That night Zane never returned to her and Hera had gotten used to that man's behavior, so she let him do whatever he wanted to do. As long as Zane is still tied to her because of the contract, Hera knows that he will always be with her.

Hera returned to her seat and waited for Freya, her eyes glistening at the bustle of the town below her window, the outside world always looked better than what she saw from her bedroom window. Her room had always been like a prison to her all these years, a place that always made her feel sad, lonely and cold. A place that restrained her and made her feel like she couldn't breathe.

At first Hera was always afraid to come out of her room, she didn't want to meet anyone from the manor, she didn't want to be blamed again and again. After discovering several secret passages behind the walls, Hera ventured down the dark passage in maid clothes until she finally found a way out of the manor. Since then Hera decided that one day she could go to the outside world without having to return to that cold and lonely room, and now it had become a habit that she had to do every time she returned.

Her eyes narrowed coldly, she knew that the outside world was harsher and colder, she learned about it after several encounters with bad people. But she willingly returned to the outside world rather than being trapped in that room with a stranger she hoped she didn't know, at least every now and then she got the justice she deserved outside of that manor.

Lost in her thoughts, Hera did not realize that Freya had returned with their dinner on a tray, not until she waved her hand in front of her face.

Nothing much happened that night, after they ate their dinner Hera immediately told Freya to rest for their journey the next day.

 

---

 

The next day. Freya got up early to buy bread and water for their journey before returning to the inn's restaurant to order a light breakfast for them before Hera met with her at the restaurant with all their belongings.

Originally Freya would bring breakfast in their room, but yesterday Hera told her to meet at the inn's restaurant for breakfast. So Freya immediately looked for a table by the open window, because she knew that Hera liked to look outside while eating.

Freya thought for a moment before ordering, last night she just found out how little Hera ate her porridge and also this morning her lady wanted another porridge for her breakfast. However, Hera liked the macarons that Freya baked before they left the manor.

Her lady likes sweet food. With that in mind, Freya ordered chicken porridge for the two of them, warm milks, and also some macarons for them to eat later.

Freya didn't have to wait long for Hera to come down to meet her, she descended the stairs carrying their belongings and approached her with a warm smile. Another thing Freya found out about her lady was how free she was after only one day outside the manor, of course she wanted to make sure that Hera always smiled like that in the future but it made her even more worried about what would happen if the Duke decided to bring her back.

“Thank you for the breakfast.” Hera already sat in front of Freya, she squinted her eyes at their breakfast before looking up at Freya. “You don't have to eat what I eat every time we eat. My body needs adjustment before I can eat heavy meals.” She decided to tell Freya about the problem of her eating portions.

Freya quickly realized what Hera meant by her words and instantly felt guilty, “I'm sorry milady. This is all my fault. I should never neglect my responsibilities as your personal maid.” Freya's voice sounded choked, her eyes reddened with her head bowed deeply, unable to look at Hera.

“I don't mean to blame you, after all, I told you to find another job in your spare time and didn't have to accompany me, who was doing nothing at the time.” Hera tried to soothe Freya, but instead her words made her look up and stare at Hera with red eyes that were wet with tears.

“B-b-but…” Freya stuttered in a small voice.

“I'm getting better, it just needs a few adjustments before I can eat normally. So next time you order what you want to eat, don't order the same food as me.” Hera sighed, unwilling to continue talking about it, she took her spoon and started eating the porridge.

Freya could only nod in silence, her head was filled with guilt and grief, she started to eat her porridge but she couldn't taste anything. At that moment her mind wondered why she had neglected her duty as Hera's personal maid. Freya frowned, her lady only told her to do something in her spare time but she spent almost all of her time in the kitchen as if it were her main job.

“Fre… There was a place I had to go before we could find a new carriage to take us to my grandmother's hometown.” Hera's voice snapped Freya from her reverie.

“If only uncle Loir would pass our destination on his way.”

Freya remembered the merchant who brought them to this town, on the way the uncle Loir asked them where they were going in case he could take them to their destination without them having to go around to find another carriage. Unfortunately, he had to take a mother and child from that town to a city far away from their destination.

“We'll find a way.” Hera assured Freya of that matter. Right now she had to go somewhere, not only to find something but also to meet some people.

After they finished breakfast, Hera and Freya strolled around the town which was starting to bustle with activity, the shops began to open their doors to welcome customers.

The two of them tried to walk fast without colliding with the people walking towards them, Freya just followed Hera's strides as if she knew where they were going without asking or looking around for directions.

Cling!

They entered an antiques shop at the end of the road.

“Welcome!” A soft voice greeted them from behind the large oak table.

An old man with a dirty beard welcomed them politely. Behind him, on the wall there is a certain family insignia, indicating that this shop was one of the family's many branches of business in that town.

“How can I help you, young ladies?” The old man looked at Hera and Freya with a smile on his face.

“I'm looking for a music box. A little red music box with silver lilies engraved on every corner. A maid sold it a few years ago.” Hera said in a flash, she shifted her gaze to the neatly lined shelves with various antiques on display.

The old man fell silent, no one really came and took a look around his shop to buy anything, they always came to sell him something. Like the music box that the lady had just described, he remembers it well when a maid sold it to him years ago. However, until now no one has been willing to buy the broken music box.

He should not pass up this opportunity to sell something, especially when he got the news that the Duchess and her daughter were going to visit this shop today, to take all the items up for the auctions they will hold in the coming months.

