"So—how did you and Lux meet?" Kahina asked curiously. After listening to Lux talk for so long, it felt like Lux had been the thread tying everything together from beginning to end.
But Lux hadn't explained how she'd even run into this new prince in the first place.
Noticing the hint of formality in Kahina's tone, Luke said, "We're about the same age. Just talk to me normally."
Luke didn't actually dislike being treated respectfully, but if it made people keep their distance, it got boring fast.
Besides, it wasn't like he was some shut-in.
Of course he wanted to make more friends.
"I'm being a bit stiff," Kahina said, embarrassed.
"As for how Lux and I met—" Luke had only gotten halfway through the sentence when Miss Crownguard suddenly sprinted back, slid in front of him, and—still panting—snatched the conversation away.
"We teamed up yesterday to expose a scam, so that's how we met, right?" Lux said quickly.
Afterward, she shot Luke a look—half warning, half pleading, with those little puppy eyes.
So Luke nodded and confirmed, "That's right."
That whole silent exchange didn't escape Kahina's eyes. Her first instinct was that something was definitely off!
But she didn't make a big deal out of it, just nodded in realization. "So that's what happened."
Lux let out a quiet sigh of relief. She'd been halfway to getting water when she heard the key part of the topic.
If Kahina found out what happened yesterday, she'd laugh at Lux for a whole year.
Way too dangerous.
To keep the conversation from going any further, Lux took the initiative. "Do you have anything else to do later?"
Kahina thought about it. "Everything I needed to do is already done. I don't think I have anything else."
"Perfect! Then let's go out and have some fun together," Lux invited.
"Sure," Kahina agreed without refusing.
After a quick discussion, the three decided Lux would lead the way.
When it came to having fun, she was clearly the most experienced.
Just like Lady Augatha had said—no one knew the capital's fun spots better than Lux.
The three walked down the street, chatting as they looked around for anything new or interesting.
Most of the time, Luke just watched. He couldn't really get into girls' conversations, but seeing two pretty girls talk and laugh like little silver bells was still pretty pleasant.
"My purse… my purse…"
Suddenly, a few voices with a sobbing edge pushed into their ears.
All three heard it at the same time, and plenty of people turned toward the sound.
An elderly woman—heavyset, gray at the temples, easily over sixty—was crying out. She hunched there helplessly, flustered as she searched around for something, looking completely lost.
Many people hurried past. Some shook their heads helplessly and sighed.
"Isn't that Lola's mother?" Kahina narrowed her eyes and recognized the woman.
Seeing Lux and Luke's questioning looks, she explained quickly, "Lola is a girl we went to visit a few days ago. She's had epilepsy since she was little—she can't speak, can't walk, and needs medication just to get by. Her parents took care of her the whole time. Two years ago, her father passed away, leaving only her mother. After the Illuminators confirmed the situation, they provided assistance."
Before she could explain more, she hurried forward.
Lux had been about to go too, and she followed.
"Mrs. Yuna—what happened?" Lux asked.
Hearing her, the old woman looked up. The moment she saw Kahina, it was like she'd found a lifeline. She grabbed Kahina's arms anxiously. "Miss Buvelle—my purse is gone! That money was for Lola's medicine!"
Lux's expression turned concerned. "When did you lose it?"
"Miss Crownguard…" Mrs. Yuna recognized Lux and answered quickly, "I only know that about five minutes ago, when I checked, it was still there. There was a lot of money inside, and I was scared I'd lose it, so I kept it in my inner pocket."
She let go and pointed to her inner pocket near her waist—somewhere you could confirm with a quick touch. But now there was a cut there, and it looked like the purse had slipped right out through the opening.
"Did you bump into anyone during that time?" Lux asked again.
It was obvious she cared about this. She was kindhearted by nature—if she saw someone like this, she was going to help.
"I don't know… The street was crowded. I brushed past so many people."
Mrs. Yuna tried hard to remember, then shook her head again.
Luke looked at the tear and said, "Then it was almost certainly stolen. You probably checked your purse too many times, so the thief noticed you and targeted you."
The cut was clearly made with a blade. Not just Luke—Lux and Kahina could tell too.
"I—I didn't know… I was scared the money would be lost, so I couldn't stop worrying, and I kept checking…" Mrs. Yuna's last bit of hope collapsed, and she started crying helplessly.
She knew it in her heart, but she'd still clung to the possibility that she'd dropped it somewhere.
The money mattered too much. That was why she kept checking again and again—only for a thief to notice her because of it.
At this point, all three were sure Mrs. Yuna's purse had been stolen.
There really wasn't much you could do about this kind of thing.
Luke knew every place had people like this—and they were truly hateful.
Because they didn't pick their targets.
"Here's what you do," Lux decided. She instructed Mrs. Yuna, "Go ask the nearby guards for help, and tell them I sent you. If it's only been five minutes, the thief might not have gotten far. We'll do our best to look."
"Miss Crownguard, thank you—truly," Mrs. Yuna said, wiping at her eyes as she went off in a daze to seek help.
The money in the purse was critical. Having it stolen like this was a heavy blow—inside was the money that kept her daughter alive.
"We don't have much time. Let's split up and search," Lux said. "We'll meet at the intersection ahead in twenty minutes."
Lux was an action-first kind of person. She didn't know if it would work, but she believed you had to try—even if there was only the tiniest sliver of hope.
That was the part of her that genuinely moved people.
The three split up on the spot, each choosing a different direction.
Even though they all knew the chances of recovering the purse were already extremely slim.
The capital was huge. Five minutes was more than enough time for a nimble thief to slip far away.
Trying to find the person who stole Mrs. Yuna's purse in a city this big was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
As Luke searched, he couldn't help thinking his day had been eventful.
He scanned the crowd and saw passersby hurrying along, each busy with their own lives.
And he saw Mrs. Yuna crying in front of the guards—the hunched, helpless outline of her back looked so painfully out of place compared to the rushing crowd around her, like two different pictures overlapping.