29 - Second Apology of the Day

  As they retraced their steps through the market, Valrion noticed the stares that followed them. The vibrant energy of the square faded the moment they walked by. People paused in their tasks, their whispers barely audible as they watched them move. The remnants of the chase—fallen crates and scattered produce—were the obvious reason for the treatment.

  The fruit seller from earlier turned out to be a beautiful young woman. She was tall, with deep red lips that seemed to underscore the anger simmering in her gaze. Her glare fixed on Sergius as he passed, her posture rigid with resentment. Before her stall, a dozen squashed oranges lay scattered on the ground. Though she said nothing, her sharp glare clearly explained her displeasure.

  “I’ll pay for the damage. Wait there,” Sergius said, motioning to the woman with his free hand before focusing on his task.

  Trailing behind Sergius and Amelia, Valrion could tell that the girl had stopped trembling. Her tears had also subsided, though she still sobbed once in a while. Valrion’s legs still burned from the pursuit, but the ache in his chest was far worse. Words crowded his throat, unspoken.

  Several thoughts crossed his mind: what would happen to Amelia, would Sergius really tell his mother about him using his elemental power, and what would happen to him afterward? Above all, he was still frightened of Sergius’ silence. He couldn’t tell if it was anger or calculation, and it really bothered him.

  He took a few quick steps forward, positioning himself on Sergius’ other side and glancing up to meet his eyes. “Will you really tell my mother what happened?”

  Sergius kept his gaze forward. “I have to, right?”

  Valrion couldn’t believe how terrified he became over this. He tried to take several deep breaths—this was what many humans would do to calm themselves down—but it didn’t change a thing. If there was something that would soothe him, it would be Sergius deciding to keep that incident a secret, which was unlikely to happen.

  As soon as Valrion saw his mother, her face lit with relief at the sight of them. Just as they were about to reach her, a woman rushed toward them from among the street dwellers.

  “Amelia!” the woman shouted. She darted to Amelia and harshly pulled her away from Sergius. Their dark-colored eyes and similar jawlines mirrored one another. Even the slight wave in their hair seemed to match, as though nature had carefully crafted them from the same mold. Despite the dirt on their clothes and the strain on their faces, the resemblance between them left no doubt that they were mother and daughter.

  “I’m sorry,” Amelia said in a halting whisper, her voice cracking as the woman dragged her forward.

  “Apologize now!” Amelia’s mother barked, pushing her down. She dropped to her knees alongside her daughter, bowing deeply until their foreheads touched the dirt.

  “No, don’t do this!” Valrion’s mother begged, kneeling quickly to stop them. “It’s okay, please get up!”

  Amelia’s voice quivered as she repeated, “I’m sorry.”

  “We’re very sorry!” her mother added, sounding so desperate. “We didn’t mean for this to happen! I should have kept a closer eye on her!”

  Valrion’s mother hesitated for a moment before gripping the woman’s shoulders, gently but firmly attempting to pull her up. The woman’s resistance was resolute, her knees pressing harder into the ground as if forgiveness could only be achieved through this act of humility.

  Despite the tension, Valrion noticed the absence of disgust or condescension in his mother’s demeanor. Earlier, he had thought he might have misjudged his mother’s compassion, assuming it extended to just the workers at home. Now, seeing her willingly touch those who might not have bathed in weeks, he couldn’t help but regret ever doubting her. Human behavior, he realized, was as unpredictable as ever.

  “It’s okay. Really, it’s okay,” his mother said. “We all make mistakes.”

  If the situation weren’t so serious, Valrion might have laughed. This was the second time his mother had received an apology in less than thirty minutes, and her response was identical to the first. Word by word.

  After a while, Amelia and her mother rose, with the girl clinging to her mother’s side. They bowed their heads one final time before returning to their group—their gazes were cast downward. Her mother gave her a sudden slap on the back, surprising everyone who saw it. Thankfully, it happened only once. The girl had clearly endured enough.

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  Sergius handed the pouch he had been holding to Valrion’s mother, the jingle of coins sounding lovely to the ears. “What a day.”

  “Truly,” Valrion’s mother said.

  “Do you want to continue around?”

  “I think let’s just head back.”

  “I think so, yeah.”

  This had been a lackluster day. Valrion didn’t get exactly what he came for, and it was a shame that he couldn’t explore the rest of the market. However, he understood that there was no way his mother and Sergius would listen to his request. Looking on the brighter side, he could at least leave his house and learn that the market situation in Eru hadn’t changed.

  He was about to walk away when his gaze landed on the candy seller from before. At the very least, his mother and Sergius wouldn’t mind stopping at a stall just ten steps away. This might be his only chance, knowing his mother might not indulge him after learning about his earlier actions. He had to make the best of the situation while he still could.

