The next morning, Ann woke to the soft chirping of birds — music to her ears — and a smile instantly touched her lips. Opening her eyes, she glanced at the right side of the bed and noticed Adlina was already gone. Her gaze shifted to the clock — it was past seven-thirty.
Stretching, she stepped out of bed and padded over to the window. As she opened it, warm sunlight poured into the room. Unlike yesterday, the sky was bright and clear — a perfect sunny day.
Behind a wooden divider in the left corner of the room, the bathtub had already been filled with fresh water. Ann took a quick bath and slipped into a long dark grey dress, leaving her wet hair loose down her back.
When she came downstairs, she noticed her father was home, sitting by the window with his legs crossed, sipping tea and reading one of the many postcards scattered on the table. Walking over, Ann greeted him cheerfully, "Good morning, Papa," and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. "When did you get back?"
Smiling at his daughter's usual affection, Edmond replied, "I left James's house early in the morning and reached home by seven." He glanced up from the postcard. "Did you sleep well, dear?" he asked, knowing her habit of reading late into the night.
"Yes, Papa, I did. You must be tired from the journey — you should rest for a while."
He nodded in agreement.
Ann heard her mother's voice from outside and leaned toward the front window. Althea was talking to their neighbor, Mrs. Miller, as she did nearly every morning. Ann stepped outside and called, "Morning, Mamma! Morning, Aunty!"
A crackling sound caught her attention, and she turned to see Adlina entering through the small wooden door in the boundary wall.
Curious, Ann asked, "Where did you go so early in the morning?"
Holding up a transparent umbrella printed with tiny pink flowers, Adlina grinned. "Ahh... I forgot your lucky umbrella at the farm yesterday, so I went to fetch it. Today might be your first day at work, right?"
Smiling, Ann replied, "Yes, but first I need to talk to Papa about it."
Before Edmond could answer, Althea said, "I've already spoken to him. He's delighted you found something you truly enjoy."
Unable to hold her excitement, Ann's eyes lit up. "Then let's go to the antique shop after breakfast to talk to Mr. Herondale!"
Althea and Adlina chuckled at her eagerness.
After breakfast, Ann picked up her brown bag and the umbrella.
"It takes about forty minutes to get to Mr. Herondale's house," she said. "We should leave now, Adlina."
Their father nodded. "Good luck, Ann," he said, and both parents waved as the girls left.
On the way to the antique shop, Ann made a brief stop at the church. As they resumed walking, Adlina asked, "Ann, doesn't the town feel quieter today?"
"Isn't Haselburg always quiet?" Ann replied with a shrug.
Rolling her eyes, Adlina muttered, "Well, yeah, but it's Sunday, for God's sake. There should be at least a little hustle and bustle in the market."
Looking around, Ann thought, Haselburg does seem quieter than usual today…
When they reached the antique store, they were greeted by Matthew.
"Ms. Anneliese! Ms. Adlina! It's nice to see you both," he said warmly, then turned to Ann. "Are you here to look at antiques today, Ms. Anneliese?"
"Ahh, no, Mr. Matthew — we're here to speak with Mr. Herondale," she replied politely.
Matthew nodded. "Father will be here soon. In the meantime, feel free to explore the store. I went to the capital city recently and brought back some new antiques. They were stocked yesterday."
Ann's eyes lit up. She turned to her sister with a mischievous smile. "You should check out the crystal section, Adlina. Mr. Matthew can help you find that stone you were looking for — for the pendant you wanted, remember?"
Before Adlina could protest, Matthew gestured to his right. "This way, Ms. Adlina."
Ann wandered the store while waiting. It resembled a small bookshop, but instead of books, the wooden shelves were filled with rare antiques. Her feet moved slowly down the narrow aisles, each separated by shelves lined with artifacts.
Her crystal-blue eyes widened in awe as she examined the collection.
Then her gaze fell upon an unusual book.
Unlike anything she had ever seen, it had a brownish metal cover with a small blue pearl embedded at the center, and a gleaming blue stone fixed near the upper-right corner.
Curiosity ignited, she reached out and picked it up. Holding it in her left hand, she ran her fingertips gently over the strange texture of the cover. When she pressed lightly against the stone, it sank inward — startling her.
Her eyes narrowed, then widened in disbelief as the book began to glow with a soft blue light — the exact same hue as her eyes.
Alarmed, she quickly placed the book back on the shelf. The glow vanished instantly.
Still staring in disbelief, she heard a voice behind her.
"Oh, it's you, Anneliese!"
Startled, she turned to see Mr. Herondale standing on the staircase. Had he seen what just happened?
Realizing she was staring, Ann cleared her throat, bowed slightly, and said, "Good morning, Mr. Herondale. I'm here to talk to you about the job you offered."