Ivano may as well have had an enormous question mark pasted over his face as he goggled at Dahlia’s former fiancé. Gabriella wore an elegant smile, the warmth of which did not reach her eyes. Only Dominic somehow maintained a neutral expression, though his fingers were pressed so hard into the papers he held that they were turning white.
While looking at the scene in front of her, Dahlia was putting every last pleasant memory of her engagement through a mental shredder.
Gabriella was the first to break the silence.
“The guild has a relationship of trust with you, Mr. Orlando, so you are welcome to take out a loan with us.”
She directed a charming smile at the discomfited Tobias. The pointed way in which she spoke his surname did not escape Dahlia’s notice.
“You will be working, I trust, so monthly repayments should be manageable. If you intend to settle down with a new lady, it’s terribly important you properly settle your debts. She won’t think well of you otherwise.”
“I understand. Thank you.” His reply was a barely audible mutter.
The moment all the paperwork for the engagement and the loan was finished, Tobias all but ran out the door. The walls of this room situated next to the reception desk were exceedingly thin; the staff would no doubt have an entertaining story to tell their friends over drinks tonight. Doing her best to ignore a persistent headache, Dahlia finally stood up. She gave her thanks to Ivano, Gabriella, and Dominic before turning to leave.
“Er, Miss Dahlia? I hope you won’t think me rude, but I must ask you something.” The man with mustard-colored hair paused while gathering together the documents, his voice small and hesitant.
“Not at all, Ivano. Please, ask away.”
“Has Tobias always been such an id—I mean, such a man as that?”
Though he’d caught himself before the word “idiot” slipped out, Dahlia knew exactly what he’d wanted to say. A faraway look came into her eyes.
“No, that...was a first for me as well.”
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Well, I’d be lying if I said I was fine, but what can I do? No point in worrying about what I can’t change. Besides, I’ll be able to run my business just the way I like now. When I think of it that way, it doesn’t seem so bad,” Dahlia mused, being quite candid.
“I’m glad we could assist you today, Miss Dahlia.”
“Oh, Dominic, I’m very grateful.”
“It is a shame things turned out this way, but I hope you will keep your spirits up.”
“Yes, I’ll do my best.”
“I owe your father a great deal, you know. He left us so soon, I never had a chance to repay him. Please let me know if there’s ever anything I can help you with. Beyond just my services as a scrivener, I mean.”
“I will. Thank you so much.”
Dominic’s low, gentle voice reminded Dahlia of her father. She felt deeply grateful for his kindness.
“He’s quite right, you know,” Gabriella chimed in. “There’s no need for you to carry your troubles alone. You have many friends and colleagues who value you greatly, so be sure to reach out to them should you need help. Myself included, of course.”
“I understand,” Dahlia replied softly.
“Now, the paperwork’s all taken care of, but what do you plan to do next?” Gabriella asked.
“For now, I’ll go to the new house and have all my furniture taken back home.”
“Will you need a hand? I can fetch some people, if you’d like.”
“No, thank you. I only moved out of the tower this morning, so going back again will be straightforward.”
Gabriella nodded in acknowledgment before opening the meeting room door wide. The sight of all the staff immediately averting their curious gazes was really quite funny. Gabriella turned slowly back to Dahlia with an elegant smile.
“I’ll just say this, Dahlia: congratulations on a lucky escape.”
When Dahlia descended to the guild’s first floor, she found Marcello already there waiting for her. Two other men from the Couriers’ Guild were with him. All three of them wore a vivid green armband, the badge of a Couriers’ Guild member. This color represented the wind, with the idea being that the guild’s members carried goods with all the ease and swiftness of a breeze.
“Hi, Dahlia. Everything taken care of?”
“Yes, it’s all done. We can go straight to the house now.”
“Right, let’s go and get things moved, then.”
They boarded a large carriage that would take them to what should have been Dahlia’s new home. The carriage itself was ordinary enough, but what pulled it certainly wasn’t—it was drawn along by a gray sleipnir. These eight-legged animals were about one-and-a-half times larger than ordinary horses and many times stronger, making them a popular choice for the Couriers’ Guild. Their gentle expressions and deep-black eyes actually made them quite endearing.
It took only a few minutes to reach the house. When it had come to choosing the location, Tobias had prioritized close proximity to the Merchants’ Guild and his family home, where Orlando & Co. was based. This had been to facilitate the transport of their products and to make arranging business meetings more convenient—although none of this was of any use to Dahlia now.
To her relief, no one was home. She set about locating all of her belongings.
“So, if you could take the boxes in the corridor there, the boxes in the workshop, and everything you brought over last time, that would be great. I haven’t unpacked anything yet, so it’s all ready to go.”
Until last week, Tobias had been using the workshop in Dahlia’s house. He’d bought a lot of new equipment for them to use in the new house, but Dahlia liked her old, familiar tools, so she’d brought them with her. They were still all bundled up, so it would be no trouble to move them back.
“Your furniture was just the closet and the dresser, right?”
“That’s right. They’re still empty.”
The closet and dresser were keepsakes from Dahlia’s mother. Of course, since she had never known her mother, it was the way her father had treasured these pieces that she had always been more keenly aware of. Both were currently in a room that had been intended for Dahlia’s use.
“Got it. We’ll load up the stuff that’s still packed just as it is.” Marcello turned to his men. “Double-wrap the closet and dresser, will you?” The two of them set about readying the large cloth sheets. “Is there anything else you want us to take?”
“Well, I bought the bed in the master bedroom, but I already have my own back at the tower. I wonder what I should do with it.”
“We can take it apart and bring it with us, or you could sell it off. Hell, you could make Tobias buy it.”