It was around three in the afternoon when Myra set out for grocery shopping along with Timothy. Timothy, a young boy of around sixteen, worked at the Brooke's household. He primarily worked at her uncle's cloth store but also assisted at home when there was a need for lifting heavy weights or running errands.
Fortunately, it hadn't started raining yet, and Aunt Lyla had given Myra fifteen silver coins for the groceries. However, Myra was well aware that she wouldn't need all of those coins, as she had a knack for bargaining and finding good deals.
Every time she went to the market, her aunt would give her a specific amount of money for household purchases. On each occasion, Myra made an effort to minimize expenses and secretly save any leftover money without anyone's knowledge.
As she approached a vegetable stall, she noticed an elderly human man standing behind the counter. In the village where she currently resided, the majority of the population consisted of humans, with only a small number of Demons and Vampires living there.
Picking up a ripe red tomato, Myra inquired, "How much is it for two kilograms?"
"Twelve copper coins, young lady," replied the vendor.
Shaking her head in disapproval, she haggled, "Twelve? Make it nine."
The old man shook his head, "That's not possible, ma'am. These are freshly picked ones, and I can't sell them for anything less."
"I'll go buy it elsewhere then!" Myra exclaimed, pretending to leave. "Come on, Tim."
The vendor, sounding desperate, called out, "Wait...wait! I'll make it eleven copper coins for you."
Myra continued her negotiation, "Fine, let's settle for ten coins then."
With no other choice, the old man agreed to her offer.
After another two hours or so, Myra began her journey back home, carrying a heavy bag. She had sent Timothy home about half an hour ago with two more bags, as her uncle needed his assistance at the shop for some urgent work.
Out of the fifteen silver coins she had been given, Myra had spent twelve, managing to save three coins for herself. She considered herself fortunate in that regard, as her aunt never bothered to ask for the change.
As she walked halfway home, the rain began to pour, urging her to quicken her pace. Determined to reach home before getting completely drenched, she hurried along.
Most of the men and women who were walking and talking leisurely on the roads hurried on to their homes, some even ran towards nearby buildings for shelter. A very few of them were standing out there in rain and Myra was one among them.
Her foot steps was splashing one after the other against the rainy ground. Muddy water swashed on the bottom of her skirts dirtying it each time she stepped on a puddle.
Instead of taking the usual route back home, Myra decided to take a short cut, even though she knew that the road there was not safe. Most of them avoided it as there were many instances in the past where people walking through that path were mugged or worse killed.
Desperately praying the gods to keep her safe, she walked through the narrow road filled with over grown grasses. Fortunately, the sky hadn't turned dark yet, for it would have been even more dangerous for a young woman to walk alone through that route at night.
With her heart thumping loudly, she literally brisked up her pace. She was expecting the path to be empty, but much to her surprise or rather to her disappointment she came across three men fighting against one.
She saw a hunky handsome man with jet black hair grabbing two other men by their respective hairs, pulling it harder before clashing their heads one against the other as if he was banging two cymbals instead of two heads. There was this strange aura emitting around him.
Myra stood there rooted at her spot stunned after witnessing the happenings there. By now she was soaking wet in rain, dripping from head to toe.
The hunky stranger seemed to sense Myra's gaze on him, and he tilted his head slightly to look at her. Their eyes met. Myra simply couldn't look away from his mesmerizing golden eyes. It confirmed that he was a demon. There was something intriguing about him.
Suddenly, she noticed another man running towards the demon with a dagger in his hand, ready to stab him from behind. Myra gasped loudly, dropping her grocery bag in the process.
Shooting an arrogant smirk at Myra, the demon stranger let go of the other two men whom he was holding, dropping their unconscious bodies down. He turned around to kick his third opponent in the jaw, breaking a tooth or two.
Still not satisfied with the impact, the demon caught the third man's wrist and twisted it, making him scream in agony. Myra flinched, feeling scared. By now, she had started to regret taking this road back home.
Then, much to her horror, she witnessed the demon guy snap the head of the third man, killing him instantly.
She took two steps backward, but before she could even think of making a run for her dear life, the handsome demon stood right in front of her within a blink of her eyes almost making her heart stop beating for a second.
Tightly shutting her eyes she kept on muttering 'please! please' repeatedly waiting for the handsome demon to harm her. A second turned into a minute, but nothing happened. There was this complete silence except for the pitter- patter sound of the rain.
Out of curiosity she slightly opened her one eye to see the demon standing patiently before her with his arms crossed on his chest, staring at her with an amused expression.
He looked simply gorgeous according to her, gorgeous enough to make her heart skip a beat.
His jet-black hair clung to his forehead, each droplet of water cascading down its tips, adding to his allure. The dampness accentuated his features, emphasizing his firm jawline and sculpted physique.
His shirt, saturated by the rain, clung to his body like a second skin, outlining the well-defined muscles beneath. He stood tall and confident, his presence commanding attention. There was an undeniable aura of strength and power that emanated from him, captivating Myra's gaze.
Myra inhaled loudly, completely opening her eyes. She stared at him for a while before looking away.
He just smiled before saying, "Don't worry, I won't harm innocent people".
A sudden wave of relief passed through her and by now she had even started shivering with cold.
"You will be safe as long as you don't go around mentioning what you saw in here!"
Then the demon, bent down and picked up the vegetables that were scattered on the ground and put them into the bag before handing it back to her.
"A young lady like you shouldn't be walking alone here" she heard him say. "Where do you live?"
"J-Just around the cor-ner, I'll be on my way" she said not wanting to spend another second there with this dangerous man.
He nodded, "I'll drop you off then"
Myra shook her head vigorously. She wasn't in a situation to trust a complete stranger who had just happened to kill three people right in front of her eyes to walk her back home safely.
"Okay!! That's your loss, if you don't want the honour of my generous self walking you back home" he shrugged casually, walking past her.
'generous self?' thought Myra, mentally rolling her eyes.
He was about three steps away from her, when she suddenly called him out "Wait!". The demon man paused and turned around to look at her with a raised brow.
Dropping the grocery bag once again on the ground, she put her hand into her dress pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. She went near him, mustering up courage, and said softly, "You're bleeding," pointing at a slit on his arm.
Gently taking his arm, she tied the wet handkerchief around the wound, and he didn't complain. The cut didn't seem that deep, just a small scratch, but Myra being Myra couldn't stay put without showing concern.
Once done, she gave him a feeble smile before turning around to pick up the bag. She was about to leave when he caught her wrist. "What's your name?" he asked.
"M-Myra," she sputtered, feeling tingles rush through her body at his touch.
"Well, thank you, Myra," he said gracefully, lifting her hand up to his lips and giving it a soft kiss, making her blush. "Reach home safely before you catch a cold."
With that, they both went their respective ways in opposite directions.