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Mengdie, unconcerned by Aya's anxiety, leisurely buttoned up her shirt and went to put on her coat, casually saying, "It was given to me by a comrade-in-arms. What's wrong?"

"What kind of comrade? A man or a woman?"

"A comrade with whom I eradicated bandits. Obviously, a man would give me men's clothing. Besides, Aya, why are you asking so many questions? It's not a good habit to be so nosy."

Mengdie put on her coat and was about to put on her pants when Aya suddenly grabbed her, her face more panicked than if the world were ending!

"Silly girl! You've been taken advantage of, haven't you?! What will you do now? Mengdie, a girl's reputation is more important than anything. How could you casually let someone take advantage of you?! No, no matter whether you've been wronged or not, that bastard's clothes must not be worn again! Quick, take them off! We must burn them immediately!"

Aya, always one for action, frantically started to pull off Mengdie's clothes. This clearly irritated Mengdie, who abruptly withdrew her hand, shouting, "Hey! Are you crazy? Why are you asking me to take off my clothes for no reason?"

Aya, still flustered, reached out again to strip Mengdie's clothes. But in terms of agility, how could she compare to Mengdie? Mengdie lightly dodged to the side, quickly put on her pants, and headed for the door. She was already late today; she needed to intensify her training, then go to the poor district to do heavy work and build up her strength.

...Hmm?

As Mengdie moved toward the door, she suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves outside. Curious, she was about to push the door open when Aya again came from behind and hugged her, seemingly determined not to let go unless Mengdie changed into women's clothing.

"Aya! Let go, let go!"

"No! I'm doing this for your own good! If people on the street know you're wearing another man's intimate clothes, how will you ever get married?" Gradually, Aya's initial intention of making Mengdie change clothes turned into playful banter.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Deep down, Mengdie knew Aya meant well. But that didn't mean she had to follow her advice or live the life of a woman! Out of respect for Aya being a woman and a friend, Mengdie didn't use force to break free, but such entanglement obviously wasn't a solution. She had no choice but to push the door forcefully, thinking that Aya wouldn't keep holding onto her in front of so many people on the street.

"Alright! I'm going to practice! Let go!"

"I won't let go! Unless you take off the clothes, I won't let go~~~!"

Mengdie struggled to step forward, but Aya, who had been pulling her backward, slipped, lost her balance, and fell onto Mengdie's back. Not only did she push Mengdie down, but they also opened the door and fell onto the threshold.

"Ouch... damn, that hurts. Aya, are you okay?" Mengdie rubbed her slightly bumped forehead, struggling to prop up her upper body and turn back to check on Aya. But as she lifted her head, her gaze was immediately caught by the person standing in front of her...

"Wu... Mengdie, I'm sorry, did you get hurt?"

Aya also lifted her head, realizing Mengdie hadn't responded and was just staring blankly. Following Mengdie's gaze, Aya was shocked to the point of speechlessness.

A carriage, which rarely appeared in the poor district, was parked steadily in front of the small house. The carriage wasn't particularly luxurious, but the Silver Moon emblem on the door clearly expressed the identity of its owner! Now, the owner of the carriage stood in front of the fallen Mengdie, his mouth expressing slight dissatisfaction, frowning deeply.

"Miss Mengdie. It seems your manners are not very good."

The person who appeared was Dubo, Edward's attendant, arguably the most distinguished person to visit the poor district in recent years.

Aya didn't recognize the man but recognized the emblem on the carriage. Her face turned pale with terror, and she sprang back into the house like a spring! At that moment, Nia, disturbed by the noise, came out of the bedroom, rubbing her eyes, about to complain, but her mouth was immediately covered by her sister.

"Shh!"

Aya hugged her sister tightly, watching Dubo with fear. She hadn't forgotten her parents' death at the hands of the kingdom, and with the kingdom's people appearing again after ten years, she was naturally on edge.

Mengdie slowly rose from the ground, brushing the dust off her clothes. She looked around and saw the people forming a semi-circle around Dubo. Every face bore unfriendly expressions, mixed with fear and a bit of anger. No one believed the arrival of someone from the royal city in the poor district could be for any good reason.

After scanning the surroundings, Mengdie hummed lightly. She turned to Aya and asked, "Aya, can I let him come in to talk?"

This question made Aya even more panicked. She couldn't believe the girl she was sheltering knew people from the royal city. After hesitating, she nodded, pulling her sister into the bedroom, peeking through the slightly ajar door.

Mengdie didn't mind the sisters' actions, understanding their psychological trauma. She turned back to Dubo, opened the door, and gestured towards the inside, saying, "Come in to talk. Also, can you move your carriage somewhere else?"

Dubo didn't directly answer Mengdie's question. He just quietly observed her, and after a long while, he finally nodded lightly, gestured to the coachman with a flick of his hand, and followed Mengdie inside with two attendants.

"Right on time. Said you'd come early and here you are. Sorry, we don't have much to offer, but how about some water?"

Mengdie walked into the kitchen, took out three wooden cups, and gestured with them. Taking this opportunity, she carefully observed Dubo's expression. The old man's face was impassive, neither happy nor sad, like a statue. From his steps and demeanor, Mengdie could tell he wasn't a strong person, just an ordinary old man. But the two attendants following him were clearly not simple.

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