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ISABEL''s POV
"Here''s your Roasted Duck with Sautéed Chanterelles and Creamy Herb Sauce!"
He placed Ella''s order in front of her.
"And here''s your Tuna Piccata!"
He did the same to mine.
"Please enjoy your meal."
It did not even take him 30 minutes to prepare our meal and it was already here!
We were both speechless and drooling just from the smell.
Before I knew it, Ella had already picked up her cutlery.
After whispering "Thank you for the food!", she immediately indulged herself with the drool-inducing duck meat in front of her.
However, smoke was still coming out of it, so she burned her tongue after carelessly gobbling up a bite.
"H-hey! Be careful! I''ll get some water."
Surprised by her reckless behavior, the man attentively fetched a whole pitcher of water for us.
"I understand that you''re hungry, but the food is still clearly smoking!"
He scolded her with a worried look on his face.
She could only utter an awkward ''thank you'' after drinking a glass of water to soothe her tongue.
"Are you okay now, Ella? You should slow down eating."
I patted Ella''s back while munching on the tangy and savory flavors of the tuna piccata.
Throughout the meal, I had so many emotions that brewed inside me that I felt overwhelmed by them. I did not even notice that I was already shedding some tears.
The food was just so delicious I thought my eyes were forming hearts!
Before we knew it, Ella and I had already finished!
"Oh! T-there''s no more..."
I was slightly disappointed as I was still hungry, but everything on my plate disappeared too quickly. I was sure it was the same for Ella who looked just as down as I was.
"Uhm..."
"Well, that was a really delicious meal. Did you like it too, Ella?"
I asked her with a bright smile on my face.
Though it was extremely lackluster in amount, I felt refreshed as if I could do a whole week''s worth of chores without eating anything else after this.
"Mm-hm! It was the most delicious food I..."
Tears began falling from her eyes as she replied between sobs while her hands frantically wiped her cheeks. Because of that, the tears I barely managed to stop a while ago resurfaced once again.
I was about to comfort her when the man who served us the foods popped up in front of us. We were so focused on eating before that we didn''t even notice when he left. Now, he reappeared again.
"Hello, are you finished? How was the food?"
He greeted us with a warm smile.
To my surprise, Ella stood up and bowed down to him while saying ''thank you'' in an attempt to hide her tear-stricken eyes.
"U-Uh, there''s no need to bow! I already told you this is just a business strat-"
He stopped in the middle of his sentence when I did the same thing. I bowed to offer him our most sincere gratitude while holding back my tears.
"These are the best food we''ve had after all these years. We''re really thankful. We sincerely hope your restaurant flourishes and becomes famous across the capital."
After that, we gratefully left the restaurant, leaving the man speechless.
"That is really the best food I''ve ever had. It makes me think that everything we''ve eaten until now are just garbage and scraps."
"Those are garbage and scraps, Ella. Everything they give us in the count''s manor are."
"Oh! But, of course, except for mom''s cooking. Her and that restaurant''s foods are top-tier. Their food makes me feel like I am in heaven. Perhaps, this is my last day here in this worl-."
"Ella!"
I cut her off.
We both stopped on our tracks when I exclaimed with an upset expression.
"I told you never to talk like that. Don''t ever think about today, tomorrow, or any time as your last day, okay? I...You''re the only family I have left. So please don''t say things like that."
I was on the verge of tears. I really felt terrible and uneasy whenever she said perturbing things as such. It would cause me to worry all the time, because I didn''t want anything bad happening to the only family I had left.
The only response I got from her was a warm sweet embrace of comfort. I hugged her back until we both calmed down.
However, on our way to the stationery store to buy what the maids told us, I gave her an earful about how I treasured her so much that it scared me when she said worrisome things. Afterwards, we peacefully made our way back home. If we could even call that place ''home''.
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THE MAN''s POV
"Hmm..."
The truth is I''ve been running my restaurant for months now and they were not my first customers at all. But when I saw them hesitating over buying food, I felt bad for them.
They only had thin and ragged clothes in this chilly afternoon and they looked famished, as if they hadn''t eaten anything today.
I was planning on closing the restaurant early to walk around the plaza, so I didn''t accept any more customers since the last couple of hours. But I felt bad asking the two girls to leave, so I decided to let them dine with one free meal. But things happened and I ended up giving away two meals instead.
Well, it felt rewarding nonetheless. They seemed to have enjoyed the food too, so I was glad.
Though I had to admit, I was a bit taken aback when they bowed that much for those meals.
"These are the best food we''ve had after all these years. We''re really thankful. We sincerely hope your restaurant flourishes and becomes famous across the capital."
