47: A Gift

"Haaa, I'm so fucking screwed."

As Silver walked back to his home with a dejected expression, he could not help but release a nervous sigh.

He tried to reduce his walking speed as much as possible so as to prolong his suffering, a suffering he knew he could not avoid.

"I just hope she doesn't make it painful and disgusting."

Tears threatened to pour out from his eyes when he thought of how his mother disciplined and taught him in the past.

While he was walking, a conversation flowed into his ears, momentarily distracting him. He glanced at the source, and there he saw a man and a woman standing in front of a store.

'An argument?'

Silver paused, and then he pulled his hoodie over his head, and pretended to be inspecting the goods of a nearby stall.

"Can you calm down and let's talk for a second?" the man said, and Silver could perceive a sense of urgency and regret in his voice.

The woman beside him crossed her arms with cold eyes. "What is it?" she replied coldly.

Silver shifted his stance while taking a subtle glance at the pair. The man took a deep breath, clearly trying to gather his thoughts. "I know you're still upset about what happened the other day."

"Upset? That's an understatement," the woman shot back with a tone that was sharp enough to draw the attention of other passerbys.

"I get it, really. I messed up, and I'm really sorry. I thought a lot about it and... well, I got you something," the man said, and then he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a neatly wrapped box.

The woman's eyebrow arched skeptically as she eyed the box. "You got me something? What is it?"

He extended the gift towards her, and Silver could see his hand trembling slightly. When Silver saw this, he scoffed internally,.

'Why are you shaking just because you want to give her a gift? Be a man.'

 "Here, I hope this helps show how much I regret what happened."

She hesitated before taking the box from his outstretched hand. "I swear down, if it's not something I like, you're dead," the woman murmured, her voice softening just a fraction.

"I know. You'll definitely like it, just open it, please." the woman urged with drops of sweat landing on the ground.

With a sigh, the woman carefully unwrapped the box, revealing a beautifully crafted bracelet nestled inside. Her eyes brightened and her expression softened as she looked at the delicate piece of jewelry. "Oh, wow. This is... really nice."

"I remember you mentioning you liked that design a while back. I wanted to get you something meaningful to show how much you mean to me," the man said while releasing a soft sigh of relief.

Silver watched as the woman's icy demeanor began to thaw. "It's beautiful. Thank you," she said with a light smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Does this mean you forgive me?" the man asked with a hopeful tone, his eyes never leaving her face.

"It definitely helps. But if you dare forget to feed my cats, I'll be feeding them your balls. Okay?" the woman replied indifferently while slipping the bracelet onto her wrist, and Silver's eyes almost popped out of his socket.

'She was angry at him cause he forgot her cats? And she's threatening to feed his balls to her cat if he forgets to feed her cats?'

Silver no longer watched the duo with a subtle gaze. In fact, his eyes were entirely glued on the duo and if not because other passerbys had the same reaction as him, the duo would have clearly noticed him.

'Are women meant to be this fierce?'

Silver thought, but then he remembered his mother, and he shuddered.

"Ab- Absolutely. I promise to do better and not forgiving me. Thanks for giving me another chance," the man stuttered with a tinge of embarrassment and fear.

The woman then looked at him with her smile now genuine. "Thanks for the gift. It means a lot."

"I'm really glad you like it. Can we go home now?" the man asked while reaching out to gently hold her hand.

"Sure, why not." the woman shrugged, and their fingers intertwined.

As Silver watched the duo walk away, his eyes remained on the duo for at least five seconds, the conversation the couple had replayed in his mind, and his eyes instantly brightened.

'I know what to do! I know how to save my ass!'

Just as Silver had this thought, a cough resounded in his ears. Silver turned, and he noticed an old woman giving him a chilling smile.

"How long do you plan on standing in front of my shop without buying anything?"

Silver looked around, and then he remembered he had chosen to act like he was buying something while listening to the couple.

He became slightly embarrassed and apologetic.

"I'm really sorry for this. I didn't mean to stand in front of your shop for so long."

The old woman scoffed, and then she gestured towards the display of materials and objects on her stall.

"If you're actually sorry, buy something from me."

"Huh?" Silver was taken aback. 

'Will this woman even have anything worth buying?'

Silver thought, and then he glanced at the display. As he surveyed through the display, the first thing he noticed was that the old woman sold random stuffs.

She did not have a particular thing she focused on selling. He saw a broken sword, a shield, a painting, a ruby, and even a stone!

"Hmm?"

Silver's eyes landed on a particular necklace, and then his eyes shone.

'Beautiful.'

This was Corey's thought as he looked at a necklace that was composed of a platinum linked chain that shone with a subtle, almost liquid brilliance. At the heart of the necklace was a flawless teardrop-shaped sapphire, a deep mesmerizing blue that seemed to hold the essence of the ocean within it. Surrounding the sapphire were intricate designs of filigree, each one studded with tiny diamonds that sparkled like stars under the sunlight.

'This is what I need! Mom might forgive me if I give her this as a gift!'

Silver's eyes shone with desire and hope as he gazed at the seemingly otherworldly necklace.

"How much is that necklace?" 

Silver questioned while pointing at the necklace. The old woman glanced at the necklace and she rolled her eyes internally. He was not the first person to ask for the price of the necklace, but just like the others, she already knew he was going to back off and refuse to pay the price.

"Five gold coins." She said with an indifferent tone.

'Looks like a homeless kid. Probably doesn't have up to a silver coin on him.' The woman thought while subtly observing Silver.

Clang Clang Clang Clang Clang 

The instant she had this thought, a clanging noise flowed into her ears. She looked in front of her, and her eyes widened to the limits.

"What the fuck?"

"That's five gold coins. I'll be taking the necklace. Goodbye."

"Wai-"

Without waiting for a response from the old woman, Silver dashed off after taking the necklace, leaving behind the old woman who had her right arm stretched out.

The old woman looked at Silver's back which was disappearing from her view for a few more seconds before lowering her hand. She looked at the gold coins, and then she quickly kept them.

"So he was from a rich family. Most likely a noble?" The woman muttered, and then she twirled her hair with her finger with a baffled gaze.