Chương 385: Chapter : 385

They walked back onto the main sidewalk. Ken happily ate a meat skewer. He held the large bag of potato chips in his other hand. He offered a chip to Sayma. She politely accepted it. They laughed and chatted easily. They looked like a very normal, very happy couple enjoying a simple afternoon. Sayma's mother watched the entire interaction through her opera glass. She stood frozen behind the marble statue. Her jaw dropped open just a tiny bit.

"What is he doing?" the strict mother whispered to herself. She sounded completely baffled.

"He did not ask for gold. He did not ask for a tailored suit. He asked for cheap, greasy street food. And he looks absolutely delighted. He is sharing a bag of common potato chips with her." The strict woman lowered her opera glass. She felt a strange wave of profound confusion. This boy did not act like a gold digger at all. A greedy fraud would never settle for a two-coin street snack. A fraud would demand a lavish feast.

This boy seemed genuinely, completely thrilled just to be walking next to Sayma with a bag of cheap chips. Sayma's mother narrowed her eyes. She refused to give up her suspicions. She raised the opera glass again. She decided to follow them further down the street. She needed more proof. She needed to see his true character. She believed he would eventually slip up and reveal his terrible manners. But the strict mother had absolutely no idea that she was not the only person spying on the couple today.

Ken and Sayma continued their walk down the wide, sunny boulevard of the Inner City. Carriages rolled down the cobblestone street next to the sidewalk. The carriages moved very fast. The wooden wheels kicked up small clouds of white dust and dirt from the road. Ken casually ate his potato chips. He crunched them loudly. He told Sayma a completely ridiculous story about a nap he took earlier this week. Sayma listened closely. She offered polite, amused nods. She genuinely enjoyed his silly stories.

A large, fast carriage rattled down the street right next to them. The wheels splashed through a small puddle near the edge of the road. Ken did not stop talking. He did not lose his goofy smile. He did not even look at the carriage. But he moved effortlessly. Ken smoothly stepped in front of Sayma. He casually swapped sides with her. He placed himself directly on the outside of the sidewalk, right next to the busy street. He gently guided Sayma to the inside of the sidewalk, perfectly safe near the storefronts.

It was an entirely subconscious, incredibly natural motion. He did not make a big deal out of it. He did not brag about it. He just used his own body to shield her from the passing carriages. The dirty water from the puddle splashed onto his pant leg. The dust blew onto his untucked shirt. He did not care at all. He just kept eating his chips and telling his story. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Sayma noticed the subtle movement.

Her dark eyes softened. A very real, very warm feeling bloomed in her chest. She looked at Ken. He was messy. He was lazy. But he always looked out for her. He protected her without even thinking about it. Sayma reached out. She gently wiped a small potato chip crumb off Ken's cheek. She offered him a very sweet, entirely genuine smile. From her hiding spot behind a marble pillar across the street, Sayma's mother saw the entire thing through her opera glass. The strict woman gasped softly.

She lowered the glass slowly. Her hands rested by her sides. The deep suspicion in her eyes finally melted away completely. She saw him take the street side. She saw him take the dirty splash of water to keep Sayma clean. She saw the totally natural, protective instinct. A selfish fraud would never do that. A fake partner would never ruin his own suit to protect a girl.

"He really cares about her," the strict mother whispered in pure shock.

"He looks completely messy. But he is a true gentleman. He protects her without any hesitation." Sayma's mother let out a very long, very soft sigh. The tension left her shoulders. She finally accepted the truth. The relationship was real. The boy was utterly ridiculous, but his heart was entirely in the right place. Her daughter was safe with him. The strict mother turned around. She walked away from the pillar. She decided to go home. The test was officially over. Ken had passed with flying colors.

However, a completely different group of spies was not happy at all. Just twenty feet away from Ken and Sayma, a row of large, decorative green bushes lined the sidewalk. The bushes were trimmed into perfect squares. They were meant for decoration, not for hiding. But three people were currently trying very hard to hide behind them. Naomi crouched low to the ground. Her bright red hair stuck out wildly through the green leaves. She glared fiercely through the branches. She gripped the dirt with her hands.

Her green eyes burned with intense, undeniable jealousy. Elma knelt right next to Naomi. The blonde servant wore her pristine white and gold uniform. The uniform completely stood out against the dark dirt. Her clothes were getting stained, but she did not care. Her face was flushed a vibrant, glowing pink. She stared at Ken and Sayma with a very deep, frustrated scowl. Ira crouched on the other side of Elma. The water mage remained perfectly still. Her pale face showed zero emotion.

But she stared unblinkingly through the leaves. She held a small branch in her hand. She snapped the branch into tiny pieces. Snap. Snap. Snap. She was clearly annoyed. They were doing a terrible job of hiding. Leaves stuck to Naomi's hair. Elma's white boots were totally visible from the sidewalk. They bumped into each other. They bickered in harsh, angry whispers.

"Did you see that?!" Naomi hissed quietly. Her voice was full of competitive anger. She pointed a finger through the leaves.

"She just wiped a crumb off his face! That is way too affectionate! She is acting too real! This is supposed to be a fake date!" Elma gritted her teeth. She pulled a leaf out of her blonde curls. She felt a massive spike of jealousy twisting in her heart.

"It is completely inappropriate!" Elma whispered back furiously. She glared at Sayma's blue dress.

"She is taking advantage of the situation! She bought him street food! She knows he loves cheap food! She is manipulating his stomach to win his favor!" Ira stared straight ahead. She dropped the broken pieces of the branch onto the dirt. She grabbed a new branch. Snap.

"Statistically speaking," Ira stated in her flat, robotic voice.

"Physical touch increases romantic bonding by forty-five percent. Sayma is utilizing proximity tactics. It is highly unfair. We should intervene immediately."

"We cannot intervene!" Naomi argued. She rubbed her face in pure frustration.

"If we jump out of these bushes, we look like totally crazy stalkers! We have to stay hidden!"