Chapter 20
“Why. Did you not hear me right? Should I say it again?”
But it didn’t sound the least bit threatening.
“I told you to shut up.”
“Y-You little…!”
“Extorting tolls, picking on little kids with nonsense excuses, and now claiming she has no family left. If your eyes are that useless, then at least keep your mouth shut.”
These lowlifes. They never scared me to begin with, so of course I wasn’t intimidated.
“Hah. What makes you think you can act so cocky? You and that brat too.”
Cesare’s eyes scanned me up and down as I stood shielding Estelle in my arms.
His disgusting gaze crawled over me, and I scowled.
Just as his eyes were about to shift toward Estelle, I stood up, pushing her behind me so his gaze couldn’t reach her.
Noticing my intent, Cesare folded his arms and let out a mocking snort.
“Well, well. A knight in shining armor.”
“……”
“What. You planning to fight? If you can, then go ahead. Do you even know how to clench your fist?”
I stepped toward him. Cesare raised a brow and sneered.
“Pfft. You kidding, boss? She’s barely half a person. Think she even knows how to throw a punch? I doubt it.”
The mocking tone made the thugs around him laugh.
They curled their fists and shadowboxed the air, making whooshing sounds.
Swish, swish. The sound of fists slicing through air came from right beside me.
“Who says I can’t fight?”
The words came out sharp and menacing, but I wasn’t afraid.
Instead, I slowly swept my eyes over them all before fixing my gaze on Cesare.
“I can fight.”
“What?”
“Only one way. Beating one bastard to death.”
My target was clear.
Cesare, their leader.
My hand slipped into my pocket without them noticing, and I gripped something long and hard.
When I pulled it out, I jabbed it straight into Cesare’s nostrils.
“Aaagh!”
It was tongs.
The greasy tongs I had used for frying sweet potatoes.
“Y-You—!”
Each prong rammed into a nostril, one on each side.
Blood trickled down his face almost immediately.
But I didn’t stop there.
Instead, I shoved the tongs in deeper while grabbing his collar.
“Ghhhk!”
“B-Boss!”
Cesare staggered back, losing his balance, and crashed to the ground.
I jumped on top of him.
“That beard of yours—been bothering me for a while.”
Yanking the bloodied tongs out of his nose, I didn’t even flinch at how filthy they looked.
Instead, I hooked them around his beard.
“Your dirty beard makes you spout garbage so easily!”
“M-My beard…! Let go!”
With one hand pinning his forehead, I yanked upward with the tongs.
Riiip—!
“GAAAAH!”
“You bitch!”
“You tore the boss’s beard!”
A bald patch gaped where his beard used to be, a messy circle ripped out.
I raised the tongs again, ready to tear out more.
“You’re dead!”
“Urgh!”
But I didn’t get the chance.
His men piled onto me, yanking me off Cesare.
They didn’t stop there—fists flew at me like vengeance for his missing beard.
Their punches ached across my body, but I thrashed wildly.
I bit hands that grabbed me, clawed with my nails, and whenever I saw the slightest gap, I lunged at Cesare again.
We rolled and grappled, over and over.
“What the hell is going on here?!”
Just as I sank my teeth into Cesare’s greasy nose, a sharp voice cut through the chaos.
One thug stammered, “P-P-Piona…!”
With his nose between my teeth, I twisted my head to look.
There she stood—Fiona, glaring furiously.
Cesare and his thugs froze, terror in their eyes.
It made sense.
Though known publicly only as the owner of the Green Tavern, Fiona was in truth someone even the military police didn’t dare touch—a figure in the underworld.
At her arrival, the men restraining me faltered and let go, stepping back nervously.
Now free, I bit down harder on Cesare’s nose, pulling as though I’d rip it off.
His screams echoed beneath me as he flailed, but I didn’t care.
I only stopped when my teeth slipped off his greasy skin, sending me sprawling as he shoved me away.
Fiona advanced slowly, stopping before Cesare.
Then, without hesitation, she planted her foot on his chest and pressed down.
“Grk—!”
“Cesare. What the hell is this? You dare stir up trouble in my territory?”
“I-I… it’s…”
“And while harassing my friend?”
“Wh-What?”
Cesare whipped his head toward me, stunned.
With his torn beard, twin streams of blood from his nose, and bite marks etched into his face, he looked pitiful.
His shocked expression only made him uglier.
I spat his blood onto the ground and glared back.
“F-Fiona. Y-You know this… this woman?”
“Well, let’s see. We call each other by name and drink together sometimes. What do you think?”
She pressed her foot harder into his chest before finally stepping off.
Then she sat down, locking eyes with him.
“Hiiik…!”
I couldn’t see Fiona’s expression from behind, but Cesare’s face drained of color.
“U-Uwaaaagh!”
Flailing, he scrambled to his feet and bolted.
“B-Boss!”
His men panicked and stumbled after him.
“You bastards! You better apologize right this instant!”
Fiona shouted, but they had already vanished.
She muttered under her breath, “Fine. We’ll settle this later.”
Then she turned to me.
“You okay, Reina?”
“Eh? Y-Yeah. I’m fine.”
“Fine? You’re all banged up.”
“Heh. Doesn’t hurt as much as it looks.”
I scratched the back of my head sheepishly.
That was when I noticed a small presence at my side.
I turned and saw Estelle clutching her bag of sugar tightly.
“M-Morris…”
“Estelle, are you alright?”
I knelt in front of her, holding her shoulders, checking her all over for injuries.
“Thank goodness. No wounds.”
Her body seemed fine, but I knew Cesare’s cruel words must’ve cut deep.
“I’m sorry. For letting you hear things like that.”
My chest tightened painfully.
If I felt this hurt, how much worse must it have been for Estelle?
“I’ll make sure you never hear things like that again. I’ll do better.”
I wrapped her in my arms.
Her small body trembled in my embrace—still shaken both by Cesare’s insults and the fight.
I stroked her back to soothe her.
Fiona sighed, shaking her head.
“Good grief. I get you’re worried, but the kid’s fine. You should be worrying about yourself first.”
“Hehe.”
“What’s funny? Honestly. Let’s get you patched up at my place. And you too, kid—come along.”
I released Estelle from my arms and took her hand.
Together, we followed Fiona.
