The office chosen for the private meeting was not the kind that impressed. There were no tapestries or visible symbols of power. It was an uncomfortable, empty, functional space. That place gave off a strange sense of disorder despite its minimal decoration. Neo and Hunt entered escorted to the door. The guard withdrew despite the risk of leaving the marchioness unprotected in front of two strangers. That situation, in itself, said more than any speech about trust or vigilance ever could.
Sorina received them standing beside the desk, reviewing some documents that she did not seem to be truly reading. When she lifted her gaze, her eyes settled first on Hunt, then on Neo. There was neither hostility nor warmth. It was a constant evaluation, as if she herself had not yet decided what place they occupied at this point.
— Sorina — You may sit. —
She did not say it as an invitation, but with the intention of granting permission. Both understood and obeyed. Neo sat down with restrained rigidity; Hunt, on the other hand, sat naturally, as if he were already familiar with that office.
There were a few seconds of silence, seconds that Sorina used to place the papers on the desk, aligning them with excessive care. Her hands trembled slightly. She walked under the boys' gaze and sat down in front of them.
Neo became aware of something he had already suspected for days: the woman in front of them was holding herself together by sheer willpower.
●— Marchioness… — He began, breaking the pause. — Before getting into any other matter… there is something I must say. —
Hunt did not look at him, but he knew instantly by the tone that Neo was not going to improvise. This had been decided and rehearsed before crossing the door. She nodded, giving him permission to speak.
— Sorina — Go ahead. —
Neo inhaled slowly. There was no dramatics on his face, but there was an uncomfortable honesty.
●— The last time we spoke… I held you directly responsible for the death of the peasant. I did so with a harshness that was unwarranted and overstepping my place. — He paused briefly as he brought his hands together, staring deeply at them. — What I did was not right. I had no right to throw that blame at you in that way. Asking for forgiveness does not seem sufficient. —
Sorina did not react immediately. She did not frown, she did not raise her voice. She simply leaned back against the wooden backrest, crossed her legs, and interlaced her fingers. Those words did not surprise her; she had been waiting for them for a long time, or perhaps she needed to hear them.
— Sorina — No. — She finally replied, her tone somewhat tired. — It was not correct on your part. —
Neo reacted by shaking his head, still looking at his hands, waiting for some further reply.
●— Marchioness… — He tried to say before being interrupted.
— Sorina — No. — Her voice was firm, but without harshness. — It was uncomfortable, but precise. — She shifted her gaze toward the window; a small bird perched on the sill. — That man, Bertin, died because of me. — She looked back at them. — Power does not work with excuses. —
Hunt tilted his head slightly. He did not intervene at once; he let a few seconds of silence pass. He was observing, waiting for any outcome. The fact that Sorina did not defend herself, but instead agreed with him, surprised him more than any punishment would have.
— Sorina — The misery of this city. — She continued, somewhat sadly. — It could not have appeared on its own. Neither could violence, nor corruption. —
— Sorina — The nobility, the commercial guilds, all those who are not accustomed to someone like you altering the balance without asking for permission.
Neo frowned.
●— But you are the one who requires these meetings or presentations to be public. ―
Sorina tilted her head, puzzled, not understanding the response.
— Sorina — Me?… ― Neo slowly turned toward Hunt.
●— What? ― Hunt did not avoid his gaze.
■— Because I was the one who insisted they be public. ― Neo frowned, annoyed with his friend.
●— Why? ― Hunt barely smiled. Not mockingly, but with determination.
■— Because there are things that only change when we force the powerful to react in public. ―
●— If you say so… ―
Sorina sighed, brought a hand to her forehead, and shook her head. She had deep dark circles that makeup no longer managed to hide.
— Sorina — That way of thinking has placed you at the center of every gaze.
■— Exactly. — He replied proudly. — And some gazes bite. ―
Neo leaned back against the chair.
— Sorina — Then why do you continue? — She asked, intrigued. — If you know the risk and money is not an issue, in fact they will most likely kill you, or order me to kill you, or kill your families. ―
Neo and Hunt answered almost in unison, without looking at each other.
●■— The Lord has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of strength, of love, and of prudence. If we walk under the shelter of the Most High, we shall dwell under the shadow of the Almighty. ―
■— Because now we know how much needs to change. ―
●— And because we can fix it. ―
Sorina remained silent for a few seconds longer than normal, her hands resting on the table, her gaze fixed on the dark wood as if an answer were written there. Then she raised her head.
— Sorina — Leaving all this aside... — She said slowly, measuring each word. — I want to know more about this God of yours. ―
Light returned through the window and Neo blinked, adjusting his sight. Sorina continued watching them from the other side of the desk, waiting for an answer. Neo exchanged a quick glance with Hunt. Neither of them knew where to begin.
