Was it just her imagination?
Yuuri was sure she had felt it—a gaze landing on her. The moment she turned around, that watching gaze vanished without a trace.
The people passing by continued with their own business; not a single person spared her a glance.
Could it really have just been her imagination?
“Iris, did you just now feel like someone was watching us?”
“A gaze? Nope, not at all.”
The Little Evil God blinked her eyes. Judging from the confusion on her face, she truly had no idea.
Maybe it really was just her imagination.
“But, Yuuri-chan~”
Iris suddenly pitched her voice higher, a sickly sweet tone ringing out by her ear.
“Yuuri-chan is such a kind girl~ Even though your own funds are so tight, you still shared some with that little beggar on the street. That’s so… touching~”
“What I do, how I do it, has nothing to do with you.”
“Aiya~ I was just making conversation.”
“Could you not use that voice? It’s really uncomfortable.”
“I just want to remind Yuuri-chan.”
Iris’s tone shifted, turning abruptly cold.
“I’m just saying, take care of yourself first.
There are so many pitiful souls in this world—how many do you think you can help? Even if you help them today, what about tomorrow? And the day after that? And all the others?”
Yuuri fell silent and didn’t respond. Though Iris’s words sounded harsh, they were undeniably true.
But Iris wasn’t finished. It seemed she wanted to break through Yuuri’s mental defenses completely. The Little Evil God climbed onto her shoulder, pressed close to her ear, and whispered like a devil.
“And besides, has Yuuri-chan forgotten the most important thing?”
The Little Evil God paused for a moment, then, right by her ear, enunciated each word slowly.
“Yuuri-chan~ You’re completely different from them.”
“If those children ever learned about the mark on your body, if they knew that what’s happening to them might have been caused by your mark, do you think… they’d still be grateful?
Maybe, they wouldn’t even dare touch the bread you handed them.
To everyone else, what’s the difference between your existence and a plague?”
Yuuri remained silent, but Iris’s words pierced straight through the depths of her heart, stabbing all the things she didn’t want to face.
She didn’t reply, merely kept instinctively walking toward the inn.
Unbidden, a scene surfaced in her mind…
It was a gloomy, rainy day.
Cold raindrops fell onto the filthy stone street. There, a piece of soaked black bread lay abandoned.
Not far from the bread, a skinny figure hid in the shadows, staring longingly at the discarded, rain-soaked, swollen, and misshapen piece of black bread.
It lay right there in a puddle, so close—if he just dashed out, he could grab that precious food.
But the thin figure never took that step, only curling up in the shadow, not daring to move.
It wasn’t the rain, nor the cold—it was… fear.
On rainy days, people hurried by. A mud-caked boot stepped on the bread in passing.
With a splat, the already soggy bread merged completely into the mud.
Even so, he never looked away, still treasuring that bread as if it were gold.
But he never found the courage. Even though hunger burned like wildfire in his belly, the frail little figure still couldn’t make himself take that step.
All because a mark—seen as a curse and disaster—was branded on his shoulder and neck. He was afraid of being seen, afraid of being recognized, afraid that once that happened, what would follow would be banishment and harm far worse than hunger or cold.
As for what happened after, the memory stopped there.
Yuuri deliberately cut the memory off, forcing those cold, churning recollections back into the deepest part of her heart.
“I just…”
She murmured softly, her weak voice audible only to herself.
“Don’t want to see it happen… again.”
*****
“One night’s stay. I want the cheapest single room.”
At her voice, the bespectacled old man at the front desk pushed up his glasses and looked toward her.
A girl in a cloak came to the counter, her hood obscuring her face so her features couldn’t be seen.
Hearing her words, the old man held up three thin fingers. “Thirty copper coins for one night.”
Yuuri paused for a moment at the price. It had gone up a bit since she’d last left.
“Too expensive for you? This is the cheapest in Anvil City. If it’s still too much, you can go squeeze in under the bridge with the vagrants over there.”
“No.”
At the old man’s impatient tone, Yuuri quickly fished a handful of copper coins from her purse, counted out thirty, and handed them over.
The old man glanced at them, made sure the number was right, then opened the drawer at the counter and tossed her a rusty key.
“Second floor, last room on the right.”
Key in hand, Yuuri climbed the creaking, rickety wooden stairs that seemed ready to collapse at any moment and found her single room on the second floor.
Pushing open the door, she was greeted by a strong musty smell.
The room was tiny. The only furniture visible was a wooden window by the wall.
Yuuri went to the window, trying to open it for some air, but it had been sealed shut with oiled paper. Judging by the dust piled on the paper, it must’ve been broken for quite some time. Airing out the room would only be possible by leaving the door open.
The only thing halfway decent was the bedding on the bed—it at least looked usable.
“Wow, so shabby.”
As soon as Iris entered, she couldn’t help but remark, “Staying in a place like this, Yuuri-chan, aren’t you bothered by how dirty it is?”
“It’s fine.”
“Hah? How is this fine?”
The Little Evil God wore a look of disbelief. “It’s filthy, messy, and there’s a weird smell. Can anyone really live here?
Besides, you’re a girl now! At least stay somewhere a little cleaner. Don’t ruin that body.”
“I’ve stayed in worse. I’m not picky. As long as there’s a bed.”
“Hey, hey…”
A flicker of surprise flashed in the Little Evil God’s eyes. Then she came to stand before Yuuri.
“No way, let me see Yuuri-chan’s memories.
I have to see what kind of life you lived before, to think a place like this seems fine to you.”
Yuuri dodged Iris’s lunge. “Stay away from my body.”
“Eh, stingy.”
She glared at Yuuri, who was unpacking her things, cheeks puffed in protest. Still, even if Yuuri wouldn’t let her, she had her ways.
If push came to shove, she could always force it.
There were countless methods—and Yuuri wouldn’t be able to stop her.
Thinking that, Iris couldn’t help but giggle slyly.
Ignoring the Little Evil God cackling to herself, Yuuri finished sorting through her meager belongings. She took out everything except weapons and money, and left them in the room.
Once she was done, she left the room, closing the door behind her.
“Where is Yuuri-chan going?”
Seeing Yuuri head out, Iris went straight through the door after her.