Chapter 6: Not Let You Go
"Damn! If only I could find a carriage!" she cursed as she held the child tightly in her arms who was afraid and held her back tightly.
"Do not worry, I will not let you go!" she promised when the boy looked at her and she nodded again to assure him when he finally was relieved even though more men were following them. How could she let him go? He was the only way for her to live and earn money in this strange land.
She held him and ran towards the two knights since she knew that she could not run with him in her arms and there were just so many men behind her.
"Hey! I want to meet the duke." she ordered them as she walked towards them making them baffled.
She was wearing the clothes of a slave with a child in her arms and they could hear the shouting in the distance and were sure that men were looking for them.
She frowned when they kept staring at her without giving a reply.
"The men are sent by the kidnapper of the child to confuse all of you. I have something that the duke wants. If you will not take me to him, you will regret it when I inform him later that you refused me. There is no way that I will not reach him whether you help or not." She was baffled.
She had thought that the threat would work as it had always worked in the novels but they held her instead and waited for the crowd to come closer.
"She had burnt the orphanage and taken a child from there. She is a thief.'' They told the knights who looked at her with anger and hatred to take the child away but the boy did not let go of her.
He held her tightly and shook his head.
"She had saved me. She did not kidnap. She is my savior." he babbled in a low and scared voice but his hold was tight and strong. When the knights looked at the men, they were confused too.
The knights placed her in the carriage and locked it. Then they went with the men to help the orphanage first when she felt the trembling of the child.
She glared at their leaving figure but she smiled when she felt his fears.
She patted his back and smiled, "I have not burnt the kids. Only a small part where the hidden gold is kept. When the knights feel the strangeness in the orphanage, the duke will surely come and help us." she explained but the child did not get a word.
How will the duke help them? He had heard from the kids in the orphanage that the duke was a dangerous man. He was a short-tempered and cold-blooded person who would not flinch even when he killed his own brother to get the position.
He had even placed a sword on the neck of the emperor and did not fear anyone. He did not want to meet such a man. But his stomach was full after the food she had given him and the running tired him up.
Her soothings were warm and gentle and he felt his eyes dropping. The woman sighed as he slept and looked out of the window. As she had expected, the knights looked confused looking at the condition of the orphanage.
One of them entered and sat with her while the other drove the carriage.
"What exactly happened in the orphanage and who are you?" he asked in a cold voice but she was too calm.
"The owner of the orphanage was stealing the money given as donations by the duke and the other nobles and hiding it while the children were starving. I only burnt a small part so that he could be caught.
I gave food to the kids and helped them but I am sure you have already confirmed it. Take me to the duke, I have something I can only explain to him." that was not a pleading anymore but she told them calmly and this time they knew that the matter was grave.
The man sighed and nodded his head but did not fail to threaten her.
"I am taking you to Your Highness but you better speak in a formal language and behave yourself. And if I find you tricking us, I will make sure that you have a hard time in prison." she frowned as she was not calling him by his name but calling him Duke.
Is it not giving respect? He did not dwell on the matter and stayed silent after it but his eyes kept gazing at the child.
"What about this child? Why did you bring him with you?" he asked as he could not keep his curiosity to himself.
He understood that the child did not want to let go of her but why was she keeping him? Now that he looked at the child closely, the boy had a lot of injuries on his small body and he looked rather fragile.
"He is a precious one. But I have no intention of keeping him. He is…" she paused, "was too scared to let me go and I could not push a young child away. I will let him go once he feels better."
The man was skeptical of her words since she did not look like a caring one but for now, he had no reason to doubt her and she indeed helped everyone in the orphanage so he nodded and looked out of the window with a sigh when her eyes twinkled.
Her eyes looked at the familiar scenery outside the carriage and a smile bloomed on her face.
"My better future, here I am coming."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone