Sena

Su Li smelled green onions.

Sena smelled something...wonderful.

Even though Su Li hadn't bathed in days, the cool, aloof air unique to him (actually, it was a lingering side effect of the Introvert trait, which made him seem distant and clean) still overpowered the smell of dirt.

"Um..."

Su Li was the first to react.

He let go and scooted back. His back hit a tree root, which dug into him.

What was going on?

How had he woken up to find a grown woman squatting right in front of him?

And judging by the look of things, was this girl...swooning over him?

Were country girls these forward nowadays?

The thread of vigilance in Su Li's mind immediately pulled taut.

"Who are you?"

Su Li spoke.

His voice was a little hoarse, with the nasal edge of someone who'd just woken up. To Sena, it felt like a feather brushing the very center of her heart.

A delicious tingle ran through her.

Sena's face flushed bright red in an instant.

Red as a freshly fired brick.

She jumped to her feet. She'd stood up too quickly, and the lack of blood flow to her brain made her sway twice. She nearly toppled right onto Su Li.

"I...I-I..."

Sena stammered.

All the feistiness she usually showed when arguing with the village lads had vanished. Her tongue felt tied in knots.

"I...I'm from this village!"

After a long while, that was all she could manage to blurt out.

Seeing her at a loss like that, Su Li let his guard down a little.

So she wasn't some bandit trying to rob or ravish him.

Just a naive girl who'd never seen much of the world.

And from the look of her, she seemed honest and kind, even a little dim.

Su Li's mind began racing.

His stomach chose that moment to growl.

"Grrr—"

The sound rang out long and clear in the quiet night.

Su Li didn't feel embarrassed.

Life had worn away his shame back in his previous life.

"Miss."

"Could you...spare me a bite to eat?"

"I...haven't eaten in three days."

That was half true.

He hadn't eaten, but it hadn't been three days.

Still, the effect was immediate.

Sena gazed into those eyes that seemed to hold an ocean of stars, watching the handsome man ask her for help.

At that moment,

she felt that even if she emptied her family's granary for him, it would be only right.

This was the will of the gods.

This was fate.

This was the first chapter of The Prince in Distress!

"Yes!"

Sena cried out.

Only afterward did she realize how loud she'd been. She hurriedly covered her mouth and glanced toward the village like a guilty thief.

Then she turned back and nodded so hard her head bobbed like a pecking chicken.

"I have food!"

"Wait here!"

"Don't go anywhere! Please, don't leave!"

With that,

Sena turned and ran.

She was faster than a rabbit.

She was so excited that her left foot caught on her right, and she stumbled, nearly falling flat on her face.

But she braced herself with her hands, scrambling and rolling until she regained her balance, then charged into the darkness without looking back.

Su Li watched her disappearing figure, as if a wolf were chasing her.

The corner of his mouth twitched.

"That's it...all it took?"

He touched his face.

"This face of mine is so useful it's almost scary."

Su Li leaned back against the tree root.

His stomach was still growling, but he felt much more at ease now.

As long as that silly girl didn't bring her hammer-wielding father over, he was set for a meal.

Su Li laughed at himself.

"I guess this is just my lot in life."

Before long,

hurried footsteps approached.

Sena was back.

Her arms were full, bulging as if she were carrying a watermelon.

She ran up to Su Li and crouched down, panting.

As if presenting a treasure, she hurriedly pulled everything from her arms.

Two rye loaves.

A piece of salted meat wrapped in waxed paper.

And half a bitten apple—it was left over from her dinner, and she'd grabbed it on her way out.

Most outrageous of all,

she was carrying a flask.

It was Old Buck's prized rum, hidden beneath his bed. He usually wouldn't even let her smell it.

"Here...for you."

Sena piled everything in front of Su Li.

Her eyes sparkled.

Su Li didn't stand on ceremony.

He grabbed one of the rye loaves and took a bite.

Hard.

Hard as a stone.

He nearly cracked a tooth.

But the taste...it was wonderful.

It tasted like grain. Like being alive.

As he struggled to chew, Su Li mumbled,

"Thanks."

Those two words

made Sena grin like an idiot for the rest of the night.

She crouched beside him, watching him eat.

Even though Su Li wasn't exactly graceful at the table—he was practically wolfing the food down—

in her eyes,

that was just how a prince in distress ought to look.

"Take your time,"

Sena reminded him softly.

"No one's going to steal it."

"That rum...it's pretty strong, so don't drink too much."

Su Li ignored her.

He polished off half a loaf in one go, then took a huge bite of salted meat. Its salty, astringent flavor burst across his tongue, nearly bringing tears to his eyes.

He grabbed the flask and took a swig.

The fiery liquid slid down his throat and kindled a blaze in his stomach.

That hit the spot.

Su Li let out a long breath.

He felt alive again.

He set down the flask and wiped his mouth.

Then he looked at the pockmarked girl still grinning foolishly in front of him.

She sure had a warm heart.

A lot better than those jeweled noblewomen in the city.

"What's your name?"

Su Li asked.

It was basic courtesy. Even if he was taking advantage of her, he ought to know his benefactor's name.

"Se...Sena."

The girl rubbed her hands against her skirt, as if trying to wipe away the sweat on her palms.

"My name is Sena."

"I'm Old Buck the blacksmith's daughter."

Su Li nodded.

"Nice name."

In truth, it was as rustic as they came. But he had food in his mouth, so Su Li didn't mind praising it against his better judgment.

"My name is Su Li."

Su Li pointed to himself.

"Su...Li?"

Sena repeated the name.

It sounded strange. It didn't seem like a name from the Orenda Kingdom. It was more like...

"You're from the East."

Sena's eyes shone even brighter.

She'd heard about it in the tales of traveling bards. The East—a place where gold lay everywhere and everyone could fly. Mysterious. Far away.

"Mm."

Su Li didn't elaborate.

Let her misunderstand. Sometimes a little mystery could serve as a shield.

"Um..."

Sena hesitated.

She looked at Su Li's thin clothes.

The dew was heavy this late at night. If he slept out here, he was bound to catch a chill.

"Would you like to...come to my house?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Sena regretted them.

An unmarried man and woman alone together.

If her father found out, he'd break Su Li's legs, then break hers too.

But Su Li's eyes lit up.

Go to her house?

That sounded great.

He'd have a roof over his head, and maybe even hot water for a bath.

"Would that be all right?"

Su Li asked, pretending to hesitate.

"It...it'll be fine!"

Sena gritted her teeth.

He had to risk it.

At worst, she could hide him in the woodshed behind the house. All she had to do was make sure her father didn't hear a thing.

"Then come with me."

Sena stood up.

"Keep your voice down."

"There's a dog at my house. It has sharp ears."

Su Li smiled.

"Don't worry."

"Keeping quiet is what I'm best at."

After all,

he was a man with the Introvert trait. It was on cooldown now, but that instinct to keep a low profile was still there.

Su Li pushed himself up off the ground and dusted the dirt off his backside.

Following Sena, he walked into the quiet little village.

At that moment,

Su Li felt like life in the countryside might actually have a lot to look forward to.

At least the girls here were easy to fool... no, that is, hospitable.

So hospitable.