The cool morning air greeted them, seasoned with the scents of life in Avalon Village: warm bread fresh from the oven, the smell of damp earth after the rain, and a faint hint of woodsmoke from fireplaces. The village itself awoke in peace; simple wooden houses stood in neat rows, interspersed with a few more majestic stone buildings. Occasionally, the clip-clop of horses pulling simple wooden carts broke the silence, accompanying the steps of farmers heading to their fields.
"Where is the market, Brother?" asked Eva, her voice trembling with anticipation.
"In Blackbourne Town," Lumian answered shortly, his eyes continuously scanning their surroundings.
"Wow... We're really going to town?" Eva exclaimed, giving a little jump that made her cloak flutter. "All this time, I've only wandered between school, home, and the pine forest behind the village! This is the first time I'll set foot in a town since we... since we arrived in the Kingdom of Valenor!"
Lumian smiled softly at Eva's excitement, but the smile faded as he realized how narrow the world was that he had introduced to his sister so far. His hand unconsciously clenched inside his cloak pocket.
"Lad Lumi!"
A hoarse yet warm voice called from the side. Lumian turned and saw Old Man Neil, their neighbor and the person who had gotten him his job at the harbor. The white-haired man was walking with his wife, Aunt Maren, who carried a woven bag. His wrinkled face bore a friendly smile.
Lumian, who had been on guard, relaxed his gaze slightly. A friendly and genuinely grateful smile spread across his face as he promptly lowered his hood and bowed politely. "Good morning, Sir, Ma'am."
"Hello, Mr. Neil! Aunt Maren!" Eva greeted cheerfully.
Aunt Maren, a gentle-faced woman with a simple bun, smiled at Eva's enthusiasm. "My, Eva, where are you off to? Wearing a tight cloak like this, isn't it hot?"
"Yes, it's true, it is hot," Eva replied with a light laugh, "But it's a condition from my brother for me to come along. Well, that's just how he is." Aunt Maren chuckled along. Lumian shook his head with a smile, watching his sister's interaction.
"Big Brother and I are going to the market in Blackbourne Town!" Eva said excitedly. "Where are you going, Auntie?"
"Auntie is also going to the market, but the one in Median City near the harbor, to buy some fish," answered Aunt Maren
While Eva and Aunt Maren chatted, Old Man Neil shifted his gentle yet bright gaze to Lumian. "Good, good," he said, patting Lumian's shoulder. "Since you have the day off today, you should enjoy yourself once in a while. You're still very young, so don't be too serious. Enjoy your youth, it won't come twice."
The advice touched his heart, but how could he enjoy his youth when even finances were so difficult?
Lumian nodded, feeling a slight sense of relief. Old Man Neil's genuine concern felt like a simple acknowledgment that they were beginning to be accepted. "Yes, Sir. I also want to buy some supplies. I'll be back to work as usual tomorrow."
"Good. Later, if any oak ships from the south come in, we'll need extra hands. But for today, enjoy your time," said Old Man Neil with an understanding nod, before continuing on his way with his wife.
"See you, Sir! Auntie!" Eva bid farewell enthusiastically.
Watching the elderly couple leave, Lumian's heart felt a little warmer. Simple interactions like this, being acknowledged as an ordinary worker and villager, gave him a faint sense that they were putting down roots in this place.
"Alright, let's continue," he said, guiding his sister along the gravel path towards the village gate where the simple passenger carriage usually waited. Before stepping forward, his hand deftly pulled Eva's hood back up, shrouding the mesmerizing light of her whitish-blonde hair once more.
...
The dusty dirt roads gradually gave way to more neatly laid cobblestones. They had officially left the territory of Avalon Village and entered the outskirts of Blackbourne Town. The atmosphere changed; the traffic grew busier with carts and pedestrians dressed in more varied attire.
Lumian reached for his leather wallet, checking its contents once more before reaching the market. After confirming the money was there, he pulled out a single banknote and examined it under the sunlight.
A Crown Note…, he thought, unable to stop admiring the slip of paper. Today was the first time he had received his wages in this form. It wasn't the value that captivated him, but the meaning behind it. Times had truly changed—the heavy, noisy silver Penny coins were now replaced by this compact and elegant piece of paper. This change relieved his heart; this wasn't just a currency swap, but tangible proof that the world had entered an era of peace and stability after all the turmoil and border wars.
I hope this lasts long.
His eyes traced the seal of the Kingdom of Valenor—a spread-winged eagle—perfectly printed, along with intricate patterns that made this note nearly impossible to counterfeit. One Crown Note was equivalent to three Penny Coins, of course, due to inflation.
