The young man closed his eyes and smiled. "I look forward to it, Miss Ashbourne."
****
After breakfast, Lucas carried our luggage downstairs and loaded them into the carriage. As I descended the stairs, dressed in my travel clothes, I was surprised to find William Albertine waiting for me at the foot of the stairs. Today, he was donned in a grey outfit and black cloak, his long hair tied in a ponytail. Upon seeing my questioning look, he explained, "As your friend, I came to see you off."
"Since when was I your friend?" I asked.
"Since yesterday," he replied with sincerity.
I didn't respond immediately. While he was easy to talk to, I didn't consider him close enough to be called a friend. I had learned that a man like him might say one thing while thinking of another.
"I mean it," he insisted, as if reading my thoughts.
"I don't need friends."
"It's not that you don't need friends, you just don't have any. You won't make any friends at this rate," he observed.
"I prefer not to be friends with a conniving snake like you. Let me tell you this beforehand, you won't benefit anything from getting close to me," I warned.
"That's for me to decide," he replied confidently.
"They say friends have to be honest with each other... It is impossible for me to be honest with you, and you are not going to be honest with me either. Even if I agree to be friends with you, it will amount to nothing more than a shallow friendship."
"Alright, alright... you don't have to be so practical about it. Although, from all that rambling, I feel like you're in desperate need of an honest friend," he remarked with a smile.
He was right. Everyone would be happy to have such a friend. I hadn't had any in my previous life, and it seemed I wouldn't make any for a long time either. It all depended on how long it would take to accumulate 7000 points from missions.
"There isn't an honest soul in the capital," I mumbled. "Perhaps I'll find one in Rutherford."
"Hmm..."
William held out his hand, and helped me climb into the carriage. Inside, I found Gemma already waiting for me.
Before closing the carriage door, William leaned towards me and said, "I have a feeling we will cross paths again, Miss Ashbourne."
"Can't wait until then," I replied wryly, looking the other way.
It would be a while before I saw him again.
*****
Once we arrived at Maple Street, I instructed the carriage driver to stop. Stepping out of the carriage, I asked Gemma to do the same.
"Miss... What are we doing here?" Gemma asked, her tone sounding a bit guarded.
"We're going to order some clothes from Atlanta's," I replied.
"Ah, alright," Gemma whispered, her head slightly bowed. Soon enough, we located the shop that William had recommended – Atlanta's. As we pushed open the door, the tinkling sound of bells signaled our arrival as customers.
The boutique was notably larger compared to the other shops on the street. The interior was well-lit, and the mannequins showcased an elegant collection of dresses. An employee behind the counter greeted us with a warm smile, "Good morning. How may I assist you?"
"I would like to order some outfits," I said, gesturing to both Gemma and me.
"For both of you?" the employee inquired, looking at Gemma.
"Yes," I confirmed. The employee handed each of us a catalogue and said, "Once you have selected your designs, we'll take your measurements."
"Will you be able to deliver the dresses to us?" I asked.
"Yes, we offer delivery to your specified location. However, please note that there are additional fees for delivery services," the employee explained.
I skimmed through the catalogue and randomly picked out ten black dresses. The employee seemed surprised and asked, "Are you sure about all black dresses?"
"Yes," I replied firmly. "Pack matching jewelry and accessories for the outfits as well."
The reason behind my choice was simple – the black dresses would serve as a constant reminder of what had happened to my family. It was a way to keep myself focused on the mission at hand, a self-imposed mourning period until my ultimate goal was achieved. I needed to remain steadfast until I could reunite with my family, which meant putting aside any thoughts of laughter, smiles, or enjoyment for now.
I turned towards Gemma. "Are you done on your side?" I asked.
"Please wait a moment, Miss," she said, hurriedly flipping the pages of the catalogue she was holding.
I decided to take my measurements instead of waiting. By the time I was done, Gemma had gone off to take hers. I was informed that Gemma had selected two dresses, which were cheap compared to mine. By the time I settled the advance payment of 3 gold coins and 7 silvers, Gemma had finished her measurements.
Stepping out of the shop, I observed Maple Street, which was a bit narrower compared to the streets in Toddler Town, but bustling with activity. I led Gemma to a bakery around the corner of the street. She followed behind me hesitantly.
The chubby lady at the counter warmly greeted me and asked for my order. "Please pack four scones," I requested.
Suddenly, she paused, noticing the person standing behind me. "Gemma?" she exclaimed.
"You know her, ma'am?" I asked, an eyebrow raised.
"Of course I know this rascal," she replied indignantly, with her hands on her hips. "She used to work here and ran away without a word a couple of years ago after stealing our money. Do you know how much we looked for her?"
I turned to Gemma. "Then why did you lie and say you hadn't been here before?" My voice colder than usual.
"I never said that, Young Miss," Gemma replied, her head bowed.
"You pretended as if it was your first time here. Is this what you wanted to hide so badly?"
The woman at the counter chimed in, "Not only did you run away with our money, but you also lied to your new master? Even then, I knew you were a good-for-nothing. Perhaps those rumors about you are true too..."
"Please stop!" Gemma cried out. "Just what do you both want me to do?"
I thought to myself, Look at her, acting like a cornered rat.
Turning to the chubby woman, I said, "Let's put the past behind us. Now, Gemma, apologize to this lady for running away. Ma'am, as her new master, I'll pay off the sum she had stolen from you. I hope you can forget this incident."
"You're lucky your new master is so kind," the lady remarked. "This brat stole 10 gold coins – the fruit of 2 months of labour!"
"I didn't steal that much!" Gemma retorted defensively.
"Apologize," I hissed at Gemma, pushing her head down with my hand. I could feel her body trembling slightly.
"I'm sorry for stealing your money and running away, Ma'am," Gemma said with a heavy voice.
"Hmph. Now, hand over the money," the lady demanded, extending her hand.
As promised, I paid 10 gold coins—the amount the woman claimed was stolen by Gemma. As I left the bakery, I could hear the lady greedily counting the coins, delighted by the easy money she had earned by lying about the sum Gemma had stolen. In her moment of joy, she had forgotten to ask the payment for the scones.
As I walked through the street towards the carriage, Gemma followed me, quietly sobbing. The earlier incident had taught me a couple of things about her. One, lying came as naturally to her as thieving did. Two, she wouldn't easily admit to her wrongdoings. She seemed like the type to never own up to something unless caught red-handed. Nevertheless, I was grateful for the opportunity that had presented itself. I had to thank William for that.
Seeing Gemma crying, Lucas looked at me with his usual deadpan eyes. Did he think that I made her cry? I shrugged and handed over the scones. "We met an old acquaintance of hers," I explained. "Anyway, share these with the coachman."
Inside the carriage, I looked directly at Gemma, waiting for her to speak.
"Mi-miss... I had only stolen 2 gold coins..." she stammered.
"That does not change the fact that you committed a crime. Why did you resort to stealing in the first place?" I asked.
"That woman... never paid me well. I could barely keep myself alive... So I stole her money and escaped to the capital with it..." she explained between sobs.
How much of it is a lie? And how much is the truth? I wondered.
"Anyway, I have paid back for you, with a heavy interest to boot."
"I'm sorry..." Gemma whimpered.
"I'll turn my face away this time, but on one simple condition."
"Anything for you, Miss!"
"Whatever happens in the manor in Rutherford, you'll never tell a soul about it."
With that, I had grabbed hold of Gemma's weakness, turning it into a leash that I would never let go of.
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