Chapter 32

In the carriage, Tiara, Ruddy, and Alan together were going to the town. Tiara was sitting opposite Alan while Ruddy was sitting next to Alan. The carriage was silent as usual but, no conversation can be shared between the three of them plus people like Tiara who doesn't keen too much to talk about. Tiara looks at Alan's face, she can easily read that Alan was heartbroken. Maybe it's about Leo who leaves him without saying anything or goodbye to him.

"I don't like you show that face, you should throw your sadness away." Tiara scolds Ruddy for showing his sad expression. Alan didn't respond and he can only keep quiet listen to his mother's scolds. "Look how handsome you are and match with a beautiful suit, you should smile to look more dazzling plus today is a special day." Ruddy trying to slow talk with Alan. "What do you mean by special day?" Alan looks puzzled about this special day.

"Today we celebrating harvest day." Ruddy smiles happily telling about today's event. Alan shook his head because he forgot about the harvest day. "So you must look happy because your mother coming to inaugurate the harvest day at the town center." Ruddy continues. Alan just keeping quiet, his heart still bound with disappointment about Leo. "I'm very sorry." Alan apologizes to both her mother and Ruddy and he tries to cover up his sadness.

Harvest day is about the season when god blessing people with plentiful crops and healthy farm animals. Before that, a long time ago the land was very poor soil and water resources and so, the crops were hard to grow, and also the farm animals had hard to live because short of water resources, foods, and diseases that will infectious both farm animals and humans. Some of the civilians say that the land was cursed by the demon king that was once defeated by the heroes. The people had no option left but to pray god waiting for the salvations that will help them.

One day, the god had answered their prayer. A black cloud merges giving heavy rain upon the land. The land was overflowing by the water makes fertile soil and the river was created. The crops and farm animals finally grow healthy. As a sign of gratitude, they create a day for celebrating their harvest by praying to god, doing some charity not only to the church but also to the people who are in need by giving the food and some money to fund. There also had night festival where the people selling various food and items, an open theatre and dancing with happiness.

"But I feel weird, why are you here, duke Ruddy? You suppose to be at your faction celebrating harvest day too because this celebration was the same date across all land." Alan was suspicious about Ruddy's arrival. "That event I had to postpone it to next week." Ruddy looks pressure to answers Alan's question. "Then, what is your purpose coming here?" Alan is curious about Ruddy's attention coming here.

"There are some issues that… I need your mother's help." Ruddy looks unsure whether to explain more detail or not to Alan. "What kind of help that you need." Alan looks at Ruddy sharply. Tiara quickly knocked Alan's head with her folding fan. "Where are your manner to the person with high status?" Tiara scolds Alan showing his bad behavior towards Ruddy. "It's fine, you don't have to…" Tiara cutting Ruddy's words by giving him death stares.

"I'm sorry…"Both Alan and Ruddy apologize at the same time. Then, both of them look at each other with a dumbfounded faces. "Did I scares by watching her stares?" Ruddy is whispering to Alan confused about himself. "Yeah, I saw it. I'm also terrified by looking at her eyes." Alan is also on the same page with Ruddy. Ruddy and Alan nodding their heads together understand each other about their fear toward Tiara. Tiara clearing her throat as she knows that both Alan and Ruddy talk back about her.

"Let me get straight what Ruddy left. As you know, duke Ruddy needs my help investigating about robbery case." Tiara explaining about Ruddy's purpose in seeing Tiara. "Isn't about the same thieves that peoples call them 'The Robinhood' that only steal nobles' money?" Alan suspecting the serial thieves that had been turmoil in the newspaper. "Indeed. That's why I need your mother to join forces with me to track and taking down those thieves." Ruddy explains his plans towards Alan.

Alan leaning on the couch trying to think about what Ruddy says. A few seconds later, Alan makes his decision. "When should we start?" Alan looks enthusiastic to join the investigation. "No, you are misunderstand something." Ruddy makes his hands gesture trying to calm Alan down. "What… what do you mean by that?" Alan's eyes that look at Ruddy turn to her mother confusing what exactly they mean.

Tiara changes her sit position posture. "What duke Ruddy means is, you were not involved in this investigation. I just want you to know about that so I want you to take over my job managing our faction just for a few days." Ruddy leaning his back on the couch while his head looks down at his feet disappointing after hearing from his mother. "I just sitting and do nothing…" Alan's voice looks down because he wants to join them to take down those thieves. "It will be dangerous if you get involves in this case." Tiara worries about Alan's involvement in this case. "Because you think I am useless?" Alan throws all his anger towards Tiara. After that, both Tiara and Ruddy were kept silent after getting.

"Stop the carriage!" Alan shouted to the coachman from inside the carriage. The carriage that almost arrives in the town center suddenly stopped. Alan slamming the door and leaving both Tiara and Ruddy inside the carriage in a hurry. Alan feels very frustrated but not to his mother nor duke Ruddy. It actually frustrated at himself not being able to do or helping anything. Tiara wants to get out of the carriage trying to catch her son but Ruddy already blocking her.

"Stay, let me get to talk to him." Ruddy offers himself trying to persuade Alan. Tiara silently obeys what Ruddy said. Then, Ruddy gets off the carriage and quickly runs trying to catch Alan before Ruddy loses him. From inside the carriage, Tiara looking Ruddy chasing her son from the window. After that, she takes her seat with her deep sight thinking about where and what she had done wrong towards her son. "It's hard to an understanding about men." Tiara grumbles to herself. The carriage starts moving to the town center after Tiara giving an order to the coachman.

Alan running as fast as he can until he is out of his breath. After that, he starts to walk slowly while trying to remember how useless he is. He looks up to the sky hoping and praying if there is a path or chance for him to change from his current himself, he will work hard for it. After so long he thought about himself, unrealizing where he is now. Alan looks surrounding, he is currently in the town, not the center of it but maybe the other side of the town. "Where am I?" Alan looks left and on the right side, all the building houses were surrounded him. Some of them turned the lights on.

Strange is there are no people in the street, maybe they all went to the town center celebrating the harvest day. Alan walks casually while aware of the streets he was taken to ensure he is not lost. Suddenly, Alan heard the loud noise from the alley on his right side. Alan took a peek curiously at what happened inside the alley. Alan saw three tall men trying to rob an average man with a black cloak.

"Hey kid, I want my money, or else you might get hurt." One of the big men shouted to that cloaked man while his fist trying to scare him. The other big men smirking just they looking down at the cloaked men. That cloaked man didn't respond, he just silently stands still and he also didn't listen to give them money. "You are stubborn, aren't you?" That tough man seems pissed off at that man because the cloaked man didn't listen to him and he quickly pulled his cloak. "You stink." The cloaked man spoke with his lower voice. "What did you said?" The tough man was very angry. Without delay, the tough man giving a fist to the cloaked man's face.

"Stop!" Alan stops the tough man's fist that almost hits the cloaked men face. "Who's there?" The three tough men looking at the place where the sounds coming from. Alan reveals himself to those guys. "Ahh… another man act tough coming to this useless guy." The tough man looking at the cloaked man. Another tough man looking at Alan from up and down from Alan's face to his shoes. "Hey brother, he seems from a noble family." The tough man talks to his members after looking at Alan's appearance. "We caught a big fish today." The three tough men seem happy and the other two surrounding Alan trying to take him down.