For more than two hours, that lost and wounded woman allowed herself to be free. She asked questions without pause, clearing every doubt that crossed her mind. Both Neo and Hunt answered as best they could, but many questions were left hanging in the air. She herself would not let them finish their answers. She interrupted them every time she heard something terrifying or wonderful.
The life of Jesus Christ seemed fascinating to her. Her soul cried out to know more and more. But during the account of the Passion, her heart stopped beating with happiness and curiosity. The details fell upon her like daggers. When Hunt finished telling how He died on the cross, Sorina fell silent, her eyes moist. Then Neo mentioned the Resurrection. Sorina lifted her head abruptly.
— Sorina — If He has risen, then that man is God. And Tolmas is nothing more than a fly in His presence. ―
The boys tried to clear the woman's doubts with catechism explanations and sermons they remembered from Mass. But they could not keep up with the questions. Hunt quoted Saint Paul. Neo tried to explain grace. Sorina listened, processed, and asked again.
Of all the lessons, one remained engraved in her heart.
— Sorina — Then everything works for good for those who trust in God. — she said slowly, as if tasting the words in her mouth.
Before Neo or Hunt could respond, the doors burst open. Pudiente was carried inside by two knights. Doina entered behind them, her face red.
Something changed in Sorina. She stood up quickly, trying to hold herself together. She remained upright, but her legs and hands were trembling. To everyone watching, she looked like the same marchioness as always, but the words of those two boys echoed relentlessly in her mind.
— Claudia — I'm sorry to interrupt, my lady, but we have just found them, and this is a matter that cannot wait. — said the steward.
— Doina — Mother, we haven't done anything wrong. — the young woman protested from a distance, embarrassed.
Neo leaned toward Hunt and whispered.
●— What do you think Pudiente did for those two mountains to carry him in like that? ―
Hunt tried to contain his laughter.
— Sorina — What happened? — She asked, looking at Claudia, trying to ignore the image of Pudiente.
— Doina — It's not... ―
— Sorina — Silence. — she said, pointing at the steward with her chin.
— Claudia — We found Miss Doina with the young man in her chambers... ―
Sorina closed her eyes for a moment. She focused on the boys' words, and when she opened them, her face was perfectly controlled. But her hands were still shaking.
— Sorina — Come. — she said in a voice that was far too calm.
Doina stepped forward, head lowered, cheeks flushed. Sorina watched her, assessing the situation. Not even she herself knew what to feel. She had spent so long feeling nothing but fear and despair that now she could not distinguish these new emotions.
— Sorina — Do you have any idea... — She said in a trembling voice, trying to steady herself. She could not finish the sentence; she did not know what she wanted to say. — …of the danger? Of the scandal? Of what they could do to you? Or do you have any idea how fortunate you are to be able to choose? ―
— Doina — Mother, I... ―
— Sorina — No. Not now. — She said, raising a hand, closing her eyes, and taking a deep breath.
— Sorina — Go to your room… ― She waited with her eyes closed for the sound of footsteps. But when she heard nothing — PLEASE — she finally shouted.
— Doina — Mother... ―
— Sorina — Go. Please. — She said, opening her eyes, tears filling them.
Doina, frightened, stepped back and ran. Sorina remained standing, trembling.
— Claudia — My lady...? ―
— Sorina — Leave me alone. — She said in a broken voice.
— Claudia — But... ―
— Sorina — Leave me alone! — she almost shouted. Claudia bowed and left quickly, taking Pudiente and the guards with her. Sorina remained there, standing.
●— I think we're going to leave. ―
■— Yes, this is not the moment to continue our conversation. ―
— Sorina — No, I'm fine, it's just... — she said, raising a hand to stop the boys. ―
Neo stood up first and moved toward the door. Hunt stepped closer to her before following Neo and placed a hand on her shoulder.
■— Sorina, you don't have to, it's better if you go talk to Doina, she surely needs it. ―
— Sorina — What did you say? ―
●— Hunt... — he whispered. ―
— Sorina — Are you telling me how to raise my daughter? ―
■— No, I just... ―
— Sorina — DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! ―
Hunt stepped back, hands raised. Sorina was breathing heavily. She brought a hand to her forehead, closed her eyes, and counted to three.
— Sorina — Sorry. I think I'm tired. You're right. I'll go talk to my daughter. Withdraw, and take Pudiente with you as well.
Neo and Hunt left in silence. They closed the door carefully. When they were in the hallway, Hunt exhaled.
■— Shit. ―
●— Yeah. ―
They walked several steps before Neo spoke.
●— What do you think Pudiente did for two guards to carry him like that? ―
■— No idea. But now is not the time. ―
●— I know. ―
As soon as they left the palace, far from hiding their friend's embarrassing moment, the two burst into laughter. They mocked Pudiente mercilessly, who did not know whether he was more ashamed for not having "climbed to the next step" or for having been caught "red-handed."
