In the palace, Lilia and Clouie just arrived. The atmosphere between them was gloomy as Lilia felt angry and sad that she was bested by a younger kid. She knew that she had been careless and thought how naive she was. She was wrong to think that just because it was a world inside a novel, thieves and other criminals wouldn't exist.
Both of them were allowed to go out without bringing any servants or guards as they have reasoned out to their elders to their trip wouldn't be the same. They added they wanted to experience how to be independent. Their fathers thinking that both were mature for their age anyway, allowed them to do so. Only the carriage driver, an undercover guard, was with them. At that time of the incident, the guard was not able to chase after the kid as he knew it was the safety of the two ladies, which was the priority. He was distracted for a moment with a person he knew that when the pouch was stolen, he only saw the kid's back similar to Clouie. After the incident was reported, the only one who can describe the kid's feature was Lilia. However, she too was unable to do so.
Unfortunately, she saw the people around her as mere extras except for the few important characters. The reason she couldn't describe the boy was also because of her attitude towards her new reality. Other than the novel's mentioned characters, all others looked faceless and featureless to her.
"I know! How about I teach you archery? How would you like that?" Clouie tried cheering her up but Lilia was still caught up realizing how real the world is. Realizing that Lilia was not up for archery at the moment Clouie added " How about we go to the garden instead. Maybe we can relax our mind and body there. " She did not wait anymore for any response from her best friend as she pulled the listless Lilia along.
The palace's garden referred by Clouie was a huge hectare of land housing a variety of exotic plants that can only grow in Asmira's soil. They walked around and Clouie in an effort to cheer up Lilia just started introducing to her all the plant she can put a name onto.
As they were strolling around, they heard a distant clashing of swords. Oh, that brat must be here practicing his swordsmanship today Clouie thought. Clouie in an unhurried tone tried leading Lilia away.
Lilia, thinking that one of those people sparring can possibly be the crown prince immediately went out of her own musing and lead her feet towards the noise. She thought that since it's the royal garden, it may definitely be the crown prince.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Clouie desperately called out to Lilia as she chased her and even tried pulling her to the opposite direction. "Lilia! It would be dangerous to go in that direction." Clouie tried desperately stopping Lilia to no avail.
"Hehe, that friend of yours doesn't seem to listen to you. My dear host, are you really planning to make that girl your next target? After all, whatever you do she is destined to admire and fall in love with that younger brother of yours. Of all the targets, why would you choose her?" System 504 stated to its host.
"Whatever, just make it so that Lilia will get lost along the way to Charles and they will not be able to meet, 504" Clouie conversed with the system in her head. "Alright, but how am I going to do that" 504 asked.
Clouie irritatingly responded, "Create an illusion so that the path and sound of those swords clashing will lead her to the opposite direction."
"500 points will be deducted, is that alright?"
"Yes! Just do it, already" As Clouie spent her hard-earned points, the path before Lilia distorted and she suddenly stopped. "Strange, the noise is coming that way" Lilia stated as she pointed to Clouie's direction. Clouie stopped chasing her and went along with her instead.
Together they went to the direction of the noise until it eventually vanished. When they got to a clearing where swords play was likely to happen, there was no one in site.
"Oh, what's this?" Clouie walked through the clearing. "There's nobody here, Lilia" Clouie continued and exaggeratingly flailed her hand to get her point across to a scrunched up face Lilia.
"This is very weird, Clouie, you and I both heard that there were people here. What happened?"
"I never agreed with you that I heard anything, you know. I just went along with whatever you were hearing. If what you say is true, maybe those people were finished with whatever they were doing and we got here too late… Come now, Lilia. It's afternoon and the day's about to end. I think we should rest for the day, I'll get a servant to bring you home, okay?"
Clouie didn't want to sound mean but she just can't help but be irritated at her best friend. Since the day they have established their friendship, she had decided to protect Lilia from the bad end of the novel at all cost. She knew what will happen to the characters and her heart just can't bear the thought of her friend being destroyed for the sake of love.