“…Huh?”
Something so solid blocked her path, she wondered if the dead end was actually this way, not the other.
If it wasn’t a wall, how could only she be thrown back while the other side didn’t budge an inch?
‘An accomplice? What do I do?’
The impact made Eugenia lose her balance for a moment.
Just as she was about to fall, an arm reached out as if to catch her.
A hot hand wrapped firmly around her waist and held her up tightly.
‘I’ve been caught after all!’
Eugenia’s heart sank.
In despair, she tightly shut her eyes.
But she couldn’t let herself get captured without a fight.
Bite, scratch, pinch, kick… She had to try everything she could.
“L-Let go…!”
Eugenia struggled with all her might to escape the arms holding her tightly.
Twisting and pushing with fierce resistance to show she wouldn’t go down easily—but the man’s body didn’t move an inch. He was like a rock.
He pulled her in even closer, as if trying to calm her down.
‘What do I do? He’s not letting go.’
She realized brute strength wouldn’t work.
‘Should I really bite his arm?’
She was just about to turn her head with firm resolve when—
A low voice came from above her head.
“Stay still.”
“…What?”
That voice was entirely different from the thugs who had tried to kidnap her moments ago.
She paused.
She recognized it instantly. And just like that, the strength drained from her body.
Slowly, she looked up.
Her violet-blue eyes trembled in disbelief.
A sharp jawline. Lips set in a firm line.
Though the deep hood obscured most of his face, she knew who it was.
It was Enrique.
“H-How did you…”
Her voice trembled with disbelief as the words slipped through her parted lips.
And yet, she felt a strange sense of relief, and the tension that had gripped her began to ease.
Her legs gave out momentarily, and her body swayed. But Enrique’s strong hold prevented her from falling to the wet ground again.
“It’s not exactly the right moment for a ‘nice to see you again,’ is it?”
“Ah…”
Eugenia’s long lashes fluttered slowly. Could she really be this happy to see a familiar face in such a dire moment?
‘Even if I only met him once before.’
She swallowed the rising emotion and answered a beat later.
“I suppose so.”
Her voice was noticeably drained.
“But… I think I’m very glad to see you.”
As she stopped resisting and grew still, Enrique slightly loosened his arms around her.
But he didn’t let go.
As if pressed for time, he spoke again.
“Miss Eugenia.”
“Yes?”
“If you don’t mind, I’d like you to lower your head for a moment.”
“…What?”
“Until I say it’s okay.”
His tone was smooth and polite, but there was a certain commanding force behind it that made it impossible to refuse.
Even in this urgent moment, Eugenia could tell that Enrique was someone used to giving orders.
So she didn’t question him and simply nodded.
She did so out of the relief that he was the only one offering help in this desperate situation.
Eugenia lowered her head, which she had been lifting to see Enrique’s face.
Her gaze settled on his broad chest, and she took a deep breath to calm her trembling body.
‘Refreshing.’
Even in this damp air, a cool, clear scent filled her lungs.
It was more calming than any deep breathing technique.
Then suddenly, she became very aware of just how close they were.
‘No… “close” doesn’t even begin to cover it…’
Yes. She was in his arms. Fully.
The moment she realized that, her face flushed red.
‘Ugh! What the hell? Why am I noticing that in a situation like this? Idiot! Focus!’
Still, she noticed Enrique’s other arm moving.
He seemed to be pulling something from his waist.
‘What is he taking out?’
But with her limited view, she couldn’t see what it was.
Curious, she began to turn her head instinctively.
Then, once again, a low voice came from above.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t look, Miss Eugenia.”
His voice stopped her, as if he had been watching her every move.
“Ah… I-I just…”
“I completely understand your curiosity about what I’m doing, but for now, it’s better if you stay still. It’s not something a lady should see.”
Enrique’s gentle dissuasion made Eugenia freeze mid-motion.
“Okay. I won’t look.”
Her voice was soft, but something in his words told her that something serious was about to happen. So she quickly dropped the idea of peeking.
‘You should always listen to the person helping you, Eugenia.’
Holding her gaze steady again, she held her breath.
Then, the voices of the thugs who had been coughing endlessly came back into earshot.
“Ah, damn!”
“Shit, that stings! Damn it.”
Their voices were still hoarse and broken with coughs, and they were spewing curses with every breath.
“What the hell did you do to us? Cough cough”
“God, it burns like hell. Ugh!”
Every time their disgusting, crude voices rose, Eugenia’s shoulders tensed up.
Noticing this, Enrique lightly patted her back as if to reassure her.
He took a short breath and spoke.
“Two men ganging up on one woman… Pathetic.”
His calm, flat tone only served to irritate the thugs further.
“Meanwhile, this woman didn’t flinch and faced both of you to the end. Remarkably brave.”
Eugenia flinched at the unexpected compliment.
‘What’s wrong with me? Am I losing my mind from fear?’
Her ears tingled slightly.
Meanwhile, Enrique continued speaking to the two men.
“I’ll give you cowards a chance to walk away quietly. What’ll it be?”
The thugs began to scoff, as if they couldn’t believe what they were hearing.
“What? Ha! This bastard… Who does he think he is?”
“Hey buddy, just leave the girl and go. Then we’ll let you walk away.”
They were likely emboldened by their numbers, thinking two against one would guarantee victory.
Then Enrique scoffed in return.
A sneering laugh, as if their words were utterly ridiculous.
“Sorry, but that’s not an option. I’ve got business with this lady too.”
The thugs’ expressions turned vicious.
“Young man, how do you expect to survive in this world when you can’t even take a hint?”
“People who don’t know when to back down always get hurt the worst. Tsk.”
And then—
Click.
Eugenia heard the distinct sound of metal being loaded.
A chill ran down her spine.
Whoosh—something flew through the air at high speed.
‘…A gun? Did he just fire a gun?’
She knew that in this world, weapons like swords or guns were more common than in the modern world.
But experiencing it firsthand was nothing like reading or watching it.
This was something unimaginable in modern life. A once-in-a-lifetime event she now found herself in the middle of.
Thunk!
The sound of a bullet hitting something was quieter than expected.
“Aaaagh! Wh-What the hell!”
The screams of the thugs were far louder.
Though she didn’t see it herself, the chaos that followed made it clear they were scrambling to dodge the bullet.
But Enrique, having fired once, didn’t hesitate.
He calmly adjusted the direction of his extended arm and pulled the trigger again.
Whoosh—Thunk!
“AAAGH!”
“Gah!”
Whoosh—Thunk!
The sounds repeated, one after another, without a moment to breathe.
