**Flashback: Capital of Tarolinia, 15 Years Ago**
It was a hot, blazing summer noon; the heavy, dry air pressed down like a clenched fist squeezing the earth. The capital's marketplace bustled with the shouts of street vendors and the bargaining cries of buyers, mingled with the smell of fresh bread, the scent of eastern spices, and the smoke of kebabs grilling over fire. The sound of cart wheels and horses' hooves intertwined, creating a relentless clamor.
In a corner of this chaos, a boy about ten years old, with tangled hair and a dirt-smudged face, wore ragged and torn clothes hanging on his frail body. His small, wounded hands struggled to reach the front of a bakery, where the baker, with a sharp and tired look, pulled loaves of bread from the oven.
The boy paused for a moment, staring at the dry, cracked bread—as if it were a precious treasure to him. His heart trembled with fear and hope with every beat. Suddenly, he reached out for a piece of bread, but before he could grab it, the baker shouted angrily, eyes full of hatred:
"Thief!"
He grabbed the boy's hand and with a mix of anger, exhaustion, and despair, began punching and kicking him. The mocking laughter and shouts of the crowd, which had been lost in the marketplace noise, now fell silent.
The boy, gasping for breath, his face bruised and tears silently falling, slipped away through the crowd toward the old city bridge spanning a muddy river. There, a small girl with pale skin and thin hands sat on the ground, swallowing deep coughs.
Albert sat beside her, his body bent from exhaustion but his voice soft and tender:
"Forgive me, sister… I could only find a piece of apple."
The apple was dusty and covered with small scratches, but his sister's faint smile was a mysterious light in that dark and cold day.
She quietly said,
"It's enough, Albert… what you have is enough."
Albert's eyes fixed on his sister; his stomach wound throbbed painfully, and his breaths grew shorter and harder by the moment. Ever since the goblins had kidnapped and killed their parents, a heavy, dark shadow had fallen over their lives.
Albert clenched his fists tightly and whispered,
"I have to find a way… I must…"
With a look full of hope and fear, he stood up and gently said to his sister,
"I'm going out… to see if I can find something to eat."
She looked at him, her eyes full of trust and calm, as if the only light she had in the darkness was this simple sentence.
At that moment, amidst the noisy and bustling marketplace, a simple, quiet carriage moved slowly. Inside the carriage sat a girl about ten years old—Diana, the king's second daughter, dressed simply but beautifully in light blue that shimmered in the sunlight. Her black hair gently fell over her shoulders, and her eyes sparkled with excitement to see the outside world.
Diana smiled softly at her lady-in-waiting and said excitedly,
"I'm so happy I can see the city up close today. Everything is so interesting!"
The lady-in-waiting, a middle-aged woman with experienced eyes and a warm smile, replied,
"This is a very good decision, my daughter. Seeing the city up close will help you understand the people and their problems better and prepare you for the day you become queen."
She glanced around at the people who passed by without concern and continued,
"But the most important thing is your safety. That's why your clothes are simple, and we travel with an Normal carriage. Please don't tell anyone who you really are."
Diana nodded eagerly and said,
"I promise."
She kept watching the city happily. The people's clothes, children playing her age, and the excitement in the market made everything more fascinating.
Next to the carriage, a tall, sturdy knight walked, wearing simple, dusty clothes. His brown eyes carefully scanned every suspicious movement. His dark hair swayed gently in the summer breeze.
The lady-in-waiting spoke calmly but worriedly,
"Please don't run too much, Diana. There are still many dangerous places."
Diana replied with a gentle smile,
"Okay, but I want to see everything."
Meanwhile, Albert, worried and hungry, looked at the faded and rotten fruits and food. Hunger burned inside him like a heavy, fiery tail. Every bite he saw reminded him that his sister was struggling to survive and he had nothing. The "law of survival" was clear and ruthless for Albert: they must stay alive at any cost—even if it meant breaking society's rules and ignoring morals.
In this tense and confused state, he suddenly collided with a girl. Their heads bumped, and both fell to the ground with dust and dirt flying. Albert, shocked, quickly stood up and grabbed the girl's hand to help her up. But his gaze was drawn to a ring shining on her finger; instinctively, he stretched out his hand, pulled the ring off her hand, hid it in his palm, and held her hand tightly.
The girl, still dizzy and dazed, opened her eyes and saw the worried face of a young boy offering his hand.
This girl was Diana, the king's young daughter. Her heart suddenly warmed and unconsciously took Albert's hand, their fingers intertwining.
The lady-in-waiting, passing by, quickly came forward and asked anxiously,
"My lady, are you all right? Are you hurt?"
Diana nodded slightly, but her gaze remained locked on Albert's emerald green eyes.
The lady-in-waiting turned to Albert with an angry face and cold voice, shouting,
"Village idiot! Where is your attention? This is no place for playing or loitering!"
Albert lowered his head and said softly and shyly,
"I'm really sorry, please forgive me."
Diana, still lost in Albert's gaze, unconsciously asked,
"What's your name?"
Albert scratched his head a little, pressed his lips together, and replied,
"Albert."
The lady-in-waiting, unwilling to let her lady talk to this filthy, poor boy, said seriously and full of hatred,
"My lady, don't talk to this filthy kid! Who knows how dangerous he might be."
Albert felt his hand trembling from the contact with Diana's warm hand and heard the lady-in-waiting's venomous words. He looked at her scornful face but said nothing. Just looked at her for a moment, then turned and quickly walked away from the crowd. His heart was heavy and cold—perhaps from shame, perhaps from humiliation, and perhaps from the weight of the ring now heavy in his palm.
A few moments later, Diana looked at her hands anxiously. Her face suddenly changed from joy to terror and confusion:
"My ring… it's gone!"
The lady-in-waiting narrowed her eyes sharply and said dryly and decisively,
"That boy! He's a thief!"
Then she quickly pointed at the knight,
"Catch him immediately! Bring him here alive!"
The tall and ready knight instantly turned and sprinted through the crowd after Albert.
When Albert heard the heavy and powerful footsteps behind him, he realized he had been exposed. Without looking back, he ran with all his strength—through narrow alleys, bustling markets, and scattered crowds unaware of the chase.
"Excuse me!, Please move aside!"
He slipped through the crowd, bumping into people, sometimes losing balance and falling.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a man struggling to keep balance with his basket of fruits. Suddenly, Albert's hand hit the basket, and a heap of faded and bruised apples and oranges spilled onto the ground.
The man shouted angrily,
"Hey kid! What do you think you're doing?!"
The knight paused for a moment among the fruits but quickly continued running after Albert.
Panting heavily, his feet burning, Albert turned into a narrow alley, passing through colorful hanging cloths of the stalls. His heart filled with fear and hope.
But the knight, swifter and more experienced, caught him from behind before Albert could escape into another alley and slammed him hard onto the ground.
"Got you!"
Albert struggled fiercely, but the knight's iron-like grip prevented any escape.
Panting, he said,
"Let me go… I didn't do anything…"