Jacob brought over a little rabbit figurine that looked like it had seen better days. It was rough around the edges and had one ear broken off, clearly not something bought from a shop.


    "The year she went missing, I made this for her during the Starlight Harvest Festival. She got grounded that year for making a mistake, and couldn''t go out to y. I was supposed to have the servants buy her one, but my dad didn''t allow it as part of her punishment. "So, I secretly made this one out of y and baked it at home. After it was baked, I painted it, but the colors have faded over time. When she got it, she seemed to dislike it and dropped it on the ground. That''s when one of the ears broke off." Jacob''s voice trembled, and his eyes glistened with unshed tears.


    "She didn''t like this figurine at all. She seemed almost offended by it, and cried. I thought if she felt that strongly about it, it must have left an impression."


    Violet looked at the shabby rabbit figurine, its faded paint and broken ear making it quite the eyesore. "If someone gave me something like this, I''d cry too. It''s something I''d never forget in my life."


    "Exactly. Things are either deeply loved or utterly despised, and both kinds stick in your memory," Jacob said, reluctantly handing the rabbit figurine to Violet. "I have some other toys from her childhood, but they''re all too ordinary-things anyone would have. This one is one of a kind."


    "One of a kind? That would just make me cry even louder." Violet epted it with some disdain.


    Seriously, it really couldn''t get any uglier. Even its features were all muddled.


    Jacob shot her a hurt nce. "Don''t say that. I hadn''t learned how to make these before. It was my first attempt."


    "And you burned the back of it." Violet turned it over in her hands. "Actually, the whole thing is ck. You just covered it in paint, right? You must''ve had to touch it upter?"


    Jacob shrugged, looking a bit embarrassed. "The colors kept fading, so I had to keep adding more. I haven''t done it in two or three years. But if she sees it, I''m sure she''ll recognize it."


    "Okay then." Violet nced at Carissa, who turned her face away just in time to catch Rafael''s heated gaze.


    He eximed cheerfully, "Just like your embroidery back then-it''s unique!"N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Violet couldn''t help butugh. "I was just thinking that her embroidery is ugly, and she doesn''t even realize it."


    Kyle stepped in and said firmly, "No one can do everything perfectly. Our junior guild member here has the


    best martial arts talent in the Pathfinders Guild. If any of you have special skills or abilities, feel free to show them off so I can see what you''re made of."


    When he finished speaking, he shot a cold nce at Rafael.


    Rafael was stunned. He hadn''t called Carissa''s embroidery ugly. That was Violet!


    Violet quickly changed the subject. "Jacob, tell me some fun stories about you and your sister from when you were young. Something memorable."


    Jacob had plenty to share as he reminisced about the past. His father was a seventh-ranked county chief in Cloud County, and his family had a long tradition of valuing both farming and education. His mother


    and


    was the daughter of able


    the four of them lived afortable life.


    However, Cloud County was gued by poverty and chaos, with bandits and thieves causing unrest. His


    father took it upon himself to leadet


    the local officials and guards to hunt down the bandits. After more than ten attempts, he finally drove th


    them


    away and restored po drove order


    and


    to Cloud County.


    When Jacob was five, his mother gave birth to his sister. Their grandfather was overjoyed, dering that the family was blessed with both a son and a daughter. Their grandfather taught at a local academy. Upon turning seven, Jacob joined the academy as well. However, he didn''t live there. He traveled back and forth with his grandfather, so he spent a lot of time with his little sister.


    They were a happy family until a storm of tragedy struck when his sister turned seven. On a sunny day, she was ying with the other children outside their alley when two strangers abducted her, along with the daughter of the county official. The men were quick. They grabbed the girls, and jumped into a carriage before the frightened children could react. The remaining children were terrified. They scattered and ran home, too scared to tell anyone what had happened.


    It was only at nightfall, when the two girls didn''t return home, that both families started searching frantically for them. They only found out the girls had been taken when they spoke to the children who had been ying with them. By then, hours had passed, and the two girls were long gone from Cloud County. Even if they sent someone to chase after the kidnappers, it would be futile. Furthermore, they had no idea which direction the kidnappers had fled.