Cassius and Emily walk into the flower shop together.
"Thomas, we're back!" Cassius steps inside cheerfully, his voice echoing through the familiar house.
He quickly sets the basket down, then reaches inside and pulls out a small yellow flower.
"Oh, isn't that a golden rose?!" Thomas walks over to Cassius, surprise clearly showing on his face.
Emily stands slightly behind them, quietly watching the two talk.
Thomas takes the flower and examines it a little more carefully, then lets out a soft laugh.
"This is wonderful" He pats Cassius and Emily on the head.
"You two did great"
Cassius beams when he gets praised, while Emily shows a small smile.
Thomas then places the flower on the table.
"Alright, you two go put your things away" he says in a normal tone.
"And change your clothes too. Get ready for dinner."
"Yes!" Cassius answers immediately.
He quickly picks up the basket and turns to Emily.
"Emily, let's go!"
Emily gives a small nod.
The two of them head inside together.
—
When they come back, Cassius has already changed into simple clothes for home. His shirt is slightly loose, the sleeves rolled up neatly.
Emily has changed as well. Her clothes are slightly darker, with a high collar and long sleeves, just like usual.
Cassius looks the same as always, his bright, soft hair, a few strands falling loosely over his forehead. His face is round, and his skin is clean and bright in a way that feels very pleasant to look at. After running around outside all day, his cheeks are slightly flushed, making him look even cuter than usual.
Emily has seen that face many times, but every time she looks at it she still feels the same thing… Cassius is really very beautiful.
Beautiful in a way that makes people easily love him.
She lowers her head slightly.
Under the wide collar of her clothes, the black veins still quietly run along her neck and spread up one side of her face. Emily's clothes are quite loose for her body. The long sleeves cover most of her hands, and the collar is a little higher, as if deliberately hiding the skin on her neck.
The two of them then walk to the dining table.
Thomas has already prepared dinner. There is nothing special, just the familiar dishes the three of them usually eat.
Cassius sits down and looks at the table, smiling.
"It looks delicious"
Emily sits beside him, silent.
After the three of them have been eating for a while, Thomas slowly speaks.
"Ah… there's something I want to tell you two"
Cassius immediately looks up.
Emily also turns to him.
Thomas sets his spoon down, his voice calm as usual.
"I accepted a new job"
Cassius blinks.
"A new job?"
Thomas nods.
He explains slowly. A noble family nearby needs someone to handle work related to herbs and some household tasks. After talking with them for a while, Thomas decides to accept the job.
He explains it quite simply, without mentioning anything complicated.
"There's also a place to stay there" Thomas continues.
"So we'll move there to live."
Cassius's eyes widen slightly.
Emily listens quietly.
Thomas continues explaining that they will not leave immediately. He plans to spend about four days cleaning up the house and selling the remaining things in the shop.
After that, the three of them will move to the new place.
His tone remains calm, as if it is only a small change in their lives.
Cassius reacts first.
"So… we're going with you too?"
"Of course" Thomas smiles.
Cassius's eyes immediately light up.
"So… we'll live in a noble's house?"
Thomas laughs.
"Not exactly. We'll live near their house. But this job will allow you to visit that place"
Cassius looks very excited.
He barely thinks about anything else. For him, as long as he can stay with Thomas and Emily, it does not really matter where they go.
"That sounds so interesting!"
Emily sits beside him.
She does not speak immediately.
Her gaze lowers slightly.
Moving somewhere else.
A place with nobles.
She has many things she wants to ask.
But when she turns to look at Cassius and sees him smiling happily, Emily stays silent.
After a moment, she only nods slightly.
On the other side of the table, Rimi has returned at some point without anyone noticing.
She is sitting in her usual chair.
When she hears Thomas talk about moving away, her eyes widen slightly.
That expression only appears for a brief moment.
After that, she lowers her head and continues eating as usual.
No one notices that reaction.
Dinner continues in a fairly normal atmosphere.
Cassius keeps chatting cheerfully like he always does.
But when everyone is almost finished eating, Emily suddenly realizes…
The big black cat has disappeared from her chair at some point.
No one sees her leave.
—
The following days quickly become a little busier.
Thomas begins cleaning up the shop.
Cassius and Emily are able to help with quite a few small tasks.
Cassius carries baskets outside, wipes some of the wooden shelves, or helps Thomas organize the remaining things in the shop.
He works very enthusiastically, even though he is sometimes a bit clumsy.
At one point, Cassius tries to carry a box that is slightly heavy.
The result is that he stumbles and almost drops it.
Emily, who is standing nearby, immediately catches the box before it falls.
Cassius startles.
"…Thanks"
Emily just gives a small nod.
The two of them still work together quite naturally.
Sometimes Cassius turns to ask:
"Emily, where does this go?"
Or:
"Emily, this one is done!"
Emily usually answers briefly, but she always helps him.
During those four days, the shop gradually becomes emptier.
The things on the shelves decrease little by little.
