The skinny woman shot a glare at me, her face full of irritation.

“......”

I was momentarily speechless.

‘Well, we bumped because you were standing right there at the alley entrance.’

Doesn’t she know you shouldn’t stand in the corner?

It’s just like how people get off elevators before others get on — basic etiquette here!

The skinny woman held a cigarette between her fingers.

‘She came into the alley to smoke.’

Well, it wasn’t my business.

But...

‘Huh? Canela’s smoking too.’

Canela had a cigarette precariously hanging from her fingers as well.

Smoking is a personal preference, but it’s a bit iffy for someone raising a child to smoke.

Of course, it’s fine if the child isn’t around.

But the resume said no smoking, right?

What can I say? I couldn’t even argue.

When I didn’t answer, the skinny woman snapped loudly.

“You should apologize!”

“No, but—”

“It's fine.”

Han Ji-hyuk tried to step in from behind, but I stopped him.

‘Ugh.’

Better not to make a big deal. We’re not here to fight.

“I didn’t see you standing in the corner. Sorry.”

“What? Seriously.”

The woman let out a sarcastic laugh.

‘Hmm? Did I say something wrong?’

Seeing the skinny woman’s displeased face, I realized she might twist my words.

I was simply explaining why we bumped...

“Oh, so it’s my fault? Here’s your apology, take it! And you’re just giving charity?”

No, charity?

How could she twist it that far...

I was genuinely flustered.

I wasn’t using my usual biting social rhetoric; I was sincerely trying to explain.

‘Though Han Ji-hyuk was about to get angry, so I can understand her being upset.’

It was a real apology, so I was a bit hurt.

Behind me, Han Ji-hyuk was holding back a laugh with a “ha! ha!” expression.

Since I stopped him once, he didn’t say more, but it clearly meant he found it ridiculous.

Canela, who was beside me, grabbed the skinny woman’s arm and told her to stop.

“Enough. Judging by your clothes, you’re a noble.”

“Noble? Look at that guy’s vest.”

She was probably talking about the vest Han Ji-hyuk wore.

‘Still, it’s a nice vest... even the stitching is fancy.’

Nobles don’t wear vests with pockets.

They always have servants with them and don’t need to carry anything in pockets.

Servants, on the other hand, carry all sorts of things, so they must wear clothes with pockets.

Handkerchiefs, essential medicines, fans, keys — so many things to carry!

Like when I was little carrying a small bag, servants wear clothes with many pockets.

Han Ji-hyuk isn’t a noble either, so he wears this kind of vest.

Some nobles even call servants ‘big pockets.’

They don’t treat them like people.

‘Ah. Han Ji-hyuk talks to me like that because he thinks I’m not a noble lady.’

Smart judgment.

That’s one of the virtues needed among servants.

‘Hmm, but...’

Then.

Click. Ssssh.

Canela lit her cigarette and exhaled.

“Fwooo—”

‘Is this woman smoking in front of a kid...? No, she seems to be deliberately blowing smoke toward us.’

Proud of her good lung capacity, Canela blew a long, thick stream of cigarette smoke, then tapped the ashes to the ground and said,

“Kids, be polite and apologize. I’m already in a bad mood.”

The skinny woman glanced at Canela, bewildered.

“Why are you in a bad mood?”

“That Karen said she doesn’t know her place and wants to work as a noble family’s nanny. Seriously, if someone looks decent, everyone and their dog tries. It’s laughable.”

Wow, shocking.

“Joel’s that girl too. Ha! What does she think she’s doing going after a big fabric shop owner? Ridiculous.”

“Did you tell her to go for it?”

“Pfft. You believed that? Girls who don’t know their place deserve to be harshly scolded so they stop dreaming.”

Every word dripped with sneering contempt.

Canela lifted one corner of her mouth and put the cigarette back in.

Han Ji-hyuk and I exchanged glances.

‘Hey. This...’

‘No doubt. Not her.’

Reading my silent reply, Han Ji-hyuk nodded.

“Let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

At least it wasn’t a wasted trip.

If we hadn’t overheard this, I might have happily hired Canela.

‘That would have been a disaster. Whew.’

Old sayings are right — you can know the depths of water but not a person’s heart.

I shook my head slightly and was about to leave the alley when the skinny woman shouted.

“Hey, you! Apologize!”

Then footsteps running.

“How dare you talk to adults so arrogantly!”

Snap!

The skinny woman grabbed my shoulder with a strong grip and forced me to turn.

‘Ugh!’

Well, the conversation aside—

Doing that to a kid barely ten years old?

“You!”

Han Ji-hyuk furrowed his brows deeply and grabbed the skinny woman’s wrist hard.

“Ah! What the—”

“Who grabbed first?”

Han Ji-hyuk threw the woman’s hand off, and she shoved him hard.

“Ah, really.”

Han Ji-hyuk looked very annoyed but couldn’t do much.

If the guards came now, it would easily cause a misunderstanding.

Watching Han Ji-hyuk struggle to keep calm made me furious.

‘If I keep holding back, I’m a pushover.’

My temper flared.

I stared straight at the skinny woman and said,

“You should apologize. You grabbed me without permission, pushed my companion. If you apologize, I’ll forgive you generously.”

“What? Ha, what’s this crazy kid saying? Ridiculous.”

“Come out here.”

Canela said.

She tossed her cigarette on the ground with a clack and brushed past the skinny woman to approach me.

Swaggering.

Her very walk gave off a powerful aura.

A bully vibe.

Canela came close, leaned slightly, and smirked.

Lightly tapping my cheek with her fingers, she teased me kindly.

