“Are… really going near…”

“Maybe the person from the bounty… let’s take…”

Keira heard faint noses near her. She was still feeling groggy, but her mind immediately snapped awake. She looked at the people talking in alarm. She didn’t expect to suddenly fall unconscious on the cold floor.

Before she could even take action, light shone directly on her face. She covered her face with her hand and brought the hood back to cover her head. Keira instantly raised her body up.

“Ugh…”

She almost stumbled down again, but still resolutely stood on her unsteady feet.

“I was right! I saw the orange hair, it’s her!” The man who was holding the lamp exclaimed.

“Settle your voice! The others might hear and will try to catch her themselves.”

Keira didn’t spend more time listening to their dialogue. She started to sprint away from the two rogue men.

“Hey wait! Fuck! Let’s catch her quick!”

Keira quickly ran while holding her aching stomach, trying to support her already weakened body.

“Haaa… haa…Unn…”

Keira dashed away. She wanted to go deeper into the alleyway but she knew that it would inevitably end in a dead end. So she made a quick turn to one of the alley exits.

‘Maybe I could lose them there. I would be able to quickly try and blend with the people there.’

She hoped she hadn’t fallen asleep for a long time and that the streets wouldn’t be desolate. To her delight, when she was close to the end of the alleyway, she could still hear the bustling noise of the street and saw the street lights were still brightly lit.

Keira heard one of the men calling out to his companion, “Grab her quick! She’s about to exit the alleyway!”

Leaving the alleyway, Keira briskly slowed down her pace to blend with the crowd walking alongside her. She still kept her hood up and lowered her head. She could hear the cursing of the two men. She scurried away in the opposite direction of where the two men were headed.

…

While Keira was walking down the street, she observed that despite being already deep into the night, many shops and stands were still open. The people were still selling, buying, and having a good time. The city was brightly illuminated. She could even see kids still freely roaming the streets. This made Keira understand that this is all due and thanks to the current emperor, Musfir.

Looking at the relaxed expressions of the people, you could see how peaceful the city is. There were no worries about their stores getting attacked, or worry about their personal safety for strolling late at night. This was the perfect depiction of the people who trust their emperor for their safety.

Now that Keira ponders on it, when she stole bread earlier, the knights were quick to arrive and even relentlessly pursued her, for two pieces of loaves. They were highly skilled too. She wasn’t able to easily brush them off her tail. She really had to commend Adage for living up to his promise of being an emperor that serves his people.

Though, being a good emperor does not particularly mean he would be in the right mind now. He is good to his people, but would he remain good to Keira when he would meet her?

‘Haha… 100% blackened bar…’

Keira wanted to cry blood, just thinking about that bar.

‘If it weren’t for that stupid bar, my life would have been so much easier! Wait, no… If it weren’t for the stupid bug that brought her back to the first world, then I wouldn’t have to deal with the blackened male leads in the first place!’

Keira wanted to just go in a middle of a field and curse at the main system nonstop. Maybe then, she would feel slightly better.

Keira had been walking for quite some time now. She had reached the end of the city. She decided to take a small peek at the city gates. She already had an inkling that the gates are blocked and the city is currently on lockdown, just based on the absurd amount of bounty placed on her head.

Keira saw silhouettes in front of the gates. The guards in front of the closed gates and a young noblewoman were arguing. Hearing a commotion in front of the city gates, Keira decided to listen in for some info.

“My lady, as I have already said, no one could enter nor exit the city regardless of status as per His Majesty’s decree.”

“But I have to be back home by tomorrow! My father would be furious to see I’m not back yet to my estate. It would not just be me who would be implicated, so will you!”

“Don’t you know who I am?!” The noblewoman continued, now using her status.

“Yes my lady, we know that you are the only daughter of the Marquis, but we still could not just break the emperor’s decree just because of this.”

The noblewoman clicked her tongue and asked her servant to bring something. When the servant came back, the servant presented what was presumably a coin purse. The noblewoman grinned and pushed the coin purse to the guards.

“Here, take it. Now, will you let me out?”

The guard remained to be stone-faced, as he shut down the noblewoman.

“Even if you bring me a thousand gold coins, betraying the emperor’s command and having my head cut off would not only bring great shame to my family but also to myself, who swore to wholeheartedly serve His Majesty.”

The noblewoman continued to grouse in annoyance when Keira departed from the location. Keira walked, following the path of the large walls that protected the city. Not many were near the area, but she still had to be careful of her face not being seen. The people’s eyes are now Adage’s after that huge bounty.

Even buying the way out of the city won’t work. Keira really had no clue where to go from here. She could try scaling up the wall, but seeing the top of the large wall, there were guards patrolling everywhere. She would be easily spotted if she were to climb.

Keira sighed, ‘System 999 would have been a huge help by now.’