I Don’t Want to Be a Lady

I should scream, right?

 

Usually, screaming in crowded places is the most effective in this situation. I still had time, and the line was still quite long, so my desire to punish the kidnapper was so big.

 

A series of kidnappings.

 

Feeling a strong sense of déjà vu, I followed the man that led me. He dragged me from alley to alley.

 

Why are we going so far? It’s like a maze. I might get lost when I get out.

 

How long has it been? As if we had finally arrived at the destination, he pushed me toward the wall.

 

“Ouch!”

 

Again my back was slammed.

 

“Damn it…”

 

I was complaining that a bruise would really leave my back. Then two more guys showed up in the corner of the alley. Looking at them, it looked like they were a gang.

 

The man who had brought me opened his mouth.

 

“Give me everything you have.”

 

“I don’t have any.”

 

I swear I didn’t have anything. Because my father never gave me money. Today, I ate and drank with Charter’s money. I was nothing different than a beggar begging on the side of the road. But the man couldn’t believe me, so he screamed.

 

“Do you think I’m joking right now? You look rich. Where are you trying to get away from?”

 

The man treated me as if I was lying to him.

 

“I don’t have any. What if I told you that I don’t even have a single penny?”

 

“What, what?

 

I responded calmly. They can’t believe me when I tell them the truth… because they’re stingy fellows with no trust in people. The man was visibly embarrassed because he didn’t know I would respond like this.

 

“W-Where is this lie coming from? We will let you go if you give us one silver per person. Understand?”

 

Not 1 cooper, but 1 silver is quite a lot of money… Maybe they mistook me for a rich lady just because of my clothes. Of course, I’m a daughter of a wealthy family, but it was a pity for them because I had no money in my hand.

 

“Then, if I don’t have any money, how will you let me go?”

 

In response to my reply, the man grabbed my neck.

 

“Wow, this crazy bitch. Boss! What should we do with this bitch?”

 

At that moment, one of the two men, who had been silently watching from behind, came forward. I was astonished.

 

Ugh. What’s with this ugly guy? He looks like smashed chocolate chip cookie dough. 

The man’s skin, which came out from the shadow of the alley to a bright place, was dark and full of black dots. When I looked at the smiling man’s mouth, his teeth were nowhere to be found.

 

The man put his one leg up on a large barrel that looked like a liquor keg, sat down in a loose position, and looked at me.

 

He must have lived only in this dark alley. Never come out to a bright place.

 

I sincerely prayed for him. And also for the poor victims who were shocked when they saw him.

 

“You have a pretty face, but are you crazy?”

 

“And you have an ugly face, but are you also crazy?”

 

The man twisted his face. My brow frowned as well. When his ugly face was distorted, it was impossible to see his face as a human face. I must add their crime of hurting my eyes.

 

“There are always bitches like this. The bitches who think that if they shout, it will be all over. Do you think this is your house? Do we look like your servants?”

 

“Did I ever shout? I just asked.”

 

“What? That… That’s it! Are you really crazy? Guys! Get her! I need to teach her to get her act together. Her face is pretty, so it’s welcome to pound her body. Hahaha. I wonder what rich lady tastes like.”

 

At the boss’s words, the other two men slowly approached me in a nonchalant manner with no worries at all and their eyes full of lust.

 

At the theater and now at the night market. Why do I have to look at this filthy thing? 

I was just trying to go out like everyone else. Why do I have to see something like this just because I was greedy?

 

My purple eyes sank coldly. And as soon as they were near, I pulled my skirt up for the second time today. They paused, and their eyes widened as if it was a piece of cake.

 

At that moment, I pulled out the gun from my thigh and aimed straight at them. My shooting is quick and precise. One shot on the left thigh, one shot on the right thigh, and… one shot to the groin of the boss.

 

Bang, bang, bang!

 

“Keheug!”

 

“Argh!”

 

“Gasp!”

 

The two fell down holding their legs, and one froze when he saw a bullet pierced just below his groin. I tilted my head and said,

 

“Huh? I aimed at your thing, but it missed? I guess your thing is smaller than I thought.”

 

“Wh-What kind… of a gun where… No… my thing is not small!”

 

Exclaimed by the man whose pride had been severely damaged.

 

“That’s none of my business. How dare you to touch me? And why can’t you believe me when I say that I don’t have money?”

 

I was angry that they dared to touch me, but I was even more upset that they didn’t believe me. I’ve never had money in my life… Why do they keep making me repeat that I don’t have money when it’s really the truth? It makes me sad again.

 

“E-Excuse me, Lady. I think we made a mistake. You will let us go, right?”

 

The boss was still talking nonsense, as if he still didn’t understand the situation.

She wouldn’t kill me, right?

 

Arianne looked at him with even colder eyes. A dark gleam hung over her purple eyes.

 

What kind of eyes look like that?

The boss was frozen by the sudden rise of goosebumps.

Huh? What? She’s just a woman, but I’m scared of her?

 

He has been living as the king of alleys for 13 years. For the first time in his life, he was taken aback by the situation. However, he has lived in for 30 years. He knew what he was supposed to do.

 

Damn it!

His pride was hurt, but the instinct deep in him was speaking. Told him to run away right now. He realized now was not the time to show off his pride with his long-standing tact in the alley.

 

“Hey… I’m sorry. Please forgive me just once.”

