"So you and Jinx are siblings?"
"Mm. You could say that."
"You don't look alike at all…"
Being kidnapped for the first time in her life had left Caitlyn with a very deep impression of Jinx.
"We aren't related by blood, but she's still my sister. More precisely, like the children you saw in the tavern, they're all my brothers and sisters."
"That's incredible… You look like the head of a big family, but you're still so young."
"Not that young. At least not by Zaun's standards… See that Vastayan guy?"
Van pointed toward Scar, who was leaning silently in a corner while watching the room and keeping an eye on anyone suspicious.
"He's either the same age as me or a year younger. His girlfriend got pregnant not long ago, so he's about to be a father."
"Girlfriend? Pregnant?"
Caitlyn secretly glanced at Scar in surprise. He looked fierce and tall, but there was still a hint of youth on his face.
"Oh, right. Topsiders usually get married first, don't they? Ha. Down here, this is normal. No one knows what tomorrow will bring."
"That's incredible… Are you the oldest one here?"
"No, but they're all under my care."
"Why? Don't you have family helping you?"
Van's hand paused as he mixed the drink. He looked at Caitlyn in mild surprise. Her expression was normal, except for the faint blush on her face.
What a conversational talent.
"Uh… no… I mean, isn't there anyone older who can… No, that's not right either…"
Caitlyn realized what she had said and became flustered, embarrassment rising on her face.
"Sorry. The alcohol is making me a little dizzy. I didn't mean it that way… My mother has always managed everything in my family."
"That's normal. This drink only tastes like juice, so don't actually treat it like juice."
Van naturally would not get angry over an unintentional mistake like that. He snapped his fingers toward the busy red-haired girl.
"Sati, bring Caitlyn a glass of water."
"Thank you… Speaking of which, what did you and Jayce talk about?"
Caitlyn awkwardly and stiffly changed the subject.
"Research and inventions. Jayce really lives up to his reputation as Piltover's golden boy. He's a very talented man."
Van had asked Jayce about his "vision" of the Hex crystal, only to discover that Jayce saw it no differently from an ordinary person. To him, it was simply a glowing stone.
And yet a man like that had developed Hextech with his naked eyes alone. That was no longer just a matter of research conditions. He was simply a genius.
"Sounds like the two of you got along well. Jayce once praised you as unusually gifted too."
Caitlyn took a small sip of her drink. Her head was already a little light, so she no longer dared drink it too quickly.
"I've known Jayce since I was little. Everyone said he was an aloof weirdo, but I know he's actually very friendly to people… Still, for him to praise you, you really must be capable."
"Just a little cleverness, that's all."
"It's more than that, isn't it? Honestly, why don't you study at the University of Piltover?"
"Me? No… I have work in Zaun. It wouldn't be convenient to leave."
"This tavern? You could leave it to someone else for a while and go to topside. Maybe you could make a name for yourself like Jayce, then move the tavern up to—"
Bang!
A glass of water was set heavily in front of Caitlyn. The force was so hard that nearly half of it spilled out, some onto the table and a little onto Caitlyn.
"Miss topsider, you drank too quickly just now. Have some water and slow down."
The icy voice belonged to Sati, who had been doing odd jobs nearby.
After dropping the glass of water, she glared hard at Caitlyn, then turned and went back to her work.
"Did I… say something wrong?"
Caitlyn did not get angry despite being splashed with water. Looking at the red-haired girl's back, she asked Van with some caution.
"No. You were only making a suggestion… She's been following me since she was little. I suppose she counts as a sister too. I spoiled her, so she can be a little rude. I apologize on her behalf."
Van glanced at Sati, then smiled and handed Caitlyn a towel as he explained.
"No need. Thank you. Looks like I really did drink a little too much and said something I shouldn't have."
Caitlyn looked apologetic, while Van shrugged casually.
"Don't worry about it, Caitlyn. It was just an accident."
…
…
The sky gradually darkened. At least, that was how it looked in Zaun.
Zaun's air only seemed brighter around noon. At any other time, it stayed hazy and dim.
Caitlyn, who had snuck out from home, was now on her way to the cable car station leading to topside. Van walked beside her.
As the Kiramman family's only daughter, Van had to personally make sure she left the Lanes safe and sound.
"No… I'm a little dizzy. I need to rest for a moment."
After buying her cable car ticket, Caitlyn held her slightly spinning head while waiting and sat down on a small bench by the street.
The Lanes had never had this kind of public convenience before, but after Van took over, he had gradually added some things he considered meaningful.
On the empty lot behind the block, he had even installed swings and other things for children to play on.
"You drank too fast, then got hit by the cold wind… Looks like you topsiders don't know much about Zaun's strong liquor, huh?"
There was still space beside Caitlyn, but Van did not sit. He stood in front of her instead.
"That's your fault for making it taste too good. I didn't feel it at all."
"Mm-hm. I'll take that as praise."
"It is praise!"
Caitlyn tilted her face up, a smile hanging at the corner of her mouth. In the Undercity's deepening gloom, the blush on her face looked even warmer.
Her eyes were slightly hazy from the alcohol. From Van's angle, they carried a mysterious, striking charm.
"What is it?"
Van kept his expression calm, but in truth, he felt a little at a loss. Being stared at so directly by such a beautiful girl, he could not pretend his heart was completely still.
Zaunite girls rarely had skin this smooth and delicate, a figure so tall and balanced, or gestures so elegant and full of grace. On top of that, she carried a special air about her.
Van thought it might come from her family background.
"You're a little different from what I… imagined."
"In what way?"
"Everything… I like puzzles, and you're like a complicated mystery."
"I don't think so."
Van was getting a little tired from standing, so he simply crouched down in front of Caitlyn.
Fortunately, he was tall enough that even after crouching, he barely needed to look up to meet Caitlyn's eyes.
"Sounds like you really do see me as a 'criminal.'"
"You're not a criminal. More like a good person who looks scary."
"You decided that so easily? You really are innocent, Cupcake. What if I'm lying to you?"
Van smiled. He could no longer remember how many lives he had taken with his own hands, and he had never thought of himself as a good person.
"Facts don't lie to me. Everyone respects you. All the way here, people greeted you from the heart. That kind of respect can't be fake."
Van froze. Although his reputation outside was somewhat frightening, he was the true spiritual leader of the Lanes. People greeting him on the street was something he had long since grown used to.
He barely even remembered all the greetings he had received along the way.
"In their eyes, you must be someone very important to them… including that red-haired girl. Please tell her I'm sorry for me."
"It's nothing…"
At that moment, the cable car approached the station with a whistle. Seeing that, Caitlyn quickly stood up, and Van, still a little dazed, rose with her.
"I have to hurry back… This was my first time in the Undercity. It left quite an impression."
"You mean being kidnapped for the first time?"
"Ha! That was only part of it."
Caitlyn truly seemed happy, though her smile remained restrained. Even so, it bloomed beautifully on her face.
[End of chapter]