A gentle smile found its way to my lips. Seeing them reminded me of my past.
"I want to open up a restaurant that will be famous across the capital!"
Maybe that was why I felt obligated to help.
I sighed and decided that it was time to get back to work.
"I wonder if there are any good stuff in town today."
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THIRD PERSON''s POV
It was already midnight.
The stars, along with the moon''s silver rays, cast their light upon the count''s manor.
Everything was as peaceful as it could be to everyone who lived there.
All except for two people.
At the backyard of the servants'' quarters, amidst the grassy patch of land, a certain girl with white hair and emerald green eyes was rubbing the back of a raven-haired girl. The latter felt weak on her knees as all the food she ate a while ago left her stomach through her mouth.
Both Isabel and Ella had vomited all the food they ate from the restaurant. All that delicious free food could not even get absorbed into their body and all went to waste.
"Does it still hurt? Do you want some water?"
Isabel wore a worried expression while rubbing Ella''s back. It was her who vomited first before they went to sleep. Now, it was Ella who couldn''t sleep in the middle of the night because her stomach ached; it was unbearable.
"Euk...ugh... W-water, please..."
Ella panted as she feebly wiped her mouth with a towel in her hands.
"Okay, hang in there. I''ll be quick."
Isabel hurriedly left to fetch water to drink.
Exhausted, Ella slowly sat herself on the ground and weakly leaned on a nearby rock. She was catching her breath when Isabel came back with a cup of water in her hands.
"Here, Ella. Drink slowly."
Once she finally recovered, tears began falling from Ella''s eyes.
"Eugh..."
She frantically wiped the falling tears from her cheeks as Isabel gently caressed her hair.
"Ssh... It''s okay."
"All...heuk...all those delicious foods...gone..."
Despite Isabel''s attempts to soothe her from crying, Ella couldn''t help but feel regretful and guilty for all the precious food that went to waste.
For them, seeing the first decent meal they''d had in years go to waste was as heartbreaking as being starved for weeks.
Isabel couldn''t help but wonder, "Could it be that those foods were contaminated or had already gone bad? If that''s the case, that would explain why we had stomachaches. Maybe that''s why that guy willingly gave it to us for free."This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"E-Even if we complained afterwards, no one will believe we could have afforded to dine in such a fine place, so people will just think we''re lying."
Ella added in between her sobs, agreeing to Isabel''s speculation.
"But why would he do that to us? Was he mad that two shabby little girls went near his restaurant?"
Though vexed by such a thought, upon further consideration, Isabel thought it was too unreasonable for him to do that just because they went near his place. After all, the food didn''t taste spoiled at all. It was heavenly!
And since he mentioned that he had just opened his restaurant, he must have properly prepared the ingredients especially for the first day, right?
"But even if the food was truly contaminated or spoiled, we have been eating scraps and even grass for years. So our stomachs should already be used to digesting bad food."
Said Ella, whose eyes had already turned red and puffy.
"Bad food..."
Isabel paused for a moment and pondered.
"Perhaps it''s because we''re so used to eating bad food that our stomachs are unfamiliar with actual decent ones."
It would make sense. It wouldn''t be too much of a stretch to say that they had been eating bad food for half of their lives. Their stomachs were so accustomed to dirty soiled grubs and wild forage that real foods were considered as foreign materials in their digestive system.
"But why? That''s so unfair! Why does eating delicious food have to be painful as well?"
Isabel couldn''t reply to Ella''s laments as she herself didn''t know the answer why.
With despaired hearts, she could only coax Ella into returning to their quarters as the night began to get even colder for the two of them.
???· ????? ?.*
A few days had passed since they went to the capital.
After another long morning, Ella and Isabel were tasked to go there again.
"This time, they want us to get their orders from Madam Clementine''s Boutique."
Isabel wore a deep frown on her face at the thought of having to see this Madam Clementine again. They did not have the best memories with the haughty owner of one of the famous commoners'' boutiques at the capital.
"It must be nice to have new clothes."
Ella, on the other hand, showed a small smile as she twiddled with her fingers while dreaming of wearing a new pair of dress and shoes.
''Aww... She''s so cute!''
Isabel pursed her lips as she dotingly looked at Ella.
''How could those heartless people at the manor hurt this lovely creature?!''
In just a snap of a finger, her look of adoration turned into a hateful frown once again as she crossed her arms in frustration.
"Hah! No matter how new or beautiful the clothes they wear, they''d still look ugly. There''s no reason to envy such black hearted people, Ella."
The latter looked at her and giggled, "Yeah, you''re right."
