“Oh, I’m sorry my dear, are you okay?” a sweet lady, who looked like she was in her mid-forties, asked when they bumped into each other. Her dark brown hair was styled beautifully. The long, thin white chunk of hair she had in the front had been braided and wrapped around her head as if it was a crown. 

“Oh, yeah, don’t worry about it! If I may ask, who are you?” Miles answered.

The woman stared at him. It wasn’t intimidating at all. If anything, she just looked a bit confused. Not anything more than that. Her expression quickly changed when she realised:” Oh, you must be new. My name is Collones, Collones Vanques. Welcome to the Vanques House. I hope my husband Johan wasn’t too aggressive or anything. You two have met right?-” she was quickly cut off by a familiar voice:” Who had already met me?” It was the man from before. ‘So his name is Johan Vanques. Nice to know,’ Miles thought. 

“Well, hello, sweetie. Why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to be in the city at this time?” Collones asked, looking at her husband. “Yes, I was, but those stupid servants didn’t have the horses ready. They don’t know how to do anything,” Johan answered, clearly just as mad as the last time they met. 

“Anyway, who were you talking about?” Luckily, Laura turned the same corner as Collones just in time. If she didn’t, Miles wasn’t sure what he would have done, since Collones didn’t know Miles at all, while Johan thought she was the one who bought him.

“Oh, I was just talking about… Wait, I’m sorry, what was your name?” Collones asked.

“My name’s Miles, mam,” he answered, glancing over at Laura who was just standing there, and then looking back at Collones. 

“Oh, what a beautiful name, dear. I was just talking about Miles.”

“Yes, Miles and I met just a few hours ago. I was told you were the one that bought him, is that correct?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t remember buying him.” 

“You don’t?”

“No, not really-” Collones then glanced at Laura, who gave her a subtle look of panic that you could barely see. “Oooh, now I remember!” Collones said in a somewhat cheerful tone: “Darling, you remember yesterday when I came home from the town a bit later than usual, and you were too busy to come out and say hello? That’s why you only met a few hours ago! I can’t believe I didn’t remember, how silly of me!” 

Both Miles and Laura got a more relaxed look on their faces when Collones played along. She was pretty good at it- maybe she had done it multiple times before. Luckily, Johan believed her and continued walking to where he was supposed to be. 

“Now,  if you don't mind me asking, who are you?”