He remembered a conversation with a nobleman at the harbor: this paper money was an innovation from merchants of the Southern Continent—renowned for their advancements in printing technology. The idea was then proposed to King Alistair and approved, marking a new economic era.
This is so efficient, he mused to himself as he put the money away. I don't need to carry twenty-five heavy coins anymore. Yet, a wry smile surfaced. But… such practical money just makes my meager salary feel even more pathetic, even if the value is the same.
Beside the road, a small river split the two main routes, flowing calmly behind a stone barrier. Several flat boats passed by, carrying merchandise like lumber and sacks of wheat, and Eva's eyes sparkled as she gazed at the scene, as if every detail was a new wonder.
As they neared the market center, the crowd grew deafening. The sounds of haggling beginning to be heard, horse whinnies, and the babbling of the river water merged into a symphony of city life.
Lumian's eyes narrowed. "We're almost there. Stay close to me," he instructed, his voice low but firm, as he took his sister's hand.
Eva nodded obediently, letting her brother lead her.
Thud!
Suddenly, a woman in a black cloak bumped into Lumian's shoulder as he was momentarily distracted, watching a city guard.
"Sorry, sorry! I'm in a hurry!" the woman said, her tone flat. Her slightly open robes revealed black, almost purple hair and a strange iron necklace.
"It's fine," Lumian replied curtly. Yet, his trained eyes had captured crucial details in an instant: a woman around her twenties with lips painted a stark black, blue eyes, and eyelashes too delicate for a village girl. What caught his attention most was her necklace—patterned with hollow triangles in each link, with a red crystal the size of a thumbnail pulsing softly at its center, like a mechanical heart.
The woman then swiftly darted away, disappearing into the crowd. Lumian still watched her direction, imprinting her face and unusual necklace into his memory.
Should I bother with this?
His instinct always worked like this—noting suspicious things, even if just as a precaution.
They walked on. I need to be more vigilant…
Amidst his thoughts scanning the people, something occurred to him about the collision that had just happened.
Come to think of it, that moment reminds me of–! His eyes widened instantly. My wallet!
Reflexively, his hand reached for the wallet in his robe pocket, feeling for its bulge.
Still there…, he thought, relieved after feeling the wallet's shape. He'd experienced something like this before when someone bumped into him and his wallet disappeared instantly. Luckily, it had been empty at the time—used up to pay for his apartment. His heart tingled as if he'd stumbled upon a little joke, imagining the thief's expression upon opening his empty wallet. Stupid! A faint, almost invisible smile appeared. But then he finally grumbled to himself, Damn it, but I had to buy a new wallet after that.
"Brother," Eva's voice broke his reverie, "Are you okay?"
"Yes, let's continue," Lumian answered, forcing a small smile, though his mind was still in turmoil. Focus… can't let that happen again.
While Lumian appeared stiff and tense, Eva beside him observed her surroundings with wide, darting eyes. She saw a group of teenagers around Lumian's age laughing cheerfully, going to the market not for shopping, but simply to have fun. Eva's heart ached slightly. In her mind, someone Lumian's age should also be enjoying their youth the same way—joking around, free from burdens, not wearing a serious expression while scanning every corner like a vigilant guard.
She also noticed the glances of several girls—shyly or boldly—looking in their direction, or more precisely, at her brother. Lumian's tall, upright posture, his pale skin, his sharp grey eyes often veiled with sorrow, and his firm jawline still radiated an aura of nobility that was hard to conceal, making him stand out among the other youths his age. Eva looked at those girls, then gazed at her brother. A mix of warmth and sadness swelled in her chest. On one hand, she felt a little proud—of course, her brother was handsome and different. But on the other hand, she wished Lumian would notice those looks, could return them with a light smile—Hi, I'm Lumian, nice to meet you!—and live a normal life like any other teenager. Not constantly living in the shadows that prevented him from enjoying simple things like this.
A mischievous smile spread across Eva's face. "Brother,"
"Hmm?" Lumian answered, his mind still half-focused on the mysterious woman, or more precisely on the details he had managed to catch.
"Do you... have a girlfriend?" she asked, anticipating her brother's reaction.
Lumian paused for a moment. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Eva's mischievous smile. Since when did she know about such things? he thought before saying:
"No," he replied briefly and flatly, immediately cutting off any further line of questioning.
Eva could only sigh softly. That answer forced her to find other words; it took extra courage to ask the next question. Then she remembered someone, a person who had once made Lumian laugh innocently; she wanted to remind her brother that he used to be able to laugh freely. But a bitter feeling rose in her chest as she remembered that moment because it was gone now, but she had to!
"Oh, right, isn't Princess Charlotte in this kingdom?" Eva said innocently. "Don't you miss her, Brother?"
