Kingdoms, princes, counts... Amidst a sea of flowery, fantastical words, all Nami—who valued money above all else—saw were two blindingly obvious characters:
Borrow Money.
She was being asked to pay.
She, a low-income orphan from a remote fishing village exploited by pirates, was being asked to pay for some spoiled noble from a decaying feudal kingdom.
"You're actually asking me to pay?"
Nami's expression instantly darkened. "Don't you have any money on you?"
"None. Not a single cent," Garen replied honestly.
"Then why did you even come to a place like this to eat?"
Nami, dropping the act, slammed the table in frustration. "Do you have any idea how expensive this place is?"
"I hesitated at first," Garen said matter-of-factly, "but then the waiters welcomed me in so warmly."
"Besides, when you're hungry, you've gotta eat. A man can't just starve because he's broke."
Looking at Nami's now very stormy expression, Garen added hopefully, "Thankfully, I ran into you. You'll help me out, right?"
Nami was speechless.
How did this guy suddenly go from a slightly awkward social newbie to a shameless moocher?
Do we even know each other that well?
Veins bulged on Nami's forehead in annoyance.
She had thought this "tin can" noble was some naive rich boy loaded with cash—but it turned out he was an old hand at eating without paying.
That meant there was no point in trying to scam more money from him. She couldn't exactly pin her hopes on his so-called "Demacia Kingdom" or whatever.
But a thief never leaves empty-handed.
Nami's eyes subtly shifted toward the only valuable item left within reach—
The ornate greatsword that Garen had casually laid on the table.
Selling that sword could still help me hit my one-billion goal.
"So... what you're saying is, you want me to pay for your meal?"
Nami's voice suddenly took on a dangerous tone.
Trying to mooch off her, the notorious Cat Burglar Nami? Not a chance.
"Yes!" Garen nodded earnestly.
Truthfully, he didn't have any other options.
If Nami didn't help him out, he'd just have to activate his Q skill and sprint away when it was time to pay.
"No problem!"
Nami suddenly stood up, compensating for their height difference.
Looking down at Garen with a smile, she said, "Actually, I do have a way to get us out of paying."
"But you have to follow my lead, okay?"
"What do you mean?" Garen asked, confused.
Nami didn't answer. Instead, she picked up the ornate greatsword from the table.
It was heavy—her first grip on it was a bit shaky.
But Nami wasn't some delicate noblewoman. The sword's weight was no problem.
Within seconds, she had adjusted to the heft of the two-handed weapon. The sapphire embedded in the hilt sparkled dazzlingly, filling her with newfound strength.
"What are you doing?" Garen asked, dumbfounded.
Still silent, Nami gripped the sword tighter—and launched into a performance worthy of an Oscar.
Her clear orange eyes welled up with shimmering tears, her lips curved into a pitiful pout, and her brows twisted with a mix of fury and heartbreak.
And then—she brought the sword down.
With a thunderous crash, the greatsword smashed the entire table into pieces.
The entire restaurant was stunned. The manager, the waitstaff, the diners—everyone turned to look.
"What are you doing?!" Garen stood frozen in shock.
"You—YOU!"
Tears now streamed down Nami's face. "You've got the nerve to ask me what I'm doing?"
"What's going on between you and that Mary from next door?!"
"What?"
Garen was completely lost.
What kind of soap-opera drama is this?!
But somehow, the cheesier the story, the more captivating it was—especially when it unfolded in real life.
Everyone in the restaurant leaned in, eagerly watching the drama between the "betrayed lover" and her "unfaithful noble boyfriend."
"You... how could you?!"
"She was my best friend!"
Nami continued her performance as the heartbroken girlfriend, waving the heavy greatsword dramatically through the air.
Boyfriend cheating with her best friend, caught red-handed by the girlfriend?
And the cast: a cute and fiery girl paired with a noble-looking knight?
It was straight out of a TV drama, irresistible to all audiences.
The crowd was riveted—from wealthy businesspeople to working-class staff.
Garen, the supposed male lead, had no idea how to keep up.
"Calm down—calm down!"
He could only awkwardly try to deescalate. "Put the sword down first!"
"Put the sword down?!"
Nami's tears fell faster, and even her voice choked with emotion. "You care more about this sword than you do about me!"
"Ha... haha..."
Suddenly, her tearful face twisted into a bittersweet smile—a smile that tugged at the heartstrings of every man in the room.
Then she stared at Garen's stunned face in silence, her expression filled with pain, disappointment, and fury—all masterfully conveyed with subtle, theatrical micro-expressions.
When the emotions had built to a peak, she suddenly turned and ran.
One hand wiped the tears from her cheek, the other clutched the greatsword tightly. Crying all the way, she fled the restaurant.
She moved so fast she kicked up a whirlwind in the hallway.
But not a single person stopped her.
Everyone was still immersed in the perfect, classic love drama that had just unfolded.
"What the hell just happened?"
Garen was still standing there dumbstruck.
A kindly old man in a suit, with silver hair and a warm smile, walked up to him.
He patted Garen's shoulder heavily and said earnestly, "Young man, go after her."
"If you don't, you might regret it for the rest of your life."
With a sentimental sigh, the old man clearly spoke from personal experience.
That's when it finally clicked for Garen. He realized what Nami had been doing with that over-the-top performance.
Right! What a brilliant idea!
While everyone was caught up in the drama, he could just chase after her and escape the restaurant!
Garen's expression turned sorrowful and serious.
He had no experience losing a girlfriend, so he drew on the emotional memory of losing his beloved childhood dog to get into character.
"Thank you!"
"This was all my fault—I'll go find her right now!"
He bowed deeply to the old man, then ran out of the restaurant in the direction Nami had fled.
His steps were fast—almost like he was running for his life.
He burst through the restaurant doors, calling out Nami's name with passionate regret.
No one tried to stop him.
Even the manager on duty was still caught up in the drama, completely unaware that the couple had skipped out on their bill.
Outside, Garen didn't slow down.
At the corner of the street, he caught a glimpse of Nami's figure disappearing around a bend.
To fully sell the act—and escape the restaurant—he kept chasing her at full speed, playing the part of a remorseful, love-struck man.
He ran across several unfamiliar blocks, finally ending up in a bustling marketplace filled with people.
Only then did he stop and let out a breath of relief.
There was no way the restaurant staff would catch up to him now.
But Nami was gone too.
Of course.
As a seasoned cat burglar who had spent years sailing the seas, Nami was intimately familiar with every island along these trade routes.
There was no way Garen, a landlubber with zero navigation experience, could ever catch up.
Still, Garen hadn't fully grasped what had happened.
Looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings, he smiled in disbelief.
"Haha...
I can't believe I actually made a living off my acting today!"
Then, laughing to himself, he subconsciously reached for his sword—
But his hands came up empty.
Garen froze.
"Where's... my greatsword?!"
(End of Chapter)