like that place truly is dangerous."
A small smile ford on her face.
"Haha, yes. But... it does sound a bit exciting!"
I rolled my eyes as a smirk spread out across my face.
"You are treating it too trivially."
Raisa gasped.
"E-Eh? Why do you sound like her now?"
I proceeded to ignore her and looked off to the side, instead inspecting the mask that I had bought. Honestly, holding it in my hand, I didn't really feel anything special. After a mont of deliberation, I decided to try it on, hoping it wasn't cursed or anything.
But when I felt the cool wood press against my face, nothing of note happened.
I felt a tad bit disappointed but didn't give up just yet. Maybe there was so way to activate a chanism that I didn't yet understand. This was a world of magic after all.
I gave Raisa a glance.
"Say, how do I look?"
A small frown ford on her face.
"Um... I don't really like how it looks."
I rubbed my chin and nodded.
"As I thought, it does look pretty bad."
Raisa seed nervous after saying her opinion but was surprised to hear that I had a similar one.
"Then why did you purchase it?"
I shrugged my shoulders.
"For so reason, I felt a calling to it like it was fit for ."
Raisa furrowed her brows and pressed her lips together.
"But how does it fit you? That mask basically contradicts you entirely!"
A laugh escaped .
"I suppose that's not exactly wrong..."
Silence fell between us for a few monts. Eventually, Raisa let out an uncomfortable hum and spoke up.
"Could you take that mask off?"
Huh? But I was planning on seeing if I could sohow find so chanism behind it, in light of it not actually just being a normal mask.
"Why?"
Raisa pouted and looked down at the floor of the carriage.
"It... makes feel lonely. I want to see your face."
My eyelid twitched. This girl was really just too strange.
"Huh? Why does it matter that you can see my face?"
Raisa held onto her cheeks with both hands.
"I... I don't know why! I just really want to see your expressions and eyes."
With a sigh, I took off the mask, though reluctant.
"There, is that better?"
Raisa smiled brightly.
"Yes! Way better!"
A bitter smile ford on my face. She really was just a child that happened to also be eighteen, huh?
"It's really just that simple, huh?"
Raisa blinked a few tis and mumbled while looking at the floor of the carriage.
"I... I guess so."
She looked quite sad. Not like it was any of my business though.
"Hey, Bryson?"
Well, I guess if she verbalizes it all, then it becos my business.
"Yeah, Raisa?"
She walked over to sit next to and gingerly grabbed my hand.
"I'm really glad that I got to know you."
...She's acting like I saved her life or sothing. Hasn't it only been a couple of days?
"Haha, you've already gotten to know in this short period of ti?"
Raisa let out a giggle.
"I suppose putting it that way is incorrect, as there is still so much I don't know. But there's just... sothing so different about you."
I rolled my eyes.
"There are a lot of things that make different from other people. Everyone is slightly different in height, there are several hair colors, facial structures-"
"That's not what I an."
Raisa cut off and held onto my hand tighter.
"It just feels so different with you. At first, I just approached you out of curiosity, but the way you talked to just felt so... natural."
The fuck was that supposed to an?
"I... see."
Raisa brought my hand closer to herself.
"If I talk with the other nobles, it makes feel like my body is actually made out of glass, and could shatter from the lightest impact. Even if it is with my father or my bodyguard that I've trusted to protect for years now, they still give the sa feeling."
Her breathing got a little heavy. It seed she was getting anxious, and maybe even on the verge of a panic attack.
"I have to be incredibly careful. Every single step I take must be a cautious one, else I may slip and shatter."
She then pressed her cheek against my hand, which made shiver in disgust. But I didn't pull away and let her continue on.
"Yet, all of that seems to disappear when I'm with you. It feels as though... I'm just a normal human. One that has a beating heart and has breath in the chest."
Huh.
It was honestly a little vague at first, but I seed to get at least a general understanding now.
She was the daughter of an archduke. It was a regressing archduke, but it was still one nonetheless. This gave her one of the highest statuses among nobles, aning she hardly had to bow to anyone.
