After being kicked out of his friend's house—even forgetting his luggage—Lucien wandered the streets until night fell.
His mind raced with thoughts. He considered reaching out to his sister for help, but quickly shook his head. He wouldn't. She had just helped him with one million, and he still had that money. He could definitely find a place to stay and manage to buy a gaming pod with whatever was left. But how long would that last him?
He needed a permanent solution to his current mess, and relying on his sister or anyone else wouldn't help. It would be like proving his father right. Not an option at all!
Whatever this was, Lucien was stubborn—he had to overcome it on his own.
He sat beneath a green tent pitched on the roadside where people could stop for a quick meal. The owner was an old granny who, Lucien felt, shouldn't be working at her age. But there she was anyway. Life was cruel like that.
He wondered what the government was doing to help people like her live better. But it was clear that nothing was being done. If something was, she wouldn't be working so hard just to survive.
That aside, she was an excellent cook. Lucien ate rice and soup at her place, and her soup was spicy and sweet. She even threw in chicken on the house.
Lucien was grateful for that.
But it had been over four hours since he finished eating, and he was still sitting here, thinking about what to do next.
The lady, as old and frail as she was, slowly made her way to the table where he sat and settled gently across from him.
Lucien shifted uncomfortably but felt trapped. He couldn't just stand up—that would be incredibly rude.
Still, his head was spinning because he couldn't figure out why the old lady was sitting across from him.
'Maybe I should just leave…?'
"Young man, do you perhaps have nowhere to sleep? Are you homeless?"
Lucien's face darkened.
'Me? Homeless?'
He wanted to explode at such an insult, only to rein himself in a second later.
He relaxed his expression slightly.
'Indeed, I am homeless.'
The lady continued to study him in silence, so intently that it felt like she was peeling away his clothes and skin. This made him squirm.
Before his discomfort peaked, her voice came again.
"It must be hard being a young man—hopeless and helpless, homeless and jobless… so many things you lack… you even look like you're lacking…"
"Granny, I came here to buy food… you really didn't have to tear me apart like that."
"I have a place. Usually my grandson stays there, but that brat does whatever he wants now. He hasn't been home in thirteen years. You can stay for a while. What do you say?"
Lucien bristled at all the insults the old woman had hurled at him. But then… the offer of shelter.
Even if it was just for the night, he needed it.
A weary frown crossed Lucien's face. He studied her carefully before slowly asking.
"...for how much?"
The lady's hand shot out and gave him a sharp knock on his head. It was amazing how quickly she moved, considering how slowly she'd been moving just moments before.
Truly amazing.
Lucien clutched his head with both hands like a child who'd just been scolded for misbehaving.
He glared at her.
"That's assault. You can't just hit people."
The lady shifted in her chair so dramatically that she nearly toppled over. Lucien's eyes went wide as he lunged across the table, grabbing the handle of her chair to keep it from crashing down.
"What?!"
The woman trembled slightly.
"Look at this young man trying to assault a poor old woman like me."
Lucien's eyes bulged, then narrowed.
"What?"
The lady chuckled darkly.
"If you let go, I'll fall, and you're not in the best position to save me now, are you?"
Lucien's expression darkened.
"You set me up!"
"Set up? That's harsh language for an elderly person, young man. I'm simply showing you how quickly tables can turn. But there's no need for such lessons. I can see you're a good person, despite a few rough edges."
The lady shifted and balanced her chair perfectly. Honestly, Lucien couldn't figure out how she pulled off whatever she'd just done. She barely seemed to move, yet somehow did.
Earlier too, when she'd knocked him, she'd moved so fast he never saw it coming. But maybe because he didn't see it coming, he couldn't process it, so he didn't see it coming.
"Anyway. You coming or not?"
Lucien stared at her with deep suspicion for several seconds. He had no other choice, but following a stranger home felt risky. He worried about her—what if he did something to her? Wasn't she concerned about that?
"Granny, aren't you scared of me? I could rob you blind."
The woman waved her hand dismissively and slowly stood up.
"You don't look tough enough for that kind of work. Besides, you're too kind and innocent to pull off something like that."
She shuffled away.
"Come help me pack up so we can head home."
Lucien stood up, watching her walk away with complete confusion written across his face.
He was puzzled by many things, mostly why she seemed to suddenly trust a complete stranger.
Something clicked in his memory, making him frown and call out before following.
"I'm not innocent!"
He paused to think for a while.
"Well maybe I am but not like that!"