Later that evening, Athena decided to turn in early. Lucky for her, Wendy and Daric did not suspect anything when she said so. Once she was certain they had left her alone, she found the set of commoner clothes she had hidden away.
She changed into her clothes and redid her hair. After gathering a few essentials, she carefully opened the window and leaped out of it. Under the shadow of the night, she made her way out of Hemlock Mansion.
Having been on the road for the last few years had given Athena a few practical skills. She could stealthily make her way out of the palace without being seen. As soon as she knew she was safe, she heaved a sigh of relief and made her way towards the main street.
Though it was not as lively as the day she reunited with her father, the market was still bustling with activity. Street lamps lit the streets and there were makeshift stalls on both sides of the road.
Athena was sure no one would recognize her as the princess. Unless they knew her well enough. While she was admiring one of the stalls, Athena overheard a conversation in the distance.
Her ears picked up on it immediately, for they weren't speaking in the common tongue. When she looked over, she saw a handsome young man speaking to a stall owner.
"That language…" she muttered to herself.
Unknowingly, she was moving towards them. As she got closer, she was able to hear their conversation with greater clarity. They were making a business deal, discussing an exchange of goods.
"Are you sure these are all that you have?" the young man asked in his foreign tongue.
"Yes, these are all the best quality ones here. The materials were sourced from the Qin Empire, but with the craftsmanship from right here in the capital city," the merchant replied as he showed his wares.
Athena never thought she would be able to hear this language again, seeing as no one she had met so far spoke it. She was happy to be proven wrong. This was a language she was familiar with back in the modern world.
She was bilingual, and this foreign language was her second language. Though the way in which it was spoken was a little different, she was still able to understand them.
The young man seemed to notice someone looking at him. He looked up and turned to see Athena. He stood out distinctively from the rest of the crowd.
It was clear he came from a faraway land.
Now that they were looking at each other face to face, Athena quickly realized that the man was dressed differently from her. He was dressed in a long-flowing garment made out of multiple layers.
The colors of the garment he wore had been chosen with great care. They did not clash, they complimented each other.
He had a sword on his belt, but it did not look anything like she had seen others carrying around.
When their eyes met, Athena could not help but blush.
"Is there anything I can help you with, miss?" he asked in his foreign tongue.
As soon as he became self-aware, he was about to apologize when Athena responded in the same language.
"No need to apologize, sir. I understand you."
The young man was pleasantly surprised and it was written on his face.
"You understand this language that I'm speaking?" he asked again.
Athena nodded, "I do. I'm surprised that anyone spoke it here."
"It is rare. Apart from the merchants and a few nobles and royals, I doubt there are many who do. Rarer to find someone who speaks as fluently as you," he praised.
Her cheeks blushed beet red at the compliment.
"You're too kind sir," she replied before offering an apology of her own, "I'm sorry to interrupt your business trade."
"Not at all, I was just about to wrap things up," the man replied with a smile before turning back to the merchant.
He paid the merchant and took the goods. They shook hands before parting ways. Athena stood there in amazement, still in a daze from the encounter. What are the chances? She thought the man would simply pass on by and think nothing of it.
However, he didn't.
"Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Zicheng, family name Wu. People here usually have difficulty pronouncing my name here, so I also go by Dace," the young man said as he bowed to Athena.
She reciprocated, "It's my pleasure to meet you, Wu Zicheng. My name is Athena, Athena Ser- Smith."
She saw no point in hiding her name from him since he did not look like he would be staying in the Pythra for long. However, her surname was too recognizable to give away so she went with a different one.
"Is there a special meaning to your name?" Zicheng asked, catching Athena off guard.
She pondered for a moment before replying.
"I believe my name means wisdom? Although I still have much to learn," she mused.
"Well, the journey to obtain wisdom is a never-ending quest."
"What about you?" she returned the question to him, "Your name has a meaning to it too, right?"
"That's right, princess."
The color drained from Athena's face when she heard what he called her. She gulped and looked away for a minute, trying to recollect her thoughts. Just when things were going so well!
How did he know she was a princess?
Did she do or say something that gave her identity away? Or perhaps he had seen her before and knew she was lying?
As she looked back at him to hopefully figure out what her next step should be, she noticed a change in expression on Zicheng's face.
He looked flustered.
But why would he be when it was her who should be flustered?