š¬ļøš¶āāļøš¶āāļø ā A Walk Through the Capital
The afternoon sun hung high above the capital, casting warm golden light over the cobblestone streets. The air was crisp and carried the scent of fresh bread from bakeries and blooming flowers from window boxes lining the roads. Paul and Lisse walked side by side, moving at a leisurely pace, their baskets light and empty since they were merely out for a stroll rather than gathering ingredients or supplies.
Lisse took a deep breath, her chest expanding as she drank in the fresh air. Her ears, which had finally stopped trying to float upward after the last experiment, twitched happily at the touch of the soft breeze. She smiled broadly, looking around at the busy streets with bright, sparkling eyes.
"It feels wonderful out here, Young Master!" she exclaimed, her voice light and cheerful. "Just look at how the wind moves through the streets! It's so refreshing and calmā¦ it makes me feel like I could walk forever. There's nothing like fresh air to clear the mind and lift the spirit, don't you think?"
She turned to him, expecting agreement, still caught up in the pleasant atmosphere.
Paul walked with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression calm and neutral as usual. He glanced at her for a second before looking straight ahead again, his tone even and factual.
"It is decent enough weather," he said simply. "Though, we've only been working indoors for about three or four days. It hasn't been that long since we last walked outside. You're acting as if we were locked in a dungeon for months."
Lisse stopped in her tracks for a moment, her cheerful expression instantly dropping. She puffed her cheeks, crossing her arms tightly over her chest as she glared at the back of his head. She hurried a few steps to catch up and walked beside him again, poking his arm lightly in reprimand.
"Young Master!" she scolded, sounding thoroughly annoyed. "You really have a special talent, you know that? A very special talent for ruining a perfectly wonderful mood with just a few words! I was trying to appreciate the moment and enjoy the breeze, and you justā¦ you just reduce it to numbers and days! You are impossible sometimes!"
Paul let out a quiet, soft chuckle, the corner of his mouth twitching upward slightly.
"I was merely stating the truth, Lisse. No need to get so defensive."
"Truth or not, you are still a buzzkill," she huffed, though her own lips were threatening to turn into a smile despite her best efforts to stay mad.
š£ļøā ļøā ā Trouble in the Street
They continued walking, their pace slowing as they neared a busier section of the marketplace where stalls and shops crowded closer together. The noise of merchants shouting prices and customers haggling filled the air, lively and loud.
Suddenly, rising above the general chatter, a sharp, angry voice cut through the noise.
"āuseless girl! Do you have any idea how much that cost?! You are nothing but clumsy baggage!"
Paul and Lisse both froze, their heads turning toward the source of the shouting.
Not far from where they stood, near the entrance of a fancy tailor shop, a manādressed in fine clothes that showed he was well-offāwas standing over a young woman. The woman was clearly wearing a maid's uniform, her head bowed low, shoulders trembling as she clutched a broken wooden box to her chest. Her face was hidden, but the way she flinched every time the man gestured made it obvious she was terrified.
The man was red-faced with rage, spitting words at her aggressively as passersby slowed down to look, but quickly looked away or hurried past, unwilling to get involved or draw the anger onto themselves.
Lisse leaned closer to Paul, lowering her voice to a whisper, her expression turning serious and concerned.
"Young Masterā¦ look at that. That man is really shouting at herā¦ and she looks so scared. Do you thinkā¦ should we step in? Maybe stop him before he does something worse?"
Paul watched the scene calmly, his eyes analyzing the situation without emotion. He shook his head slightly, whispering back just as quietly.
"No, Lisse. Don't interfere. It looks like a dispute between a master and his servant. It is an internal matter of their household, and honestlyā¦ it is none of our business. We do not know the details, and getting involved in other people's affairs usually leads to unnecessary trouble. Let's just keep walking."
Lisse bit her lip, looking back at the maid with sympathy, but she nodded reluctantly. Paul was right, as much as she hated to admit it. It wasn't their place, and causing a scene in the middle of the street would definitely bring trouble to Madam Amelia's shop too.
"Alrightā¦ you're right. Let's go," she agreed softly, turning away.
š„šŖļøš ā An Invisible Intervention
They had just turned their backs and taken a few steps away when the shouting grew louder and more violent.
"You stupid creature! I've had enough of your mistakes!"
