As they continued their stroll through the bustling marketplace, Leora suddenly came to a halt, her eyes fixed on a nearby stall displaying tiny, intricately carved animal figurines. Each one was painted in bright, vibrant colors and perched on little pedestals.
She picked up a wooden rabbit with exaggeratedly large eyes and held it up to Lucian, trying to hold back her laughter. "Look! It's you, Lucian—innocent, wide-eyed, and completely harmless."
Lucian gave her a deadpan stare, crossing his arms. "Harmless? You mean the guy who had to save you from five pursuers last day?"
Leora waved him off. "They were barely trying, obviously. And you did have that startled rabbit expression when they first showed up, so the comparison is accurate."
He rolled his eyes but took the figurine from her, examining it with a mock-serious expression. "Fine, then. But if I'm the rabbit, then this," he said, picking up a tiny, snarling fox, "is definitely you. Cute on the outside, but always up to something."
"Flattering," Leora said, smirking. She handed a few spiritual stones to the vendor and tucked both the rabbit and fox figurines into her pouch. "Now we have matching spirit animals. I'll even let you be the cute one."
As they left the stall, Lucian couldn't resist poking fun. "You know, if we're going by spirit animals, maybe you should pick something… louder. Like a peacock."
"Peacock?" Leora gasped, putting a hand to her chest in feigned offense. "Excuse me, I am stealthy! I blend into the shadows."
"Sure," he replied, smirking. "If you count 'blending in' as loudly announcing your opinions at every street corner."
She stuck her tongue out at him and then stopped at another stall, where a vendor was selling what looked like enchanted trinkets.
She leaned in close, her eyes lighting up. "Ooooh, Lucian, look at this!" She picked up a small, glowing amulet that pulsed with a soft blue light. "It says it reveals hidden treasures. Can you imagine? All the riches we could find with this!"
Lucian raised an eyebrow. "Hidden treasures? It's probably just enchanted to glow when it sees shiny metal. Might as well wave it at your hairpin."
Leora ignored him, grinning mischievously at the vendor. "What else does it do?" she asked with exaggerated interest, as if she were in the market for a magical artifact that could change her life.
The vendor, an older man with a thick mustache, leaned in conspiratorially. "This amulet, young lady, will lead you to riches beyond your wildest dreams."
Lucian stifled a laugh, but Leora shot him a glare, then turned back to the vendor with a dramatic sigh. "But… it's so expensive! Do you have anything that, oh, I don't know… leads you to slightly 'less' than your wildest dreams? Like a bargain version?"
The vendor frowned, clearly not used to negotiating with this kind of logic. Lucian couldn't hold back his laughter any longer and finally burst out, earning another scowl from Leora.
"Alright, alright," she said, dropping the amulet with an exaggerated air of regret. "Guess we'll have to make our own luck."
They continued through the marketplace, and as they passed a fruit stand, Leora swiped a small, round fruit from the vendor's display and tossed it at Lucian with a quick flick of her wrist.
Lucian caught it effortlessly without even looking, then arched an eyebrow at her. "Stealing now, are we?"
She smirked. "Hey, I'm not stealing—just borrowing. Besides, you caught it, so technically you're the one holding stolen goods."
Lucian sighed, handing the fruit back to the vendor with a small, apologetic smile. "Sorry, she's still learning basic morality."
The vendor chuckled, waving them off, and Leora grinned, nudging Lucian in the ribs. "Oh, please. Admit it—you loved that I kept you on your toes."
"Sure, if by 'on my toes,' you mean 'in constant stress over your next random scheme,'" he replied, though he couldn't help but smile.
They wandered deeper into the city, where they came across a stall filled with glittering jewelry. Leora immediately began trying on rings, necklaces, and bracelets with the enthusiasm of someone who'd never seen so much sparkle in one place.
"Look, Lucian!" She slipped on a massive, gaudy ring with a fake gemstone the size of a grape and held her hand up to his face. "Do you think it makes me look… powerful?"
"More like ridiculous," he said dryly. "But it's a close call."
She gasped, pretending to be offended. "Well, maybe I'll buy it and make you wear it. That'll teach you some respect."
He laughed. "I think I'd rather face down those pursuers again than wear that thing in public."
As they turned to leave the jewelry stall, they came across a small alley where a street artist was drawing painting for a small crowd. The artist looked up at them and, catching Lucian's gaze, gestured invitingly to an empty stool.
Leora grabbed his arm, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh! Lucian, we have to do this!"
He groaned, shaking his head. "Absolutely not." He said inwardly 'As a assassins in past life I have phobia against taking pictures.'
"Oh, come on! Just one drawing. Don't be such a—"
"Rabbit?" he finished for her, sighing in defeat as she dragged him to the stool.
The artist quickly began sketching, his hand moving with practiced speed. Lucian sat stiffly, doing his best to look normal, while Leora kept sneaking amused glances at him.
When the artist was done, he held up the drawing with a flourish, and the small crowd burst into laughter.
