The day had already turned dark. The cart that had carried fish was now empty, but Laila didn't even consider pulling the cart. Hastily escaping into the alley, she stopped only when she reached a place devoid of people.
"Sigh..."
Laila, half-sitting, began to retch. Though she gagged violently, hardly anything came up due to her empty stomach. Only a bitter fluid rose, causing her throat to ache as if it were on fire.
"Sigh, ugh..."
After a while, Laila's empty retching finally ceased. Breathing heavily, she stared blankly at the ground, and there she noticed the tip of a black shoe.
Slowly, Laila raised her head towards the darkness that enveloped her.
"....!"
A man adorned with a black silk hat cast his gaze down upon her. Due to his towering stature, his face appeared diminutive in the elevated position. Though his forehead remained concealed beneath the shadow of the hat, his eyes, gracefully arched and upwardly drawn, were strikingly prominent.
In the darkness of night and shrouded by the hat's shadow, his iris color remained elusive. Tinged with brown when immersed in darkness, they would take on a cerulean hue when touched by light, much like her own. His eyes, discreet yet taciturn, descended upon her like drops of dew in the evening. The lips, delicately pursed beneath a symmetrically sculpted nasal bridge, were impressive in their modesty. He seemed a personage who exuded an air of icy aloofness, yet projected a sense of unwavering fortitude.
The tremor coursing through her body was not solely due to the shocking events she had witnessed just moments before.
Indeed, such individuals exist in this world.
To say he was handsome and stylish fell short of the mark. He was immaculate. That was the thought that pervaded her mind the instant she laid eyes upon him. He seemed to possess a purity untainted by physical grime or environmental squalor. Even among the well-dressed wealthy individuals in their ostentatious suits, this man possessed a distinct elegance. Despite being in such close proximity, he felt inexplicably distant.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
"Are you alright?"
The man opened his mouth with the same indifferent gaze. His deep, coarse voice resounded in a courteous timbre that struck her ears.
For some reason, Laila felt a sudden embarrassment and rose to her feet, wiping her lips with the back of her hand.
"How may I help you??"
The man asked again.
"No, I'm fine," Laila replied calmly, steadying her mind. She knew better than to be swayed by first impressions. While this man seemed different from the other guests, he was just another customer at this establishment. Laila had to be cautious not to rely on his kind gesture towards her beauty, as it could lead to greater danger. Above all, facing him made her feel more miserable for no reason.
"Thank you," the man said.
He has blue eyes.
Laila lowered her head after examining the color of the man's irises. She felt his gaze following her until she was buried in the darkness. Once she left Blast 1, Laila ran with all her might, feeling the cool air clear her head.
In the cold air, Laila remembered the lingering scent of the man who had asked her earlier.
It was him!
He was the man who had helped her on the stairs a little while ago.
The man stood in the same spot until Laila disappeared from view. After the darkness swallowed her up, he raised his hand and sniffed the scent that lingered on his sleeve. As he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his hand, he remembered the trembling eyes of the woman with the hard-to-see sapphire eyes. She was a dangerous beauty to linger in a place like this.
As a carriage approached him, the man stood next to it. The secretary who had opened the door and got off bowed his head towards him.
"My lord."
The secretary called him and covered his nose before taking a step back.
"Find out what's going on up there."
The man ordered as he threw the handkerchief to the ground and got into the carriage.