Ending The Wicked Love

I get ready to go out to buy a gift as quickly as possible, so that I can have more time for shopping. Mia dressed me in a pink dress adorned with ribbons and pearls here and there.
“My lady, you look very beautiful,” Mia praised my appearance.
“Thank you, it’s thanks to Mia for choosing my dress,” I replied with a smile.
“Oh, how about this, if my lady debuted in high society, you would receive many marriage proposals,” she said.
“That’s not possible, there are surely many women much more beautiful than me,” I said, feeling insecure.
“Believe in yourself a little, my lady,” she said, trying to cheer me up.

I boarded a horse-drawn carriage to the capital’s square, where many people sold their goods by the roadside. Once I arrived at the square, I saw various shops and stalls selling everything I could think of. I stepped off the carriage with enthusiasm.
“Be careful, my lady!” Mia shouted as I slipped from the small step at the bottom of the door.
Just then, a man in a black hood held me to prevent me from falling. After making sure I was okay, he lowered his head and walked away. I didn’t get a chance to ask for his name, but I saw his jet-black hair.
“My lady, are you alright?” Mia asked, approaching, looking worried.
“I’m fine, Mia. Thanks to that man, I’m not hurt,” I said, trying to reassure my panicked and worried maid.
“Still, if you were injured in any way, I could never forgive myself,” she said, filled with guilt.
“It’s not your fault. I just slipped due to my carelessness. From now on, I’ll be more careful. Besides, it seems you’ve been worried enough for me today,” I tried to reassure her again.
“Alright, let’s start looking for the gift,” I said, changing the subject.
“Sure, let’s start from there,” she said, pointing to a shop selling accessories.
In that shop, there were many beautiful jewelry pieces, but none of them caught my eye.
“Mia, I don’t think this is the right shop. Let’s find another one,” I said.
“Alright, hmm… that stall seems to have interesting items,” she said, pointing to a stand selling unique-looking items.
I walked over to the stand, and indeed, the items were unique and beautiful. My attention was drawn to a cream-colored music box adorned with beautiful carvings. This was exactly what I was looking for.
“I want to buy this,” I said.

I picked up the item I purchased and handed it to Mia. As I turned around, I saw a familiar silhouette, the man with the black hair who had saved me earlier. Wanting to express my gratitude, I decided to follow him. I pushed through the crowd, ignoring Mia’s panicked cries as she was afraid of losing me. I really wanted to apologize to Mia, but I had to focus on finding my savior. I followed him into a small alley, trying not to make a sound, but it seemed he was aware of my presence.
“Why are you following me? I must warn you not to play around, as I can kill you in one strike,” the man said in a deep voice, sending shivers down my spine, but I couldn’t waver.
Why is he being so rude? I only want to thank him.
“I just want to thank you for saving me earlier, and if you want any reward, you can ask me,” I said, trying not to show any fear.
“No need, I just did what I had to do,” he said, then walked away.
“At least tell me your name,” I said, for some reason, the words came out easily, as if I were programmed to say them.
“Ace,” he said, and then he disappeared into the darkness, and I couldn’t see him anymore.
“Thank you, Ace,” I said, unsure if he heard or not.

“My lady! Oh gosh, why did you make me worry again? This is the third time already!” Mia said right after she found me.
“I’m sorry, Mia. I was following the man who saved me earlier,” I said, feeling guilty.
“Still, how could you go alone like that! Don’t you know how dangerous this area is, especially in an alley like this?” she said, raising her voice a little.
I understood why she was so scared of losing me. The capital is indeed beautiful but also dangerous, especially in alleys like these. Lately, there had been cases of slavery and human trafficking that made Mia even more worried. Even though I told her I wouldn’t make her anxious anymore…
“Forgive me, Mia. Can we just go home now? It seems we’ve experienced enough unwanted incidents today,” I said.
“Alright, my lady.”
Mia and I didn’t talk at all on the way home. When we arrived at home, the servants prepared a bath with rose petals for me and gave me a massage, which was perfect after such a tiring day. After the bath, I had dinner with my family as usual. We ate in silence, though occasionally we chatted and laughed. We were indeed a harmonious family, and I remembered my family in my original world, hoping they were okay. After dinner, I went straight back to my room and slept because I had no energy left to do anything. I still felt weak, both here and in my original body.