1. I Will Refrain From the Death Penalty
Episode 6
It was my first time going outside after being pushed into a miscellaneous store by Leniel. In the meantime, there was no reason for me to go out because Leniel brought me clothes or even simple groceries. So I was scared but also excited.
Wearing a hood with a cape tightly closed, I stepped carefully.
It was very easy to go out. I could just walk out. I was worried about where the magic might be triggered, so I looked around the general store with a bright face.
When I gained confidence, my steps became lighter. I hurried my steps to get out of this gloomy alley. When I asked the villains who were coming as guests, they said that if they had money, they could secretly get in the carriage compartments outside the city.
The location of the carriage operating office was also being told. If I go that far…
“Ugh!”
As soon as I went around the alley, I immediately leaned down.
It was good to find a street that looked normal as soon as I went around the dark alley area.
The problem was the city security guards, who were located between those bright streets and ordinary shops. Armed guards wandered around, and all kinds of wanted flyers were attached to the wall of the guard station.
Are you insane? Does it make sense that the distance between the general store and the guard station used by villains is only 100m? I didn’t even know that on the day I came here. Why didn’t anyone let me know there was something like that?
“Why do you keep going out?”
“Ah…”
I almost screamed at the cheerful voice from my ears.
As I covered my mouth with both hands and looked back, I made eye contact with Leniel, who was bending down close to me.
Leniel was smiling brightly.
Ugh. I think I thought of this last time too.
“If you go a little further forward, they’ll find you too.”
I messed it up again.
“Ha ha. It’s been a while since I saw you.”
“It’s been about 2 or 3 days”.
I don’t know about that, but I know there’s madness in your eyes.
Holding my chest, I stretched my back as naturally as possible. After standing close to the wall to see if the soldiers could see me, I constantly recalled it in my head.
A boss in front of me. As a temporary employee of a general store, I have to do my best to smile. When I go out, my livelihood is not threatened, but my life is threatened.
“I’m telling you first in case you misunderstand, but I didn’t mean to run away.”
I left the store and only walked 50m, and it is really unfair for me to say that I left this behind. Wouldn’t it be better if I escaped from the city? Personally, this isn’t even a walk.
“Will you turn yourself in if you don’t run away?”
“That’s not it either.”
“Oh, really? I thought you were finally determined to challenge the hanging.”
Hanging is not an exercise or a challenge.
My smile almost got disturbed by Leniel who smiled and said nonsense, but fortunately, I was able to maintain a good face. I, who opened my eyes tearfully so that I could be seen as sincere as possible, answered in an unshakable voice.
“No way. I just came out to take a walk because I was frustrated to stay in the building for 10 days. I have a habit of walking only one step a day.”
“A walk?”
“Yes, I’ll recommend it to you. You’ll get really healthy.”
Leniel tilted his head. Then he widened his eyes round as if he was really curious.
“Then did you pack poison to drink when you were thirsty while taking a walk?”
…When on earth have you been watching? Was it to test me that you didn’t come for three days?
I felt a cold sweat flowing down my spine. But if I’m pushed back like this, it’s over. I didn’t waste my work life either, so I could shamelessly pretend I didn’t know. If I pretend to be serious and logical, there are times when it works.
“In order not to let go of my passion and sense of work while taking a walk…”
“What about the money?”
“Come think of it, I don’t think I’ve been able to properly repay Leniel for helping me, so I’m thinking of buying a present on the way home.”
If he asked what kind of gift it was even though it wasn’t my money, I would say, ‘I forgot to tell you to pay my salary in advance.’ While waiting for the expected previous question, Leniel kept his mouth shut with a strange expression.
Why? Was there a loophole in my answer?
…of course, there are many loopholes.
A sense of wonder came later. I tried to ignore it and looked stiffly at Leniel, who subtly twisted his lips and muttered to himself.
“Hah. If you are in a hurry, you tend to be submissive.”
…I tried to raise my trembling lips somehow.
“But you called me a bastard in prison.”
In fact, sometimes even now, sometimes I still call him that. Sometimes I use more radical expressions.
“When was that? I think it is much more productive and progressive thinking to move forward for the future rather than dwell on the past.”
“That was only ten days ago.”
“Ten days ago? Wasn’t that the past? Haha!”
I managed to swallow with a loud laugh, shrugged my shoulders exaggeratedly and turned my head. The more I looked at him, the more his expression seemed to rot.
In the shifted field of vision, a nearby city guard station could be seen. The guards, who had been standing sullenly, suddenly could not be seen.
But on the contrary, it felt ominous. Unknowingly, I poked my head out and stared at the guard station, and the door opened and a number of guards rushed out. They all turned their heads to this side at once. Then they took steps in this direction.
“Ahh…!”
I didn’t even recognize what sound was coming out of my mouth, and I hurriedly turned my back.
Did they see me? They must have! The hoodie didn’t cover my face completely, so maybe they’re trying to come and check? Crap, because of the traces of black magic left in prison, I might get a real execution!
“What are you doing?”
Leniel’s voice above my head was filled with absurdity, but I couldn’t afford to pay attention to it. I approached Leniel and grabbed his open cape with both hands and pulled it close.
“Wait. The soldiers are coming. Please stay still! I’ll take care of it!”
I lowered my head as much as possible and tried to cover my face with his cape somehow, but as if he wouldn’t give up his clothes, Leniel grabbed the cape and opened it completely. Even if I tried to remove his hand late, he didn’t budge.
Why are you so strong? Wasn’t a wizard weak?
After pulling his hem a couple of times, I lowered my voice in frustration and whispered.
“Just pretend to be a couple who crawled into a dark alley because we couldn’t control our passion! That way, they won’t bother us!”
“You can run away.”
“I’ll look suspicious if I run away suddenly! It’s a dead end. In this case, I have to be brazen.”
I didn’t ask for anything difficult, but I tried to cover my face by pulling the cape, but how could I be so cheap?
I stomped his feet and lowered my head, and Leniel exclaimed with a peaceful voice.
“Aha, so in this situation, you have to avoid danger so we look like lovers who crawled into a dark alley because we couldn’t control our passion?”
“Okay, if you understand, let me borrow your cape so I can cover my face…!”
I was pushed by a strong force even before I finished speaking. My back hit a hard wall and I almost screamed inadvertently. After biting my teeth and barely holding back the sound, I frowned and raised my head.
It was to protest right away, but when I made eye contact with Leniel, who looked down at me from afar, my mind turned blank.
“What? You said we should look like lovers.”
Leniel, who locked me in his arms, smiled with his eyes and whispered. The red eyes showed how he was dying of fun. We were close enough for his lips to touch mine if he lowered his head, and he was smiling sweetly as if he would kiss me right away.
But somehow, I was convinced that he wouldn’t contact me anymore.
Thanks to this, my throat, which had been tightly blocked, opened up and reason returned to my mind, which had been blank for a while. After swallowing my dry saliva, I calmly opened my mouth.
“The point is not to pretend to be a lover, but to avoid the situation through that, huh? Hey, we made eye contact…!”
Having made eye contact with Leniel’s shoulders and a group of guards, I contemplated and grabbed Leniel’s hem.
Without facial recognition disorder, they would have recognized who I am at this distance at once!
“Back, back…”
I couldn’t speak because I was in a hurry, so I pushed Leniel’s chest who was close to me. However, Leniel didn’t even move back, and he didn’t seem to have any intention of covering me.
If you’re going to push me against the wall, cover me completely! You should’ve kissed me! You don’t seem to want to help me!
“Back, what?”
“What…”
We definitely made eye contact.