 

The boss, who finished grasping the situation, began to beg. The crime of defiling my mood twice on a pleasant day like today deserved to be repaid by death, but I decided to end it here. It’s my first date, so I can’t end it with blood. Of course, the blood from the men’s thighs, not mine…

 

That’s it. It will be better if I spit on him.

 

I feel proud of my generous self. Still, I didn’t forget to threaten the men with a warning.

 

“This gun contains six bullets. I missed it for the first time, but I think I can get it right this time.”

 

I said it with a more dazzling smile. It was intended to ensure they never dared to do something like this again.

 

As terrifying as possible, just like how people get scared when my father says something with a smile. With the corners of my mouth lit up, my eyes glistened at the gun.

 

“Gasp! Ru-Run away!”

 

In the blink of an eye, they disappeared. Ah, they move really fast. Even though they got shot in the leg, they can still move like that…

 

I smiled, thinking that a threat would be effective when you smiled.

 

“Huu…”

 

Soon after, a sigh broke out from her mouth.

 

What the hell is going on here?

 

I put my gun back into my thigh and adjusted my dress. By the way, my problem now is how to get back to the night market.

 

Was it on the right side of the alley I just walked in? No, is it on the left? Recalling my memories, I turned around. And then,

 

Why is he here?

Charter was standing at the entrance of the alley. I couldn’t see his expression because it was dark, but I saw his shoulders shaking. It seemed he rushed to find me.

 

Huh? Did he look for me because he was worried about me? 

I was so grateful and delighted that he was looking for me because he was worried. Thanks to that, my mood, which had subsided, has risen.

 

“When did you get here?”

 

With a delighted smile, I took a step forward. But Charter was taking a step back.

 

What? Why are you stepping back? Did he see it all?

 

It wasn’t something to hide, but it was not something I wanted to show either, so I was worried about his reaction.

 

“Arianne. Is everything all right? I heard gunshots…”

 

Charter said with a heavy breath.

 

Ah… he has been looking for me to the point where he has been out of breath… And I don’t think he has seen it.

 

Looking at him, who seemed to have lost strength in his legs as he had been looking for me a while ago, I talked without a second thought.

 

“Nothing happened. I got lost by mistake. What? Let’s hurry up and go back. But what about iced tea?”

 

As I approached him and spoke casually, he had an absurd expression as if how could I talk about iced tea in this situation. I smiled at him and crossed his arms.

 

“Let’s stand in line together this time.”

 

Charter’s face stiffened.

 

* * *

 

A while ago, after a long wait, Charter, who took the drink and turned back right away, noticed that Arianne had disappeared. His skillful gaze as a knight quickly swept through the streets. But Arianne was nowhere to be found.

 

“Dale!”

 

He immediately found Dale, who was in charge of her escort. Dale too had also been contemplating for a moment, trying to find the missing Arianne. Blood drained from Charter’s face.

 

The capital at night was safe if you were in the bright places, but it was dangerous if you went into even a little dark place.

 

Charter threw away the drink he had in his hand and rushed to where Arianne was. He heard swearing behind him, but he couldn’t afford to pay attention to it.

 

Where is she? Where did she disappear to?

 

No matter how much he looked around, he couldn’t see even a single hair of her. Charter was in a hurry, but he knew better that he had to be calm at times like this. When he closed his eyes and calmed his mind, he opened his eyes again, which were cooler and sharper than ever. As if he could cut something with just his gaze.

 

In an instant, he regained his composure and looked for her traces with a sharp glance. Eventually, a female shoe mark on the ground could be found. The shoe print was headed in the alley right next to him. He followed her trail and entered the alley for now but was bewildered by the maze-like structure.

 

If she was kidnapped… I’m sure they would go to a place where there were as few people as possible.

 

It was purely an intuition. He was a man with good sense. And it wasn’t long before he heard her voice.

 

“Then, if I don’t have any money, how will you let me go?”

 

Like an immature noble lady, she provoked the gangster without even understanding her situation. Charter had to rescue her quickly.

 

It was when he hurriedly ran around the alley to save her that he saw something. What he saw was Arianne flipping her skirt with her mysterious silver hair shining in the moonlight.

 

Bang, bang, bang!

 

As soon as he saw a gun on her slim thighs, Arianne pulled out the gun and shot it at the gangsters without hesitation. It was a perfect three-shot. Two men collapsed, and one was surprised to see a bullet pierced just a few centimeters below his crotch and couldn’t even move.

 

“Huh? I aimed at your thing, but it missed? I guess your thing is smaller than I thought.”

 

She was a scary woman. Not only did she aim for the man’s precious place, she was even trampling on his pride.

 

Certainly, she missed it on purpose.

 

Charter let out a smirk. Looking at the current situation, he remembered the man who had collapsed in the theater earlier.

 

After driving out the gangsters, she put the gun back and turned around. Arianne… had such a bright smile that no one could believe she had just shot someone.

 

Maybe that’s why he took a step back as soon as she approached him without realizing it. Charter immediately realized his mistake. It was because her face hardened. He decided to escape the situation with a reflex as a knight. In other words, he decided to pretend not to know about it.

 

Fortunately, Arianne smiled again, crossed his arms, and said,

 

“Let’s stand in line together this time.”

 

Charter thought. He feels like that strange woman has become his weakness. And at the thought of her that followed, his mind was dizzy.

 

I… have to stand in line again?