The following afternoon found Chloe at Ian’s bookstore once more. She sifted through titles with a hum of contentment floating from her lips.
“It seems the day is treating you well, Miss Chloe,” noted Ian with a smile.
“Was it that obvious?” she replied, feeling her own mouth quirk upwards. “Something...good happened to me yesterday.”
“Something good, you say?” Ian said. “Might this have anything to do with that handsome knight of yours, by chance?”
“It does, I think... Yes, I think it does.”
“In that case, congratulations are in order,” Ian replied, palms clapping together in a soft echo of applause.
“C-Congratulations?” she stammered. “It’s nothing like that!” she hastened to dismiss.
“I was only joking—well, half joking.”
“So you were half serious...”
“Well, you simply looked so radiant, dare I say.”
Chloe whimpered in protest, a sprite of restlessness dancing in her chest. “How embarrassing...”
But she couldn’t deny her happiness. She had told Lloyd about everything, and he had accepted her unflinchingly. All the fear and anxiety that had once crippled her turned out to be nothing more than phantoms in the wind. Astonishingly, he’d even seethed with anger on her behalf against the family that had done her wrong. She’d intended to express her gratitude to Lloyd again this morning, but he’d rushed off before she had the chance.
What filled her heart with joy more than anything else, however, was Lloyd’s promise of wrapping her in his embrace whenever she wished.
My arms are open to you, whenever you need them. As the remnant of his sultry whisper skipped across her mind, her face fell into a dreamy, disheveled grin.
“Miss Chloe? Your face...”
“O-Oh, please excuse me.”
“Pay it no mind; it is a delight to see you so joyous.”
Wrapping up their benign conversation, Chloe settled on her pick for the day.
With a warm “Thank you for your purchase,” Ian saw Chloe off from his store. Clutching her purchase against her chest, Chloe headed towards the open market.
“If it isn’t my favorite little lady, Chloe! How’s the world treating you?”
“Hello, Mister Escardot. I’m quite well, thank you. How about you?”
After pausing to exchange pleasantries with Escardot, the ironmonger, Chloe continued on her way.
“Hey, Chloe, hittin’ the market today?”
“Hello, Miss Snow! Indeed! I’m off to Miss Ciel’s.”
“Well, enjoy! By the way, Chloe, rumor has it you were the one who embroidered Miss Ciel’s dress, is that true?”
“Oh, yes it is!”
“I saw it, and I gotta say it’s pretty darn incredible! I’m tempted to request one of my own, hint hint.”
“Of course, I’d love to!”
“Really?! You’re an angel! You can expect to see a commission from me soon.”
“Thank you, I’ll be looking forward to it!”
After another lively conversation with Snow, the florist, Chloe was on her way once again.
Two months since her arrival in the capital, Chloe had become a familiar face in the market. Her kindness, humility, and radiant beauty had cast a charming spell on all the locals. If only she were aware of the reputation she had unknowingly cultivated.
Looking up, Chloe noted the sun had already begun to dip into the horizon, painting the sky in an orange hue. “Oh dear, I should pick up the pace.”
If she continued to dawdle, Lloyd would return to an empty house.
“Welcome, Chloe!” Ciel greeted her warmly.
“Hello, Miss Ciel!” Chloe returned. “I want to prepare something special tonight. Do you have any suggestions?”
“Sure! What are we celebrating?”
“Oh, it’s nothing like that. I’m just in a good mood today.”
“A good mood?” Ciel replied, giving her a look and a smirk. “Has your knight finally...?” She left the sentence unfinished, her pinky finger raised suggestively, a gesture of companionship.
“N-No! It’s not anything like that! Something good happened to me is all! Let’s leave it at that.”
“It’s not?” Ciel replied. “Well, you’re in it for the long haul, ain’tcha, Chloe? In any case, if it’s a celebratory dinner you’re looking for...”
As always, Ciel expertly guided Chloe towards the choice of the evening: a succulent roast beef.
“And Chloe, thanks again for your work on my dress,” Ciel said while weighing a slab of beef. “It was the talk of the night; everyone was scrambling to find out where I got that done.”
“Really?” Chloe exclaimed, her face lighting up. “I’m so happy to hear that.” The residual anxiety of how her work would be received had been tickling the back of her mind ever since. Ciel’s comment quickly put that to rest.
