I’m not the thief!
She screamed this in her heart. However, no one could hear her silent cry.
Just as tears were about to fall from those large eyes of hers, someone else spoke up...
“She may be a witch, but that’s no proof in and of itself.”
The voice wasn’t particularly loud, yet it cut through the tumult and reached the ears of everyone present. Before this low voice, the crowd fell completely silent.
“S-Sir!” the store owner said, bowing her head in respect.
Cecily couldn’t help but look up, though her face remained hidden by the hood.
Standing by the entrance was a tall gentleman dressed in a knight’s uniform, his arms crossed.
His short hair, slicked back with oil, was an obsidian color deeper than the darkest night. His wheat-colored skin and hazel eyes made him stand out from the rest of the crowd. Judging from his appearance, the knight most likely had roots in the south. However, his demeanor was the most striking thing about him. Despite every single pair of eyes in the crowd being focused on him, the young man stood undaunted, not flinching in the slightest.
As soon as his eyes settled on the store owner, her shoulders began to tremble. The knight possessed a rare kind of beauty, but his expression was nothing if not fierce, and his presence had a tremendous weight to it.
“There’s something I want to ask you. Why did you begin this affair with accusations?”
“I-I don’t see what you mean, sir.”
“I don’t know what kind of fabric this prize product of yours is, but it must have been quite sizable, no? Wouldn’t it have been faster to investigate the belongings of these two before making accusations?”
The knight glanced over at Cecily. In a panic, she took off her leather bag and opened it for the owner to see. Inside was bread, dried meat, spices, and other foodstuffs. It was clear the fabric was not within.
“I-I didn’t take it.”
After Cecily did this, the other suspect turned out his pockets. Naturally, they were empty, and he didn’t even have a bag on him.
“W-Well, isn’t it what that woman was saying earlier? This girl probably used a potion while in the store to hide the fabric because she realized she was going to get caught.”
“That’s quite possible. I mean, I don’t know much about witches, so maybe she could have done this,” the young man replied. It shocked Cecily how easily he agreed. “That being said, I have another question. When was this fabric brought into the storefront, and by whom?”
“Excuse me?”
“I think that the frightened expression of the person who was meant to have brought it out is all the answer we need.”
Everyone in the crowd followed the knight’s gaze. Standing there by the owner was a man who was shaking all over.
“I-I’m so sorry,” this man said. “By the time I came back from the privy, all this commotion was happening. There wasn’t really a chance for me to say anything. The, um, fabric is still in the back of the store.”
It was precisely this sort of situation for which the word “dumbfounded” was invented.
The store owner’s long sigh finally broke the silence.
“I can’t believe you...”
“I’m sorry!”
In the end, it turned out that the owner had been making a huge scene about some fabric that had never gone missing at all. Willing to acknowledge her mistake, she turned and bowed in apology to Cecily and the other customer.
“Um, I’m sorry for suspecting you without proof. I hope you forgive me.”
Cecily didn’t say anything, but the other customer left in a huff. Soon, the crowd of onlookers had dispersed as well.
The owner made one last attempt at kindness to Cecily, who remained dumbstruck.
“I know! If you like, you can have that button free of charge.”
“Right...” was all the reply that Cecily could muster.
How easy it was for this woman to use this button to purchase Cecily’s forgiveness. However, it wouldn’t have been right to decline, so Cecily simply bowed her head in thanks.
As she turned to exit the store, a fluttering cloak caught her eye. It was the knight who had resolved this affair so gallantly. Before she could even think about what she was doing, she chased after his tall, departing silhouette.
“Excuse me!”
Upon hearing her voice, he immediately stopped.
“Yes?”
As he turned around, his eyes showed no traces of kindness, and his voice was cold. All the same, this man, whose name Cecily didn’t even know, had saved her. If he hadn’t shown up, she would’ve been falsely accused, branded as a criminal, and turned in to the local guard.
I just want to thank him, but no words are coming out...
As Cecily’s mouth simply opened and closed in silence, she felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment.
“I-I’m sorry.”
As soon as the tears began to flow, she couldn’t stop them.
I didn’t mean to start crying in front of him.
Was it because she was ashamed of the fact that she couldn’t even say a simple thank you to the man who’d saved her? Or was it from the relief she felt at being proven innocent? Unsure as to why she was even crying, she dropped her head and wiped at the tears with the back of her hand. However, the tears simply flowed ever faster.
He’s going to think I’m weird...
Cecily tried to calm her voice, but she still couldn’t speak. As her head filled with panic, she noticed something being held out to her.
What is it?
It was a clean, white handkerchief.
What did this mean? She slowly raised her head and saw the young man looking at her. He was leaning over in front of her with a furrow in his brow. Maybe he was tired of this girl who fell into tears so easily.
“You don’t need to force yourself to stop crying.”
His response was completely unexpected.
The knight gestured with the handkerchief again in front of Cecily, who was still in a daze. Finally comprehending that he wanted her to take it, Cecily grasped it by a corner. Calmed by its softness, she dabbed at her wet eyes.