The old man also had other concerns, this old shop had no customers for a long time, he was afraid that when the Duchess came and saw the development of this shop she would decide to close this shop. At least today he needs to sell something.

“Wait for a moment. Let me find it for you.” The old man hurriedly entered the door behind him, if his memory was correct, he had already put the music box away in the pile of items that would be brought to the auction next month. If that music box still couldn’t be sold in the auction, then they could only dispose of it, but this lady looked as if she was serious about buying the music box. 

“Mila--Hera… Are you looking for the late Duchess music box that I gave you? How do you know they sell it in this place?”

Freya's eyes widened, of course she remembered the music box she painstakingly got to comfort Hera when she was a child, the music box that the runaway servants stole and sold. The only thing that connected Hera with her mother.

“En.” Hera answered modestly, while waiting for the old man to pick up her music box she began to circle the shop, staring one by one at the antique on display. “If it's not here, I'll go to another shop and look for it.” In fact, she knows she will find the music box in this shop, but at that time the music box was still on display around the corner of the shop and the one who welcomed her was not the old man.

“Is this the one?” The old man returned with a dusty red box in his hand, he carefully handed it over to Hera to make sure it was the music box she was looking for.

Hera nodded slowly, she rubbed the thick dust that clung to the surface of the music box, her finger then gently stroked the carving of her mother's initials name. “How much does it cost?”

The old man’s smile widened, his eyes sparkled with delight. “It’s around 15 silver. It’s broken so I will sell it cheap.”

Hera narrowed her eyes when the old man told her the price, “It’s broken? Since when?”

“It's been broken since they sold it. I just didn't check it until a customer tried to play it but no sound was heard.” The old man explained worriedly, rubbing his hands together and occasionally glancing at the two ladies.

The young man from her memory said something different from what the old man was telling her now, at that time Hera was given a price ten times the price the old man had given, made her think for a long time before deciding to come back another day to buy it .

Hera’s jaw tightened, but unfortunately she could no longer find the music box that had been given to auction and purchased by Alicia at that time. How did she know Alicia bought it, well, before it was stolen she hid a ring inside and sealed it tightly. Later her precious ring will be found on Alicia's little finger, Alicia can take everything from her but not that ring.

Let her hold onto that ring. Just that little golden circle. Hera always saw that ring on her mother's finger in all of her paintings. She selfishly wants it for herself, even if she stole it in the first place. 

“This can always be fixed.” Without much hesitation Hera handed 15 pieces of silver onto the table and pushed them towards the old man, then put away her music box.

“Thank you for the purchases.” The old man bowed politely and received the money that the lady handed it over to him.

Cling!

“Uncle Li… Where is your son?” A very cheerful voice greeted the old man, a girl in a simple green dress approached them with an elegant woman behind her.

At first glance Freya immediately knew who the girl was and could also surmise the elegant woman behind her. A few years ago, on Lyonnel's coming of age banquet, Lilith really liked the macarons served on the dessert table.

At that time, Alicia immediately praised Freya for all the desserts she made, she even told Silvy to call Freya from the kitchen to meet Lilith.

Noticing someone was in the shop, Lilith stopped and looked at Freya with raised eyebrows. After a few minutes she exclaimed, “Ah... The macarons' maid…”

Lilith who likes all sweets always remembers the maid who made the best macarons she ever tasted, she quickly grabbed Freya's hand and leaned forward to make sure she wasn't mistaken.

Feeling uncomfortable, Freya took a step back, leaving some distance between them. She then bowed slightly, “Lady Lilith... How are you?”

“It is you.” Lilith clapped her hands happily, no longer goes to the shopkeeper and prefers to start a conversation with Freya, letting her mother talk to Uncle Li about their business today. “It's been years. I've tried many macarons all over the famous bakery, but their macarons are not as delicious as yours.” She said excitedly.

“I am honored, lady Lilith.” Freya chuckled a little.

“Ah... What are you doing in this town?”

“Me and mi--my friend want to go to the next city to the north, we are only looking for merchants who will pass through the city we are going to.” Freya said as she tiptoed to try to find the whereabouts of Hera, who was no longer beside her, her lady stood in front of a painting near the oak table and stared at it for a very long time.

“The city near the sea?”

Freya nodded.

Lilith shifted her gaze towards Freya’s line of sight, a black haired girl in a dress similar to the one Freya was wearing was already talking to her mother.

“It is such a coincidence. We'll head there too. How about you and your friend come with us, it will be safer, and you can make me macarons in exchange.” She suggested.

Freya was somewhat taken aback by Lilith's offer, she had known beforehand that the daughter of the Sixon family was not as arrogant as the other nobles, but she didn't expect this girl to be this nice.

Lilith smiled very broadly, waiting for Freya's answer, but her mind was only on the maid’s macarons.

“If the Duchess doesn't mind.”

They then once again shifted their gaze towards the Duchess who was chatting with Hera with a big smile on her face, the two of them no longer standing in front of the painting. Instead with books in their hands, the two of them sat in the corner that had been prepared by the shopkeeper, who was nowhere to be seen.

“I think my mom doesn't mind.”

“All right, thanks for the offer, Miss Lilith. I'll be happy to make macarons for you in return. Do you have a special flavor that you like?

“I like your red velvet and salted caramel macarons the best.” Lilith requested.

Cling!

This time a tall man entered the shop followed by the old shopkeeper, Uncle Li, with a flushed face filled with sweat. With the knights' help, they had loaded all the items for the auction from the shop's side door to the freight wagon.

“Everything is ready.” The tall man announced.