Paul stopped.
Lisse froze.
Out of the corner of their eyes, they saw the man raise his hand high in the air, his fist clenched tight, ready to strike the trembling maid standing helpless before him.
People nearby gasped or looked away.
But before his hand could even come downā
WHAM!
With a sound like a sudden gust of wind hitting a heavy object, the man was abruptly lifted off his feet. He flew backward through the air as if he had been hit by an invisible giant's fist, sailing several meters before crashing violently into a large stack of woven baskets and wooden crates displayed outside a nearby vendor's shop.
The entire pile collapsed with a loud crash and clatter, baskets rolling everywhere as the man landed in a heap, groaning in pain and shock amidst the wreckage.
Silence fell over the street for a heartbeat.
Then murmurs started rising. "What happened?", "Did you see that?", "Did the wind blow him?", "That looked like magicā¦ but who cast it?"
Paul didn't wait a second. He immediately walked away from Lisse and approached the young woman who was still standing there, frozen in place, staring at the mess where her master lay.
He stopped in front of her, his expression softening instantly from its earlier indifference. He reached out his hand toward her, calm and steady.
"Are you alright, Miss? He didn't actually touch you, did he?" he asked gently.
The woman blinked rapidly, snapping out of her shock. She looked at Paul's outstretched hand, then up at his face, her eyes wide and watery. Slowly, she nodded, swallowing hard.
"Iā¦ I am alrightā¦ I thinkā¦ thank you," she whispered, taking his hand to steady herself. Her grip was tight, trembling slightly, but her expression held a mixture of relief and deep confusion.
Behind them, Lisse stood watching the whole scene with a warm, knowing smile on her face. She shook her head slightly, her heart feeling light and fond.
She thought to herself: Despite how indifferent he actsā¦ despite saying it's none of our businessā¦ you still help nevertheless. You really are a soft-hearted person, Young Master. You just have a veryā¦ unique way of showing it.
Paul helped the maid steady herself, checking to make sure she wasn't hurt, completely ignoring the murmuring crowd and the man groaning amongst the broken baskets.
The breeze blew past them again, softer this time, carrying away the tension as the street slowly began to return to its usual rhythm.
šŖšµš ā Kindness and Explanations
After making sure the man who had attacked her was properly stuck under the pile of baskets and too sore to follow, Paul and Lisse guided the young woman away from the crowd. They led her to a quieter spot near the side entrance of a small cafƩ, where there was a wooden bench under the shade of an awning.
"Sit here for a moment. Catch your breath," Paul said softly, gesturing to the seat.
Lisse quickly fetched a glass of cold water from the cafƩ owner, who was kind enough to give it for free after seeing what had happened. The woman accepted it with trembling hands, taking small sips to calm her nerves. Her breathing slowly steadied, and the frightened look in her eyes faded into exhaustion.
Once she seemed a little more composed, Paul sat down on the edge of the bench opposite her, while Lisse stood nearby watching over them gently.
"Are you feeling better now?" Paul asked calmly. "Weā¦ we wanted to ask what exactly happened back there. We heard him shouting, but we don't understand why he was so angry, or why he was treating you that way."
The woman lowered the glass, a sad but soft smile appearing on her face. She looked down at her hands, which were still slightly bruised from clutching the broken box earlier.
"Ahā¦ it's really nothing special, truly. You really didn't have to go so far for someone like meā¦" she started, her voice quiet but steady. She looked up at them, eyes clear despite the situation.
"I work as a maid in a decent household. My Master and Madam are actually very kind peopleā¦ they treat me well and pay me fairly. Butā¦ recently, my son fell ill. He has a fever that just won't go away, and he's getting weaker day by day."
She paused, swallowing the lump in her throat, then continued with a brave tone.
"I didn't want to worry them. They have enough matters of their own to handle, and I didn't want to seem like I was asking for extra money or favors just because I have a sick child. It felt wrong to burden them with my personal problems."
She let out a small, bitter laugh, scratching the side of her head awkwardly as if embarrassed to tell the story.
"Soā¦ I tried to find extra work on my own during my free time. Odd jobs, carrying things, cleaningā¦ whatever I could find to earn a little extra to buy medicine for him. Today, I was helping a merchant transport some goods, but I tripped over a loose stone in the roadā¦ and I ended up breaking this expensive wooden box he was carrying. That'sā¦ that's why he was so furious. He demanded I pay for it immediately, but of course, I don't have nearly enough money yet. And wellā¦ you saw the rest."