“A few nobles seemed particularly interested in your handiwork,” Ciel went on. “How about it, Chloe? You ready to take on some more orders? Paid, of course!”
Chloe’s eyes shot open. “They want me to...?” First Miss Snow, now the nobility? she thought, as her lack of self-confidence began to rear its ugly head. “No, no, I couldn’t possibly! They’d be better off asking someone else...”
“Now, didn’t I tell you to hold your head high?” Ciel chided gently. “Your work has caught the eye of them aristocrats—I can vouch for that. Humility has its place, but not without confidence. If you don’t believe in your ability, how can others? Take pride in your work, Chloe.”
“Confidence... Pride...” Chloe echoed, her voice barely above a whisper. These concepts were distinctly foreign to her, and yet, Ciel’s words resonated deeply. Had her days of maltreatment back in Shadaf not been born from a lack of self-esteem, which others had so readily exploited?
Determined to rewrite her story, Chloe looked up, her eyes shining with resolve. “You’re...exactly right,” she affirmed, her voice steady. “I’d be honored to accept their commissions.”
“That’s the spirit!” Ciel applauded. “I’ll get back to you once I have more details.”
“Thank you very much!”
She gently balled up her fists, basking in her new reality. Not only were her skill and craftsmanship now being acknowledged and compensated, they were desired—appreciated, even. It was a flavor of joy she’d never once savored in her past life. Here, in the heart of the Kingdom, she felt as though she’d discovered her true calling, with each passing day unfurling a deeper sense of fulfillment than the last. An overwhelming feeling of gratitude for the capital and her decision to come here welled up from the depths of her heart.
“Oh, right, right, almost forgot,” Ciel suddenly said, interrupting Chloe’s train of thought. “There was one particular enthusiast who absolutely insisted on meeting you.”
“They wanted to meet me?” Chloe responded.
“That’s right. She was, um... Drat, what was her name again?”
“Hello, Chloe.”
A shiver shot down her spine. Every hair on her body prickled in alarm. That voice—a haunting echo, tantamount to terror itself, a voice Chloe prayed to never hear again—chilled her blood.
No, no, no... she thought, denial thrumming in her veins. This can’t be happening... This must be another nightmare.
Dread consumed Chloe as she slowly turned towards the source of the voice. Her heart leapt into her mouth.
There she was. A cascade of fiery-red hair tumbling down her back, porcelain-white skin stark against her crimson dress. Her eyes, a cold well of contempt for everything and everyone.
Her sister, Lily, stood in violent contrast to the mundane environs of the market.
“Ah, Lily! That’s right.” Ciel said. “Perfect timing.”
“I heard that I might find you here...” Lily drawled, her words hissing out like venom.
A well-practiced smile adorned Lily’s lips, but Chloe wasn’t fooled. Her attention was riveted to the chilling indifference in Lily’s eyes—and the impending storm that it signaled.
“Lily...” Chloe managed to breathe out, her voice so faint it vanished into the noise of the bustling market. She darted her eyes around, seeking an escape route. Instead, she found the two hulking figures shadowing Lily—her escorts, ready to thwart any attempt to flee.
“You two know each other?” Ciel questioned, observing them.
Chloe didn’t answer, her thoughts smothered by fear. Lily remained equally silent.
The smile on Lily’s lips contorted into something far more sinister as she reveled in their unexpected reunion. “You’ll come with me, won’t you?”
“Yes...”
Confronted with her sister’s twisted visage, all Chloe could do was nod, a marionette bending to the puppeteer’s whim.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Is that...Chloe?”
While he was sweeping the front of his store, the sight of an unusual quartet meandering down the street caught Ian’s attention.
“Chloe in the company of...a noblewoman?”
Ian’s gaze shifted to the two other men in their party. He couldn’t discern their purpose, but their robust statures hinted at a role that demanded presence and physicality. Yet, it was not them that tied a knot of worry in his gut.
Something was amiss about Chloe. The contagious delight that had lit up her face just a few moments earlier was conspicuously absent, replaced by a gloom that seemed to cast her whole visage in shadow.
Perplexed, Ian watched as Chloe and her enigmatic companions disappeared into the distance, a lingering unease settling in his heart.