However, all the status in the world wouldn't change the fact that she was still a person.
A person can feel happy, sad. Have dreams, and desires.
And usually, one of those wants was to just have a friend. It appears she has been desperately clinging to because she noticed that I don't particularly care for her status.
I gently reached over to pat her head. A small smile ford on my face.
"Haha. From what it sounds like, you haven't had a friend for a long ti. That's probably why you feel like this."
Raisa let out a gasp and smiled brightly.
"So that's what it was? Wow, being friends is amazing! I feel so happy!"
Oh, Raisa...
You just want to make genuine friendships. That makes you just like a little kid, doesn't it?
So innocent, so naive. It makes you quite cute, I must say.
But you're not a kid anymore.
In fact, you are already too old now to make true friendships in this type of society. At this age, friendships are closely tied to interests and power. Not to ntion, they can be brutally cut off at any mont.
I an, just the friendship I have with you right now is mostly because of my own interest in investigating your family.
But still, that doesn't an I won't play into your little fantasy of a perfectly innocent friendship.
After all, it will make you that much easier to manipulate.
"B-Bryson?"
I blinked a few tis.
"Ah, sorry, I zoned out a little bit."
Raisa looked at with a slightly spooked expression.
"F-For so reason you looked a little scary."
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
"Haha, sorry, I just zoned out a little bit."
Hm.
I have to reel in my thoughts a little bit more, don't I?
Let's just tuck that part of away for now.
"Anyway, is there anything you've been thinking of doing?"
Raisa shook off her previous worries a few seconds later before shaking her head.
"Um, nothing really. I just wanted to see you."
I gave a nod.
"Is that so? I can accompany you for a little while longer. When evening cos, I have to go sowhere."
Raisa looked at curiously, with big beady eyes.
"Where are you going?"
I shrugged my shoulders.
"To the slums."
She leaned in a little closer.
"Why are you going there?"
Damn. I would've just said it from the start if she was going to keep asking like that.
"I've decided to go to the slums and cook als for those there when I can."
Raisa's eyes widened as an excited expression ford on her face.
"Ah! That sounds so charitable! But I guess that's expected from soone with a kind heart like you. You must've helped out so many people."
A bitter smile ford on my face.
"Unfortunately, it's been a resounding failure. Despite my intentions, the people that ca to the table and ate could be counted on one hand."
Raisa looked at with concern.
"Ah, how can that be? Did sothing go wrong with the supply of food you had?"
I shook my head.
"Nothing like that. It's more so the commoners are far too scared to take a seat. Apparently, I am quite intimidating to them."
Raisa tugged on my arm as her jaw dropped.
"Ehhhhh? There's absolutely no way that's the case! How could you be scary?"
I clicked my tongue as I shot her a glance.
"Do you not rember how you looked at when we first saw each other?"
The corner of Raisa's lip twitch.
"Ah... I-I knew that you were a nice person from the start!"
I massaged my temple with the tip of my finger.
"You looked at with disdain. Your ntality was the exact sa, was it not?"
Raisa fumbled over her words.
"Ah, but... but... I..."
She eventually hugged my arm like it was a stuffed doll she owned.
"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry."
Honestly, the fact she was holding onto my arm like that was annoying more.
"It's fine, it's fine. That's just how people naturally are."
Raisa looked down with a sad expression.
"But... isn't that just too sad?"
I shrugged my shoulders.
"I said it was a natural thing, not that it was good."
She leaned against , using my shoulder as a pillow.
"Could I co along with you to feed the commoners?"
My muscles tensed up considerably.
"What? So you can scare them away along with ?"
Raisa didn't respond imdiately. But when she did, it was awfully quiet.
"I just... want to be around you a little longer."
To be honest, that might actually be rather convenient. Given the incident at the ball yesterday, there were probably going to be a lot of nobles loitering around the slums in an attempt to get so of the special at that they were going crazy over.
Having Raisa there would make things a lot nicer since she was the descendent of an archduke, thus not many would want to ss with her, and by proxy not approach .
"Sure, why not?"
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