She finished with another soft, nervous laugh, shaking her head as if it was just a silly mistake. "I really am clumsy, aren't I?"
Standing nearby, Lisse felt her heart squeeze tight with sympathy. She works hard, while trying her best to help her childā¦ and she apologizes like she's the one at faultā¦
Next to her, Paul had his usual calm expression, but inside his mind, he and Lisse were thinking the exact same words in perfect sync:
"She works so hard, worries alone, and even when treated badly, she laughs it offā¦ She really doesn't deserve any of this. Poor thingā¦ life really isn't fair sometimes."
ššāØ ā Medicine and Excuses
Paul reached into the small satchel he always carried with himāusually filled with samples or ingredientsāand pulled out a small, clean glass vial filled with a warm amber-colored liquid. It glowed faintly, smelling sweet and herbal.
He held it out to her.
"Here."
The woman blinked, looking at the vial, then at his face, confused. "Sirā¦?"
"This is for your son," Paul said simply, his tone matter-of-fact. "It's a restorative tonic I made myself. I've already tested it thoroughlyāon myself and others. It's completely safe, and it helps the body fight off fevers and fatigue much faster than standard medicine."
He tilted his head slightly, adding in a casual voice, "Andā¦ oh right. It tastes much better than normal medicine too. No bitter aftertaste. It's actually quite mild and sweet, so children usually don't complain about drinking it."
The woman stared at the vial in disbelief. Her eyes began to water again, but this time from overwhelming emotion.
"Reallyā¦? You're giving this to me? For free?" She looked up at him, her voice trembling with hope and gratitude. "Thank youā¦ oh, thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me! To us!"
She took the vial carefully with both hands, holding it like it was made of pure gold. She stood up quickly, bowing deeply over and over again. "I will never forget this kindness! Thank you! Thank you both so much!"
After holding the vial close to her chest for a moment, she straightened up, wiped her eyes, and gave them a bright, genuine smile. "I must go to him now. But trulyā¦ thank you!"
She began to walk away, turning back every few steps to wave enthusiastically and call out her thanks again, until she finally disappeared around the corner, blending back into the busy streets with a lighter step than before.
š¬šš¤« ā The Real Reason?
Paul and Lisse stood side by side, watching the direction she had gone for a moment longer. The breeze picked up again, rustling their clothes and carrying the distant sounds of the market.
Lisse turned her head towards Paul, a wide, teasing grin spreading across her face. She stepped closer to him, leaning down slightly to look him in the eye.
"My, myā¦ Young Master~" she sang in a playful whisper. "That was very generous of you, wasn't it? Giving away your carefully made medicine for freeā¦ explaining it so nicelyā¦ making sure it tastes goodā¦ You really have a heart of gold hidden under that cool face of yours, don't you?"
Paul kept walking forward, hands clasped behind his back and eyes looking straight ahead, completely ignoring her teasing tone.
"It was nothing special," he said flatly, his voice perfectly calm and unbothered. "I only gave it to her for practical reasons. Think about it. If her son recovers quickly thanks to my medicine, she will tell everyone she knows about how effective it was. She works in a noble household, remember? If word spreads thereā¦ it's free advertising. Purely a business decision. Nothing more."
Lisse walked beside him, giggling softly as she nodded exaggeratedly.
"Yes, yesā¦ of course you did~ 'Purely business'ā¦ 'Free advertising'ā¦ I believe you completely~"
Her tone made it obvious she didn't believe a single word he said. She looked at his profile, seeing the faint, almost unnoticeable softness in his eyes as they walked back toward the pharmacy.
You help people and then hide behind logic and business reasons so you don't look softā¦ she thought fondly. But I know the truth. You're just kind.
Paul glanced sideways at her, catching that knowing look on her face, and let out a quiet sigh, though the corner of his mouth lifted just a tiny bit.
"Stop smiling like that. It's annoying."
"I'm not smiling at anything~" Lisse replied innocently, skipping a step to keep up with him.
Together, they walked back down the street, the sun setting behind them, marking another quiet day where Paul had quietly made someone's life betterāwhile pretending he was just doing business.