Chapter 7
Huh? Pickpocket?
I turned my head. A middle-aged woman was rummaging through her bag, shouting.
“My wallet is gone!”
People passing by turned their attention to her.
She was wearing clothes made of fairly good fabric, but since she had come shopping alone, she didn’t seem like a noble. Still, she looked well-off for a commoner.
People around us, including myself, glanced at each other hesitantly.
Everyone understood the situation, but no one wanted to step forward first.
Then, two armored knights appeared, pushing through the crowd.
“Excuse us, ma’am. Can we help you with something?”
From the way they looked, they seemed to be the patrol knights who constantly monitored the Risman Central Market, which was often exposed to crime because of the many passersby.
The woman, on the verge of tears, said,
“My wallet is gone. I definitely had it until just a moment ago… but looking at my torn bag, I must have been pickpocketed.”
“Do you have any suspects in mind?”
The knight asked again,
“Anyone who looked closely at your bag, or someone you bumped into? This place has many pickpockets, ma’am.”
“I’m not sure… sigh. I was so distracted.”
Then she seemed to remember something.
“Come to think of it, I bumped into a man. He was big and rough-looking.”
…Huh?
Listening to the conversation between the woman and the knights, I frowned.
A big and rough-looking man?
A certain man flashed through my mind. The one I saw at the market entrance, who felt like he might be a character from the novel but whose identity I couldn’t figure out.
Sure, there might be more than one big, rough-looking man at this huge harbor, but…
‘Come to think of it… wasn’t there a pickpocket episode in the original novel?’
Was it Dane… or Derek…?
I vaguely remembered an episode with a minor villain.
While I was lost in thought, a man’s voice rang out.
“I think I saw him.”
Huh?
I turned and saw Harry raising his hand and stepping forward.
Harry? Why would he suddenly step up here…?
As I frowned at the strangely familiar situation, I suddenly realized:
‘…This is?’
Now I understood.
This was one of the flashback episodes from the novel!
A few minutes later.
I was sitting on a bench next to Finn, both of us eating haring.
Chomp.
Nom.
The rich flavor of the fish filled my mouth as I chewed, and when I swallowed, it slid smoothly down my throat, filling my stomach.
Finn, his cheeks puffed out like a squirrel’s from all the haring in his mouth, said,
“Isn’t this really good, Princess?”
“Not princess, Lady Hartmann…”
I scolded him lightly, but there was a smile on my lips.
‘This haring is amazing…’
The shop Finn introduced me to was apparently famous for making the best haring in the market.
We had to wait in line for a bit, but the fresh haring was worth it.
As I savored the lingering taste in my mouth, I turned my head and saw Harry talking with the knights, helping them draw a composite sketch.
‘The story is following the original exactly.’
This scene was the setup for the flashback episode that appeared at the start of the novel.
The minor villain Derek.
He was a small-time pickpocket who, one day, would steal Emily’s belongings.
And then, he would be confronted by the third male lead, Eric Hedderson, who happened to witness the theft.
That was Derek’s first appearance in the original story…
‘But Derek had actually met Harry before, during a trip like this.’
He had once stolen a woman’s wallet in a market while traveling, and Harry had witnessed it.
‘That’s this exact scene.’
I glanced at Harry, feeling strangely amused.
Seeing the episode unfold like this really drove home the fact that I was in the novel.
Of course, since it was just a flashback in the original, I didn’t know every detail.
What I did know was that today’s chase would end in failure.
‘I know where the culprit will hide…’
But I didn’t intervene on purpose. I had no intention of twisting the original story.
Why would I disrupt the romantic developments between the male leads and the heroine?
Derek’s presence was crucial for the love lines to happen.
Besides, my main goal was to enjoy the trip anyway.
Honestly, that was the bigger reason.
I really just wanted to eat haring.
I didn’t want to waste my time here chasing a criminal.
Instead, I decided it wouldn’t hurt to raise Harry’s favorability a little.
‘If I can avoid the male leads, I will. But since we’re already traveling together, earning some goodwill can’t hurt.’
That was why I was watching over Finn so carefully.
‘Though… something about Finn just leaves me uneasy…’
“Finn, do you want to go eat something else?”
“Yes! I’d love to!”
When I asked cautiously, Finn smiled brightly. His eyes were full of excitement.
The Risman Harbor sold plenty of other delicious foods besides haring.
Honestly, between the train breakfast and two haring already, I felt like I was going to burst.
But I couldn’t stop now.
‘Don’t be weak in front of food, Sehee… no, Irene.’
What should I eat next?
Holding Finn’s hand, I walked through the harbor, excited.
The fried fish looked delicious, as did the herring rolls.
And for some reason, even the street sausages looked tasty, like how people always pick inari sushi at conveyor-belt sushi places.
“Finn, is there anything you want to eat? Lady Hartmann will buy it for you.”
“Really? Then… can I have that sandwich?”
He pointed at a fish sandwich stall.
It looked like a popular spot, as there was a small line.
“Sure, let’s do that.”
I led Finn to the back of the line.
While I held his hand and waited, Finn peeked up at me.
I tilted my head at him, wondering what was up.
“I’m just happy,” he said.
“Huh?”
“I like traveling with you, Princess.”
“….”
Were we traveling together?
Before I could process that thought, Finn continued.
“Not long ago, I said I wanted to travel for my birthday. And my brother spent all the money he had to bring me here. …I have an illness, you see. The doctor said I might not live long.”
“….”
“But now I’m traveling with you, Princess. It feels like a dream!”
Finn’s eyes crinkled as he smiled brightly, holding my hand tightly.
It was hard to dislike him. I smiled softly back…
Then it hit me.
‘Wait a minute.’
As I listened to Finn’s words, my eyes widened.
Lines from the novel flashed in my mind—words Harry had once cried to Emily:
[I was so poor, and the world kept hurting Finn.]
[If it weren’t for what happened at Risman Harbor… would my brother have lived longer?]
“…Damn.”
I muttered under my breath, realizing something huge.
This place wasn’t just where Harry met Derek.
Finn would suffer something at Risman Harbor that would worsen his heart condition and lead to his death.
‘Something is going to happen to Finn soon?’
I looked at the boy next to me. He was still smiling innocently, unaware of anything.
I stared blankly into his warm brown eyes, thinking:
‘What is it? What happens to him?’
But I couldn’t remember. I frowned, frustrated, when suddenly a commotion erupted in the crowd.
“That’s him! Get him!”
“Pickpocket!”
With a loud shout, the people parted like the Red Sea.
Through the gap, a big, rough-looking man came running. Derek, the pickpocket.
“Out of the way!”
He ran straight toward Finn.
I turned and saw Finn freeze in shock, his eyes wide.
“Finn!”
“Lady Hartmann!”
Before I knew it, I was throwing my arms around Finn and rolling us both to the ground.
