Chapter 243: 243

The men turned to where the new sound came from. Drawing their swords, they headed to where the birds flew up. As the two men disappeared into the trees, Alexcent let Amethyst go from his hold, grabbed her hand and led her in the opposite direction from the guards.

They walked through the darkness of the forest, Alexcent leading her amongst the trees and bushes. He always had good night vision and was able to maneuver through the terrain. Amethyst simply followed along at his footsteps, keeping quiet in case the guards had seen them and were giving chase.

After walking for only half an hour, the trees gave way and they could see the Veolense mansion below. The lights from the mansion made the dark night seem like a bright afternoon. Amethyst stumbled with relief and Alexcent put an arm around her so she wouldn’t fall to the ground.

“Thank you,” Amethyst said, relief filling her voice.

Alexcent glared back at her in silence. Amethyst could tell that he was angry and shrank back from his stare. He wanted to punish her for the foolish thing she had done, but restrained himself, for he could see that she was already scared enough.

Instead, he asked, “What were you doing in the forest?”

Amethyst looked ashamed, as she heard him speak for the first time. “I was picking fruits.”

“Fruits?” Alexcent noticed the sack of orange-coloured fruit she carried over her shoulder.

“It’s fruit I like. I saw grove of trees in the forest the other day I was here.”

“The wild lands in the Empire belong to the Empress. To take fruit from the grove is to steal from the Empress.” Alexcent couldn’t help still sounding like the duke.

“But the workers here pick mushrooms and wild plants all the time, so I thought it would be all right to pick fruits.” Amethyst had a point. Why would Belice punish anyone for picking some wild plants at the edge of the kingdom?

“Wait. You said all the mountains belong to the Empress?” Amethyst had thought of something. “But those guards made it sound like the landlord is the owner of the mountain lands?”

Alexcent looked at her. She was correct. He needed to look into this more. But he also needed to keep Amethyst out of danger. He wouldn’t be surprised if she tried to investigate this herself.

“Her Majesty probably allowed it. Anyways, it had nothing to do with you so leave it alone.” He tried to sound forceful, so she would get the point.

“All right,” Amethyst answered, getting the message.

Alexcent decided to get off this topic and reached for the sack of fruit that Amethyst was struggling to hold. “Let me help you.”

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“It’s all right, I can carry it.”

“Lead the way,” Alexcent said, ignoring Amethysts words and taking the sack from her.

“Fine, just to the front of my shop.” Amethyst’s shoulders were hurting and he had volunteered so nicely. They walked side by side through the night to her café. Alexcent glanced at the sign with a smile. Café Carol.

Amethyst took back the sack of fruit and, beside her better judgement, decided to invite Alexcent in. “This is my place. Would you like to come in for a drink?”

“No, thank you. I’ve been away from the mansion for too long, so I need to return before they notice I’m missing.”

“I understand. Thank you so much for helping me out of the forest. Please, come to the café when you have a chance. I’ll cook you a delicious meal as my gratitude.”

Alexcent nodded. “Just don’t go near that mountain anymore,” he warned her.

Amethyst smiled and nodded in farewell before heading into the café. Alexcent took a few minutes to observe the doorway she went through. When the second-floor light came on, he turned and headed back to the mansion. In his mind, he could still feel her hand in his.

***

Amethyst woke up, groggy and squinting in the sun that was streaming through the window. As had become her new routine, she went straight downstairs. Deactivating the security, she opened the front door of the café. Sitting on the stoop, the same as every morning since her adventures in the forest, was a small sack of tangerines. They had begun appearing mysteriously, but it was obvious who was doing it. The ashen-haired man. She never actually saw him, but who else could it be?

Amethyst smiled to herself as she brought the fruit inside. It was only a small bunch each day, but enough for her to enjoy some herself. She peeled one of the fruits and put a piece into her mouth. The fruit was juicy and sweet.

As she headed upstairs to get ready, the front door opened and Pauline entered.

“Carol! You didn’t forget about me, did you?” Pauline asked, as she saw Amethyst heading for the stairs.

“Of course not!” Amethyst said, embracing her friend.

Amethyst had picked up a contract to deliver drinks to the Veolense mansion. The strawberry juice that she gifted to the maids had become popular, and the head maid asked her to start supplying it on a regular basis. It wasn’t a bustling café full of patrons, but at least it brought her a small amount of income.

Pauline picked up the orders on her way to work, as she did today, but they were starting to become so large that Amethyst considered buying a carriage so she could make the deliveries personally. As she got the order ready, Amethyst decided next time to include some of her new tangerine juice as a sample. Maybe they would increase the orders. She handed the package to Pauline, who thanked her as she headed off to work.

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