A heated argument was unfolding between several people. The shouting was so loud that none of them noticed Haruki and his group approaching.
"What are you two trying to do? Eat and run?"
The burly man in a chef's uniform shouted at Sayo and Ieyasu, waving a kitchen knife in his hand.
"This is robbery, isn't it? Huh? We only had two bowls of noodles and you want to charge us a whole silver coin? Do you think we're idiots?"
Ieyasu fired back without backing down.
"You bunch of country bumpkins! This is the going rate in the Imperial Capital. Honestly, my place is cheaper than most! Pay up now, or I'll make you regret it!"
The man glared at Ieyasu, his tone full of disdain for the two village kids.
"Oh, you're looking down on people, huh? Well, let me tell you—I'm going to be a general someday! You better not mess with me, or you'll be sorry later!"
Ieyasu shouted back, puffing himself up with misplaced pride, as if his promotion to general was guaranteed.
Haruki frowned as he watched. He could tell Ieyasu had some potential, but he was still leagues away from anything close to a general. What Haruki disliked most were people who didn't know their limits.
"Ieyasu, keep your voice down. We ate the food—it's only fair we pay. There's no need to cause a scene."
Sayo, who had been standing quietly beside him, finally spoke up in a soft voice, trying to calm him down. From her tone alone, it was clear she was a gentle soul.
"Sayo, don't say a word! He dares to look down on someone like me—someone destined to be a general!"
Ieyasu snapped at her.
"But…"
Just as Sayo was about to speak again, Ieyasu suddenly shouted,
"Sayo, don't tell me you don't believe in me either! Hmph, none of you believe me! I'll prove all of you wrong!"
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and bolted through the crowd, disappearing from sight.
"What the…"
Sayo, panicking as she realized Ieyasu had the wallet, was about to chase after him. But the big man stepped forward and blocked her path.
"Little girl, your friend ran off, and now you're trying to do the same? If you both run, who's going to pay me?"
"But… I really don't have any money on me…"
Sayo's voice trembled as she tried to explain, nearly in tears.
"I don't care. I've seen your type plenty of times. Today, I don't care what your excuse is—you're paying up, or I'll sell you off to a brothel. Then we'll see what you do!"
As Sayo stood there, frantically panicking, a voice suddenly came from nearby.
"I'll pay for her."
The chef turned, ready to lash out at whoever spoke—until his eyes fell on Haruki.
In front of Sayo's stunned eyes, the man immediately dropped to his knees and bowed low to the ground.
"I was reckless! I didn't realize the Minister was here. Please forgive me, Minister, for my rudeness!"
He kowtowed repeatedly, the sound of his forehead hitting the floor echoing loud and clear.
Sayo stood frozen in shock. Just moments ago, this man had been an angry brute—and now he was groveling on the ground like a frightened child.
She had only just left her village and was still very naive. Although she understood that the man who paid for her must be some powerful official, she couldn't understand why the chef was begging like he'd committed a crime. After all, in her mind, the capital of the Empire was supposed to be a place governed by law. She had never witnessed nobles acting violently in public before.
In truth, the big man had simply misunderstood. Having heard rumors of Haruki's ruthless, protective nature, and seeing him step in for Sayo, he assumed they were acquainted—so he desperately begged for mercy.
"I said, I'll pay for this girl."
Haruki knew the big man might have misunderstood something, so he repeated himself to make it clear.
"Sir, how could someone like me accept your money? Her meal is on the house."
This time, the man heard Haruki clearly and understood he wasn't here to cause trouble. He quickly responded with a respectful tone.
Haruki didn't press the issue or insist on paying. Instead, he stepped up to Sayo.
"What's your name?"
After all, suddenly calling someone by name without asking first could easily make her suspicious.
"Sir, my name is Sayo. I'm very sorry, but I probably won't be able to pay you back anytime soon. As you saw just now, my companion ran off with all our money."
Sayo hurried to explain, her tone respectful and sincere.
"You're not from the Capital, are you? Why did you come here?"
Haruki asked.
"Sir, the three of us came from a village far from the Imperial Capital. The Empire's taxes became too much—the villagers could barely survive. So we came to the Capital, hoping to earn some money and help the village out of its hardship. But we were attacked by bandits on the road and got separated from one of our companions. And now, Ieyasu's run off too… I'm the only one left."
Sayo answered, worry lacing her voice.
"I see. As it happens, I'm short a few maids at my residence. As for the pay—it should be more than enough to cover what your village needs.
How about it? Would you consider working for me? Life's not easy for a girl in the Capital."
Haruki, knowing the original story, understood that if events continued as they had, Sayo and Ieyasu would soon meet a tragic end.
"Alright!"
The moment she heard that the salary could help her village, Sayo agreed without hesitation.
As for Ieyasu, she figured she'd try to find him in a few days. Still, no matter how gentle she was, she couldn't help feeling upset that he had abandoned her earlier.
Haruki had been watching her closely, and he genuinely liked the way she carried herself—she gave off the warm, reliable aura of a perfect wife. So he'd decided to save her.
As for that arrogant Ieyasu… Haruki thought he'd just leave him to his fate.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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