WDHTMU | CHAPTER30

Chapter 30

Marsha pushed him through the crowd, her face clouded with displeasure.

Patro’s words from earlier kept echoing in her mind.

“Th-then, I’ll give you the money, so—c-can you come inside the shop for just a moment?”

It was unlike him.

‘Normally, Patro would have come out holding the money himself…’

Sensing something was off, Marsha followed him into the dimly lit shop. 

He swallowed hard, then asked in a small, urgent voice:

“A-are you being threatened by that person or something?!”

“… Did your hand hurt a lot?”

“That’s not what matters right now!”

Glancing nervously toward the entrance as if Claudio might walk in any moment, Patro hurried on.

“Huh? Be honest with me! If you need help, I can—”

“I’m fine.”

Marsha stared at Patro, who was utterly stunned, and met his gaze steadily.

“If you’re worried about me…”

“No. Really, I’m okay.”

Her eyes silently pleaded for him to believe her. 

Patro’s confusion slowly gave way to relief.

“I-I’m glad to hear that…”

“By the way, how’s your hand? Was it really painful?”

“No, no. It’s nothing.”

It still tingled, but not enough to warrant a fuss. 

Patro smiled warmly and sent Marsha on her way.

And so, Marsha walked out of the shop, still wearing that unmistakable look of irritation.

“Why are you so annoyed?”

A voice behind her made Marsha stop.

She spun around sharply, shooting Claudio a glare.

“Why did you hit his hand?”

“Me?”

“You did!”

Though she hadn’t seen it clearly…

“I didn’t hit you, I just blocked it lightly.”

“Why block it in the first place?”

“You’ve gotten hurt a few times before, haven’t you? So maybe I was just a little on edge without realising it.”

What? 

Marsha blinked rapidly.

“Why are you the one being so sensitive?”

Claudio lowered his head and met her eyes.

Just as Marsha stared at his slightly furrowed face in surprise, he pulled down the cloth covering his chin with his index finger.

“Because I’m worried.”

His low voice carried close to her, as if to say, Are you asking? 

Marsha couldn’t help but wrinkle her nose slightly.

“If a hand that big had yanked you suddenly, someone as fragile as you would’ve gone flying.”

“Patro’s not the kind of man to do something so rude!”

Marsha’s voice grew somewhat heated.

Claudio raised an eyebrow.

“And even if he were… I’m not fragile, okay? There’s no way I’d fall over from something like that…”

Before Marsha could finish her sentence—

“Ah!”

A sudden shout. A passerby collided with another, stumbling from the impact.

Startled, Marsha turned toward the noise—only to see the unsteady man barreling toward her.

“!”

Just before impact, Marsha squeezed her eyes shut and curled into herself—but then, a firm hand wrapped around her back. 

What—what’s this?

Surprised, she cautiously opened her eyes to hear a voice above her.

“…Well.”

Slowly lifting her gaze, she saw Claudio looking down at her, one arm cradling her protectively while the other blocked the incoming man’s path.

“My thoughts differ.”

With a gentle shove, Claudio pushed the man aside.

“Hey!” the man snapped, stumbling back into balance. He turned toward them, scowling. “What the hell are you doing? You can’t just shove people like—”

His mouth snapped shut.

Wh-what is that? So huge!

Claudio lazily turned his head toward the man.

The cloth wrapped around his head cast a shadow over his face, but his crimson eyes gleamed sharply like blades in the dark.

Terrified, the man shoved through the crowd and fled hastily.

“E-excuse me! Move aside!”

Irritated voices echoed—“Watch where you’re going!” “Hey!”—but Claudio paid no attention. 

Instead, he leaned toward the girl standing between his hand and his body.

He couldn’t remember ever bending down this far to look at someone before…

Not the first time, Marsha thought.

When she had bandaged his wound, he bent his neck deeply, though not quite to his waist like now. 

In other words, Marsha was the only person who made him bow his head so uncomfortably.

“…Th-thank you.”

Marsha quickly straightened and slipped from his embrace.

Tiny beads of sweat dotted her flushed cheeks.

“… Have you finally admitted that you’re a little weak?”

“I’m not weak—anyone would’ve been startled like that.”

Ugh, always twisting my words. 

Marsha muttered as she turned away.

But what about that man just now? 