“Hey kid, do you think you can talk back to adults like that? Such a bad kid. Very rude and spoiled.”

“......”

I just stared intently at Canela as she spoke.

When I said nothing, Canela grew even more smug.

She seemed to think I was scared by her attitude.

“......”

“I’ll teach you. Apologizing to adults is like this—”

She said, grabbing the back of my head and pressing it firmly toward the ground.

Under Canela’s strength, my head bent sharply down.

Han Ji-hyuk shouted in shock,

“What the hell are you doing!”

He pulled Canela’s hand sharply.

Canela let out a fragile scream like she was waiting for it.

“Eek! Why are you doing this!”

At that moment, a man’s voice came from behind.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing!”

Turning around, we saw a crowd gathering quickly.

They all looked like bandits.

Big and rough-looking, obviously men who knew their business.

Even passing by in a carriage, they didn’t look like they belonged to the bright side of society.

Canela held the wrist Han Ji-hyuk had grabbed, breathing heavily.

Like sobbing.

Then she called to the men in a sad, sweet voice.

“Sniff. Why are you only coming now, brothers~!”

Oh my.

So that’s why she was smoking here — those men were waiting for her.

Thud, thud.

The men with fierce eyes approached us.

Pitter-patter.

Han Ji-hyuk and I were pushed step by step back into the alley by the approaching men.

Han Ji-hyuk quietly tapped me and whispered,

“Hey, do something.”

“You ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ should. You’re my servant!”

“I’m... weak.”

Han Ji-hyuk’s voice, which was about to get loud, suddenly lowered when he noticed the men.

Ugh.

He looked strong earlier, but now he seemed so helpless.

‘That’s why I told him to get training from Mosco.’

“Ah!”

Han Ji-hyuk’s eyes brightened as if he thought of a good idea.

“Call the dragon. The dragon.”

Just as I thought.

Crazy?

You want me to call Lagon for some street thugs?

Besides, Lagon’s grown so huge he can’t even be in the capital.

Right now, Lagon is resting comfortably in a vast plateau called the ‘Abandoned Land.’

And if we call now, it’ll take hours to arrive.

“It’ll take hours for him to come.”

“There’s Ombre too!”

“Ombre isn’t offensive.”

Once grown, he lives on fear and only shows terror in the dark.

Right now he has no offensive weapons.

‘Ugh. I should have brought guards even if it was troublesome...!’

Then movement would be difficult and Dad would get reports, so I usually went around with just Han Ji-hyuk.

And I came here to meet a future employee — how did I know this would happen.

I closed my eyes tight and regretted.

‘I should have listened to Dad...’

We were pushed to the end of the alley.

Canela pushed through the men and stood at the front of the group.

Click! She crossed her arms and said,

“Guys, don’t be scared. This is training. Kids get properly scolded once and then become obedient.”

Tapping their heads, Canela added,

“Once you’ve cried your eyes out, you’ll know adults are scary.”

She smirked like a villain.

She smiled purely earlier, but now she looked like a true villain...

A woman with two faces.

“Alright kid, the uncles will teach you a lesson?”

Wham!

One thug raised his hand toward us.

Seeing a thick hand like a pot lid flying, I closed my eyes tight.

Seeing a fist makes you reflexively afraid.

‘Damn. When I get back to the estate, I’m dead!’

“......”

But it was strange.

Nothing happened even as time passed.

What’s this?

I relaxed my tightly shut eyes and peeked with one eye.

‘Huh?’

The arm that the thug raised to strike us was held by someone.

About 170 cm tall.

Thin body.

Wearing a hat pulled low, face unseen.

Canela’s eyes widened as she shouted,

“What are you!”

“You’re just a kid. Adults shouldn’t bully you like this.”

“What business is it of yours? Mind your own business and get lost!”

The man with the hat spoke in a bored voice.

The thugs’ faces twisted angrily.

“What? Arrogant brat!”

The thug who had tried to strike us first shouted.

Swish, he swung the other fist.

The so-called ‘passing stranger’ just tilted his head and dodged the punch.

“Ooooh!”

“Ooh...”

Han Ji-hyuk and I watched with wide eyes.

We almost applauded.

“Dodged it? Like a slippery fish!”

Another thug rushed in.

The passing stranger dodged again by stepping back.

Swish, swish.

No matter how violently the fists flew, the man calmly avoided them, making the thugs red with frustration.

They stomped the ground like angry gorillas.

“Ah, just gang up on him!”

At Canela’s words, the thugs attacked the stranger together.

But.

‘It’s a rule that passing strangers fight well.’

And my guess was right.

The passing stranger easily handled the five thugs swarming him without flinching.

Thug 1 charged from the left — the stranger grabbed his headlock and hit him with an elbow!

“Argh!”

Thug 2 came from behind — grabbed the collar and threw him over!

“Ouch, get a grip!”

Thug 3 charged from left again — tripped him and stomped!

“Brother, my sworn enemy... ugh!”

Thug 4 charged from front — kicked him in the groin!

“Argh! How can you do this as a man...!”

Thug 5 and a barely conscious Thug 1 charged from both sides — he grabbed their necks and headbutted them into each other with a bang!!

“Ugh...”

“This is... our territory...”

Thud, thud, thud!

The five thugs collapsed to the ground without even a scratch.

Speed: 10/10!

Balance: 10/10!

Flexibility: 10/10!

A perfect 10 out of 10!

“Ooooh!”

“Ooooh!”

Clap clap clap!

In the end, Han Ji-hyuk and I ended up clapping.