"This place... is so unfamiliar and yet nostalgic."

As soon as she stepped down from the carriage, Anna looked around at the streets and buildings that had become completely different from her memories, and let out a sigh of sentiment.

"You used to stay here before, senior?" Muen asked.

"I lived here for a while. But back then, this street was one of the more chaotic parts of the entire Lower City. I didn’t expect that in just two years, it would end up looking brand new.

I remember there were several dark alleys over there. I used to cut through them all the time to save effort, even though they were creepy. And now, they’re all gone." Anna looked ahead and said with a tinge of wonder.

The alleys that had once only harbored darkness and filth had long been flattened and cleared away. On top of that ruin, pretty two-story buildings had been built.

"I see..."

Looks like I chose right!

Muen let out a quiet cheer in his heart.

Coming back to a familiar place after two years would definitely give senior a sense of comfort.

And in a pleasant date, that sense of comfort was absolutely essential!

"You sound so nostalgic. You must’ve had a really deep impression of this place, senior," Muen followed up.

"It was pretty deep."

Anna touched her cheek and smiled:

"After all, back then, I killed quite a few thugs around here who were drooling over my body and tried to get handsy with me. I buried the bodies in those very alleys I mentioned earlier. I wonder if they dug them up during the renovations?

Sigh, if they were dug up, that’d be a real problem. After all, it’s several human lives. Maybe some scary police officers would come arrest me.

If that happens, junior Muen, you absolutely have to use your ducal influence to bail me out, okay?"

"Eh?"

Muen’s expression froze instantly.

Even though a little devil in his head kept telling him that this was the moment to puff out his chest and boldly declare, ‘Don’t worry, senior, mere cops couldn’t lay a finger on you’...

He hadn’t expected this to be what senior meant by nostalgic!

So this place was where you killed people and buried their corpses?

Then doesn’t that mean I completely chose the wrong place?!

“Pfft.”

Just as Muen was sitting there, face aching and wondering if he should hurry and change the location while there was still time, Anna let °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° out a sudden laugh:

“Just kidding, junior.”

“Huh?”

“No matter how chaotic a place is, it’s still part of the city, right? Who the hell kills people and buries the bodies right there? You’d have to be seriously dumb to do that.”

Muen blinked, then caught on and cried out in frustration:

“Senior, you’re messing with me again!”

“No I’m not.”

Senior’s expression turned serious as she lowered her voice:

“That’s why I actually chopped them up first and hid them under the floorboards.”

“Ah.”

“Kukuku... Junior, your dumbfounded face is so funny...”

Anna burst into laughter again, her whole body shaking:

“As if I could really do something like that. In your eyes, am I really the kind of wicked woman who would casually kill people and dismember them? If you think that way, senior might get sad, you know.”

“Of course I know you’re a very gentle person, senior.”

Muen scratched his head with a wry smile, utterly helpless against senior Anna’s devilish nature:

“But I just thought, if those guys tried to lay a hand on you, then they totally deserved to die, didn’t they?”

“......”

Anna’s smile suddenly froze. She stared quietly at Muen.

“Hmm? Is there something on my face?”

“Junior.”

“What?”

“...Never mind.”

Anna suddenly changed the subject and smiled sweetly again:

“Let’s just say it’s your punishment, junior.”

“Eh? Punishment?”

Muen looked baffled. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Of course.”

Anna smiled and reached out her finger, poking the tip of Muen’s nose:

“You asked me out, but you didn’t plan anything in advance. You had to dig up some last-minute date guide. If it were any other girl, she’d feel neglected and get angry, you know? Only a good-tempered person like me would just tease you a bit.”

“You found out?” Muen scratched his head with a sheepish smile.

“I even hid it so well.”

“Women’s senses are very sharp at times like this, you know.”

Her tone carried a subtle implication:

“So, junior, it’s better to tuck away your little schemes.”

...

...

Since he’d already been found out, Muen shamelessly pulled out the Belrand Date Strategy Guide and flipped through it right in front of Anna.

Before long, he picked a route that looked somewhat interesting.

They strolled idly along.

It was already late autumn, so even under the bright noonday sun, there was still a thread of chill in the air.

But for the people walking the streets, it was just perfect.

On the vigorously developing commercial street, hawkers on both sides were shouting with all their might. The shops overflowed with goods, and streams of pedestrians bustled past.

Anna would stop occasionally, showing interest in one or two trinkets, and even bought some things that looked downright bizarre to Muen.

However, every time Muen offered to pay, senior Anna would always refuse.

So Muen seemed a little frustrated. “Senior, if you keep doing this, how am I supposed to repay you?”

“Kukuku... I don’t want my junior wasting his debt on such meaningless things,” senior said, smiling as she tucked away the black root-like thing she’d just bought.

“Oh? Then what do you want, senior...”

Muen was just about to ask when he was suddenly interrupted by a sharp cry:

“Jewels! True Love Gem! The legendary Tear of True Love! Guaranteed real or ten times your money back!”

The Tear of True Love?

Muen frowned slightly. In his memory, the Tear of True Love was a gemstone hyped up by jewelers a few years ago, said to symbolize pure and flawless love. But before it could be sold for a good price, it was stolen.

A gem that valuable—how could it possibly appear in a place like this?

Muen was about to walk past without giving it another thought, but he suddenly saw senior Anna’s eyes light up with interest.

So he immediately changed course: “How about we take a look?”

Anna nodded lightly. “Sure.”

The two of them walked over to the shouting street vendor.

The vendor was an old man with a hideous head full of scabs. As soon as he saw them, he stopped yelling and grinned wide, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

“Young man, young lady, wanna take a look? This is the legendary Tear of True Love—a magical gem that helps you find your true love!”

On the ground in front of the old man sat a pink gem the size of a pigeon egg, glimmering enchantingly in the sunlight.

“Is it genuine?” Muen asked.

“Guaranteed real or ten times your money back!”

The old man slapped his chest as he made his vow.

But Muen wasn’t asking him—he was asking senior Anna.

Anna leaned down, picked up the gem, examined it closely, and then shook her head in disappointment:

“Fake.”

“Thought so.”

Muen also took the gem and weighed it lightly in his hand. From the feel of it, it wasn’t even stone, let alone a gemstone.

And if it really were the Tear of True Love worth millions, there’s no way it’d be sold this casually on the street.

Senior probably knew that too—she’d just checked it out on a whim.

“Let’s go.”

Muen shook his head, casually placed the gem back down, and turned to head to the next destination.

But just as he took a step forward, he felt something heavy grab his ankle, making it hard to even move.

He looked back.

The scabby-headed old man had grabbed his leg with a furious expression, screaming at the top of his lungs:

“You little bastard! You broke my gem and you think you can just walk away?!”