"This place… feels both unfamiliar and nostalgic."

As soon as she stepped off the carriage, Anna surveyed the streets and buildings around her, now so different from what she remembered, and couldn't help but sigh emotionally.

"Senior, were you here before?" Moen asked curiously.

"I lived here for a while. Back then, this street was considered one of the more chaotic areas in the entire Lower City District. I didn’t expect that after just two years, it would look brand new.

I remember there used to be several dark alleys over there. To save time, I often took shortcuts through those eerie paths. Now, they're all gone," Anna remarked as she looked ahead, her tone filled with wonder.

Those alleys, once brimming with darkness and filth, had long been leveled and removed. On the rubble left behind, beautiful two-story buildings now stood tall.

"I see…"

Looks like I made the right choice!

Moen felt a surge of excitement in his heart.

Returning to a familiar place after two years was sure to evoke feelings of comfort for his senior. And a pleasant date absolutely required a sense of ease!

"Since you're feeling so nostalgic, Senior, you must have had deep impressions of this place before, right?" Moen continued smoothly.

"I did."

Anna touched her cheek and smiled.

"After all, back then, I killed a few thugs who had their sights set on my body and tried to get handsy with me in those alleys. Their bodies were buried right where those alleys used to be. I wonder if they were dug up during the renovations?

Ah, if they were uncovered, it would be troublesome. After all, it’s a matter of murder. Who knows, I might be apprehended by some scary police officers then.

If that happens, Moen, as the Duke’s heir, you must use your influence to bail me out, okay?"

"Eh?"

Moen's expression froze instantly.

Though a tiny devil in his mind kept urging him to puff his chest and boldly declare, "Senior, don't worry; mere police officers could never touch you,"—he didn't expect that the fond memories she referred to were about… this?!

This was where you killed and buried people?

So my choice of location was utterly wrong?!

"Pfft."

As Moen stood there, struggling with whether to ditch the location and plan something else, Anna suddenly burst into laughter.

"I'm just joking, junior."

"Huh?"

"No matter how chaotic a place is, it's still within the city, right? Who would be foolish enough to kill people and bury corpses on the spot?"

Moen was stunned for a moment, then finally caught on and said indignantly, "Senior, you're tricking me again!"

"Not at all."

Anna put on a serious face, lowered her voice, and added:

"Actually, I dismembered those people and hid the parts beneath a house."

"Ah."

"Ha-ha-ha… Junior, you look so dazed—it's hilarious!"

Anna once again laughed so hard she could barely stand straight, her figure trembling with mirth.

"That sort of thing is impossible, isn't it? Do I look to you like the kind of dangerous woman who goes around killing and dismembering people? Thinking that about your Senior would really hurt my feelings, you know."

"I know Senior is a very kind-hearted person," Moen replied with a wry smile, entirely defeated by Anna's mischievous nature.

"But then again, if those people targeted Senior and behaved aggressively, wouldn't they deserve it?"

"…"

Anna's laughter abruptly halted. She fell silent, gazing intensely at Moen.

"Uh? Is there something on my face?"

"Junior."

"What?"

"Never mind, it's nothing."

Anna shifted her tone suddenly and returned to her usual charming smile.

"Let's just consider this my little punishment for you."

"Eh? Punishment?" Moen scratched his head, confused. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Of course."

With a playful expression, Anna extended a finger and tapped Moen lightly on the nose.

"You invited me out, yet didn’t prepare properly in advance. You rely on last-minute guides and plans—and other girls would likely feel unimportant and get angry. Only someone as tolerant as me would respond by simply teasing you."

"Was it that obvious?" Moen chuckled awkwardly. "I thought I hid it well."

"In moments like these, women's intuition becomes particularly sharp, you know."

Her voice carried a meaningful undertone.

"So, Junior, some little schemes are better kept away, alright?"

…

Since he'd been caught already, Moen shamelessly pulled out his copy of "The Belleland Dating Guide," flipping through it openly in front of Anna. Soon enough, he settled on a route that seemed reasonably interesting.

They began meandering through the streets together.

With fall fully underway, even the bright midday sun carried a touch of chill.

For the pedestrians on the streets, though, the weather felt just right.

Along the bustling commercial boulevard, vendors cried out tirelessly, their wares displayed in dazzling variety, drawing in an endless stream of passersby.

Anna occasionally paused to inspect small trinkets of interest and even purchased items that Moen couldn’t help but think were odd.

However, every time Moen offered to pay for one of her purchases, she firmly declined.

Which left him feeling slightly frustrated. "Senior, then how am I supposed to repay you?"

"Ha-ha… I wouldn’t want you, Junior, to repay your debt of gratitude on such trivial matters like this," Anna responded with a smile as she tucked away the black root-like object she'd just bought.

"Oh? Then what does Senior want?"

Before Moen could finish his probe, however, a sharp cry interrupted him:

"Gemstone! True Love Gemstone! The legendary Tears of True Love! Guaranteed authenticity, or ten times your money back!"

Tears of True Love?

Moen frowned slightly.

From what he remembered, the Tears of True Love were a gem that had been hyped years ago by jewel merchants as a symbol of pure, immaculate love. Yet before they could secure a high price, the gem was stolen—and never surfaced again.

Such a precious jewel would hardly appear in a street-side booth like this, would it?

Moen planned to ignore it outright, but then caught sight of Anna's eyes lighting up as if she were intrigued.

And so, he quickly switched gears. "Shall we have a look?"

Anna nodded lightly. "Alright."

The two approached the booth.

The vendor was an elderly man with a mottled scalp who looked exceptionally ugly. Seeing Moen and Anna, he stopped shouting and grinned widely, revealing teeth so yellow they could rival old parchment.

"Would you care to have a look? This is the legendary Tears of True Love, a miraculous gem that helps you discover your true love!"

On the ground in front of him lay a pigeon-egg-sized pink gem, its crystalline surface glimmering seductively under the sunlight.

"Is it genuine?" Moen asked.

"Guaranteed authenticity!" The elderly vendor thumped his chest in assurance.

But Moen wasn’t asking him; he turned the question to Anna.

Anna bent forward, picked up the gem, and examined it closely. Immediately, her expression shifted—she shook her head in disappointment.

"Fake."

"Just as I thought."

Moen took the gem, weighing it lightly in his palm.

From the feel alone, it wasn’t even remotely a gemstone—more like glass or worse, plastic.

Besides, if it really were that priceless Tear of True Love, no way would it be sprawled out for casual sale on the street like this.

She probably knew this upfront but chose to entertain her curiosity anyway.

"Let's get going."

Moen returned the gem to its place casually, keen on not wasting more time here and eager to move toward their next destination.

Just as he took a step forward, though, he felt a weight clasping his ankle, rendering him unable to lift his foot.

Turning his head, he saw the elderly vendor—his mottled head shining under the sunlight—clutching desperately at his leg, his face twisted into fury.

"You broke my gem, and you just plan to leave like that?!"