Chapter 80

The man pointed toward Melissa, making his companions blink in confusion.

“What are you talking about?”

“Is she supposed to be some famous noble or something?”

“That can’t be right. Look at her hands.”

One of them jabbed a finger toward Melissa’s bare hands.

Her gloves were off, revealing palms thick with calluses, like those of someone who worked the fields.

Pfft.

Laughter erupted all around.

“Ha, almost fooled me there!”

“A commoner pretending to be a noble!”

“Or maybe she’s one of those women who sneak into noble bedrooms!”

They snickered and whispered filthy jokes until Melissa quickly spoke up.

“Ah, I’m Mrs. Mimi. That is, the wife of Mr. Demius.”

“…What?”

One of them frowned and turned to another.

“Who’s Demius?”

“I’ve heard that name before…”

“You idiots.”

The man in the back suddenly shouted.

“He’s the son of the lord who rules this land! How do you not know that?”

The first man shrugged.

“Why should I care? Nobles have nothing to do with me.”

“Even if you don’t know his face, you should know his name. Demius von Eisenhart, heir to the Grand Duke’s house!”

Another man rolled his eyes.

“But wait, didn’t she just call him ‘Mr. Mimi’?”

Hmm.

Their gazes all shifted at once.

The heir to the vast ducal territory, vice commander of the monster-slaying expedition in the Antaras Mountains, and the cold-blooded swordmaster himself, Demius von Eisenhart.

And his nickname was supposedly Mr. Mimi?

For a moment, silence filled the alley. Then laughter burst out like an explosion.

“Ha… hahaha!”

“No way!”

“This innocent lady must’ve been tricked by some scammer!”

“Using the Grand Duke’s heir’s name? She’s got guts!”

“Hah, my name’s Demius too, miss. Want to be my wife?”

A man covered in tattoos leered at her and reached for her wrist.

At that moment

Thud.

The tattooed man was flung backward.

A man landed smoothly in front of Melissa, his long cloak spreading wide as if to shield her.

Melissa’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Ah, Mr. Mimi!”

…Mr. Mimi?

The thugs’ expressions twisted in disbelief.

That was the scammer?

Demius turned to her with a soft smile.

“I was worried when you disappeared.”

His eyes slid briefly toward the thugs before he spoke again, voice calm and steady.

“Miss Lili, will you go on ahead?”

“Come with me, Mr. Mimi!”

“I still have business here. I’ll join you shortly.”

“But…”

“That child needs urgent treatment, doesn’t she?”

“…!”

Melissa’s gaze dropped.

The small, limp body resting in her lap made her eyes waver.

“…All right.”

After a brief pause, she carefully lifted the child and nodded firmly.

“I’ll see you soon, Mr. Mimi.”

“Yes.”

Demius smiled gently.

“See you soon.”

Melissa nodded once more and stood up.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

The thugs quickly blocked the exit.

But in the next second

Tap.

Melissa kicked off the wall and leapt high, vaulting cleanly over their heads.

Her graceful movement reminded them of a flying squirrel.

As everyone gaped in astonishment, Melissa looked back and called out.

“See you later!”

“Yes!”

Demius waved with an easy smile.

The casual farewell sounded more like two friends parting after a picnic.

The thugs’ faces contorted.

“What the hell was that?”

“Get her!”

They were about to chase after her when

“Stop.”

Thump.

A quiet voice fell heavy on the air.

The pressure dropped, a suffocating weight pressing on their bodies.

The unfamiliar sensation made their scalps prickle.

…What is this?

Meanwhile, Melissa was already far down the alley.

By the time she disappeared from sight

“Damn it.”

Their eyes turned slowly back.

The man in the cloak stood there.

His sword, though ornate enough to look ceremonial, gleamed faintly. His clothes screamed nobility.

A sneer spread across their faces.

“Look at this knight in shining armor.”

“Mr. Mimi, huh?”

“He looks like a fancy gigolo. Probably scams women for a living.”

“Man, I’m jealous!”

Their jeers echoed through the alley, but Demius’s face stayed still, expressionless.

He reached for the hilt of his sword.

It wasn’t his usual blade, but it didn’t matter.

Swish.

The sound of steel sliding free made their shoulders tense.

A chill brushed their necks.

For a second, their confidence faltered, but they quickly shouted.

“What, trying to scare us?”

“We’ve got weapons too!”

“Grab the tools!”

Clang. Bang.

They snatched up anything within reach, iron hammers, wooden clubs, rusty daggers.

One wielded a spiked bat. Another’s sword was streaked red with rust.

Their weapons glinted menacingly, yet Demius’s face remained unchanged.

No fear. No emotion. Not even the faintest flicker in his eyes.

The men hesitated, sensing something wrong.

“Get him!”

At the shout, they all charged, screaming as they swung.

But in an instant, the man vanished.

“Where’d he go?!”

Their eyes darted wildly.

Then a low voice spoke behind one of them.

“You tried to stop Miss Lili.”

Before the man could even turn around

Slash.

His wrist was severed cleanly.

For a heartbeat, no blood came out.

Then

“Aaagh!”

His scream ripped through the alley as crimson sprayed the walls.

The others froze, staring at him writhing on the ground.

“Get reinforcements!” someone shouted.

“I’ll go!”

One man bolted. The rest scrambled, fumbling through their pockets.

“Damn it. This stuff’s expensive.”

They pulled out small glass vials filled with black liquid.

Pop.

They yanked out the corks and swallowed everything inside.

Instantly

Crunch. Crack.

Their bodies convulsed.

Muscles bulged and swelled, bones creaking as they reshaped.

In seconds, their frames grew larger, veins pulsing violently.

Huff. Huff.

Their monstrous bodies twitched as they clenched their jaws.

“Ugh. I hate this feeling.”

“No choice.”

One of them rolled his neck, thick veins bulging.

“Isn’t it dangerous to drink all of it?”

“Who cares. Just kill him.”

Their bloodshot eyes locked onto Demius.

The so-called Mr. Mimi stood before them, his beauty almost unreal.

Even men couldn’t look away.

The thugs licked their lips.

“He looks expensive.”

“Maybe even more than that woman. The nobles would pay good money for a face like that.”

“Let’s have some fun first.”

“You.”

A low voice cut through the air.

When they looked back, Demius’s expression was cold as ice.

Was he scared?

Their smirks widened.

But then his face emptied of all emotion, and his voice dropped like a blade.

“Did you say that in front of Miss Lili too?”