The girl's eyelashes trembled slightly, like a butterfly gently fluttering its wings, and she slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was still somewhat blurry, and the light and shadows before her blended together into a hazy scene. She subconsciously raised her hand to rub her eyes, and only when her fingertips touched her cheek did she realize that her tears had already dried, leaving behind faint tear marks.
Her consciousness gradually cleared, and memories rushed back into her mind. The dim alley, the vicious thugs, the cold dagger, and the suffocating fear and despair all resurfaced at once. Her body stiffened slightly, and her heartbeat suddenly quickened. However, when she turned her head and her gaze landed on the blue figure standing calmly against the wall, all the fear and unease in her heart seemed to vanish in an instant.
"Ah, you're awake. Are you feeling better?"
Carlisle noticed that Natsuki Subaru had woken up and slowly crouched down, asking with concern. However, he soon realized that the girl's golden eyes, like amber shining in the morning light, were staring at him without blinking.
"…So handsome."
"Thank you."
"Ah, I apologize for my rudeness. Um, may I ask…"
The girl suddenly seemed to remember something and instinctively grabbed Carlisle's clothes.
"Don't be afraid. I already handed those three men over to a passing city guard. Try not to move around too much for now. While you were unconscious, I treated your wounds with healing magic. Does anything still hurt?"
The girl stared blankly at the young man in front of her. An indescribable ripple stirred within her heart. His appearance was so refined that it almost felt unreal, especially his blue eyes, which seemed to contain both stars and oceans. Even the way he comforted her was so gentle that it felt strangely mesmerizing.
"This kind of setup… isn't it a little too unfair…" the girl silently complained in her heart, her cheeks turning slightly red.
She could not help recalling the plots of otome games she had seen before. A handsome knight descending like a hero, rescuing an ordinary heroine, and then beginning a romantic adventure together.
She had always believed those scenarios were nothing more than fictional fantasies.
But now, she could not help wondering.
Had she actually transmigrated into the world of an otome game?
The girl lowered her head slightly, her hands clasped politely in front of her.
"Thank you, Sir Knight, for saving my life. I, Natsuki Subaru, do not know how I could ever repay you."
Carlisle gently shook his head and replied apologetically.
"Please don't be so formal. I only did what any knight should do. If anything, I arrived too late and allowed you to experience such fear."
"Eh? What kind of character setting is this? Isn't he a little too much for me?"
Carlisle happened to hear her soft whisper, and a faint smile flickered in his eyes.
He noticed that the girl's expression had already recovered from her earlier fear and anxiety, replaced with lively energy once again. Seeing this, he quietly breathed a small sigh of relief and looked at her gently.
"It seems you're alright now."
The girl straightened her back immediately, her tone filled with gratitude and admiration.
"Yes. This is all thanks to you, Sir Knight!"
Carlisle smiled and shook his head.
"Don't be so formal. Just call me Carlisle."
He paused briefly before continuing with a tone of concern.
"Do you have somewhere to go? If not, I can help…"
However, before he could finish speaking, a sudden sound interrupted him.
Grumble~~~
Although the sound was soft, it was clearly audible in the quiet atmosphere.
The girl's cheeks instantly flushed red like a ripe apple. She hurriedly lowered her head and tightly covered her empty stomach with both hands. Her voice became extremely quiet, filled with embarrassment.
"I… I'm sorry. I think I might be a little hungry…"
Carlisle was slightly stunned for a moment, then he could not help laughing softly.
"It seems I was a bit negligent. It's already close to evening, so it's perfectly normal to be hungry."
The girl's face became even redder, and even the tips of her ears turned rosy.
She secretly glanced at Carlisle, only to find that his eyes held no mockery at all, only understanding and gentle warmth. Her heart slowly relaxed.
"Well then, I know a good restaurant nearby. How about we go eat something together? Consider it my apology for arriving late. What do you think?"
Natsuki Subaru's eyes brightened slightly, but she quickly lowered her head again.
"But… wouldn't that trouble you too much?"
"No, please don't worry about it. I'm feeling hungry as well."
A smile finally appeared on the girl's face.
Although she still looked a little shy, she was no longer as tense as before.
She nodded lightly, her voice carrying a hint of anticipation.
"Then… then I'll trouble you, Carlisle."
————————————
At a small restaurant called "The Oak Barrel and Hearth," Natsuki Subaru happily patted her full stomach.
She secretly let out a sigh of relief, feeling deeply emotional.
"This is great. The food in this other world is completely normal. Grilled steak, fruit pie, soup, and main dishes made with potatoes. Every dish tastes so delicious that it's almost touching. Fortunately, there were no strange monster dishes. Otherwise, I honestly wouldn't know what I would have done."
Looking at Carlisle, who sat across from her with a gentle smile, the girl's cheeks turned slightly red again.
She clasped her hands together, her voice filled with both gratitude and shyness.
"Thank you for the meal. I will definitely repay you for this food later."
"No need. It was just one meal. The Knights Order pays quite well, you know."
Carlisle gently placed the wooden cup in his hand onto the table.
His gaze remained warm as he looked at the girl sitting across from him.
"Is there anything else I can help you with? Although I have a mission to complete, I will still do my best to help you within my ability."
Hearing this, a trace of disappointment flashed through the girl's eyes.
"Eh? Are you busy? You already have a mission, yet you still spent so much time protecting someone like me…"
Carlisle frowned slightly when he heard her words.
He spoke firmly.
"Please do not belittle yourself. In that situation, no one could simply ignore it. It is my duty, and also my personal choice."
The girl's heartbeat suddenly quickened, and her cheeks flushed once again.
She could not help recalling the story clichés she had seen before.
A gentle yet powerful knight protecting an ordinary girl without hesitation.
A strange emotion rose within her heart, and she could not help murmuring softly.
"Wuwu… I have absolutely no resistance to this kind of character…"
Her voice was quiet, filled with embarrassment and helplessness, as if she was complaining about her own emotions.
The girl turned her head slightly and asked curiously.
Her fingertips unconsciously traced the corner of the wooden table as she spoke softly.
"But what kind of mission is it, exactly?"
However, the moment the words left her mouth, she realized that the question might have been too intrusive.
She quickly waved her hands in a flustered manner.
"Ah, I'm sorry. If you can't talk about it, please just pretend I didn't ask."
A thoughtful expression appeared in Carlisle's eyes.
After a brief moment, he finally replied.
"I am currently searching for someone. However, that person's identity is somewhat special, so I cannot reveal the details."
Subaru quickly shook her head, waving her hands gently in front of her chest with an understanding expression.
"It's alright. You don't need to apologize to me. I was the one who asked too suddenly."
Carlisle nodded slightly, a hint of gratitude appearing in his eyes.
He lifted his gaze and looked out the window.
His brows slowly furrowed as he murmured quietly.
"Thank you for understanding. Still… where could she be? According to the information I gathered, she seems to be searching for something she lost."
The girl's eyes widened slightly.
She instinctively leaned forward.
"Looking for something she lost? Could it be that something important was stolen?"
Carlisle nodded.
"That is very possible. It would be troublesome if she ended up getting involved with dangerous people."
The girl fell silent for a moment.
Then she lifted her head again.
Her eyes were filled with determination and anticipation.
Her hands rested on the table as she leaned forward slightly and asked cautiously.
"Um… about that… would it be alright if I helped? I might know a way to find that person."
...
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