🌻 🌻 🌻
BEYOND the glimmering blue sea, a hazy set of blue islands slowly emerged. The ship docked at a port within a cove, and we disembarked. White-walled houses lined the rocky cliffs, and the people working at the port all had the same canary-yellow hair as Lucas. Their skin was suntanned, and their eyes were a brilliant shade of amber.
After we set foot on land, Lucas froze for a while. The scenery shocked me, but I had no idea how my husband saw this place.
Our servants were loading the carriage with our belongings. I only called out to my husband once they were all done.
“Lucas,” I said softly.
He gasped and shrugged. “I didn’t think that this scenery actually existed.”
I heard a fuss in the distance. It sounded like someone was chased, then pushed down. Leik swiftly moved to protect us, but I noticed it was Cano who had shoved someone to the ground.
“Cano, what’s going on?” Lucas asked as he approached the boy.
“Nothing much, really,” Cano replied. “Just a baggage thief.”
“You mustn’t stand around so carelessly, Cano,” Leik chimed in frostily. “You let a child get the better of you? How pathetic.”
“S-Sir Leik! I’m terribly sorry!” Cano cried, turning pale.
Indeed, a boy around ten was on the ground. His clothes were dirty, his limbs were slender and frail, and he had the same yellow hair as Lucas. For a moment, I thought I’d laid my eyes upon a younger version of my husband.
Lucas crouched in front of the child. “Hey, kid. If you’re honest, I’ll let you go. Just tell me who ordered you.”
The child turned pale and averted his gaze in shock as he stammered, “N-No one ordered me to…”
“Sorry, but I don’t believe you. A lot of wealthy people were stepping off this ship. I can’t see why you’d aim for us. It’s unusual for you to go after us when a lot of flashier people are around.”
Lucas glanced at Leik and Cano, who replied with peace signs.
“B-Because…” the child started with a pout. “Because a good person said that you’re an evil merchant.”
“An evil merchant, huh?” Lucas replied. “And who is this ‘good person’ who told you so?”
“I’m not telling an evil person like you! Everyone knows your ploy! You dyed your hair to look like a Lapisasther native and spread bad rumors about us in Eizeria!”
“Hmm, I see…” Lucas grinned and showed the boy his hair. “Take a look. Even my roots are of the same color. I was born with this hair, unfortunately for you.”
“Impossible! No one from Eizeria can have this color!”
“But I’m proving you wrong, aren’t I? Besides, simply dyeing my hair won’t get me this hue. Any adult can tell that at a glance.”
The boy gingerly stared at Lucas’s hair. “I can’t believe it…”
“You should. I’m indeed from Eizeria, but my dad’s from here.”
Despite irrefutable proof pressed against him, the boy couldn’t quell his suspicions.
“My lord should just show him the hair growing from other parts of his body,” Cano whispered.
“Shhh!” Leik scolded. “My lord might not have hair growing anywhere else!”
“I heard that, you two,” Lucas said loudly. “There are a lot of anchors in this port. I can easily tie you to something and sink you to the bottom of the ocean.”
“But Super Bear told me…” the boy said anxiously.
“Super Bear? Who’s that?”
“A guy who dresses up like a bear and visits our village every now and then. He brings snacks from Eizeria and teaches us all sorts of things.”
“Interesting…”
Lucas’s gaze turned sharp as he processed this new information. He then took out a few business cards from his chest pocket and handed them to the child, ensuring that the boy would keep a tight grip on them.
“Wh-What are these?” the boy asked.
“Hand it over to Super Bear and any other adults. I’m pretty sure you won’t get in trouble even if you failed your theft attempt,” Lucas replied.
“Really?”
“Yep. And if you still get beat, come to me. I’ll speak to them in your stead.”
Lucas patted the boy’s head and had Cano rush back to the ship to buy him some bread.
“Here, eat this and head back,” Lucas said, handing the boy the bread.
My husband continued to watch the boy until he disappeared from view.
“You’re so kind,” I said.
“Not really,” Lucas replied. “There are a lot of poor villages near the port, and I think they’ll be useful in the future. I’m just having them owe me one. And if the Bearbrooks Trading Company is already trying to mingle with them, I should appease them before things get troublesome.”
His logic was sound, but I couldn’t help but point out one thing. “Then why did you give him some bread?”
“If he carries around money, it’ll quickly get stolen by an adult. But he can prevent bread from being stolen by simply eating it. All he needs to do is to bring back proof that he bumped into me, and he should be able to avoid punishment from the adults and the Bearbrooks Trading Company.”
I didn’t find it odd that Bearbrooks was brought up. They were in the first prince’s faction, and it was only natural for them to try to obstruct Lucas’s path.
“I see now,” I muttered.
“Looks like business is slow for Bearbrooks if they’ve got the time to throw cheap shots and get in my way,” Lucas said. He grinned and patted my shoulder. “Let’s go.”
“Right.”
With a sunny disposition, we headed for the carriage.
“Ah, you must be Baron Stock…” the coachman we hired said as he looked at my husband in surprise. He gave an innocent smile. “Oh my… I’ve heard rumors, but you really do seem to originate from our kingdom. As a fellow Lapisasthan, I’m quite pleased.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” Lucas replied with a fake smile. He boarded the carriage and added humorously, “They see me as an outsider one moment, then treat me as a fellow citizen the next. It’s so funny.”
“It’s no laughing matter,” I replied.
“It’s all right. I think it’s funny enough.”
The rest of our trip was quiet as Lucas solemnly stared out the carriage window with great interest. He was soaking in the scenery, but it also looked like he was searching for his father.
✦ ✦ ✦
🌻 🌻 🌻
AFTER resting for an entire day, we attended a party hosted by the king of Lapisasther.
“Truth be told, we had a present for the king in one of the packages the child tried to steal yesterday,” Cano divulged as he busily made preparations.
“Oh dear. That must’ve been quite troublesome then,” I replied.
“Indeed. But I managed to protect your belongings, so surely that’s worthy of some praise.”
“Madam, please don’t forget. If the thief hadn’t been able to target our belongings in the first place, this would’ve never happened,” Leik reminded as he passed by.
“Ugh, you’re so strict, sir…” Cano sobbed feebly as he followed Leik and left.
“Lady Iris, your dress is ready,” Kiki called.
“Thank you,” I replied.
I stood up to get dressed. Lucas selected a dress for me with an indigo hue that looked as though the curtain of night descended upon my clothes. It was simple in design and took advantage of the excellent fabric quality. Some beads and silver embroidery were scattered across the dress like twinkling stars that shimmered with every step I took. The translucent lace gloves and the powder sprinkled on my skin looked beautiful.
When I gazed at myself in the mirror, I couldn’t help but feel happy. It was a big step forward for me—I could only dress in lavish clothes unpretentiously since I met Lucas. Even when I felt a touch sheepish, when I thought that I had to wear these clothes to promote a new trend for my husband, I naturally stood tall with a smile.
“You done?” Lucas asked, approaching me.
I looked up at him, dressed in a suit that matched my dark dress. “Lucas, are you wearing different colors again?”
“I’m surprised you noticed. My hair won’t stand out here, so I decided to go for a different color this time.” He happily winked at me.