My Perfect Omega - Chapter 9
Leila hid her violin case inside her robe and hurried.
She moved, following the dim light seeping backstage. Although she couldn’t see objects clearly, the presence of light was enough for her to follow.
She had once gone inside the bar to greet the owner, recalling that memory as she walked out composedly.
John, the bar owner savoring the violin performance, was startled by someone suddenly emerging from backstage.
“Huh?”
Though she was wearing a robe, seeing the strands of hair that had escaped, he remembered Leila, who had come to greet him with Anna months before.
Quickly approaching her, he asked with a voice full of surprise,
“Why are you here…?”
Knowing she was a noble, John was naturally cautious. Plus, Anna, his fellow orphanage mate, was terribly fond of this lady.
“Mr. John.”
“Y-Yes!”
He was startled, not expecting her to remember his name, and answered twice in a row.
“It seems Anna has run into some trouble outside.”
“Anna?”
John was ready to run to her side immediately. Leila quickly explained what she had overheard.
“I think she’s encountered my younger brother. It seems like she’s in trouble because of that…”
Unable to figure out what to do, John, who quickly grasped the situation, sprang into action.
“I’ll go to Anna, so don’t worry. But first, let me take you to my humble studio.”
At John’s words, Leila hesitated before asking,
“…Is there another exit?”
“It’s not safe to go alone now that it’s dark. This area is not far from the city’s back alleys, and so it’s especially dangerous.”
But Leila knew all too well Timo’s persistent nature. He was even more relentless than Amelie.
“I’d prefer somewhere I can hide for a while… I’m worried about your studio as well. It might be better to stay hidden outside.”
“But…”
“I’ll hide somewhere not far from here. Please, show me a place you know.”
On her own, she couldn’t properly exit the bar. In moments like these, Leila felt utterly useless, incapable of even the most basic of actions.
What would her life become if she were sold into a political marriage?
Merely used for bearing an alpha and then discarded once her usefulness had ended.
She didn’t want to face such a miserable fate.
John, pale-faced, watched her speak before finally asking,
“May I have the honor of holding your hand for a moment?”
At his cautious request, she felt John was as kind as Anna.
Holding someone’s hand for the first time since becoming an adult, other than Anna’s, felt strange to Leila. The rough, solid hand of a man gave a peculiar sensation.
Following his lead, she walked out from the light-filled space into darkness, greeted by the muggy air.
“Miss, this is right next to my store, an empty building. It’s better for you to hide in the alley next to it rather than inside. This area behind and my buildings are all empty, so no one will pass by here.”
“Thank you, Mr. John.”
“You need not speak so deferentially to someone like me, Miss.”
“I heard you’re Anna’s orphanage mate. That alone is enough reason for me to be at least polite.”
John looked at her with a gaze filled with respect as she calmly conveyed her thoughts.
“I’ll be back soon. Please don’t worry too much.”
John quickly left. Leila groped the wall to move further in and crouched down. Closing her eyes, she opened her ears to stay alert to her surroundings.
Hoping fervently that Timo wouldn’t come this way.
* * *
Lucas quickly went outside, looking for a back door. Climbing up the wall to wait, he saw no one come out but witnessed a minor scuffle.
Sighing, he shifted his gaze elsewhere.
“…How could they disappear so quickly?”
