♚♚♚
AFTER dinner, Ebel and Rock said their goodbyes to Phoebe, as they were both heading out to their respective homes in the aristocrat district and the slums. Phoebe saw them off with a smile and—
“Your Excellency, I humbly request that you see my daughter home untouched.”
—a touch of his usual sarcasm, making sure to drive his point home.
Ebel parried his quibble in the same vein.
“Don’t you worry, I shall keep unscrupulous fellows far away from her.”
Rock had a rejoinder of her own but wisely kept silent.
The sun had set, and flames danced inside the oil streetlights dotting the sidewalks.
The slums were a distorted, lawless corner of the imperial capital. People who were forced out of the capital for lack of citizenship had constructed shacks on the capital’s outskirts, starting the initial foundation of what eventually became the slums. As the shacks grew in size and number, even the House of Lords and the emperor couldn’t ignore their existence.
Thus, streetlights were put up along the intertwining alleyways, low-quality housing was constructed, and the constables patrolled the roads, albeit lazily. Some said that one day the walls surrounding the imperial capital would be destroyed, and the slums would be incorporated into the capital as another district. Others feared that the emperor would send troops into the shantytown to carry out a clean-up operation.
Whatever the future might hold, people still lived on these overcrowded gloomy streets, and warm light filled the windows of their rundown houses.
“I had fun tonight,” Ebel told Rock as they walked down the dimly lit street.
“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”
The corners around Ebel’s eyes softened when Rock smiled at him.
“I would love to hear tales of your father’s adventures when I have the opportunity to visit his home again.”
“Please do ask him about it. His stories are so riveting,” Rock boasted, as if talking about herself. Then she bashfully told him, “…To tell you the truth, he asked me to live with him.”
“As father and daughter?”
“Yes. He said he wants to live together as long as we still can, since we went so long not being part of each other’s lives.”
After she said that, Rock suddenly realized Phoebe had said that because he was planning for a future where she’d move away. It was only natural for a child to eventually move out to live their life, but it was embarrassing to say such a thing to Ebel, given their relationship.
“What might happen in the future plays less of a part in my decision than wanting to be a good daughter,” Rock quickly amended, lest Ebel misunderstand.
“I see.” Ebel chuckled, hinting he knew what she was trying to beat around the bush about. Then, his expression softened. “I think it’s a great idea. Family should be together as long as they can.” His voice darkened as he muttered, “I can’t be a good son now even if I want to be…”
Rock gasped and pressed her lips together.
She stole a peek at his face beside her. His eyes were staring off into the distance.
Rock only knew what Ebel had told her about his father. She often wanted to ask him about what kind of man his father was and what their relationship had been like. But she felt like those were old wounds for him, and she didn’t want to go poking at them.
They walked for a while in silence.
Rock’s apartment wasn’t that far from Phoebe’s. Whether they spent the time chatting or walking in silence, they would arrive in no time. At the end of the road, where the streetlight flames swayed, Rock saw the storefront of the familiar antique shop and immediately wanted to extend their time together.
She stopped in the middle of the road and timidly offered, “Um…would you like to come up for tea?”
Ebel stopped in sync with her, his expression puzzled.
“How should I interpret your invitation, Rock?”
“I-I didn’t mean anything by it! I just wanted to offer you tea!” Rock insisted, but her voice cracked, betraying her intentions.
Ebel’s golden eyes gleamed in the night, seeing right through her. His gaze accelerated her embarrassment.
“You don’t have to…if you don’t want to…”
Was that move too bold…? Rock wondered, doubting her decision.
Ebel slowly leaned toward her. Her breath caught in her throat as his shadow cast on her face.
“Your offer is most tempting,” he whispered in her ear. “But you have a guest to deal with first.”
Rock’s head shot up at that unexpected answer.
Ebel’s golden eyes were fastened on the road ahead. Someone was standing in front of the spiral staircase leading to Rock’s room beside Lady Trilian’s shop.
It was the silver-haired tailor, Krister Gionet.
“Hey, Rock. Thanks for your help this afternoon,” Krister casually greeted her. His eyes widened when he saw she was with someone, but he immediately cracked a smile when he recognized the face. “Oooh! You’re still with my gallant hero!”
“Hero…?”
“You saved me this afternoon, remember? Thank you very much, Count Mateus!”
Krister stuck out his hand toward Ebel. Ebel answered him with a smile that didn’t leave his lips.
“I only did what anyone else would have. By the way…why are you here?”
Rock snuck in a glance at Ebel to find his golden eyes weren’t smiling at all. Whether Krister realized that or not, he replied with a toothy grin.
“To offer my thanks for this afternoon, Your Excellency.”
“To thank me?”
“Nay. I am a lowborn man of the slums, and you are a noble and highborn count. I’m too lacking to even dare offer a meager word of thanks to someone so great, which is why I came to bring my overflowing words of gratitude to your acquaintance, Rock Floria!” Krister spouted pleasantries as he gripped Ebel’s hand. His theatrical display made him look drunk on his own words.
Rock’s opinion of Krister grew frostier the more he kept speechifying.
As a saleswoman, Rock was accustomed to using some flattery on her customers. But Krister’s word choice was overly embellished and deliberate, having the opposite effect of putting the person off.
Case in point, the corners of Ebel’s lips were twitching. He seemed to be trying not to let his displeasure show.
Even Rock wanted this nuisance to hurry up and get lost.
“We don’t need your empty thanks, Krister,” Rock said curtly to get rid of him. She pried Ebel’s hand free of Krister’s and purposely treated him coldly. “You’re only being a nuisance, coming at this hour. Go home.”
“What the hell? And here I was tryin’ to bring you a good job.” Krister leaned forward and lowered his voice suggestively. “You okay if I just leave and take one of your favorite things away: the chance to make good money?”
Rock was always up for a good business deal, but she trusted Krister less than she loved money.
Phoebe often said, “The better a job sounds, the bigger of a catch it has.”
“I’m not interested in any jobs coming from you.”
Krister seemed unfazed by Rock’s glare.
“Don’t be that way, buddy! I’ll introduce ya to my customers.”
“Why would you do that?”
“To tell ya the truth, I’ve been busy handlin’ a huge order from a wealthy customer.”
The way he bragged about it only incensed Rock further.