Lucian stared in horror. The artist had exaggerated his features to an absurd degree, giving him tiny, beady eyes and an exaggerated scowl, while Leora was depicted with a massive grin and sparkles around her face, practically glowing with mischief.
Leora snatched the drawing, beaming. "Oh, this is perfect. I'm framing it."
"Over my dead body," Lucian muttered, though he was fighting back a smile.
They left the alley, Leora still clutching the painting, and Lucian couldn't help but shake his head in amusement. But their peaceful stroll didn't last long.
As they turned a corner, a sudden loud crash rang out, and a man sprinted past them, clutching a bag that looked suspiciously heavy with spiritual stones. He barreled straight into Lucian, nearly knocking him over, but Lucian managed to sidestep at the last second, catching the man's wrist in one fluid motion.
"Careful," Lucian said mildly, his grip firm enough to make the thief wince.
The man yanked his arm free, muttering curses as he bolted down the street. Leora watched him go, her mouth agape.
"Did you just… stop a thief with one hand?" she asked, her voice full of awe.
Lucian shrugged, trying to play it cool. "He wasn't exactly subtle."
Leora crossed her arms, eyeing him suspiciously. "You stopped a thief without blinking. Are you secretly training to become a hero or something?"
He smirked. "I just have good reflexes. Don't read too much into it."
She narrowed her eyes playfully. "Well, maybe you should start teaching me these 'reflexes.' Who knows when I might need to stop a runaway thief?"
He gave her a deadpan look. "Considering your tendency to trip over invisible cracks in the road, I think we'd need a miracle for that."
She laughed, nudging him in the ribs. "Hey! I've got grace. I just choose not to use it all the time."
They continued exploring until they finally reached a small food stall selling Cloud City's famous fried pastries.
Leora ordered two, eagerly handing one to Lucian as she took a big bite of her own. Her face lit up with delight, and she held the pastry out to him, gesturing for him to try it.
He took a bite, and his eyes widened. It was delicious—fluffy, sweet, with a slight crunch on the outside.
Leora grinned, nudging him. "See? Sometimes it pays to slow down and enjoy life."
Lucian nodded, swallowing his mouthful. "I suppose you're right. Just don't make a habit of dragging me to every food stall in the city."
She laughed, bumping her shoulder against his. "Oh, I'm definitely making it a habit. And next time, I'm finding a place with spicy snacks, just for you."
Lucian rolled his eyes, but he couldn't hide his smile. Despite the constant teasing, he felt lighter than he had in a long time, the weight of his old life slipping further away with every laugh they shared.
For the first time, he thought, 'Maybe there's more to life than just survival and killing.'
They continued their banter as they made their way to a quieter corner of the city, where a street performer was juggling a collection of glowing orbs. The crowd around him gasped in delight, and when the performer added a backflip to his routine, Leora's eyes sparkled.
"Think you could do that?" she challenged, nudging Lucian.
Lucian gave her a look. "Backflips are a bit flashy for a noble like us, don't you think?"
"Oh, so you admit you 'can't' do it," she teased, grinning.
He crossed his arms, feigning offense. "I could, but it's beneath my dignity."
She snorted. "Excuses, excuses." She suddenly raised her voice, calling to the crowd, "Does anyone want to see my brother try the backflip?"
The crowd, catching on, began to cheer, some of them clapping and chanting, "Backflip! Backflip!"
Lucian's face turned slightly pink as he shot a glare at Leora. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"More than you know," she replied, smirking.
With a resigned sigh, Lucian took a step back, eyeing the space around him as he prepared himself. He gathered his focus, took a short run, and—much to the crowd's delight—executed a surprisingly graceful backflip, landing on his feet with a flourish.
The crowd burst into applause, and Leora joined in, laughing so hard she could barely breathe. "See? You were born to entertain."
Lucian rolled his eyes, hiding a small smile. "This better be the last time you make me perform like a circus act."
Leora hooked her arm through his as they continued down the street. "Oh, you know it won't be."
They strolled through the city arm in arm, their teasing and laughter drawing curious glances from the people around them.
When they finally made it to the heart of Cloud City, where the golden statue of the Founding Emperor loomed above them, Leora looked up, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Do you think we'll ever make a place for ourselves here?" she asked, her voice soft. "A real home?"
Lucian felt a strange tug in his chest.
This life—this city, these moments with Leora—was so different from the world he'd known before. And even if he couldn't be entirely honest with her about who he'd once been, he felt a sense of belonging that was as unexpected as it was welcome.
"Maybe," he replied, his voice equally quiet. "Maybe we can start fresh. Build something better."
Leora nodded, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. "Then let's do it together," she said, her smile warm and hopeful.
If it was Kai from Previous life he would never had wasted his time in shopping for so long but now it was not Kai entirely. Without even realizing Kai's and Lucian's personality had merged. The trust and love for Leora was same as real Lucian's had for his sister.
As they turned to head back, Lucian couldn't help but feel a deep gratitude for this second chance—a chance to redefine himself, to be more than just a weapon.