Chapter 29
***
"No, no..................?"
Miriam slowly cleared her throat and approached the cat. Marie, the general store cat, was thankfully docile. The owner of the general store offered her a treat and enthusiastically taught her how to handle the cat. It was just as friendly as it had been a few days earlier.
It didn't seem to know exactly who Miriam was, but it wasn't foolish enough to treat a lady who had just arrived in a Count’s carriage with no regard for her.
Miriam soon became familiar enough with the cat to stroke its back.
"It's so soft," she said, "so much warmer and smoother than my softest fur coat."
Louise watched the girl's teary-eyed delight, and decided she was glad she had gone out after all.
"See, it's nice to study with it, isn't it?"
Miriam nodded vigorously.
"It's the best, and I'm going to do my best, I promise."
It was a peaceful moment.
She didn’t know how much time they spent like that, but then there was a loud thud and a commotion outside.
-Heeeeeee!
Louise looked out the window in surprise. Two carriages were tangled up in the narrow intersection. The owner of the general store, who had come to her side, lamented.
"Well, well, the wagons are overloaded to the limit, and that's why we have this mess. They can't handle the heavy load, so the wagon falls off, and an innocent horse is crushed underneath. What a..................."
-Heeheehee!
The alley was soon filled with the cries of horses. Just then, a group of customers rushed into the general store, each talking loudly.
"Oh, my God, what's all the fuss about..................."
"Are they horses?"
Miriam was surprised, but the cat was even more surprised.
Marie suddenly clenched her jaws at the arrival of the strange guests and scurried out through the still-open door.
"Marie, Marie...............!"
To her bewilderment, Miriam followed her out the door in a flash.
It was completely unexpected. Usually, Miriam was the kind of girl who didn't respond quickly.
"Miriam?"
Louise rushed out the door, not even bothering to put on the outer garments she had left behind, but she couldn't find Miriam in the chaotic alley.
"Mi, Miriam?"
Then Louise spotted a white frill fluttering and disappearing from the corner of the alley.
"Miriam!"
She gestured to the guards Caius had assigned to her to let them know what was going on, but they stood at a distance, fearful of provoking Miriam, and with two carriages blocking their view, communication was difficult.
In the end, Louise’s choice was Miriam. The guards could wait, but once Miriam was gone, she was gone.
"Miriam, wait!"
Louise shouted as loud as she could and rounded the corner of the alley where Miriam had disappeared. In front of her was the slum.
"Give me a dime, Miss................... A dime..................."
She fumbled in her pockets and produced a coin.
"Did you see the white cat and the young lady? Which way did they go?"
The beggar old woman took the coin and stretched out her arm and pointed in the opposite direction.
Louise looked in the direction they were headed. Poor people were sitting in the alleyways, too many to pass quickly.
"Are you sure...............?"
The old woman nodded.
Louise hesitantly turned and walked away. When she came to, she was out of breath and running, but Miriam was nowhere to be seen.
It had happened a few times, and each time people pointed fingers at something.
But Louise never saw the white cat or Miriam's white skirt again.
She wandered the streets the whole time and didn't even feel cold. Miriam must be colder, having spent her life indoors.
"Will people think we're sisters then?"
She had been so open with her, Louise didn’t want her to have an accident.
She didn’t think she'd fall into the wrong hands, she's a lady from a good family, so she wouldn’t do any harm.
If anything went wrong.................. then it was all her fault. Her fault for being greedy, for not knowing Miriam well enough.
Every time she closed her eyes and opened them, the bad thoughts blossomed anew.
The thought of meeting the guards was all she could think about.
Louise hurried back to the intersection where the general store was located. The carriage wreck had been cleaned up, and the horses had disappeared without a trace.
The guards scattered, leaving only the captain of the guard to remain. As soon as he saw her, he opened his mouth.
"Miss, is the young lady.................."
Louise swallowed back hot tears before answering.
"I'm sorry. The young lady......... has disappeared. We need to search thoroughly from this back alley......"
"What?"
The captain of the guard could only repeat in bewilderment. A single, hot tear slipped from Louise's eye.
“I lost her..................! Please, please, please find her, yes...............?"
Then she heard a low chuckle from behind her.
A relaxed chuckle that didn't fit the situation in the slightest. It was not the voice she expected to hear at this moment, but as soon as she heard the familiarity of the voice, a deep sense of comfort washed over her like a tidal wave.
"I thought you said you would hold her hand."
Louise slowly turned around.
The light golden eyes were shining beautifully in the midst of the devastation. The man himself seemed like a different being, untouched by the dust and commotion around him.
Caius unfolded his cape and draped them over Louise's shoulders, his face serene.
Louise's legs gave way and she fell to her knees.
Miriam’s brother. She should beg him to forgive her, beg him to find Miriam, and he would find her faster than anyone else.
But then a small cry came from behind Caius.
-heyyyyy.
Louise looked up, startled, to see Miriam slipping out from behind his back. Her starry silver hair had turned to dust, and she held a white kitten in her arms.
"..................Miriam?"
Miriam stammered, embarrassed.
"Teacher."
"Oh, my God, Miriam."
Louise burst into tears as she hugged Miriam tightly.
"We come together, we go together!”
"Oh, I'm sorry................"
Miriam was stunned to hear Louise raise her voice for the first time. Her white dress was smeared with dirt from whatever mud she had rescued the cat from.
"Oh, look at you, aren't you cold?"
"Oh, my brother.................."
Miriam caught Caius's eye and smiled shyly.
"Marie, I found her."
The man's chuckle rang out once more in Louise's ears as she sighed hollowly.
"Well, instead of thanking me, I have something I want to tell you."
He said smugly.
For this moment, she couldn't hate the man, even if he was arrogant.
After all, he had come to her aid again, and it was such a relief to have his support.
She could finally stand on her toes, which were always so precarious when she was alone. She dared to walk into the future, warmed by the generosity of the owner of this land.
"I'll ..................."
And so Louise looked up at Caius and said, "I'll do it.”
As if he hadn't heard, he asked.
"What?"
"I'll do it, Your Excellency ..................."
The man straightened his stiffly turned face. The cool corners of his eyes curved downward a little, and the triumphant smirk was clear in the sweet gold.
Louise watched his mouth curve in an arc, and finally spoke clearly.
"I will marry you."
***
A week later, Caius and Miriam's father, the Duke of Burg, met for the first time. Louise bowed deeply before the old man, who lay motionless, as if he had always been there.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Excellency. I am Louise Henriette Ermoli."
"Yes, Miss Ermoli. You're Miriam's new teacher..............?"
Caius's deception of his ailing father was a sinful endeavor. The fact that it was all his plan didn’t make her feel any less guilty.
Louise could barely look the old man's Miriam-like sea-blue eyes in the eye, but at that moment, the words leapt from Caius' lips.
"Yes, and she's going to be your daughter-in-law, and she's four weeks pregnant."
***
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