Chapter Seven: Making a Living with Acting Skills

Kingdoms, princes, earls... Amidst a dazzling heap of fanciful words, Nami, who cared for nothing but money, saw only two glaring letters: Pay up.

She was being asked to pay. She, an orphan from a remote fishing village exploited by local tyrants, living on subsistence, was being asked to foot the bill for a scion of a decaying feudal aristocracy.

“You’re actually making me pay?” Nami’s expression changed in an instant. “Don’t you have any money on you?”

“None. Not a single coin.” Garen’s reply was forthright.

“You have no money and you still come to a place like this to eat?” Nami’s pretense of composure broke, and she angrily slapped the table. “Do you even know how expensive the food here is?”

“I hesitated at first, but then the waiters invited me in.” Garen said, utterly serious. “Besides, when you’re hungry, you have to eat. You can’t let money starve you to death…”

He gazed at Nami’s somewhat sullen, lovely face, and spoke with hopeful anticipation, “Luckily I ran into you. You’ll help me, won’t you?”

Nami was at a loss for words.

Somehow, the man before her had abruptly shifted from a slightly awkward social novice to a shameless, freeloading friend.

Are we even that close? Nami’s temple throbbed in annoyance.

She had originally assumed that this tin can was a wealthy, naive noble. She never expected him to be a seasoned scoundrel, brazen enough to eat without paying.

There was no point in scheming to swindle more money out of him…

She certainly couldn’t pin her hopes on the distant Demacia Kingdom behind him.

But a thief never leaves empty-handed.

Nami’s gaze quietly settled on the only valuable item she could possibly acquire at the moment—

The magnificent greatsword Garen had casually laid across the table.

Selling that sword would be enough to reach her personal goal of a hundred million.

“So, what you mean is… you want me to help you pay for this meal?” Nami’s voice suddenly took on a dangerous edge.

Trying to get money from Nami the Cat Burglar? Impossible.

“Yes!” Garen nodded honestly. In truth, he had no other options.

If Nami refused to come to his rescue, he’d have to activate his Q ability and make a speedy getaway when the bill arrived…

“No problem!” Nami suddenly stood, compensating for the difference in their heights.

She looked down at Garen from above, smiled, and said, “I actually have a way to help you solve your payment problem.”

“You must cooperate well with me…”

“What do you mean?” Garen was baffled.

But Nami ignored him, picked up the ornate greatsword from the table with both hands.

The sword was heavy, and at first it strained her grip. But Nami was no delicate noble lady; such weight was nothing to her.

It took only a few seconds for her to get used to the heft of the two-handed blade; the sapphire in the hilt sparkled brilliantly, as if it lent her boundless strength.

“What are you doing?” Garen asked, stunned.

Nami didn’t answer, merely gripping the sword—and then launched into an Oscar-worthy performance.

Her clear orange eyes brimmed instantly with crystalline tears, her lips curled into a pitiful, aggrieved arc, and her brows radiated a complex mix of anger and disappointment.

At last, she brought the sword down.

With a thunderous crash, Nami smashed the entire table.

The entire restaurant was thrown into commotion; managers, waiters, and diners alike all turned their attention to her.

“What are you doing?” Garen stood frozen in disbelief.

“You, you!” Tears spilled like a flood from Nami’s eyes. “How dare you ask what I’m doing?”

“What’s your relationship with Mary next door?”

“What?” Garen was completely bewildered.

What was this melodramatic soap opera plot?

Yet, such a sensational plot was precisely what captivated people—especially when it unfolded in real life.

Everyone in the restaurant watched, eager to see the next act from this lovesick, resentful pair.

“How could you do this?!” Nami pressed on, playing the role of the emotionally unhinged official girlfriend, swinging the sword wildly in the air.

Boyfriend cheating with her best friend? Girlfriend confronting them?

And the heroine was a charming, beautiful young woman; the hero, a noble knight of high status…

Such a scene was irresistible, both refined and vulgar, drawing a crowd of onlookers: wealthy businessmen and humble waiters alike were transfixed.

The drama grew more extravagant, but Garen, cast as the male lead, simply couldn’t keep up.

“Calm down, calm down!” Garen could only force himself to say, “Put the sword down, please!”

“Put the sword down?” Nami’s tears grew fiercer, her voice choked with emotion. “You treat this treasured sword better than you treat me!”

“Hahaha…” Nami suddenly broke into a deranged smile, her tear-stained face stirring pity in every man present.

Then she stared silently at Garen’s stunned face, letting anger, disappointment, and pain ferment wordlessly—her micro-expressions capturing every nuance with masterful precision.

When the tension reached its peak, Nami abruptly turned away.

She wiped her tears with one hand, clutched Garen’s sword tightly with the other, and fled the restaurant in sobbing distress.

She moved so quickly that she left a whirlwind in her wake.

But not a single person tried to stop her.

Everyone was still lost in that simple, classic story.

“What the hell?” Garen was still too stunned to react.

A kindly old man in a suit, his hair silver-white, approached Garen with a nostalgic smile, patted his armored shoulder heavily, and said with heartfelt earnestness, “Young man, go after your beloved girl!”

“If you don’t chase her now, you may regret it for the rest of your life.”

He sighed, evidently a man with stories of his own.

Suddenly, Garen’s eyes lit up as he understood the purpose behind Nami’s dramatic performance:

Of course! What a clever trick!

While everyone was engrossed in the scene, he could chase after Nami, and together they could escape the restaurant—their free meal secured!

His expression quickly shifted to grave sorrow.

Having no experience with runaway girlfriends, he could only recall the emotions from the time his beloved dog went missing to get into character.

“Thank you!”

“It was my fault. I’ll go after her right now!”

Garen bowed deeply to the old man, then hurried in the direction of Nami’s escape.

His steps flew, as if he were fleeing for his life.

He quickly ran out the restaurant’s doors, calling Nami’s name with passionate longing.

Likewise, no one tried to stop him.

Even the manager on duty was absorbed in the drama, oblivious to the fact…

The man hadn’t paid!

After Garen rushed out, he didn’t slow down. At a corner in the street, he caught a fleeting glimpse of Nami’s silhouette.

Determined to make a clean getaway, he kept playing the role of the remorseful, lovesick boyfriend, chasing after Nami with all speed.

He crossed several unfamiliar neighborhoods, finally plunging into a bustling, crowded market. Only then did Garen stop, feeling secure that the restaurant staff could no longer catch up.

But Nami was nowhere to be seen.

Naturally.

As a seasoned cat burglar of the seas, Nami knew every island along the trade routes. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have survived so many close shaves with pirates.

Familiar with the terrain, agile, and adept at hiding, she was impossible for Garen to catch.

Yet Garen hadn’t realized it.

He looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings, laughed in relief.

“Haha…”

“I never thought I’d live to eat thanks to my acting skills!”

Laughing, Garen instinctively reached to heft his sword.

…

His hand grasped empty air.

Garen was suddenly jolted awake.

“Where’s my greatsword?”