017 ※ The Jewelry Store [VI]

"NATASHA, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING trying to stop us from entering?" Asher questioned, but thankfully his voice was low enough for only the three of us to hear. I bit my lips trying to hold my temper and turned to him.

"I don't know who this Natasha might be, my name is Hana, Sir Arthur!" He seemed confused for a slight second but then he understood the meaning behind my words.

See? This happened because he didn't pay attention to what I told him. Although Kate seemed to get that better than him. "Why are you rushing to enter first, my Lady?" She asked politely in an accent more common from the western Kingdoms located on the Breaslain Continent.

Damn, she's smarter than I give her credit. Kate must have learned their accent in the north because there are some people there who speak like that. Now we can say that I'm a lady from one of the territories located on the Breaslain Continent, who's visiting the capital. She thought that better than me I did, I must say.

And thankfully, both me and Ash also know how to fake our accent like she's doing. This is finally coming in hand, hm. Even if her accent is way stronger than ours, it'll certainly work if we act as if she comes from the countryside and we come from the capital of one of those kingdoms. Kate's a genius. "Oh, Vanessa," I started to make sure she remembered her fake name. "The thing is, I happen to suddenly feel a dangerous aura inside here."

"Then I should go in first, my Lady!" Ash exclaimed in the same accent as us. "Not you! Even if you are strong, I'm still your Knight!"

"Sir Arthur, you are not my personal Knight, yet. We still need to go through the Knighthood Oath Ceremony for that to be concrete," he clenched his jaw, probably annoyed. "So I can very much go inside there before you if I want to."

I sensed the aura getting even stronger, making it unbearable to ignore. So, I opened the doors once and for all, but I didn't see anyone. Although I indeed heard voices coming from the inside of the store. Decided to wait for the person to show himself, I closed the doors when Ash and Kate were both into the store, and while they sat on the couch, I stood up, anxiously.

"What's gotten into you, to make you act so anxiously like this, my Lady?" Asher asked and I could see that as a brother, he was honestly worried.

I sighed, "You aren't sensing, are you?" He seemed confused by my words. "I guess that answers my question…" I mumbled the last part with his heightened senses, he heard it just as well as if I had spoken loudly.

"Sorry, I don't feel anything. Maybe you are overthinking? Or perhaps you must be anxious for the negotiation?" Again, I sensed the dangerous aura coming from the inside of the shop, and goosebumps spread through all of my body.

Putting on a believable façade, I agreed with him, "That might be it!"

His relieved smile made me feel a little guilty for lying, but not enough to stop me from going about it. "Come, sit with us, my Lady!" I don't want to sit.

"Not yet, but thank you, Sir Arthur. I'm still too anxious to sit down, otherwise, I would end up hitting my foot on the ground non-stop," which often happens, if I'm being honest. Anxiety is something that has been with me since I was a little kid, just as much as my ADHD, making everything more difficult for me.

He let the matter go, and when I looked at Kate, she seemed scared. She was like this since that moment after she gave the idea to use the western's accent. Strange. "Are you okay, Miss Vanessa?" Ash asked, turning to her with a worried gaze.

It was as if he had brought her to her senses, and then she was herself again. "Don't worry about me, Sir Arthur, I'm as good as I always am." She isn't, but I'll respect her choice to not talk about it. Maybe she argued with the few western people in the north and was mad with herself for using their accent now?!

Respecting her choice, Ash only nodded and got back to examining the jewels around the shop. "They look beautiful, like you've said, my Lady!" Getting up, he took a closer look at them, "And there's a strong amount of magic coming from them too," his gaze met mine. "I think you were right."

I laughed sarcastically, trying to hide how anxious I am thanks to the dangerous person around, "Oh, you think?" Rolling his eyes, he gazed at Kate who laughed at the situation.

Slowly, Ash got back to his sit on the other side of the room from where I was. Finally, the two auras got closer to us and I felt my bloodlust slipping through my fingers. Breathing deeply, again and again, I tried to hold on so Ash wouldn't feel it. And then the owner came into view alone, leaving the one I'm waiting for a little behind.

Has he also sensed mine?

Mr. Kevin George's a middle ages man, taller than my dad about three and a half heads taller than I am now, with chocolate brown skin, dark green eyes, and curly black hair. He was beautiful for his age. Have I said how tall this man is? It's ridiculous. He's like a giant in front of me, and I have to say that I'm taller for my age, and as an adult, I was also quite tall, like everybody else in my family.

"Oh, I have customers," his smile was wide and genuine. His eyes traveled around us three, studying us and then he smiled. "Beautiful customers, I have to say!" And he said that while looking at Kate, which made both me and Ash giggle while she blushed. "Do you mind if I ask who you are and where are you from?" He certainly is interested in Kate.

Trying to ignore the aura of the dangerous guy still some meters away from me, I took a step closer to the owner, "I'm Lady Hana, this is my personal Knight Arthur and my assistant Miss Vanessa." Then I got closer to him and whispered, "She's single, by the way." Making him blush adorably. Ash chuckled and Kate was curious about what I said. "And we are all from the Malmstrom region in the Stortoni Kingdom, spending some time in the so-called Theolia, the golden capital of the empire."

He seemed satisfied by my answer, "That explains your strong accent. It's a pleasure to meet you all," he said the last part starting at Kate again. "How did you learn about my place?"

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