Sebastian and the girl were currently browsing the multiple stands that were set up. Since winter was soon approaching the number of vendors was lower than it would be in the summer and springs months but there was still a sizable amount of goods that could be perused.

The princess seemed to be having a jolly time humming a tune while looking around.

The princess didn’t really want to buy anything but she at the very least wanted to look around.

It was beginning to approach mid-afternoon and Sebastian wanted to get back to the manor before the evening cleaning servants came.

He gently nudged the princess.

“We have to go soon” he said.

The princes gave a shocked look

“That short! We’ve only been out for a few hours at most.”

“I’m sorry, but we really must get back soon” Sebastian said.

The girl nodded and Sebastian began to walk toward the manor with the girl walking behind him. They had walked for a bit and the girl had been silent ever since they started walking back.

[I should apologize for making this such a short outing.” Sebastian looking behind himself to apologize. His heart leapt out of his chest as he saw that the princess was no behind him.

“Princ-!” nearly yelled out before he bit his tongue back.

[I can’t yell out or else we’ll be found out.” He thought.

Sebastian frantically looked around. There was no princess nearby.

He began to backtrack the way he came. When he heard a muffled scream from a nearby alley.

Dashing into the alley, he saw the princess being approached by three thugs.

“You lost girly? That cloak looks pretty expensive, I’m sure someone would pay good ransom money for you” One of them said stepping towards the princess.

The princess took a step back but tripped and fell on her rump. She looked at the men in front of her, with fear plastered on her face.

Sebastian roared as he unsheathed his sword cutting down all three thugs in an instant. They were no match for one of the top warriors of the kingdom after all.

The thugs all surprised looks as they were cut down. From there vision all they saw was a glint of steel and their bodies collapsing.

“Princess, are you alright!” Sebastian said holding the girl in his hands. The once energetic figure now looked shaken and slightly pale. He brought her to the main road away from the thugs.

“Yes, I’m fine…” The princess said.

“You shouldn’t run off like that” he said

“Why… would people do that?” She suddenly asked hugging her body.

Sebastian was taken aback by the sudden question

“Pardon?” he said.

“Take people ransom, ask for money” The princess asked him.

“Because you’re valuable of course, people would pay good money to take you away.”

“But why would they do that?” The girl asked.

Sebastian didn’t quite understand the meaning behind the princess’s question

“So, they can get money?” He said.

“Money?” The girl asked.

Sebastian sighed once again; It was too much to expect this girl to understand the concept of money. She lived a sheltered life with all her needs attended too after all.

“It’s what people need to survive. It can be used to exchange for things. The more expensive the object the more money it costs.” Sebastian said explaining the concept to the princess.

“Those meat buns… did they cost money?” The girl asked.

“Of course,” Sebastian said.

“Did they cost a lot?” The girl asked.

“Not in particular,” Sebastian said.

“What about my cloak, they said it was expensive right?” The princess asked.

The cloak the princess was wearing was made of mink skin and lined with fox fur. It was an expensive piece of clothing that commoners would only dream of having.

“It’s quite expensive, ojou-sama” Sebastian said.

“How expensive,” the girl asked.

“It would probably take 5,000 or so meat buns before that vendor could buy a single one of these cloaks”

The princess look taken aback.

“It’s that expensive?” She said.

“Yes” Sebastian said.

“Where does that money come from?” She asked.

“From the taxes, people pay, of course, you are the princess.”

“Why should something I own, be so expensive?” The girl asked,

“You are the princess, of course, you should own the best” Sebastian said.

“Why? I haven’t done anything… The people at the gate are hungry aren’t they? Don’t they need the money more? Why am I taking money from my people to buy this stupid cloak!” The princess took the cloak she was wearing and threw it to the ground in a fit of anger

Sebastian instantly moved to shield the girl from vision with his body. Picking up the cloak from the ground he gently patted the dirt off it and offered it to the girl

“Because you’re the princess” He said.

Sebastian’s heart burned. What else could he say?

[maybe it was a bad idea to take her out.]

“I don’t want to be the princess anymore! I do nothing! All I do is stay inside the manor all day while people starve!” The girl said.

Sebastian took the cloak and wrapped the girl in it. Pulling the hood over her head wrapped her close into a hug.

“It’s not your fault, oujo-sama” He said.

This girl was little more than a beautiful bird in a cage.

“Why?” The girl said softly.

The princess began to cry into Sebastian’s arms her small body heaving slightly. They stood there. Near the alley, as people walked by. Many of them gave Sebastian weird looks, but one gaze from him was enough to ward them away.

Once the princess had finished crying, she busily tried to wipe away the tears that had formed on her face.

“Ah, I’ve made you dirty” She said. The entire front of Sebastian’s clothing was covered in her snot and tears. She pulled a hankerchief from her pocket and began wiping it.

Sebastian gently brushed the girl’s arm away.

“Don’t worry about it, Oujo-sama” I will clean it later.

He took her hand into his.

“Shall we go back?” He said

The princess gave a small nod and they both began to walk towards to manor together.