Chapter 4

“Sister, Sister, you shouldn’t sleep here!”

Hellion was awoken by a child’s voice. She glanced at the boy who was shaking her in her shoulders. Dazed and confused, she squinted her eyes at the small child in front of her.

The child was a little boy in ragged clothes. His face was smudged with dirt and his expression was a bit grumpy. She was a bit closer to him that she could smell a foul odor coming from the child. Hellion wrinkled her brows, scrunched her nose at the smell, and slowly sat up while holding her coat.

“What are you..?” She asked the boy.

The boy scratched the side of his neck as he look at her with slight impatience. He then said to her. “Go away it’s my spot! Find somewhere else to sleep.”

Hellion was shocked. She never thought that one day she would be driven away by a little boy and a beggar at that. Does the children didn’t learn manners here? Hellion inhaled deep and stand up fixing her coat on her body.

Now that she was awake, she looked up and saw that the sun was barely up the sky. Its not even morning yet but she was forcibly kicked out of the bed!

Hellion patted her bum as she bitterly watched the little boy who was running his hands against the wall. He felt upon it for a while and halted. Hellion looked at him confusedly as the boy cautiously turned his head towards her, saying. “Older sister, please leave now.”

Not caring whether he was heard or not, the boy turned his back at her as he grope around the brick wall in silence. After a moment, he seems to find what he was looking for. The boy’s eyes lit up and pushed the bricks slightly.

Hellion watched him silently but then the boy give him another meaningful glance as he shake his head off.

“Older sister, don’t you have matters to attend to? You should get going now. Someone might be worried about you. Please leave.”

Hellion blinked innocently at him as she pretend to think for a second. She then mumbled helplessly. “I don’t have anyone to worry.”

The boy look at her with doubt and laughed.

“Sister, you wore expensive clothes. You’re lucky to have a good life but you still refused to go home? Don’t you feel sorry at all?” The boy said as he look at her with a bitter smile on his face.

Hellion lowered her head to think. She couldn’t refute him and she can’t even imagined a little boy was lecturing her like this. Hellion doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She smacked her lips and pat the boy’s head.

“You see. I didn’t run away from home. I simply took a stroll outside and decided to sleep on the streets.”

The boy gave her another doubtful look as he wag his forefinger at her.

“You shouldn’t lie.”

Hellion: “…”

The boy then take off the bricks from the wall and a little compartment was revealed. The boy carefully went inside and took something out.

Hellion saw him approaching with a piece of bread in his hand. He looked up to her as he tore the bread in half. He then held out his hand as he offer her a piece and said. “Take this bread and leave please.”

Hellion who unwillingly took the bread: “…”

The child grinned at her and said. “It’s really good!”

She took a bite and widen her eyes in surprise. It’s hard! She felt like she just chewed a stone! Hellion wanted to argue and say it was a hoax but her heart panged with conscience, the child gave her food despite his own condition and yet she has the nerve to complain?! Thinking about it, Hellion silently bite on the hard bread and just choke back the words she wanted to say. She smiled at the child and nodded her head slowly.

After eating the hard bread. Hellion finally walked away. She wandered in the bustling streets, holding her aching stomach. The bread must be so hard that her stomach don’t want to accept it. The food was tasteless but she was still thankful for it.

She walked and traveled her eyes across the streets, her gaze passed the stalls then the people, a strange feeling and a familiar sensation she must’ve felt before. Her heart aches as she seems to feel something inside. The weird feeling stayed for a while as she walked ahead, absentmindedly looking at her surroundings.

“Ah!”

Hellion, in a total daze, eventually bumped into something hard. She wobbled a bit and glanced up to see the person she just bumped into. Hellion then widen her eyes in surprise! Who would have thought that she would see him again here?!

“It’s you!”

Hellion eyes shone seeing the face of her savior again. The guy gave her a disgusted look as usual and he seems to be surprised to see her annoying face.

“What are you doing here? Are you following me again?!” He asked as he massaged the bridge of his nose. His very problem was again, in front of him.

Hellion laughed a bit and shook her head. “I told you I’m going here.”

“Oh?” Xegris eyed her with a hint of doubt. It seems she didn’t lie but he knew she did anyway.

“Did you find your way then?” He curiously asked her.

Hellion think for a bit and just smiled. “Nope. I don’t know where to go.”

Xegris glanced at her face as if peering through her lies. He chuckled a bit and joked. “Don’t tell me you actually run away from home?”

Hellion was speechless for a while then she rubbed her head as she look at him with conflict in her eyes. She then mumbled slowly. “I guess I did…”

Xegris covered the smile on his lips with his hand. He waited for a while to calm his raging anger as he look at her calmly.

“So you’re following me because of that?”

Hellion stared at him for a while and carefully nod her head. It’s fine to say that right? After all, she really have no other choice but to follow him and seek for his help. Though, she felt some guilt in her heart for trying to use him. She actually felt relieved to see him again.

“Why didn’t you say so?”

Hellion was totally surprised. She look at Xegris with her widened eyes and blink innocently like a cat. Xegris smirked at her and inched closer to her as he whispered in her ears.

“I can let you stay with me but that won’t be free.”

Hellion blushed as she remembered the last time he suddenly got close. She quickly backed off and look at him with flushed cheeks. She then averted her gaze as she put her hand on her arm, not daring to take another look at him. She then lowered her head showing the pair of her ears flushed in crimson. After a while, her mind was eventually filled with thoughts. What does he mean about being with him won’t be free? Should she pay him some money for that? But where would she even get her hands on some cash when she don’t even have a single coin on her.

She sighed disappointingly as she glanced at him with a pair of helpless eyes.

“What do you mean? I literally have nothing on me. Well, you know what, just forget it. I can’t afford to stay with you…”

Xegris just smirked at her and pointed towards her front. Hellion tilted her head in confusion as she looked at his fingers. Xegris rolled his eyes, thinking that the very person in front of him was incredibly stupid. He slowly walked towards her as his eyes briefly met her confused gaze.

He reached out his hand then smirked at her while the other was utterly frustrated and confused. He shamelessly put his hands on her chest and caressed the soft thing on her bosom as he eventually said.

“You have this and this is sufficient enough to pay the interest.”

“…!”