Mari was gone.
I must have spent two days there in our broken little house sobbing by myself and wondering where my sister had gone. But eventually, hunger overcame my sorrow, and I ventured outside to find some food.
I had barely set foot out the door when I heard someone calling my name.
"Opal! Opal, dear, there you are!"
An unfamiliar woman wearing a black dress and stark white apron came dashing toward me.
"Haa. I hope I'm not too late," the woman panted, extending a small chunk of bread. "You are Opal, right? Come with me now!"
Now, under normal circumstances, it's unwise to follow a random stranger, especially as a helpless child.
But the fact that I was a helpless child—a helpless and hungry child—made it impossible for me to ignore the woman handing me food. With Mari gone, I chose to trust this bread-giving woman, placing my tiny fingers in her warm chapped hand.
With a sigh of relief, the woman gripped my hand tightly and started leading me to my new fate. She chattered as we walked, mostly about how adorable I was and how I looked just like Mari (which I knew was a lie; my dull features could never compare to Mari's striking beauty).
The woman, I learned her name was Nell, explained that she was a friend of Mari's. Apparently, before the incident, the two had been preparing to enter the same household as maids.
"Her final wish," Nell remarked tearfully, "was for me to do this for you."
Final wish?
Mari couldn't be… dead?
I stopped walking, tears welling up again in my puffy eyes.
"Mari.. she's.." I choked.
"Oh! Oh no!" Nell bent down, using a handkerchief to wipe my damp cheeks. "Mari got married, dear. Didn't she tell you?"
"M-married?" I whimpered.
She hadn't told me anything.
While she tried to give me as carefree a life as our parents had provided us, my sister, already working herself to the bone, had accepted a marriage proposal from a wealthy viscount.
The night I shouted at her and ran away was our last night together.
And the last time I would ever speak to my sister.
The final words she'd received from the little sister she treasured so much were that she was a disappointment.
Later on, I'd be kept up at night, wincing as I pictured how many times Mari must have been haunted by those words.
In her final moments, as she waited for a Prince Charming that never came, did she think of her little sister as a small child with a big smile? Or did she think of a dirty, angry girl, yelling that she had let our parents down?
But Mari, my dear sweet Mari, you never let our parents down. I was just a foolish, selfish kid who couldn't understand how heavy the burdens on your shoulders were.
And so, beloved sister, it is on your behalf that I do this now—
-Back to Present-
"I have no intention of accepting your help, Sir 'Charming'!" I snapped, jabbing my elbow against Count Graye's abdomen.
While he had been rudely gripping my waist and babbling about prince charming (not to mention, blinding me with that smile!), the carriage had already barreled past us. Lady Abigail was scurrying toward us, and several onlookers were pausing to view the scene.
In that situation, I had no choice but to get physical with him. (Plus, 'save the princess'? He deserved to get hit for that nonsense.)
Thankfully, my sudden attack caught the Count off guard, causing him to loosen his arms and giving me just enough room to make my escape.
There were no other carriages coming, so I took advantage of the momentary gap in traffic to hurry across the street and into the nearest building (an old greasy tavern). Just as I ducked through the door, I glanced back to see Count Graye turning to Lady Abigail with a smirk.
No doubt, she was eagerly spilling every detail she knew about who I was and how she was acquainted with me.
"Wonderful.." I sighed, sinking into a creaky wooden chair inside the tavern.
I shouldn't have provoked the universe by thinking this scandal wouldn't be so tricky after all.
But did karma really have to come and set me straight on my first day on the job?!
"What can I get for you, Lady?" The elderly tavern manager piped up, hobbling toward my table with a gap-toothed grin.
"I'm not drinking today, Sir," I replied hastily. "Just some water please."
"Ah.. alright," the manager's smile weakened as he turned back to the counter.
With the abundance of knights and mercenaries frequenting rustic taverns such as this one, the old man didn't need my business anyway.
Plus, I wasn't in a position to be considerate of anyone else's earnings.
Since my cover was blown, I'd have to hire someone else to handle surveillance work on the Count going forward. Which meant less of Madam Graye's shiny gold coins would end up in my pocket.
"Goodbye, profit margin," I lamented, mentally calculating the cost of recruiting a competent assistant.
Wolf or my ace, Lady Da Braose, would be the best choices for the job, but their services weren't cheap.
"If I send someone below par, however, I may not be able to try again," I reasoned with myself.
As soon as Count Graye noticed the tail I fixed on him, he'd definitely prevent me from placing any other people around him. I'd only have one shot to dig up as much dirt as I could.
"I can't believe I have to do this!" I groaned, the legs of my chair scraping against the ancient floor as I jumped to my feet.
It was time to give my lackey another task.
Seeing as the old manager wasn't in any hurry to bring me the water I'd asked for anyway, I gave him a curt nod and tramped out of the building.
..Well, I almost did.
A quick check through the window revealed that Count Graye was still lingering uselessly around the area. And even more alarming was that he was making his way toward this very tavern.
With another sigh, I pressed my palm into my forehead and turned back toward the old man.
"Hey, you got a back door in this place?"
The man glanced up from the tin cup and dirty rag in his hands with a slick look.
"Sorry, Ma'am. There's no back door today."