Once they reached the capital, the two girls began selling handkerchiefs and gloves, hoping that they could earn as much as they did last time. Fortunately, because of the Flower Festival that would be held tomorrow, there were even more people today.
To avoid losing each other, they both stood side by side near the fountain at the plaza.
"We sell finely embroidered handkerchiefs for only 44 copper coins!"
"W-would you like to take a look at our...uhm..."
Not long after they started doing their business, Isabel noticed that Ella looked pale.
"Ella, does anything hurt?"
She hurriedly touched the latter''s forehead and a terrified look crossed her face.
"You''re cold!"
"S-sorry, Isa. There''s so many people. C-Can I sit for a moment?"
She said as her body trembled and her legs weakened. Worried and scared of Ella''s condition, Isabel thought it would be better for her to take a rest.
"Come here, let''s sit for now."
They both sat at the fountain and placed their baskets containing their merchandise on the ground.
"Maybe it''s because you haven''t eaten anything yet. I-I''ll buy you water and bread. Wait for me here, okay?"
Anxious and not knowing what to do, Isabel hurriedly left to get her something to eat.
"Isa..."
Ella called out weakly as she stretched out a hand towards Isabel''s retreating back that was quickly swallowed by the surging crowd.
Her vision started to blur and she felt like she would soon lose her balance. If she did, she knew she would end up falling towards the water in the fountain. She needed something she could lean on to manage her dizziness.
Fortunately, before she completely lost consciousness, two young men ran towards her and caught her.
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Evan███''s POV
"The capital is lively as always. This is why sneaking out is fun! Don''t you think, Cal?" I beamed as I immersed myself in the joyful atmosphere of the capital.
"Is that the reason I shall tell your father when he asks me why you sneaked out again, your- ahem- Evan?"
I put my arm around his shoulders and hushed him, "Sshh! We''ve been doing this for so long. Are you not used to this yet? Come on! They said there will be a preview of tomorrow''s play at the plaza. Let''s go there and secure a nice spot to watch!"
Cal could only sigh as I excitedly pulled him across the crowd.
So many people had come to see the festival tomorrow.
The Flower Festival would last for three days. During that time, they would host exciting events for the people and showcase the different flowers that bloomed in the capital, including the holy azaleas from the imperial palace that bloomed only once every 5 years.
That''s why many people wished to witness it, particularly this year.
When we arrived at the plaza, my mouth formed a solid ''o'' at the sight of every building decorated with colorful flower garlands and the smell of sweet nectar that wafted through the air.
A thought suddenly crossed my mind.
"Cal, don''t you want to watch the play and the Spring Flower Competition on the third day?"
I asked with a wide grin, hoping with all my heart that this stone-faced jerk would say yes.
"I have no interest in such things, Evan."
Unfortunately, a stone-faced jerk like him had not a single drop of desire for anything in his body, so there''s nothing I could use to convince him.
"Oh, right. My most trusted confidant has no fun in his bones. Won''t you enjoy your life a bit more? Someday, you''re gonna wake up and regret not having as much fun as you could when you were younger and-"
While I was hurtling my complaints about his awfully serious nature, we passed by the huge fountain in the middle of the plaza.
And there, my eyes caught a girl who looked unwell sitting at the fountain. I hurriedly ran towards her when I noticed that she had gone unconscious. Fortunately, I was able to catch her before she fell.
"Evan!"
Cal called out in surprise and concern, but I ignored him.
"Miss, wake up!"
I gently shook the girl''s shoulder. To my surprise, she was so thin that I could straight up feel her bones.
Her body also felt cold to the touch that I feared that she might actually be dead.
"Evan! I told you so many times not to act recklessly! I helped you sneak out because you agreed to stay close and be careful, but look what you''re doing!"
Ignoring the earful I got from Cal, I hurriedly removed my commoner jacket and wrapped it around the girl as I explained.
"I''m sorry about this, Cal. But she''s cold, I''m afraid she might be fighting for her life right now. She''s also shivering. Please help me for now."
Though still frustrated by my actions, he could do nothing but cooperate and hurriedly led the way to a nearby clinic he knew.
It was hard to pass through the crowds of busy people. Thankfully, Cal managed to form a path by telling others that there was an emergency as I carefully protected the girl''s body from being bumped and squeezed in the midst of the crowds.
It was a good decision to change my hair and eye colors with magic before we went out. Otherwise, many would''ve recognized my natural hair color.
Once we arrived at the clinic, I immediately laid the girl down on the bed and covered her with warm blanket while Cal explained the situation to the doctor.