The teasing continued until Pudiente could not take it anymore. He lunged at them and started hitting them jokingly. Neo and Hunt defended themselves laughing, dodging their friend's clumsy blows. It was a strange but innocent game, the kind of scuffle only close friends ever have.
Before continuing with their private lives, the boys went to check on how the seamstresses were doing. When they arrived at their house, Pudiente went in first, followed by Neo, and finally Hunt, who lagged behind to exchange a few words with the guards.
Neo was impressed by the quality of the girls' work. He praised them generously and then helped trim the excess rubber. Hunt, on the other hand, spoke with Turi about payment for the shoes, as well as a bonus for the fast service. Pudiente made the payment on the spot and took the opportunity to point out some security matters, among them that the three women gave their word to keep the shoes a secret at least until the 17th of the month.
With Neo's help, Hunt gathered all the rubber scraps from the finished shoes and stored them in a sack the seamstresses provided. They said their goodbyes after taking the rest of the completed order, since Pudiente suggested celebrating the success of the meeting with the marchioness and invited the two of them to have a drink together.
On the way, they ran into Emiliano, who had already left the company. But instead of greeting them and moving on, he warned Pudiente that a precious gift was waiting for him at the company's entrance. Therefore, the three of them hurried to find that gift the glassmaker had praised so highly.
When they turned the corner and made eye contact, Pudiente could not believe what he was seeing: it was Doina, waiting alone, her dress stained, with two guards trying to comfort her. Hunt and Neo could not believe what they were seeing either, so, nudging Pudiente, they laughed a little at him.
■— Don't you see your girlfriend is waiting for you? ―
●— A man never makes a lady wait. ―
Pudiente gathered all his strength and his last shred of courage to go to her. When Doina saw Pudiente, her expression changed dramatically, from sadness and distress to happiness. A change that even she herself found strange. The young woman believed herself smarter and even superior to the boy, but that last week, and especially that day, had shown her that this rich boy was not just another one.
Pudiente invited her inside, and as they disappeared through the company doors, Neo and Hunt followed them. Once they were also inside the courtyard, Pudiente demanded that they explain to Doina how the jars were made, but she refused and suggested going somewhere private instead. The usual mischievous smiles appeared for a moment, only to be cut short under the young woman's attentive gaze.
— Doina — At least we could see how the pickles are made. ―
Much to his displeasure, Neo set up a table and took out all the utensils to prepare another jar. The explanation was quick and concise, with just the right details needed to understand what happens to the pickles when they are pickled, but without explaining the recipe.
While they were cleaning up, a poorly placed jar fell to the floor, shattering for the most part. The culprit was the shelf, badly fixed to the wall. Neo crouched down to pick up the glass fragments, and Hunt, who was farther inside the storage room, came over to help. Pudiente was helping as always, but to his surprise, Doina—the daughter of the marchioness herself—decided to help and picked up the jar with vinegar.
The young woman walked with the utmost care, but an obstacle stood between her and the storage room: the entrance step. The open jar of vinegar fell, spilling its contents over Neo and Hunt. Pudiente helped Doina up, since her dress was voluminous and made it difficult for her to move.
— Doina — I'm so sorry, it wasn't my intention. ―
●— It's alright, these things happen. ―
— Doina — No, no... — The girl became exaggeratedly upset. — Please, don't tell anyone. ―
Both Neo and Hunt, soaked in vinegar, were more surprised by Doina's frightened reaction than by having been splashed with vinegar.
— Doina — No one can know, please. — She looked at Pudiente, frightened. — It really isn't what you think, it was an accident. Something must have happened to me... I'm not clumsy. ―
Pudiente moved closer to her, but the smell of vinegar hit his nostrils, making him instinctively scrunch up his face. Doina misinterpreted it.
— Doina — I'm not a useless woman, I promise. ―
■— Uh... what's wrong with you? ―
●— You did it by accident, it's nothing. ―
Pudiente stepped forward and embraced Doina, without fear or prejudice. The girl stiffened for a second and then collapsed, crying, clinging to his clothes. Pudiente held her awkwardly at first and then firmly, as if he already knew how to do it.
— Pudiente — I know you are not from this country, so you don't understand this, but according to the rules of the nobility, if a noblewoman commits a clumsy act, with bad intentions or without them, she can be cast aside and lose her title. Nobility must be pure and perfect. There have always been cases of nobles who lost everything because of a single unfortunate event. ―
●— What an enormous stupidity, right? ―
■— That custom makes no sense at all. ―
— Pudiente — It is not a custom. It is written on the tablets of Tolmas. ―
●— Aaaaah... well, but that has an easy solution. We consider Tolmas to be an ass— ―
■— Doina, what Neo means is that we don't care. It truly doesn't matter. We'll go home, take a bath, and that's it—good as new. ―
Pudiente lowered his gaze to Doina and spoke in a calm voice.
