An older merchant near a fruit stall, clearly a longtime resident, approached carefully with a respectful dip of his head.
"Young master Javier, may I ask something?"
Javier paused and glanced his way. "Hm? Sure, go ahead."
The merchant rubbed the back of his neck, hesitating.
"It's just… unusual seeing you without your usual escorts."
He glanced around, slightly concerned.
"Miss Liana and Miss Gloria… are they well?"
Javier chuckled. "Ah, you mean those two."
He waved his hand in a casual, reassuring manner. "They're fine. Father assigned them to a special task, so they're not with me this time."
The merchant looked relieved.
"I see. That's good to hear. The people here admire them, too. Especially Miss Liana—she's... well, rather famous."
Javier smirked. "Yeah. She has that 'don't mess with me or you die' kind of charm, right?"
The merchant laughed awkwardly.
"Something like that… but also graceful and kind. Just… sharp."