Fortunately, despite the influx of people today, there were not many patients.
"Please excuse me as I check her condition."
I gave way to the doctor and stood next to Cal. Only then did I get a clearer view of the girl''s appearance.
My forehead creased as I saw her hollow cheeks and pallid face that made her look almost lifeless. Despite her low temperature when I carried her, beads of sweat ran down her forehead as she shivered. Her lips were pale and dry as the cracks of a land suffering from drought.
I unconsciously swallowed my saliva in fear of losing the girl, even though she was a stranger to me.
Strangely enough, I''d been to many battlefields before and had seen piles of bloody corpses that it was nothing new to me to see a person die. But I still found it hard to take in the idea that someone was losing their life in front of me.
"When was the last time she ate? This poor lass is dying from starvation and dehydration. She also seems to be having a shock. Do you have any idea what could''ve triggered it?"
The doctor asked but we couldn''t answer.
"Unfortunately, we do not know her, sir."
Cal replied.
"Hm... For now, she needs to be fed some light food her stomach could digest. I need to inject her with a tranquilizer to help calm her down, but injecting it at her current state would be bad for her. Do you perhaps know any relative of hers that could help comfort and *feed her? We need her to relax so she could eat and replenish a bit of strength before I could give her any medication."
Both me and Cal shook our heads which caused the doctor to heave a deep sigh.
"Well, if that is the case, it would be hard to get her to eat in her current state."
"We''ll try to see if we can find someone who knows her."
Cal said with a determined expression and looked at me with a meaningful gaze.
"I''ll go as well? But who will look after her?"
I gave him a disapproving look.
"We''ll watch over her while you''re gone but be sure to come back as soon as you can with a friend of hers, or better yet, a relative."
Knowing that Cal would not leave unless I went with him, I had no choice but to accept.
"Alright. Please watch over her carefully. Thank you!"
Without wasting a single minute, we both went out of the clinic and asked around.
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ISABEL''s POV
The bag of bread slipped out of my hands, landing on the ground with a thump.
"E...lla?"
It took me a while to buy bread because there were a lot of customers at the bakery.
But when I came back, Ella wasn''t at the fountain. The baskets that I left with her were nowhere to be found as well.
"Ella... Ella!"
My heart began pounding loudly in my chest as I threw my head left and right. Sweat dripped off from my forehead and my hands began to tremble at the thought that someone might have taken her; someone with ill intentions.
In this vast space filled with strangers, what could a young helpless girl do if someone snatched her up to take her to a secluded place?!
What''s worse was the fact that she was sick!
Where....? Where?!
"Where is she...?"
I sobbed as tears began falling down my cheeks. Desperate to find her, I asked every passerby if they had seen a raven-haired girl sitting at the fountain a while ago.
"Oh, I just got here."
"I''m sorry, I have no money."
"I remember two young men who carried a girl a while ago. They said it was an emergency so we stepped back to let them through amidst the crowd."
"M-men? D-Do you happen to know where they went or-"
My hands were trembling. My voice shook in horror from what I''d heard.
It was then when someone suddenly stepped in our conversation and called out to me.
"Excuse me, miss? Are you perhaps looking for the girl who was sitting at the fountain about 30 minutes ago?"
They were tall young men. The one who spoke had dark auburn hair tied in a high ponytail extending down his back. His eyes were like jars of honey against the afternoon sun that seemed to see through my soul. The other one had short off-black hair and similarly deep black eyes that contrasted his fair skin. Even though they wore commoner clothes, they oozed out a regal aura that made one feel overwhelmed by their presence.
My knees already felt weak when I couldn''t find Ella, but they felt even shakier when these men approached me, like a building standing up against a tsunami.
"Miss? Can you hear us?"
I was brought back to my senses when the auburn-haired guy spoke once again.
"Uh! Y-Yes! Have you seen her?! She had raven-black hair and she wore a brown dress and-"
"Yes, we saw her when she fell unconscious."
"Un..Unconscious?!"
"Please, calm down. We brought her to the clinic, but the doctor said we should find someone she knows to help calm her down. She seemed to be in a state of shock and severely weakened, so the doctor couldn''t give her any medicine."
He calmly explained.
"P-Please, tell me where the clinic is!"
I begged with trembling hands grasping my skirt in trepidation and anxiety.
"Then, please follow us."
The men brought me to a two-storey building that had a sign indicating its name.
''Dr. Hales Clinic''
Inside, a nurse clad in black dress approached and assisted us towards the second floor where the patients'' wards were located.
But Ella was nowhere to be seen.
?*????????*?????。? . to be continued .。? .?*?????????*?????