  “Mama,” he called. “Can I get some candies?”

  “Candies?” His mother’s gaze flicked to him and then to the stall. “Hmm? Have you ever had that? How do you know they’re called candies?”

  His heart skipped a beat, but he quickly stammered, “People around say they’re candies.”

  “Oh, is that so?” she said, a smile shown on her lips as always.

  He glanced at Sergius, who looked at him briefly before turning away. Valrion couldn’t tell if Sergius had just added this as another piece of evidence about his origin or if he was simply still upset with him.

  Valrion’s mother headed toward the candy seller first, and Valrion ran after her, with Sergius following casually behind. Valrion’s gaze roamed the baskets filled with colorful candies, indecision gripping him for a moment before he settled on a bag of red, yellow, and green sweets that resembled thick worms. The vibrant hues promised a burst of flavor, which he was certain was fruity.

  “I’ll have those.” Valrion pointed toward the colorful candies.

  “All right. A mix of those?” Valrion’s mother asked, to which he responded with a nod.

  Then, like with the baker, Valrion’s mother told the seller what Valrion requested and gave him a few coins. This time, however, she also fastened her pouch around her waist, and the bag given to them was considerably smaller.

  “How much? Ten times the price of one rye bun?” Sergius joked, laughing while shaking his head.

  Valrion looked around, realizing he hadn’t seen another customer visiting the stall. Sugar, it seemed, was no longer a scarce luxury, but its rarity still lent it a certain charm—a small treasure that not everyone could afford. He hadn’t thought about this before.

  “All right. Thank you.” Valrion’s mother grabbed the bag and handed it to Valrion.

  Right away, they resumed their journey to the other side of the market, and Valrion walked between his mother and Sergius. As they got closer to the beautiful fruit seller, Sergius suddenly muttered a “hold on” and ran toward her. Without hesitation, he handed over a few coins as reimbursement for the earlier mess from his own pouch. They exchanged a few genial words, as evidenced by how the woman appeared so calm before Sergius left.

  “All good?” Valrion’s mother asked when he rejoined them.

  “That little thief caused quite a bit of trouble,” Sergius explained. Valrion’s mother nodded slowly, seeming to understand without needing the full details.

  They continued on, the crowd thinning and the market’s noise fading out of hearing as they saw the spot where they had tied their horses. Valrion glanced at Sergius, who hadn’t said much, even though he had begun the trip by introducing so many sellers to him. Even at home, Sergius wouldn’t have gone five minutes without speaking.

  An idea emerged, and Valrion nudged Sergius’ arm. “Do you want some candies?”

  “Sure,” Sergius replied. Valrion took out two pieces of candy and handed them to Sergius, but the man returned one, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Thank you,” he added.

  Valrion popped the candy into his mouth, the burst of sourness drawing a small gasp before a grin spread across his face. Sergius followed suit, his reaction just as exaggerated. That made Valrion chuckle, and for a moment, he was reassured. Perhaps Sergius had forgiven him after all.

  At the stalls, Valrion’s mother handed a few coins to two men tasked with watching over the horses. As before, Valrion mounted the horse with Sergius while his mother rode alone. They set off, the sun climbing higher into the sky, casting a brighter light over the town.

  Though the air had warmed, it still carried the chillness of spring—it was nothing compared to the heat of summer. The streets grew busier, with more people bustling about, their movements creating a steady hum of activity quite different from hours earlier.

  “Do you think Amelia will be okay?” Valrion asked Sergius. The horses’ hooves loudly clattered against the uneven path, but Sergius should still be able to hear him.

  “She will be,” Sergius answered.

  The answer was simple, and Valrion wanted to believe it. The image of Amelia’s mournful face appeared in his mind but was quickly replaced by another: himself standing in his room later at night, being scolded by both of his parents and sentenced to never leaving the house for an entire year.

  “Are you not going to tell my mother?” Valrion asked again.

  The question hung in the air, unanswered at first. Sergius’ pause felt endless before he finally responded, “Later.”

  His tone was heavy, implying no room for argument. No matter what Valrion did, he knew Sergius wouldn’t change his mind. Since being reborn into this world, he had realized that much of his life was dictated by others due to his age. It just had been a while since he was so acutely reminded of that fact.

  The rest of the journey passed in silence. Valrion’s mind wrestled with many what-ifs, unable to find peace no matter how many deep breaths he took. As they approached the final stretch leading to their home, the landscape opened up, revealing the familiar outlines of the estate. The sight should have brought relief, but instead, it only amplified Valrion’s worry.

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