— Pudiente — Come on, Doina. If they say it's fine, you know nothing's wrong. ―
— Doina — But I made you lose a jar, and the vinegar as well... I'm sure you hate me, you too. ―
■— No, really, don't worry. ―
●— In fact, we're leaving now. Stay with Pudiente, and if anyone asks, we'll say it was my fault. ―
■— Makes sense, Neo is super clumsy. ―
●— But you, bastard... — He thought for a second. — Well, yes, I am clumsy. ―
Doina stood up slowly, her eyes reddened and her breathing still unsteady. The situation could have passed without pain or consequence, but the real cause of her tears was not the accident, but everything behind it.
Neo and Hunt said goodbye and left them alone. Pudiente and Doina went up to the office and sat down on the sofas, facing each other, with a new and unfamiliar closeness.
— Doina — Do you really think they didn't take it badly? ―
— Pudiente — These two aren't... so... — He searched for the word. — Proper, so they surely see this as a silly situation with no importance. ―
— Doina — I hope so... — She paused, then smiled at him with mischievous eyes. — Shall we continue where we left off? ―
— Pudiente — As much as I'd like to... ―
Doina licked her lower lip without realizing it. The gesture caused a strange sensation in Pudiente's chest, something he had never felt before. He looked away for a moment.
— Pudiente — Why are you here? ―
Doina's smile faded slightly as she leaned back into the seat.
— Doina — I argued with the Marchioness of Anita... My mother has never let me have a boyfriend, much less kiss someone like I did with you. ―
Pudiente swallowed.
— Doina — But the worst part is that since that mathematics competition, there have been dozens of nobles my age asking about you and about those two. Some are quite discreet, but others go straight to the point. — She frowned, uncomfortable. — It's not normal for them to ask me how much… how big… that… is… ―
— Pudiente — I don't think that information is relevant. ―
— Doina — Of course it isn't. My mother used to say that I would always have to settle for the husband my father chose for me, but since my brothers were allowed to... — She trailed off, frowning.
— Pudiente — Yes, it's a situation, let's say, common among the nobility. ―
— Doina — But it's not normal for even nobles my mother's age to ask me that. Fine, they're all widows and desperately looking for a husband, but they don't have to be so… you know. ―
— Pudiente — Shameless? ―
— Doina — That doesn't even come close. — She said, weariness reflected in her eyes.
— Pudiente — I'm sure it must have been uncomfortable. ―
— Doina — Yes... — She pouted and lowered her gaze. — Will you give me a hug? ―
Pudiente stood up, walked around the table, and waited for Doina to do the same, but she simply held out her arms. He bent down, and Doina threw herself at him with more force than expected. Pudiente lost his balance and fell on top of her, bumping his forehead against the back of the sofa.
— Doina — Pudiente, I'm sorry, really... I'm not clumsy. ―
Pudiente started laughing at the excuse. Doina stared at him, confused, never imagining that he would place a hand on her side… much less to tickle her.
— Doina — No... stop... I can't... I… can't… breathe… — No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop laughing.
— Pudiente — This is your punishment. ―
The fun did not last long. A sharp knock echoed at the door. They both pulled apart and awkwardly straightened themselves before giving permission to enter.
— Luca — Forgive the interruption, Señor Pudiente. The marchioness is here. ―
They both stood up immediately. Fear ran through their bodies. There was no time to respond: the marchioness entered without waiting for permission and ordered Doina out of the room with a firm gesture.
Sorina took a seat and pointed to the sofa across from her, signaling Pudiente to do the same.
— Sorina — Tell me once and for all. What intentions do you have with Doina? ―
— Pudiente — In a way, I feel that she is using me to play. She is a noble, after all... ―
— Sorina — That is not what I asked. ― Pudiente clenched his fingers for a moment before answering.
— Pudiente — I know. What I meant is that I don't know exactly what she wants, but my new friends have taught me, in their own way, that there is a difference between loving and desiring. ―
— Sorina — Do you love her, as you say? ―
— Pudiente — The only thing I know for certain is that when I'm with her, all my worries fade away. I think of nothing except caring for her, protecting her, and giving her all the affection I can. ―
Sorina stood up abruptly. She made a sharp gesture to the knights to leave the room, leaving behind an uncomfortable silence marked only by the sound of her heels. She stopped just before crossing the doorway.
— Sorina — I've heard enough. Become a man worthy of my daughter, and I may allow you to continue. ―
At those words, Pudiente's heart began to pound so fiercely that his joy showed openly on his face, in a smile impossible to contain.