Extra-Changing Fate ==Editing==

Chapter 17 ==His Words==

"Going to meet that lover of yours?"

My steps faltered as that familiar voice reached my ears. I turned to see my brother leaning against the doorframe I had just walked through.

"Lover? Who?" I asked, feigning ignorance. He snorted at my response, and I looked at him, genuinely confused. I was certain I didn't have a lover. Why was he acting this way?

"No need to hide it from me, Alyssa. I know you've been constantly meeting with Sir Kian." His words made me nearly choke on my own saliva.

"What?! Who told you we're together?" I exclaimed, my voice rising in disbelief. My brother simply gave me a blank look before sighing at my obvious shock.

"Mr. Smiley has been telling me that you're Sir Kian's muse and—"

"And you believed his words? Brother... I only went to them to find someone," I interrupted, trying to reason with him. I couldn't understand why Mr. Smiley kept mistaking me for Kian's lover, but this was going too far!

"Like finding the Owner of Moonlight? Or finding the Sword Glory? And besides, no one has personally seen who Sir Kian is. That man must be a fake," he questioned, his tone skeptical. I sighed loudly. I couldn't just tell him I was looking for a Zodiac. That would reveal my knowledge of Grandmother's secrets.

"Just stuff... And I don't plan on telling you! And besides, Mr. Smiley himself told me that Sir Kian is the one I met..." I retorted, causing him to sigh heavily.

"It must be Grandfather sending you on some missions then. I don't know why he's so obsessed with you when we're all siblings," he grumbled, and I rolled my eyes.

"Anyways, Brother, I need to go and—"

"Did you even think that I'd allow you to go and meet that lover of yours?" he stated, his voice firm. I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to explode.

"Brother, my life is my own, and I deserve privacy. And besides, I am not involved with that King of the Underworld, Kian," I tried to clarify, hoping to dispel his ridiculous misunderstanding. Seriously... what exactly had Mr. Smiley told him that made him believe such nonsense?

"You say you're not together, yet you call his name casually, without any honorifics."

"Well, since you don't believe me... that's your problem. I need to finish Grandfather's errand for me, so see ya!" I gave him a quick farewell, eager to escape his endless questions and absurd assumptions. I just needed to run far away from my brother, avoiding any more unnecessary discussions.

I walked into the deep, dark alleys of the capital. It was time. Time to meet the person who could help me. As I walked, I felt the gazes of unseen eyes upon me, even in the darkness. But not yet. She hadn't followed me yet. The person I sought would be here today... tonight, to be exact.

"Hey, hey... what's a beautiful girl like you doing in this dark alley?" I stopped abruptly as two figures appeared in front of me. They weren't particularly large or intimidating, yet they seemed confident in blocking my path. In other words, I sensed others lurking nearby.

I turned around, and my suspicions were confirmed. I was surrounded by a group of unsavory-looking thugs.

"I think it's none of your business whether I walk here or not," I retorted, sizing them up. These guys were easy to handle. I'd dealt with their kind in my past life; there was no reason I couldn't in this one.

"Come on, don't be feisty. Just have some fun with us," a third thug said. There were four of them in total, and since I didn't know their names, I'd have to keep track by number.

Thug number two reached out to grab my wrist. I tried to pull away, but his grip tightened.

Damn Alyssa's weak body...

I glared at the four men. Only half of them flinched. Even so, I still possessed the Silverton glare, the very look that could intimidate and pressure even the most arrogant nobles.

"Fxck you, slxt! Do you even think that—"

"Yes, I do! Because hmm... I'm a noble lady? Nah... ah! I'm Grandfather's precious jewel!" I exclaimed, watching their faces darken. It seemed they already knew who I was. Figures, since I was the only woman in the empire – no, the entire continent – with golden eyes.

"Don't lie! He doesn't even like his—"

"Father? Hmm... that's true, but he likes me... so what will you do if he finds out that I'm being assaulted by some ugly thugs?" I challenged them, expecting them to be intimidated.

Or so I thought.

"Then we'll just kill you right here!" Thug number three snarled, revealing a dagger and lunging towards me.

I sighed loudly. They really weren't the listening type, were they?

Just as he reached me, an unseen force stopped him in his tracks, and he stumbled backward, away from me. I turned to see a familiar figure standing behind me. "It seems the Lady always finds herself in trouble whenever we meet," he said, a faint smile gracing his lips. My eyes widened in recognition. It was the man who had saved me after I fell from the ladder near here.

"That guy... he's—"

Thug number one couldn't finish his sentence. He froze, his eyes wide with fear, before turning and fleeing, the other three thugs scrambling after him. I caught a brief glimpse of the man behind me, his gaze sharp and warning as he watched them disappear.

"Lady, why do we always meet when you're in big trouble and stuff?" he asked, offering me a gentle smile. Golden hair and sky-blue eyes met my own golden gaze.

"I don't know... maybe because you happen to be there? And besides, I could have handled that situation very well, young Sir," I replied, then turned and walked away from him. I didn't believe for a moment that he didn't know I was Alyssa, Alyssa Glaze Silverton, the only one in the kingdom with golden eyes.

"Alyssa... I just don't want you to be hurt."

I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard him say my name. His voice was soft, almost a whisper, but I heard it clearly. I turned back, but he was gone.

"What had I just heard?" I mumbled to myself, then continued towards the exit, the thought that my plan might have failed because of those thugs and the handsome stranger weighing heavily on my mind.

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Happy 8.9k reads!!!!

Seeing the reads, I decided to update today....

So anyways, here is the next chapter♥️♥️♥️