Chapter 7 The Stranger
Chloe patted her slightly swollen belly as she left the cake shop.
This was no ordinary restaurant; there was a reason for the crowds.
Once out on the street, Chloe opened the map the shop had given her.
There were so many things to see and do in the capital city. As much as she would have liked to do them all, time was short.
‘First, let’s get a carriage.’
It was possible to lose track of time and not catch the carriage. Chloe decided to book the carriage first, just in case.
As they followed the map, a foul odor wafted through the air. The stench of stale water mixed with the foul odor of dirty water signaled their arrival.
Once inside the stables, Chloe approached the man sitting in front of the fence.
The man, chewing on a straw, spat the residue from his mouth and asked.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m trying to catch a carriage.”
“Where are you going?”
“Up north.”
“We don’t travel that far, mostly for sightseeing.”
The man waved his hand dismissively.
It would take days to get to the north. Better to target the tourists here for all that trouble.
Chloe glanced behind her for a moment. She saw a fairly large carriage and several young, healthy-looking horses.
“I’ll pay you whatever you want.”
“How much?”
The man asked, his eyes scanning Chloe’s demeanor.
His face and gestures were dignified, but his attire was shabby. At best, he’d offer her the original price plus a few more fairy tales.
“Ten or twelve gold coins?”
“Ten, did you say ten?”
Chloe tilted her head in surprise at the man’s question, and a smile lit up the man’s face.
“Of course, of course. What kind of carriage shall I have for you? No, I’ll get you the best carriage and horses I can find.”
“Thank you.”
“Oh, you’ll have to pay first. There’s been a lot of torpedo boats getting away without paying these days, and I’m not saying you’ll do that, of course, but I’m asking just in case.”
The man smirked and groveled.
Chloe fumbled in the pockets of her dress as if to say, “Don’t worry.”
‘Huh?’
But her wallet wasn’t there. She checked the other pocket and her bag, but her wallet was nowhere to be seen.
‘Where did it go?’
Chloe began to recall how she had used the wallet.
She had paid the coachman, and then the cake shop. That was it…
‘No way!’
She remembered the boy who had bumped into her on the terrace.
The little boy who had scurried away without so much as an apology!
Pickpockets are common in the capital, and it seemed that Chloe had fallen victim to one.
“What?”
The man’s demeanor changed when he didn’t get paid. Gone was his meek demeanor, replaced by the ferocity of a street thug.
“Well, that’s…”
“What, you opened your wallet and found no money?”
No wallet, to be precise.
The way he looked at Chloe was terrifying. She had no intention of running away without paying, but that was the way he was looking at Chloe.
“I’ll be sure to pay you when we get there, two gold coins.”
“How the hell am I supposed to take your word for it, when you’re still in the courtyard acting like you have money?”
The man snorted. Chloe gave up trying to convince him. The worst that could happen was that they would be caught by the guards.
‘This is going to mess up my plan.’
A deep sigh escaped her lips. Without money, she’d have to give up the carriage ride, let alone sightseeing the town.
“Much.”
The man coughed repeatedly. Chloe shifted her gaze, as if he was looking at her.
“Is the carriage urgent?”
Was he even trying to believe her now? Chloe shook her head slowly.
“I can’t leave a woman in distress, so… I’ll let you have the carriage just this once. Instead…”
The wide-eyed man stared at Chloe.
He was dressed in plain clothes, but her face was fairly pale. She had the kind of beauty that could make a man cry.
He could always find money, but he could never find a woman like her.
“I’d like you to be my horse companion so that I don’t get bored on the way.”
“A… companion?”
“I would be honored to entertain you in other ways.”
The man pulled Chloe’s arm and pulled her closer to him. Once he had her trapped in his arms, he whispered in her tiny ear.
Something else.
It was a vague subject, but it was easy to recognize what it meant.
“That, what!”
A startled Chloe jerked her head to either side. She hurriedly tried to pull away from the man, but his arms were much tighter around her.
“Let go of me!”
“Come on. It’s urgent. Sometimes you have to do it this way.”
The hot breath in her ear was disgusting. The lustful touch of a man who wanted her so badly.
“Ah, Chloe.”
It was then. Someone called Chloe’s name.
When she finally turned, a man she didn’t recognize was standing in front of her.
Before she could comprehend his identity, he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him.
The coachman’s grip tightened, as if it would never loosen. Chloe was in the arms of a new man.
‘Who is this?’
A voice she’s never heard before, a face she’s never seen before, and a man who seems to know her quite well.
The good news is that the man in front of her doesn’t look like he means her any harm.
Unlike that cavalier, the man is respectful of Chloe, as evidenced by the lack of strength in his firm grip on her arm.
“There you are. I’ve been looking for you, Chloe.”
The man’s lips hovered over her ear. His breath and voice were blatant in her ear.
“I’ll pay for the carriage.”
The man’s voice was laced with contempt for the coachman. He glared at him as if to kill him, then tossed him a gold coin.
“Yep. Yep…! What time do you want me to pick you up?”
“After the sun has fully set, in front of the clock tower. Not you, bring another one.”
The man looked like he didn’t even want to talk to the coachman. He replied dryly and left.
Judging by the casual way he paid for the carriage, they must have a deep connection.
‘So… Who is this man?’
Chloe couldn’t even guess the man’s identity.
***
“That’s right, my wallet.”
In the man’s hand was Chloe’s missing wallet.
Taking the wallet back, Chloe glared at the man. He smiled wryly as she demanded an explanation.
“I found it on the street. It had a picture on it, so I figured it was important. I’m here to help find the owner.”
As the man explains, he found the wallet abandoned on the side of the road.
It was lying on the side of the road, unguarded, and looked like it had just been thrown away.
Thinking he could find the owner, he found Chloe with a last name and a photo of a hedge.
“How can I repay this favor…”
Chloe was overwhelmed by this act of kindness. To waste her time and energy for someone she didn’t even know.
“I don’t mind repaying you. I did what I had to do.”
“Still…”
Come to think of it, a man had paid for Chloe’s carriage, too.
She hurriedly opened her purse. She found her purse and returned the money to the man.
‘Ah.’
Chloe was greeted by an empty purse.
Now that she thought about it, it had been abandoned after the damn pickpocket had taken all the money. There couldn’t be any money left in it.
The man across from her chuckled, seeming to understand the situation as he looked at Chloe’s stiffened face.
“It’s all right, really. I thought you were traveling.”
“That’s right, I was just looking around the capital for a change of scenery.”
“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to show you around, but I don’t think you’ll be able to do much sightseeing since you’ve had a bowel movement.”
“What?”
“I just thought it would put my mind at ease if I did.”
She is the one being considerate, and ironically, he’s the one begging.
“That’s…”
Chloe trailed off, not sure what to say.
She wasn’t exactly thrilled to accept the offer, but like the coachman earlier, he had ulterior motives.
“Very well, but first, I’d like to at least know the name of my benefactor.”
But for some reason, Chloe’s mind was reacting in the affirmative.
The man smiled again at her favorable question.
“Kuhn.”
“…”
“Kuhn. Lady Chloe.”
