I promise...

"How what works?" I tilted my head curiously while looking at her with confusion in my eyes.

I genuinely didn't understand this girl. How come she's so mad at me? I tried to help her!

And yet, now she's acting like I sentenced her to death or something.

She analyzed his clothing and facial attributes once again, and finally, it dawned on her.

'Those expensive weird looking clothes… and this blatant ignorance. He is either some sheltered young master or some kind of foreigner. ' the girl thought to herself as she kept looking at Rob.

"You.. you're not from around here, are you?" She asked with a glint of realization in her eyes.

" I suppose you could say that. My name is Robert, by the way" I said as I extended my hand, grabbed her and got her off the floor.

"I'm Airi. " She bowed gracefully as he held the helms of her robe.

Aside from some small bruises on her arms and her reddened cheek, she wasn't that hurt.

"Now it finally makes sense…" She sighed and looked at the unconscious fat man with a complicated expression.

"Let's get out of here Robert. I can treat your wound. It's the least I can do."

She walked away and I quickly followed her.

In a few minutes of walking silently, we arrived at what seemed to be a run-down looking house.

Airi opened the door with her key and and entered, and I soon followed behind.

The house seemed to look just like those traditional japanese homes, with a big resting space in the middle where you could light a fire and cook yourself a meal. There were four comfy looking cushions around the fire. If one were to look closely, you would see that three of them seemed to be a little bit dusted.

'So she lives alone…' I thought to myself.

Airi quickly got some medical provisions and promptly started bandaging me, as she asked me to lay on one of the cushions.

She had a serious look on her face as she inspected my wound, even though it was just a somewhat minor graze.

"It's okay Airi, I'm sure it will heal up in no time, it's just a graze after all." I smiled at her.

"No no… it could get infected. And that sneaky bastard Hao is known to sometimes use poisons to deal with his enemies. I applied a cure on the wound just in case, but I think you'll be fine as most poisons are quite fast acting " She said to me with a serious face.

I sighed. This girl was too good for this town. I felt like it would most likely eat her alive.

In fact, it almost did, were it not for me.

"All done!" She happily said as she finished bandaging my arm.

"So Airi, what did you mean when you said I do not know how it works?" I asked curiously

"Here in Old Qi, we have very strict laws regarding debts. If you're unable to pay your debt then you will…." She stopped talking slightly, as tears seemed to appear in her eyes "Then you will become the creditor's property" she gritted her teeth as she said the last words. You could see the pain in her eyes as she said this.

"Bastards.." I muttered aloud.

How could people be so cruel?! It's just some money…

It seemed like this dream was becoming more and more realistic.

But was this really a dream? It can't be…

"And now that you beat up Hao, I'm afraid he will come for both of us." she said with a scared expression

" That's why.. I said you made everything worse. The law will completely side with him! I will now be branded as a criminal and can even be executed as soon as he reports this to the guardsmen. They'll probably be here by tomorrow, trying to find me." She muttered with a defeated expression.

My eyes widened at the realization.

So this was how this world works. A cruel world, where the strong prey on the weak. Where the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.

'This is not Europe anymore…or my old world for that matter' I thought to myself.

'Could it be… this is all real? This system? This world?' I continued as I looked at the poor girl sobbing in front of me.

I should probably comfort her somehow but… how? It's not like I'm that strong…

As soon as the sun comes out, I'll be back to my weak self again, Won't I?

I shook my head and snapped out of my thoughts.

I need to focus on what's important. On what's here.

I took Airi's hand in my own and squeezed her, looking into her eyes.

[ Mesmerizing Touch! ]

[ Charm attribute is now doubled!]

[ Charm : 32 ]

She looked at me surprised with a furious blush.

' Did Robert always look like this? It feels like he has a somewhat different air ' She wondered curiously, unable to take her attention away from me.

I smiled slightly seeing that the ability did it's job.

"Airi, please let me say something.." I said while continuing to look into her eyes.

" I may not know you well, but I know that a girl as pure and and beautiful as you, inside and out, would not be able to make it out after the horrors of this city. At least not alone." I said with conviction " So come with me! And let's find a safe place and hide out together until this all dies down." I added confidently.

She continued blushing, and looked at me in the eyes.

"Why?" She slowly asked, as her lovely eyes started to form tears once again.

"Why do this for me? You barely met me! You don't know anything about me… " she looked at me incredulously, almost not believing my words.

" Why do I need a reason to help out a beautiful girl that has no blame? " I smiled as I blurted out the first thoughts that came to my mind.

[Affection points +5]

[ Achievement unlocked: Shameless flirt]

[ Affection points +25 ]

" You…" she finally broke eye contact and looked away, blushing furiously.

" I promise to protect you. I swear it on my name! " I continued, not breaking eye contact and holding her hand tightly on my own.

As Airi looked at Robert in her heightened state, his face somehow overlapped with her late brother. The sincerity and honesty… Those same words were once said to her by him just mere months ago.

[Affection Points +5]

' No! I can't let him die protecting me…I can't let what happened to nii-san happen again!' she vowed to herself.

" No. I refuse." She finally spoke, looking at me once again with determined eyes.

'What?' I looked at her surprised. The expression on her face, and the determination in her eyes took me by surprise.

"You're a good person, Robert, but.. I don't want to see anyone else get hurt trying to protect me. I'd rather die! " her eyes looked scarily serious.

'It looks like she's stronger than she looks…' I smiled inwardly as I realized this.