Esme's POV
According to Levine's nanny, he left a message for me to stop by the butcher's place. His daughter, Lena, had some news for me.
Well, I walked rather confidently to this place.
My confidence wasn't only because people stared at me, as a tall clad man walked beside me, but because I knew I hadn't pissed any noble off in the last week.
I had been too busy with those brothers to do so. Unless it was trouble from Eindrigin, which would be another story.
We reached a lonelier street and Ritch teleported us to the end of it, then we started walking again. I was curious to know what was wrong but I also needed to buy supplies for the bakery.
"That's all done." I carefully placed the eggs in the second basket and handed it to Ritch. "The butcher's store is a little outside the village so let's hide and teleport there." We walked to an alley.
Levine was seated with Lena when I found them. For a second, I thought about how good they looked together before I remembered to respect her fiancé.
I didn't like him because he barely visited except during festivals, and she clearly liked him more, but that was her choice anyway.
"Ritch, stay here with the baskets."
His presence vanished after I turned. I hoped those eggs wouldn't break due to magic or anything. I inhaled and exhaled before walking towards them. Levine straightened when he saw me. He was prepared to drop some bad news, wasn't he?
"First of all," I started. "The last person I pissed off was your cousin, the Baron's son." I told Lena. "I killed the celebratory chicken by his mother's orders. Nothing else has happened since then. I swear."
I rested on their butchering table. Lena's expression worried me. She looked at Levine, and then back at me. Was it really a big deal?
"They were from the capital, Esme. They even paid me in gold to tell them about a red-haired girl and her uncle." Her small hands were shaking. "I don't know what they want, but they wore suppressing bracelets so I knew they were strong."
Suppressing bracelets? Those were heavily magic-imbued to hide the rank of the wearer. Could they have been warriors acting like locals? This was very bad. Did someone report me to higher authority?
"Yet," Levine spoke. "If they asked about your uncle too, then maybe they aren't looking for you exactly. Does your uncle have ties to the capital?"
As always, Levine thought logically for different reasons. My uncle had a past that I never meddled with, and it involved the capital.
"He once lived there, but has cut ties with everyone before coming here. That's all I know."
Lena wondered. "Could he have been a warrior too? Maybe they were looking for their old friend?"
She was trying to convince herself. My uncle was no warrior-ranked wolf. He couldn't care less about ranks, as long as he could hunt and feed himself.
If he cut ties with them, then it was for good reason.
"They didn't necessarily seem dangerous," she went on. "Yes, they even called you a fond name, Cathy."
I stiffened. "Cathy?" The face of that young blond boy came to my mind. "Was there a blond man there?"
Lena hummed, before snapping her fingers. "In the carriage, there was. Perhaps he's a young lord. Do you know him?"
I didn't. I met Levine's questioning expression and shook my head. "I faintly remembered playing with him as a child. That is all I know. Probably my uncle's friend's kid. Why did they question you like I committed a crime?"
"Right?!" Lena scoffed. "I was so scared."
Levine didn't look convinced and neither was I. I didn't know how the relationship between that child and me ended.
"What did you tell them before they left you?" Levine asked Lena.
"I gave them the opposite direction of where you lived, because I felt if I said anything inconsistent, I'd be in trouble." She turned to me. "Just stay clear from the other part of the village. Come, I'd give you a rough sketch of what they looked like."
I followed her inside the store, but paused to look at Levine. He stared at nothing outside. "I really didn't do anything to deserve warriors coming after me, but if you want to stay away, then I understand."
His uncle wanted to sign him up for a warrior position, and even if our last conversation hinted he didn't want it, it was a good chance to improve one's status and he might consider it. Getting on any warrior's bad side could affect his future.
"You say silly things, angel. Did I say I'm staying away?" He folded his arms, still staring outside. "Rather I'm wondering why someone keeps staring at us, but I can't see them. Do you think it's them?"
"Wait, what?" I rushed out. I sensed Ritch's energy at the exact position he stared at. Did he sense Ritch? His warrior's senses were really developing. "Um, I doubt that. Let's go and see the sketch Lena has." I pulled him inside and he sluggishly followed.
"Someone is standing there. Am I dehydrated or something?"
"You have been waiting for me here since morning. Did you even take water?" I chuckled nervously.
I planned to tell him about the Seven Princes that called me Mistress someday. Perhaps after this 'Cathy' situation was settled, and the Disciple at Eindrigin. I didn't want to drag him into too much.
The sketch Lena drew of one of the warriors was rather charming. She even added stars around his figure. "Was he good-looking?" I teased her.
She cleared her throat. "He's quite the gentleman." That was her highest compliment.
Levine took the sketches. "I will accept my uncle's invitation to the Duke's inauguration tomorrow. Those big events tend to bring many warriors to one place. If I see them, I'd ask them about this."
My breathing hitched when I heard a Duke was about to be inaugurated. Levine turned to me, and I realised I had grabbed his shirt in fright.
"Do you want to come along? I don't advise."
I pulled away immediately. "Yeah, I don't advise either." Come along to the inauguration of a potentially reckless Disciple? I wasn't clueless.
Though I was curious about this blond lord and what he needed from me. Levine looked at my hands, pinned by my sides, and smiled. "Or were you trying to stop me? Did you think they'd kill me?"
I raised my brows at that, but shrugged. "You can handle yourself. And you'd be with your uncle. I don't think they mean much harm, but be careful."
He clicked his tongue—a reflex he had when he didn't get a response he wanted, or he got the response but acted like he didn't like it. It had also become my frustrated tick.
"Don't worry, angel. No one is getting harmed. Not you. Not me." He started walking out. "Take care, Lena."
Lena didn't respond, even though he didn't wait to hear it. I found her staring at us with big eyes. It was almost the same look I had when I met her and Levine outside.
"You are really imaginative." I whispered to her and she laughed.
"It's not imagination. I mean, he did spend a while staring at your painting last time." She covered her mouth, and hurried away. My eyes followed her.
Levine had been the one staring at the painting? Not the Third Brother? Actually, she did say it was a 'gentleman' and that's how she addressed him.
I snapped my fingers, realizing. The Third also wouldn't make himself visible to normal people. He only came after the store was empty.