The carriage rolled steadily along the cobblestone road toward March Street, the wheels creaking with a rhythmic “clack-clack” sound.
Having learned about the general situation of the market, Lillian felt much more at ease.
She leaned against the carriage wall, enjoying this rare moment of leisure.
Beside her, Irene was still sulking over the “Spicy Leaf Tea” from earlier, her cheeks puffed out like an angry hamster.
“Alright, alright, don’t be mad anymore.” Lillian laughed as she reached into Irene’s Basket, pulled out a piece of Candy, unwrapped it, and popped it into Irene’s mouth. “I’ll make something tasty for you when we get back, okay?”
She had been weighed down by all sorts of matters before, her mind focused solely on getting out to do her own things as soon as possible.
Now that everything was proceeding steadily according to plan, Lillian finally felt relaxed inside and had the energy to focus on improving her quality of life.
She had long grown tired of eating the same bread and soup every day.
Although she’d eaten such things for over a decade, ever since regaining her memories, Lillian found herself missing the delicacies of her past life.
Irene’s cheeks moved as the sweetness melted in her mouth, finally appeasing her mood.
She leaned against Lillian’s shoulder again, humming some little tune.
What an adorable girl.
Unable to resist, Lillian pinched Irene’s cheek.
Then, she began to consider what she needed to do next.
First, she needed to visit March Street to buy some medicinal herbs and prepare gifts for Eleanora and Ophelia.
Lillian still remembered—Eleanora was mentally fatigued, and Ophelia hadn’t been sleeping well either.
She could prepare something to soothe their spirits.
The last time, the star-glimmer herb powder she’d bought worked well for making scented sachets, but since it was a powder, it wasn’t suitable as a raw material.
Different medicines required ingredients in specific forms.
Lillian planned to buy some whole star-glimmer herb.
Besides that, when it came to relaxing the mind and aiding sleep, the first thing that came to Lillian’s mind was Spikenard Root Tea.
She could also buy some lavender flowers, Chamomile, Dried Spikenard Root, and Lemon Balm.
However, Lillian had never seen Lemon Balm before—maybe it didn’t exist in this world?
Or perhaps it went by another name here. Still, she could substitute star-glimmer herb for Lemon Balm, so it didn’t really matter.
Suddenly, the carriage braked hard.
“Whoa—”
The coachman pulled on the reins, and the horses neighed anxiously.
“What happened?” Lillian opened the small window and asked the coachman.
“Miss Lillian, the road ahead is blocked.”
Lillian opened the carriage door and jumped down. Not far ahead, she saw a squad of knights with longswords drawn, encircling something, the atmosphere tense.
A faint roar could be heard from within the group.
“Lillian? What’s going on?” Irene opened the carriage window.
“Ah—” Suddenly, Irene cried out, “Lillian, look out!”
Almost as soon as Irene spoke, a foul wind tainted with the stench of blood rushed at her from behind!
Lillian didn’t even have time to look back. Her body reacted before her mind could think. She bent low and dodged swiftly to the side.
Perhaps thanks to the cloak, her movements were much quicker, and Lillian barely managed to avoid the attack.
A figure lunged at the spot where she’d just stood, but, overexerting himself, crashed straight into the ground.
The man’s clothes were ragged; he crouched on all fours like a beast, turning his head toward Lillian.
His face was twisted in agony, eyes bloodshot and glowing red. He panted heavily, a guttural, incoherent growl rumbling from his throat.
Lillian saw, in his eyes… a glimmer of pleading?
“There’s one over there, too!” The squad of knights, noticing the commotion, hurried over.
“Ugh!” The man grunted, then sprang at Lillian again with astonishing speed.
This time, Lillian didn’t dodge. She took a deep breath, recalling the Hand-to-Hand Technique Saya had taught her.
A sharp side kick landed squarely on the man’s chest.
“Bang!”
The man flew back like a severed kite, crashed into the wall, and slid to the ground, slumping there. He didn’t attack again, only stared at Lillian with those bloodshot eyes.
The knights rushed over and, working together, subdued the man and shackled him.
A Nun ran over, took out a small vial, opened it, and forced the man to drink its contents.
Everything before her eyes seemed to move in slow motion. Lillian caught a distinctive, fresh scent, like mint.
She suddenly felt her mind clear.
It was star-glimmer herb!
At least, some medicine with star-glimmer herb as the main ingredient.
“Forgive me, miss, I hope we didn’t startle you.”
Though the knight’s tone was respectful, his gaze lingered on Lillian, clearly curious about that kick just now.
The knight’s voice snapped Lillian out of her daze, and everything returned to normal.
Startled?
She was startled!
Lillian felt her heart pounding wildly, a peculiar thrill surging through her body.
“I’m fine, it’s nothing, really,” Lillian replied. “May I ask, what was going on?”
“Apologies, miss, we cannot disclose that.” The knight’s answer was watertight. “If you ever see our Order of Knights on a similar mission, please be sure to keep your distance.”
It seemed the knights had no intention of telling Lillian anything more.
“If you’re unharmed, then we must return to our duty. Wishing you a pleasant day, miss.”
The knight placed his hand over his chest in salute, then rejoined his squad, escorting the man away at once.
Order quickly returned to the street, as if nothing had happened.
The coachman in front of the carriage was patting his chest, as if trying to calm himself down.
“Lillian, are you alright?” Irene jumped down from the carriage and hugged Lillian tightly.
“Are you hurt anywhere?” Irene asked, sounding anxious.
“No, not at all.” Lillian patted Irene’s back. “He didn’t even touch me.”
“Oh—” Irene instantly believed her. “Lillian, you’re amazing! I want to… Ow!”
“No, you don’t.” Lillian rapped Irene on the head.
She doubted Irene could survive even the knights’ basic training.
She’d probably manage the fool’s beginner course.
Back inside the carriage, Lillian sank into thought.
That man from earlier was clearly not normal.
And then, there was that knight who refused to say anything.
…
Thinking back, Lillian felt a surge of relief.
Good thing she’d been working hard to get stronger—otherwise, it would have been truly dangerous.
Even if the knights had arrived, she’d have been badly hurt.
Lillian stretched out her small, pale hand and clenched her fist.
There was a power within that didn’t match her appearance.
Training was the right decision.
Getting stronger was the right decision.
But… was it enough?
Was this strength really enough?
Lillian tugged at her cloak.
If it hadn’t been for the cloak, would she have been able to react in time, let alone dodge?
If this was all she had…
Could she really protect Eleanora from the cultists?
The answer was so obvious, she didn’t even need to think.
No.
Not enough.
She had to become even stronger.