TORRINE TOWN’S MARKET

"I want to see how the people live! Isn't that what a princess should do? I'm a foreigner to my own land, yet I am not allowed to know this land's people? What is the logic behind that, Sir Karyk?" She protested and acted like she's throwing a fir with a pout. Red crossed her arms on her chest.

She's using the princess card very well. Sir Karyk was internally convinced that in the future, she would earn her seat in the Council, although right now he knew that she's just doing it for mere fun.

In the end, Sir Karyk agreed only if Red will be properly covered from head to foot in a cloak and that he will accompany them.

They left the carriage some distance from the town center. They planned to walk to the market so as not to invite attention from the townspeople.

However, they had not been walking far from their carriage when a boy suddenly appeared out of a field of high-stalked plants and bumped into Red who was at the farthest right of the group. Sir Karyk rushed to her side, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword. He almost called Red her title, but he would not be a person to commit such a mistake. He shot the servant girls a warning look who understandably stopped themselves from calling Red, 'Princess' or any title befitting a royal before they could blow her cover.

Nana, on the other hand, called out, unrestrained, "Red, darling, are you okay?"

Red staggered back from the force of the bump on her right shoulder against the careless boy. She only wavered but did not fall down while the lad fell on the ground on all fours. He seemed to be the same as Red's age – in his late teen.

The apples that he carried had gotten scattered all over the ground. Aside from the sudden daze of the impact, she was in awe at the apples who were strangely bigger in size compared to what she was used to.

With such haste, the lad picked up every single one he could while also apologizing, "I'm sorry, I'm in a hurry. I did not see you coming."

In another breath, he was gone, running wild away from them uncaringly.

All of them were left speechless. Sir Karyk was in the notion of following the rude boy but Red stopped him, "Let him go. As he said, he's in a hurry. He did not see us, and we also did not see him. It was a mere accident. Let's just let it slip."

"As you wish, Princess."

Before they could resume in their saunter, however, a stout man with a shovel came running from where the boy came from. But since he was shouting, Red's group discovered his presence long before they saw him.

The stout man halted when they saw the group and asked Sir Karyk, "By any means, have you seen a tall lad scampering with my apples?" His face was all flushed.

"Yes. Did you say 'your apples'?" Sir Karyk asked curiously.

"Yes, that rogue stole my apples! Kind sir, where did that rogue head to?" The stout man, despite his ongoing rage, still chose his words in front of Sir Karyk the Knight.

"That way." Red pointed to the direction opposite of where the boy went.

Unfortunately, all the rest also pointed their finger by reflex, but they pointed it in the correct direction.

"Am I mistaken? I saw the boy run in that direction." Red blinked her signal to the rest. Sir Karyk caught up with her signal.

"No, you are right. He went that way. Apologies but the young lady here is the only one in our group that is reliable enough when it comes to navigation and direction. All of us are useless without her."

She smiled triumphantly. She could not believe that she had made her stern and strict teacher of the sword and magic lie for her. She added, "Sir Karyk, do we have money with us? Can we just buy the apples from this kind sir?"

"We sure can." Sir Karyk and the man discussed the monetary value of the apples. When that was settled, they parted ways with the stout man, his anger all quenched.

They continued their saunter to the market. Sir Karyk whispered to Red, "Princess, I trust your judgment that you have a reason for your actions earlier. I can see the logic. But, I won't be lying for you so blindly on your every whim."

He walked a few steps ahead. Red still smiled despite the warning from her teacher.

'He seems loyal enough, and a nice person, too. Maybe being stern and strict just comes hand-in-hand as an inevitable consequence of his role as my trainer.' She smilled warmly, thinking that perhaps she could put her full trust to Sir Karyk, her personal knight.

The Torrine Town's marketplace aws lively with lots of busy people roaming around and minding their own business. No one took particular care at their group. They seemed to blend in nicely with the common people.

Matilda and Laarni did the bidding and checking of the produce. Red and Nana tagged along a few steps behind, hands locked with each other. Once in a while Red and Nana exchanged sweet satisfied glances at each other.

The servant girls also asked Red's opinion from time to time whether she craved on something or whether she preferred this over that. They were so thankful that Red usually let them decide and was okay with everything. "It's fine with me whatever you buy as long as it's within our budget. Surprise me with your specialty later on when the dish is already cooked!"

"As you wish, P-" A glare from Sir Karyk stopped Matilda in mid-sentence. "Red."

"Yes! That's right. See?" Red's grin stretched from ear to ear. Thanks to Sir Karyk's pressuring gaze, Matilda was forced to call her just Red without any formalities attached. "I like it better. From now on, you should call me like that."

"But P-" She received another imposing glare from Sir Karyk. "…Red."

Poor Matilda did it the second time. Laarni, learning from Matilda's example, never addressed not talked to Red in public. She pursed her lips tight and refused to speak to her, face crumpled in a troubled look as she rather shook her head than speak.

She looked hilarious and Red just laughed her and her predicament off.