It was already evening, and the guards were probably waiting for their Lord to finish his 'business' before reporting back to him.
The scorching sun from earlier was setting, painting the horizon orange.
The wind blew and carried my hair about. I tucked the stray strands behind my ear and looked the other way from the setting sun, and there I saw it.
The walls of the capital were huge and tall in the distance.
If I walk by foot, I could get there by morning, but I was too weak from all that activity to do that, so instead...
I rummaged through their stuff where they couldn't see me, but unfortunately, didn't find a pair of shoes. So, instead, I took three loaves of bread and stuffed them in my pocket.
After that, I untied one of the horses and quietly led it away before the guards could notice what was going on.
I don't know if I could ride a horse, but I felt confident I would be able to.
'Let's just make a nice distance so that in case the horse neighs, it won't attract their attention.' I thought as I kept walking.
My legs were slowly giving out, but I didn't stop. Not yet. I needed to make a lot more distance.
Once I had confirmed the distance was enough, I tied the horse to a tree and sat down on a rock, munching on the bread.
As I ate, I realized that that was the first thing I had put in my mouth all day. I threw away the dried meat and my supplies just to seem pathetic enough for my act to come to life. Do I regret it? Hah, as if.
I kept eating until the dryness of the bread caught up to me.
'I wish I had water.' I thought.
When I was done, I decided I finally had enough strength to ride straight ahead to the capital.
There was no better thing than a full belly.
It was already dark, so it was the perfect cover to help me infiltrate the capital walls without looking too suspicious.
I threw myself on the horse, a strange sense of familiarity overwhelming me. It was as if I had ridden a horse all my life.
Well, I was thankful for this skill because now I could ride towards the gates without any issue.
"HYA!" I flicked the reins, and the horse neighed before charging forward.
The massive stone gates of the Capital loomed over me like the jaws of a giant.
Under the flickering orange light of the torches lit up at the entrance, I looked like a disaster.
My bare feet were covered in mud, I was wrapped in a man's oversized coat, and my hair was a tangled mess of raven silk. But as I pulled the horse to a stop, I didn't slouch or fidget. I sat straight with my head high like a queen.
"Halt!" a guard barked, his spear crossing with his partner's in front of my horse. "Who goes there? State your business and show your papers."
I didn't answer immediately. Instead, I let a single, perfect tear roll through the dust I had intentionally smeared on my cheek. I looked at them with wide, trembling eyes, the moonlight making me look more like a shattered jewel than a runaway.
"Please..." I choked out, my voice small and fragile. "My mate... he... we were traveling to see the capital... but in the forest..."
I broke off into a sob, covering my mouth with my hand.
The guards exchanged a look. They were tough men, but they were still men. A beautiful female crying alone at night was a cheat code for sympathy.
"Thugs… there were thugs, and they attacked us."
"Thugs?" one asked, his voice softening, and I nodded.
"There were so many of them," I whispered, sniffing. "My mate told me to ride ahead on the only horse we had. He said they only wanted me, and he would hold them off. He told me to wait for him at the Capital... but what if he doesn't come?"
The guards practically melted. "Rest easy, miss. The city is safe. Your mate is a brave man; he'll definitely find his way."
They pulled the spears back, waving me through without asking for a single copper.
"If you need anything," One of the guards said, and I saw a flush of pink on his cheek. "Don't hesitate to come find us."
"R-really?" I looked at them, feigning shock, and the other jumped in.
"That's right. The city guards are always here to help. So don't hesitate to look for us."
I smiled at them, but my smile had no soul.
Merely looking at the expression on their faces, I already knew what they were after.
"Then I'll be in your care," I said. "Thank you so much."
They blushed, and I slowly rode past them, and as the shadow of the gate covered my face, my 'fragile' look vanished, leaving a sharp, mocking smirk curling on my lips.
'Dumbasses.'
Men were all the same, no matter where I looked. They see a damsel in distress, and they're all ready to pull their hats.
When will they ever figure out that they're being played? Probably never, haha.
Once inside, I came face to face with the buzzing Capital.
It was like a maze of glowing lanterns, and the smell of roasted meat filled the air.
For someone like me who had no money and no place to go, it was only natural that I would head for a less populated area and try to figure out my future, but nope, there was no way I was heading for some back alley slum.
Instead, I rode straight toward the district where the buildings were made of marble, and the lanterns glowed like gold.
I was going to figure out how to live a very comfortable life without lifting a finger.
I was sure I was capable of that much, and the clue to doing that just happened to be the emblem in my pocket.
I stopped a young servant carrying a crate of wine. He looked like a raccoon beastman with that fluffy striped tail sticking out of his behind.
I didn't ask about the emblem directly; I wasn't that stupid.
"Excuse me," I said, tilting my head so the moonlight hit my best angle. "I'm looking for a friend."
"A friend?" He asked and took a look at me.
The horse I was riding wasn't some cheap, steady, and the oversized coat definitely wasn't cheap either.
"Do you know where they work?" He asked, his voice sounding hospitable. I think I might know where they are if I just know where they work."
"Well," I placed my index finger on my chin, pretending to think, and then snapped my fingers. "I think they work for a house with a hawk on their crest. I think the house is quite well-off too, but I'm not so sure. Do you know what house it is?"