I told her what had happened to Alice, but she stared at me with a look of pity that was plain to see on her face. "Red, have you lost your mind?"
"You don't believe me?"
"Because it's just too far-fetched." She glanced at my broken windowpane and let out a deep sigh. "You're the one who'll have to pay for that."
"But—"
The sound of a doorbell rang out, immediately catching our attention. "You'd better rest in my room and let the repairmen fix your room," she said.
I growled in frustration and walked towards the door; seeing this, Alice called out immediately. "Hey! You're not fully recovered yet."
I ignored her and opened the door, seeing a group of men waiting outside. "Ah, is this really Miss Alice's house?" he asked politely.
"Yeah, just speak to the annoying girl inside," I said before walking past them; they fell silent, taken aback by my reply.
I wandered aimlessly through the town, until I noticed a man sleeping on the side of the road. He wasn't wearing any clothes at all, except for a large piece of cloth covering his body from the cold night air.
"Admetus"
I didn't mean to call out—I know this guy. Hell, maybe the whole of London knows him—He was a homeless man living freely, doing whatever he wanted and not bound by morals or social norms.
The middle-aged man slowly opened his eyes and saw me standing in the middle of the road looking at him, "Oh Red, going shopping?"
"No, I just don't want to see Alice right now," I said, putting my hands on my hips.
Everyone in London considered him a weirdo and refused to talk to him or even go near him. But to me, he was someone I admired because he did whatever he wanted without caring what other people thought.
"Really? What happened?" He asked, adjusting his clothes.
I told Admetus about that terrifying creature, and he listened to my story with great attention. "Is that so? I don't usually like getting involved in other people's business, but I hope that whatever that creature is leaves your place soon."
"You believe me?"
"You've never told a tall tale, after all."
That's why I admire Admetus; he's understanding and willing to listen to all my stories, which sound like utter nonsense.
Passers-by jeered at him and looked at me with pitying, puzzled stares, some even threw nuts at Admetus while laughing, as if animals in the zoo were treated better than this.
But Admetus picked the nuts from the ground and started peeling them to eat. "People work hard so that I can eat, while I can eat just by being hated," he said, laughing as he ate the nuts.
"What about you, Red? Has that old hag given you another job?" he asked, picking up the peanuts scattered across the pavement.
"Yes, we got a call just this morning… The location's quite a way from here," I muttered. Admetus handed me a peanut, which I took and immediately shelled. "We have to free a girl who's locked up in her house," I said before popping the nut into my mouth.
Hearing this, Admetus didn't reply for a moment; his mouth was busy chewing the nut, and after swallowing it, he immediately responded. "She's locked up like a bird in a cage." he said, gazing up at the blue sky.
"A human without freedom is just like a body without a soul." his dark eyes glanced up and met my ruby-red ones. "And you will surely give her a soul, won't you?"
I was taken aback, but without a moment's hesitation I replied with a nod. ""You have my word" and upon hearing that, the corners of Admetus's lips turned up.
"By the way, a man brought me a great deal of wealth," he said as I got up from the pavement. "But I sent him away straight away and told him to give it to those in need instead—yet he remained stubborn."
One name immediately sprang to mind. "The man with ginger hair?" He replied with a nod. "His name is Robin Hood; he's the one who steals from the rich and gives to the poor."
"So he thinks I'm poor?"
"Perhaps so."
"He simply doesn't understand my wealth."
I found that rather amusing; after saying goodbye, I turned around and walked back towards home—his wealth was the freedom he possessed, something that people often struggle to understand.
Admetus is an old friend of mine, ever since I first set foot in this area—he was the first person to help me survive—I don't care what other people say; he's my idol.