Though… I suppose I wasn’t completely innocent either.

Standing still in such a crowded place was dangerous.

I’m not the type to talk—I must be cautious first.

She started walking slowly, but her heart still fluttered wildly from the shock.

Her mind was a mess.

Why am I like this?

Marsha placed a hand over her chest. 

The pounding rhythm of her heartbeat pulsed beneath her palm.

Calm down.

Just… calm down.

Because of you, my face is burning for no reason!

It wasn’t even a big deal!

While scolding her own heart, Claudio stretched out his empty hands and then folded them together.

It hadn’t been long since those hands had held something so small and fragile.

It felt so light that it barely seemed like he was supporting a person at all—but now that she was gone, an emptiness gnawed at him.

…A boundary.

He had seen it countless times—people mistaking his smile for affection, imagining themselves as someone special to him.

And of course, they went too far.

Those who overstepped found themselves humiliated in front of the crowd, discarded without a second glance.

But no matter how kind Claudio was to her, Marsha never went over that line. 

If anything, when she got too close, she startled and ran away.

Is he like this with everyone, or just me?

His brows twitched in frustration.

What was it?

Why did it bother him so much?

I can’t figure it out.

Instead of searching for answers, Claudio chose to follow her.

In just a few steps, he caught up to Marsha, who was striding ahead determinedly.

“Where are you rushing off to?”

“I have a lot to buy. Food, and your clothes too.”

“My clothes?”

“Yes. Honestly, the clothes you wore at home looked uncomfortable. And you can’t keep wearing that one outfit forever…”

“Hmm…” Marsha raised an eyebrow and looked back at him.

“Of course, I’ll pay for everything.”

“Ha, so it’s not free?”

“Of course not. You make more money than I do, don’t you?”

“Do I really make more…?”

“Stop dodging like that all the time. It’s obvious you’re richer than I.”

“Who knows? Even if I earn more, maybe my family’s drowning in debt, and I’m barely keeping up with repayments.”

Marsha stopped abruptly and turned to face him again.

The sharpness in her eyes had softened completely, now almost like a cautious puppy looking for reassurance.

“Are you serious?”

“……”

Claudio covered his mouth with his hand.

Then he looked away for a moment before—

Ah, this won’t do.

A laugh finally escaped his parted lips.

“Haha!”

Marsha’s eyes flew wide open in surprise, her face instantly flushing a deep crimson.

He was joking again!

Clenching her fists tightly, she glared at him.

“Don’t joke like that! I believed you!”

Claudio was utterly baffled.

What part of my tone made that sound so believable?

He wanted to explain, but couldn’t get the words out through his laughter.

“Well then, keep laughing all you want!”

Marsha huffed and started walking away.

Claudio finally stopped laughing and wiped tears from the corners of his eyes, then followed after her.

“Walk carefully. Don’t get hurt.”

“Do you think I’m a kid?”

“Well, your frame isn’t exactly big.”

“Hey, I’m not that small!”

“No, you’re not.”

“I’m not small…!”

Around the same time, a well-dressed man scowled, brushing the wrinkles from his crumpled clothes as he pushed through the crowd.

“Damn it, why are there so many people here?!”

He snapped over his shoulder at someone behind him.

“Hey, you! Why aren’t you moving faster?!”

A man hiding his face beneath a hood nervously glanced around, then hurried toward his employer.

“S-sorry, sir.”

“Always so slow!”

“But, sir, weren’t we supposed to head to Gloria?”

“That was the plan! If only the duke hadn’t chosen to vacation here…!”

Ah, damn it all! He should have been breathing the fresh air of the splendid city of Gloria by now!

‘Not that I wouldn’t be busting my ass there too, but still!’

Just as he muttered to himself and reached for a cigarette case in his pocket—

“Cut the jokes already!”

A familiar voice rang out through the chaos.

The sharply dressed man’s eyes darted wildly as he scanned the crowd.

“…What? Am I imagining things?”

Of course, there was no way that woman would be here.

Still, he couldn’t take his eyes off the people rushing past.

Why is this guy acting so strange all of a sudden?

As he followed his employer’s gaze, the man’s eyes suddenly widened.

Amid the crowd, he spotted a familiar figure—a woman with curly brown hair.

It’s Marsha…!