Chapter 157 Chapter 156
Soraya and Rayena gave chase, trying to catch up to the thief that had taken her basket, but the person was faster, maneuvering his way through the narrow roads, jumping over stalls and avoiding other customers, nimble as a cat. The gap between them and the thief grew wider, and it seemed like they would never catch up to him when someone burst out from a corner, bumping into the thief and causing him to crash to the ground, the basket spilling away from him and its contents falling out onto the ground.
Rayena checked out who it was. Judging from the uniform he had on, he looked like a soldier from the palace. They eventually caught up to the thief, who was still curled on the ground, hiding his face and gasping for breath.
"Thank you for stopping him," Soraya rushed out through ragged breaths, glaring at the boy on the ground.
"It's no problem, miss..." the tall uniformed man responded, voice gruff. Both of them froze, recognizing the voice. Snapping their heads toward him, a soft gasp escaped Soraya's lips, her mouth open in shock.
General Morvan? What is he doing here?
But the latter had already bent down, picking up the boy by the collar and leaving him dangling in the air. He sniffed the air around him and his eyes flashed, his irises changing color. He let out a growl and the boy whimpered in submission, his eyes clouding with tears.
"What do you think you're doing?" he growled, the sound sending shivers down Rayena's spine. "Why are you stealing?"
"I'm sorry!" the boy cried out in a high-pitched voice, flailing his legs.
Soraya went to pick up her things that had scattered on the ground, and Rayena went ahead to help her, retrieving her basket. Thankfully, nothing was broken or damaged. Done, they rose to their feet.
"Is everything you purchased complete?" General Morvan asked, glancing at Soraya.
"Yes, and nothing is broken. Thank the moon goddess for that. I'm thankful once again," she said, giving a small bow before smiling at him. Morvan acknowledged her thanks with an incline of his head. Soraya turned to the boy he held and began scolding him.
"Hey, you! Why are you going about stealing from others?! Don't you know it's wrong?"
"I'm sorry..." the boy said through tears. "I really am," he cried, his voice thick with shame.
The anger deflated from Soraya, seeing his countenance. "Now, you're going to be punished for this. Do you think your mother will like this?"
The boy began to cry, his tiny body shaking with sobs. "Please, I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I was desperate."
"Enough..." General Morvan growled. "We will be leaving now. Have a good day, ladies." To the boy, he muttered underneath his breath, "You'll pay for this, young man."
"Hold on!" Rayena cut in, moving forward. Everyone stopped, watching her. She walked towards the boy, giving him a small smile. "What's your name?"
"D-darrel," he stuttered, sniffing.
"Darrel. Why did you do it? Why did you try to steal from my friend?" she asked, her voice soft.
He cried again. "I needed the money. My mother is sick, and I have no money to treat her. I-I was going to sell the things I got from the basket to buy the medicine for her." He dropped his gaze, shameful. "Now, she's going to be disappointed that I tried to steal from others. I really am sorry."
Rayena sighed, reading the sincerity in his trembling voice and downcast eyes. She looked to Morvan. "Will you let him go? He says he didn't mean to."
Morvan appeared conflicted. His jaw tightened as he spoke. "Unfortunately, what he did is still an offence. He has to be punished for it. It'll serve as a deterrent to others."
"Very well..." Rayena muttered, turning to the boy once more. "You will be punished for your actions, but after that..." She cut herself short, handing him three gold coins from her pouch. "Use this to get medicine for your mother," she said. And then another gold coin. "And something for yourself."
Darrel's eyes widened as he held the gold coins. "Now don't do this again," she warned, her voice gentle.
"I won't," he said, a huge smile on his face. "Thank you so much!"
Rayena smiled and straightened to her height. "Could you please ensure he gets the medicine for his mother after you've released him?" she asked, glancing at Morvan.
She caught him watching her skeptically. Eventually, he nodded, letting out a breath. "I will do so," he muttered gruffly.
"Thank you!" the boy cried out once more as Mavron carried him away. Rayena watched them leave before turning around, gripping her basket tight.
"Let's go..." she said to Soraya, walking ahead while Soraya followed behind, ignoring the onlookers' stares.
As they sat in the carriage, Soraya let out a sigh. "Now I feel bad. I didn't give him anything," she mumbled, glancing at Rayena who sat across.
Rayena seemed surprised. "You didn't have to. I just wanted to help the boy. He looked so frightened, he was literally shaking. But why was everyone so shocked that I did that? Even Mavron seemed skeptical."
Soraya shrugged, adjusting her posture as the carriage rode forward. "The boy was probably a weretiger and, well, since we still don't get along, it would have caused more problems for the clan," she explained.
"I see..." Rayena muttered to herself. Then she glanced at Soraya, a pensive expression on her face. "Would my stepping in cause more problems?"
Soraya thought about it for a moment. "Hardly. In fact, I think it might help," she said, smiling at Rayena.
Rayena furrowed her brows. "Why?"
"You're human, so most people would be shocked by your act of kindness."
"Oh..." Rayena trailed off. She didn't know what to say to that. The carriage continued out of the market and onto the main road. When she glanced at Soraya, she caught her smiling to herself. "Why are you acting so sheepish?"
"Oh, me? I'm just glad the encounter made me meet my crush. He keeps saving me, as usual," she said, letting out a dreamy sigh. "My knight in shining armor."
Rayena chuckled. "You're being ridiculous." Soraya giggled, a light flush staining her lips.
As they rode, Rayena's thoughts drifted to Lylall. He must be a weretiger as well. Was he facing the same discrimination too? Rayena sighed, worry for him twisting her stomach into knots. She hoped he was alright.