Chapter 10

The pair resumed their mission to visit every shop in the middle circle after resting for a while. They ambled along with the lined shops. As they got closer to the center, a performer was juggling in the middle, near the fountain. He was mostly watched by children and their parents. They clapped their hands when the juggler caught a ball that almost hit the pavement.

Aris was once again at awe. He was astonished to see a person capable of handling ten balls while balancing on a unicycle, "Look, Lady! That man has impressive control!" Aris pointed at the juggler. He grasped Cailina's small hand and went nearer to the performer. They squeezed themselves through the crowd until they were at the front. Cailina was surprised that she let herself be led.

Ria had lost the two children in the crowd, and one of them was the favored one. She feared that it will be her death if she failed to find them. She frantically called out to the duo, but none responded. Ria tried to join in but was pushed back.

"You're already old enough to marry! Whatya tryna do? You're robbing the children of the show! Stay back, miss!" One of the children's parents yelled.

It frustrated Ria that she couldn't trick the parents and was embarrassed by them. How dare they! They wouldn't measure up if she told them she worked for the Duke. Her inner struggles went on for a while. She did all measures to pass through the crowd, but the heavens must be playing a trick on her. She was yelled and cursed at. Before Ria could push her way in, the crowd dispersed as the performer was done with his show. She thought she would finally return to her Lady's side.

She rushed near the fountain, gone. Gone was the precious gem of Duke Grandis. Ria was on the verge of tears. Her heart was attempting to jump out of her chest and cold sweat trickled down her back. She grabbed the juggler's arm and anxiously asked, "Have you seen a young girl wearing a red dress? she was also accompanied by a boy with red eyes? Tell me, mister!"

The juggler brushed off Ria's grip, her disrespectful attitude annoyed him. He stepped back and said, "I apologize, miss, but I didn't see those two children you were talking about."

It was the truth; he was occupied with his performance that he briefly glanced at the audience. After the juggler left, Ria grabbed her hair. She took a deep breath and scanned her surroundings. She looked at alleyways, the stalls that they had passed by, and the people that complimented the two children.

"Excuse me, have you seen a girl that was wearing a red dress?" Ria asked a man that looked like he kidnaps children. In contrast, he was selling hand-stitched dolls and his business seem unfruitful. The dolls were hideous for children to take fancy of. The man looked up, his gaze froze Ria on the spot.

"Nay, what did ya do to lose a child? What kind of sister are you?" He clicked his tongue and turned at the nearby seller that sold fruit candies, "Hey Jorgi, this lady here is looking for someone, have you seen a girl that wore a red dress?"

The man named Jorgi chortled, "Lass, many children wore a red dress during this festival. Do you have any other description?" He continued flicking away the flies that tried to taste his products, "These wretched flies! Lady, you should've put a leash on those children if they're too naughty for their good."

Ria bit her lip as the sellers made fun of her. As if she could place a leash on the favored one, if it's the dog, she would be able to. It was only wishful thinking she could touch even a strand of hair on Aris' head with Cailina being around. Her Lady valued the stray puppy too much that she was being disregarded. Before Aris arrived, Cailina listened to her advice and treated her with respect like those educated servants. Now, she was merely a maid in her Lady's eyes. If she could make that little git disappear from the mansion.

She was born a noble, a baron's daughter whose family were plunged into debt. Ria's bright future was ruined by her bastard of a father. She was destined to be sold as a slave if they failed to pay her father's debt. Be it women or medicines that caused a brief moment of lightheadedness, her father had it all. Her mother was supposed to live a peaceful life but was forced to work as a common wife.

Ria was at the mercy of death, she grasped the last straw even if it would step on her dignity as a lady. She gambled with her everything if the Duke would take notice of her and take her in as one of his mistresses, but was offered with being a personal maid for his daughter. She agreed without giving it much thought, it was better compared to being an entertainer for lonely men.

She was the eyes of Duke Grandis. She couldn't afford to lose her job. It was all that dog's fault! If Aris didn't exist, then her Lady would've never left the mansion. Ria could still be able to observe Cailina in a closer range.

Ria dropped her impossible wishes, her problem at present was the two men insulted her as a stupid lady that doesn't even know what her Lady looked like. She took a deep breath and frowned, "A boy with red eyes accompanied her."

Ria could've said that Cailina has amber eyes, but that would give away she was the daughter of the Duke. She wouldn't risk her life to blurt out an important trait of the only child. If ill-intentioned people heard that the treasured jewel was lost, she shuddered. Ria wouldn't think about the horrors that would befall upon her head. Also, her Lady could change her eye color. It is futile that she would grasp Cailina's eyes in her description.

Jorgi took pity on Ria's troubled expression and spoke in a hushed voice, "Come closer, lady..." Ria approached and was seized by the arm. She shrieked as the man who suddenly grabbed her was a man in his forties that would involve himself in a brawl fight in a bar. Jorgi whispered, "Don't you think that those children may be taken by the Thief?"

Ria furrowed her brows, "A thief?"

Jorgi let go of her and shook his head, "It's not a thief, but the Thief." He emphasized the word 'the' and his saliva splattered on Ria's face. He raised his brows and continued fanning away the insects in his stall.

Unbelief was plastered on her face causing Jorgi to sigh, "Tell her Riko, this lass doesn't know the danger of the Thief."

Riko lifted one of his handstitched dolls and said, "The Thief kidnaps children to make them into dolls." He shook the little ragged doll and smiled, "That guy is sinister as he can be. Just pray that those children didn't fall to his hands. Rumors have it that the man was behind some disappearance of children around our town.

The serious men suddenly laughed, "Look at you, your face is too scared. Don't worry, lass. It's just a bedtime story for children that's too unruly."

Ria rolled her eyes, "I will take my leave now."

She was infuriated to waste time with the two lunatics. The information that they said was useless for her. Ria wouldn't be able to locate the two children with a bedtime story. Those idiots gossiped about a thief that doesn't exist. Ria searched without leaving a stone unturned. The two knights that she ordered to look for Cailina was yet to return with a report.

Minutes of searching turned into hours, Ria was at a loss. She blamed herself for being caught up with her emotions and not properly looking out for her Lady, but she knew that Cailina was a clever child. She decided to wait for them to return to the fountain. The two knights were still out searching for their master and would be expected to come back before the sunsets.

Ria sat down at a bench near the fountain, she looked around and saw children happily held their parents' hands. She remembered how her life was used to be like a carefree girl. The good times that she missed so much, a tear fell from the side of her face. She quickly wiped it away to hide it. Maybe she was getting sentimental because she lost the children she was entrusted.

'Nothing but a failure.' Ria sneered in her heart.

A shout of a child brought her out of her trance state. She looked up and saw a young girl, around her Lady's age holding onto a man who looked like her father.

"Let's go eat some snack dad!"