It was a very busy day in the capital city, as it was almost every day.

Rain or shine, snow or sleet, the markets were always up and running, selling an assortment of goods to the townspeople. Satoru loved going to the market on the weekends. It was prime time to cause some mischief, and due to his good luck and charm, he got away with it every time.

“With a face and charm like that, you could easily wipe the princess off her feet!”

It was a running gag in the town that Satoru could charm his way in and out of any situation, well, it wasn’t so much of a gag as it was the actual truth. He had a talent for sweet-talking anyone.

Satoru had been praised many times for his silver tongue and quick wit; some even said he had the potential to land a spot as a nobility in the palace. Unfortunately, it was hard to climb the ranks, even with talent. Everything was harder for the commoners.

There was some mystery surrounding the royal family. After the birth of the princess, the king and queen didn’t leave the palace much. They were still active in governing the kingdom, but public appearances were a scarcity.

But Satoru didn’t let that bring him down. He had sweets to find.

The smell of baked goods wafted through the market air, and Satoru was determined to find its source. He was hot on the trail and perhaps a bit too focused, so focused that he didn’t even notice the hooded figure in his path.

“Oh, whoops!”

Both tumbled to the ground and then they proceeded to roll down the hill to the creek. Thankfully, Satoru was able to stop the both of them before they landed in the damn water and drowned.

“Sorry about…”

Satoru trailed off as he finally got a good look at the person he had practically trampled. And wow, she sure was a sight to see. He was briefly speechless as he continued staring, not seeming to notice he was still on top of said person.

“Apologies, fair lady.”