—
The time to move finally arrives.
Cassius is carrying a few small boxes, mostly clothes, helping Thomas place them onto the carriage he rented to transport their belongings. The boxes are not very heavy, but he still holds them carefully as if he is afraid of dropping something inside.
After putting all the luggage at the back of the carriage, Cassius climbs into the passenger compartment with Thomas. Emily is already sitting there. Rimi is curled up on her lap, sleeping soundly, her soft tail lightly swaying with the movement of the carriage.
"Is everything finished?" Emily asks.
"Yeah, the necessary things are all packed" Thomas replies.
He taps lightly on the side of the carriage to signal the driver to start the journey.
The carriage slowly begins to move. The wheels make a steady clattering sound on the stone road.
Cassius sits near the window, occasionally leaning forward to look outside. The fields and rows of trees slowly move away behind them. He does not say much, but his eyes clearly shine.
"Are you sad?" Cassius turns and asks Emily.
Emily shakes her head slightly.
"Not really."
She looks down at Rimi sleeping on her lap.
"It just… feels a little strange."
Cassius nods.
"I feel like we're going on a trip."
Emily glances at him, but does not say anything else.
Thomas, sitting across from them, only smiles lightly.
After a while, he looks out the window and speaks.
"Oh, we're almost there."
He points into the distance.
"We're passing by the estate of the Marquess Prisce's family."
Cassius immediately turns his head to look outside.
"Whoa…"
The road in front of them opens into a vast piece of land. In the distance are neatly trimmed lawns, white stone paths winding through the gardens. At the center stands a large white mansion with many connected wings. The windows are tall, the roofs are bright, and long balconies run along the walls.
There are also many smaller buildings around it, all in the same light color, looking both clean and dignified.
Cassius presses his face close to the window.
"This place… is really big."
Thomas chuckles softly.
"Cassius, Emily. Do you remember the names of the members of the Marquess's family?"
"It would be very rude if we don't remember the names of the people who hire us."
Cassius immediately stiffens.
He looks away, clearly trying to think of something, but his expression says everything.
Emily sighs.
"The owner of this place is Lord Leopold Prisce" she begins. "His wife is Lady Genevieve"
"They have two children. The eldest son is Alistair Prisce, twenty years old, the heir of the family. The youngest daughter is named Eliana Prisce, thirteen years old"
"Very good, Emily" Thomas nods.
He turns to Cassius.
"You should learn from Emily. This is very important"
Cassius frowns.
"Their names are all complicated"
Thomas just sighs.
"You shouldn't wander around either, Cassius" he says. "Always stay with Emily"
Cassius nods repeatedly.
The carriage then turns into another area of the estate. This place has several multi-story buildings standing close together. Although they are not as large as the main mansion, they still look sturdy and tidy.
This is the servants' quarters.
The carriage stops in front of the gate. Thomas steps down first and walks over to talk to a few knights guarding the entrance.
"What is your name?" one of them asks.
"I am Thomas Foden. A gardener"
"New here?"
The knight flips through a list in his hand.
"Alright. You may enter."
"Thank you."
Thomas turns back and signals the driver to continue moving into the housing area.
When they arrive, he speaks with the building manager to find out where their room is.
After that, the three of them begin moving their belongings.
Thomas and Cassius each carry a box.
"Our room is on the third floor" Thomas says. "It's a bit far, so bear with it"
"Don't worry" Cassius answers immediately. "This won't tire me out"
After saying that, he hugs the box and runs up the stairs first.
Emily just quietly walks behind.
After a while, they finally reach the room they have been assigned.
As soon as Cassius steps inside, his eyes widen.
"Whoa… this place is really nice."
The room is not bigger than their old house, but everything looks newer and sturdier. The walls are clean, the wooden floor is smooth and bright. Two beds are neatly placed next to each other, with thick and tidy blankets and pillows. In the corner of the room there is also a small table and a storage cabinet.
A large window opens to a balcony, letting in plenty of light.
Thomas and Cassius then go up and down a few times to move the rest of the boxes.
Emily starts arranging the room.
'This place is so far away…' Rimi thinks to herself.
She lies curled up on the bed, clearly not wanting to move at all.
After a while, Emily steps out onto the balcony.
"Cassius" she calls. "Come look at this"
Cassius immediately runs out.
"Wow… we're really high up"
Emily points into the distance.
"From our room we can see the Marquess's mansion"
Far away, the white mansion still stands out in the middle of the vast land.
Cassius squints, trying to see more clearly.
"That place… is really big"
—
Meanwhile, on the other side of the estate, inside the mansion.
There is also someone looking toward the room where Cassius is standing.
A girl with long blonde hair holds a small telescope in her hand. She stands by the window, carefully watching the servants' quarters.
'The young lady is really strange…'
A maid standing behind her sighs softly.
'I don't understand why the young lady has to do this.'
'If she wants to meet him, she can just go there directly.'
She looks at the girl in front of her with a helpless expression.