The sentence hit Lumian like a hard slap across the face, waking him to a realization. Not because of missing Charlotte, but because that name tugged at a deep memory within him—a life that should have been his.
The world around him suddenly felt alien. The carefree laughter of his peers, the glances from the girls—all turned into bitter images. They were free. They didn't need to hide. They didn't need to carry the burden he had borne since he was ten years old. Ten years?
Why do I have to worry about money just to survive, if I am a prince? Why must I always be vigilant, if there should be guards protecting me? Why must I hide, if my throne should give me the right to stand at the highest place?
He looked at his hands—hands now roughened by harbor work, hands that had to sew dolls for his sister's smile. Not hands that held a royal scepter, not hands once trained to wield a noble's sword.
Charlotte wasn't just a former lover. She was a symbol of everything lost: rights, identity, and a future that had been forcibly torn away. And in the middle of this bustling market, amidst laughter and oblivious gazes, Lumian felt alone—a prince without a crown, a brother who had to pretend to be strong, and a young man who had to bury his own identity.
He smiled bitterly.
"Back when Brother—" Eva's words were cut off as Lumian made a subtle gesture, his index finger pressing against his own lips. Crowded place, his suddenly narrowed eyes seemed to whisper. His vigilance intensified again. He stopped her not out of anger, but because he didn't want Eva to feel the bitterness that had just gripped his heart.
Let me bear this burden alone... he thought.
But Eva immediately looked down, her face instantly gloomy again like the sky before rain. Lumian's heart ached seeing her sorrowful expression.
"Brother... why are you always so stiff?" Eva complained, her voice trembling slightly. "Try to smile sometimes when we're out. You're not a guard—you're my brother. Act like a brother should." She took a deep breath, her grey eyes looking at Lumian sharply yet with understanding. "I know... I know you're protecting me. But I also want to see you happy, not always being a cold fortress."
Eva's last sentence pierced deeper than he had expected. All this time, Lumian had believed that Eva only needed protection and stability. But it turned out, behind her innocent demeanor, Eva had grown with an awareness that jolted him—the awareness that to protect her, Lumian had buried his own identity deep within.
And for the first time, he realized: what Eva feared most wasn't the danger from outside, but losing her brother to a bottomless sea of vigilance.
Have my ways been wrong all this time?
Suddenly he became aware of how often he had played the role of the rigid guardian, forgetting that what Eva might need was just a brother who could laugh with her over trivial things, not merely a guard with a gaze that constantly scanned for threats. Yet, amidst the danger he still believed lurked, which was more important: being a fun brother, or being a protector ensuring his sister's life remained intact? That dilemma gnawed at his insides like rats chewing on wooden foundations.
But this time, seeing the faint disappointment on his sister's face, he chose to relent. A long breath escaped his chest, and for the first time—
Alright… I'll give it a try.
With light steps, he caught up to Eva's side, then turned so he was walking backward while facing her. The look in his eyes softened, as if momentarily eroding the layer of steely vigilance that always shrouded him.
"Yes, Charlotte is indeed here," he said, his voice softer than usual, answering the earlier question. "But she is very far away—her palace is on the other side of the capital." He paused for a moment, his breath trembling slightly. "And we... are nobody to her anymore." A trace of sorrow hung in his words, revealing the burden of identity he had long buried.
Eva nodded slowly, as if understanding more than what was spoken.
Then, with a sudden yet graceful movement, Lumian reached his hand out towards Eva—like a prince asking a princess to dance amidst the bustling market.
"And as for girlfriends…" Lumian smiled, a genuine, slightly mischievous smile that hadn't been seen in a long time. "I haven't thought about it. Why would I need to look for a girlfriend, when I already have someone as beautiful as you right here?"
The words slipped out just like that—not out of obligation, but from a side of him that he had kept suppressed, a side that yearned for sincere moments like this.
For a heartbeat, Eva was taken aback. The sudden shift in her brother's demeanor—from the usual guardedness to this playful, almost princely charm—was so unexpected that she could only stare, her earlier complaint momentarily forgotten. Then, like the sun breaking through clouds, a slow, disbelieving smile spread across her lips. The tension in her shoulders eased, replaced by a warm flutter of delight.
"Brother..." she stammered, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Since when did you learn to say things like that?" Her tone was a mix of playful accusation and genuine pleasure, the last remnants of her earlier gloom swept away by his unexpected gesture.
Her small hand, which had been hanging stiffly by her side, now met Lumian's outstretched one, clasping it tightly and full of trust, her cold fingers warmed by her brother's grasp.
Lumian smiled in relief, holding his sister's hand as he led her through the increasingly dense market crowd. For a moment, he tried not to be the guard or the fugitive—he was just a brother taking a walk with his sister, and that role felt lighter and more beautiful than he had ever imagined.