The city streets were busy that morning, vendors calling out their wares and the soft hum of chatter filling the air. Shiki strolled
confidently, hands in his pockets, while Ai trudged beside him, her brows knit
together in a mixture of irritation and nervousness.
"Ne, Ne, Shiki," Ai finally asked, looking up at him with that suspicious pout of hers. "How exactly are you going to start investigating this… kidnapping mystery?"
Shiki tilted his head, smirk tugging at his lips. "No clue."
Ai froze mid-step. "...No… clue…?"
Her voice cracked as she repeated his words like she had just been told the world was flat.
She grabbed his sleeve and shook it
comically. "Ne, Ne—what do you mean 'no clue'? You dragged me out here, told me
not to complain, said you had this covered! You don't even know where to start?!"
Shiki let her shake him, his grin only widening. "Kitten, investigations are about improvisation. You walk, you look, you ask questions. Eventually, something shows up."
"That's not a plan!" Ai whined, puffing her cheeks like a child. "That's called wandering around blindly!"
"Which is still technically a plan," Shiki countered smoothly, brushing her forehead with his finger.
Ai swatted his hand away, groaning. "You're unbelievable. If we die, I'm blaming you!"
Before Shiki could retort, fate decided to interrupt them.
From the corner of the street, another pair emerged. Seraphina, her gleaming armor polished to near-blinding perfection, strode
forward with all the confidence of a knight who definitely had a plan.
Beside her shuffled Lyra, clutching her staff to her chest, looking like a child lost in the marketplace.
The four nearly collided in the middle of the street.
"...You?" Seraphina raised a brow, looking at Shiki.
"Us," Shiki corrected with a grin, gesturing to Ai who waved awkwardly.
Lyra let out a tiny "eep" when Ai smiled at her. Ai tilted her head, amused. "You're still nervous, huh? Don't worry, I won't bite… unless my husband tells me to."
Lyra nearly fainted on the spot.
"Why are you two here?" Seraphina asked, her sharp eyes narrowing.
Shiki leaned lazily against the streetlamp, as if this whole meeting was part of his grand design. "Same reason you are. Missing
girls, right?"
The knight's lips pressed into a thin line. "So you've heard."
Ai elbowed him in the ribs. "Wait—you did know something?! You liar!"
Shiki only chuckled. "I didn't say I had no information. I just said I had no clue how to start. Big difference."
Ai wanted to scream.
Before Seraphina could grill him further, the sound of squealing voices filled the air.
"Ahhh! We love youuu!"
"Marry meeee!"
"Smile again, oh please smile again!"
The commotion pulled their attention to the square just a few steps away. A crowd of women—no, a swarm—was gathered around a raised stage. There, bathed in the glow of the morning sun, stood a man who looked like he had walked straight out of a painting.
Golden hair caught the light like molten threads. Eyes as blue as a calm sea sparkled as he waved gracefully to his adoring crowd.
His smile was gentle, his posture flawless—every inch of him screamed prince.
The women below were losing their minds. Flowers were being tossed. Love confessions were shouted like declarations of war.
Ai blinked. "...Is this a street concert or a marriage proposal gathering?"
Shiki snorted. "Both, apparently."
But as the man waved again, his eyes suddenly shifted. The crowd blurred, their shouts fading into meaningless noise—because his gaze had landed on Ai.
For a heartbeat, his blue eyes widened ever so slightly. Then, with practiced charm, he smiled—slow, warm, dazzling. And then… he winked.
Ai's jaw slackened. She blinked once. Twice. And then, very calmly, she turned her head away and stepped closer—pressing against Shiki's side like a reflex.
Shiki's smirk deepened instantly. "Kitten…" He whispered low enough for only her to hear, "...did he just wink at you?"
"Shut up," Ai hissed, grabbing his arm and holding it tightly. Her cheeks burned pink. "I didn't ask for it!"
"Oh, but you got it," Shiki teased mercilessly. "My kitten's already stealing hearts on the street."
"Shiki!" Ai's voice cracked in protest, her whole body flustered.
Behind them, Seraphina rolled her eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn't get stuck. "Pathetic," she muttered, crossing her arms.
Lyra, on the other hand, was too busy watching the golden-haired man with wide eyes. "He's… dazzling," she mumbled under her breath.
The crowd cheered louder as the man continued waving, but his gaze kept drifting back to Ai, as if the rest of the world didn't exist.
Shiki caught it. His smirk faded into something sharper, though Ai didn't notice as she buried her face into his arm to avoid more teasing.
"Well," Shiki drawled, finally tearing his gaze away, "looks like we've found our entertainment for the day."
The four of them turned down the next street, leaving the fan frenzy behind.
Ai finally peeked up, sighing in relief. "Ugh, I hate guys like that. Smiling at every girl like they're special. Gross."
Shiki's lips curled upward. "Relax, kitten. He's not my competition."
"W-who said you're competing?!" Ai snapped, face red again.
Shiki chuckled.
But as they walked, none of them realized that behind those dazzling smiles, the man on stage was watching them go—his expression unreadable, his interest piqued.
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END OF CHAPTER : 36 : NO CLUE, KITTEN!
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