Aidera was left with two choices: either surrender the laptop she was holding or buy time until one of her two companions returned. However, in her panicked state, she couldn't think clearly.
Should she scream? But the surroundings were eerily quiet.
Should she fight?
"I said give it!" the thief urged, increasing the pressure with the knife.
She tried to stay calm. Even in fear, she could tell—this man wasn't a professional. His grip was shaky. His voice cracked. Desperation hung in the air like static.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked quietly.
"Shut up! Hand over all your belongings now! I'm trying to be nice here!"
"..."
Then suddenly, a hand grabbed the thief's shoulder and yanked him backward, nearly causing him to fall onto the roadway.
"What the—?!"
"Let me teach you two things," Zeyn said flatly. He immediately positioned Aidera to stand behind him. " First, if you're going to threaten someone… don't hesitate."
"What?!"
"Second... A man who points a weapon at a woman has already lost."
"Y-you're... " Aidera stuttered.
A guy with ruby-red eyes, who was starting to become familiar, came to protect her.
"Are you okay?" Zeyn asked
"Um... y'yeah..."
He turned around, observing the girl carefully, as if uncertain if she was truly fine. Zeyn noticed an item that seemed familiar, a laptop that had been on his desk.
"Who are you? Don't interfere!" the thief said, pointing.
With calmness, he simply replied, "I am nobody. How about you just finish your act now and go home? Surely, you have more important things to do than this."
"Shut up! You know nothing about me!"
The thief's face contorted. With a trembling yell, he lunged forward, blade flashing toward Zeyn's side.
Zeyn saw the knife heading towards his left abdomen. He could have easily dodged it, but after witnessing how the thief attacked, he intended to restrain him with his hand alone.
Aidera became hysterical, quickly closing her eyes and covering her mouth.
*ZRASSHH~
A few seconds later, the sound of a sharp object piercing flesh could be heard, accompanied by a small spatter of blood on the street.
The thief opened his eyes and froze. Zeyn had caught the blade with his bare hand, blood dripping from between clenched fingers.
"If you want to attack someone... make sure your eyes are wide open."
The thief backed away, horrified at the blood—his own and Zeyn's. A sense of guilt immediately invaded his heart. Seeing the blood flowing, he trembled in fear. He regretted his actions, realizing that he hadn't considered the consequences of his deeds.
"I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... Please forgive me."
Zeyn glanced at him, staring into his eyes sharply, "If you're not ready to engage in dirty work, it's better for you to find another job."
Paul and Clara immediately ran. They approached the scene of the incident. There was a sense of worry as a disturbance had occurred, especially since their Madam was right there.
Finally, Zeyn released his clenched fist. The knife was finally dislodged, and the thief, trembling in fear, quickly fled away. He ran as fast as he could, not wanting to face further blame.
"A'are you okay?" Aidera asked in shock.
Zeyn fell silent for a moment, feeling the adrenaline still surging through his body after successfully overcoming the threat. He looked at his left hand, which had been injured from the knife attack. After confirming that it wasn't too severe, he shifted his attention to the girl behind him.
"You're bleeding!" Aidera said, rushing forward.
"Don't worry, it's safe now," Zeyn reassured, although his tone was casual. However, blood continued to flow from his hand. "I'm fine."
"Y- Your hand doesn't look fine!"
"It's shallow."
"N- That's not the point!"
Paul and Clara finally came. They were relieved that someone had managed to protect Aidera from the impending danger.
"Milady! What just happened?!" Clara asked in a panic.
"There was a wicked person who threatened me with a knife. Fortunately, he saved me," Aidera answered, still trembling.
"Threatened with a knife?... Wicked person?!"
Meanwhile, Paul was already preparing to chase after the fleeing thief. However, Aidera stopped him.
"Enough, both of you. It's better if we don't prolong this issue. The important thing is that everything is safe now."
Aidera decided to take Zeyn's hand and caress it.
"Why didn't you just dodge earlier?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
Unfortunately, he remained silent.
"Zeyn? Are you sure you're okay?"
"Huh? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."
The girl opened her car and reached for something inside the dashboard. It was a dry tissue to help dress his wound. Slowly, she tightly wrapped the tissue around his hand to stem the bleeding.
"If you hadn't shown up—"
"But I did," he interrupted.
"…Yeah. You did."
Aidera glanced towards her two servants. They remained bowed down, unwilling to speak up. Regret was evident in their expressions, mixed with a tinge of anger. It was anger directed at themselves, including towards the thief.
"You know, I don't have any plans after this. Why don't you drop by the cafe where I work? Can I at least offer you something in return? A drink? Food? A favor?"
"I'm not looking for payment."
"I know. But I want to say thanks."
Zeyn hesitated.
She wanted to express her gratitude in a more personal way. Nevertheless, she wanted to invite him out, even if it was just for a meal or a drink and a chat.
However, Zeyn shook his head softly. "Sorry. Not today."
She looked a little disappointed. "Okay. Then let me give you options. If not today... maybe you'll let me treat you to dinner sometime? Or help you with something you're struggling with. I owe you."
"You don't owe me anything," Zeyn said. "But I'll keep it in mind."
She simply nodded and tried to understand. Yet, there were several things she wanted to talk about with this young man. "You really won't come with us?"
"I've got something to take care of."
She studied him for a moment. "Then… till next time?"
Zeyn nodded once. "Till next time."
He walked towards a corner between buildings. He let out a sigh of relief, having managed to escape from the dangerous situation earlier.
However, his left hand still felt the pain. He stopped and examined the wound on his hand, intending to untie the makeshift bandage that Aidera had made. It wasn't that he wasn't grateful for her help in treating his wound, but he simply didn't need the tissue wrap.
After discarding the tissue in the trash bin, he looked up. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared.
Meanwhile, Aidera continued to stare flatly at her two servants. She wasn't angry—just disappointed. It was understandable, considering she had almost faced danger.
At that moment, Clara and Paul stepped forward again, visibly shaken.
"We're sorry, Milady. We failed in our duty."
"Utter failure," Clara added bitterly.
Aidera remained silent
"It would be a disgrace to the Chana family if we didn't receive punishment. We will take responsibility for our negligence." Clara added.
And it inevitably ended up like this. It was not something she desired either. Aidera had considered these two individuals as her own friends. However, as a noble, she had to position herself accordingly. If she were to forgive them immediately, they might end up feeling even more guilty.
"Punishment, huh? Then I'll punish you both."
Trying to maintain a stern expression, as if to appear resolute, Aidera entered the car. However, instead of taking a seat in the back, she sat in the driver's seat.
"I'll drive. You two sit in the back."
They blinked.
"Milady, that's—"
"Sit down."
In their hearts, they felt humiliated. Their Madam, whom they were supposed to serve, was now serving them. It felt like a message, as if their Madam was indicating that they were incompetent in their duties.
As the SUV rumbled back onto the road, Zeyn watched from the rooftop above. He flexed his injured hand. The pain was fading, but the recovery felt slower than usual.
"Something wasn't right. Could this be the lingering effects of the object still implanted in my chest?
* * * *