Chapter 211 - Free and Lost (3)

So that brings her here now. A few minutes after the commotion has died down yet she was in an unfamiliar place with many more people than before.

In the middle of nowhere. How did this even happen? I was just being pushed away and was drowned by the sea of people, I even felt someone grab me and dragged me away as if separating me away from the commotion that's why I'm here, in a place I am not familiar with. Why something does happens every time I'm in a good mood or something? Especially when I am outside, she thought to herself and let out a huff before she looked down on her dress, it wasn't that wrinkled nor torn like what she had expected because of the commotion that happened.

That's strange, I thought that it would get wrinkled and destroyed since some people pushed me and would accidentally grab my dress when they fell down the ground, she looked around and only saw people around her. The loud voices, chattering, shouts, murmurs, and words that she wasn't able to understand entered one ear and left another. There was a faint smell of food and flowers, wafting to her nose and tickling it.

She blends in the crowd easily as the color of her hair doesn't stand out and she's just an average size girl, everyone around her was tall and she was being drowned by a sea of people. Her brother wasn't here, they got separated because of the commotion, and her personal knight wasn't here.

If I just stand around and waited for them to come here or find me, nothing would happen. It would take long for them to find me, maybe I should go around and see if I could find an officer who I could go to and report that I am a lost child and got separated from my brother. I could ask for some help, perhaps..?

A sharp feeling. Uncomfortable.

She felt that intense stare as if someone was glaring at her, her breath hitched and she turned around to look behind her but no one was there except for people passing by her, minding their own business. The stare and feeling lingered for longer before it completely disappeared as she looked around. Again, with that feeling, she thought to herself and shook her head, trying to forget about it.

She looked around once again and began walking away from the crowd, heading towards one spot beside a stall that has accessories and jewelry. There aren't that many people there as they only just passed by it, Alexandra decided to stay there and rest first. It was still early in the afternoon and the sun was on its high peak, the scorching heat making her suffer. Winter is already coming but why is it still hot?

She leaned back against the wall, panting heavily. She looked at her left where the jewelry stall is, there was a mirror beside her and she decided to check herself out. Although her dress wasn't ruined, her face and hair are. Her wig is about to come off and she decided to fix it, making sure that it feels comfortable in her head thought it felt itchy at first and she badly wants to remove it. Her bangs were also messy and the pin on her head was loose.

As she was fixing her hair and her appearance, the man who was guarding the stall or rather the owner of it spoke, startling her.

"Lass, why are you here?"

He's talking to me, right?

"Yes, I am talking to you."

Huh? Can he—

"No, I can't read minds."

"W-What?" Was Alexandra could only say. She peaked her head out of the mirror and saw a man, an old man sitting on a chair with the set of accessories and fine jewelry laid out in front of him. The man was only looking in front of him, watching everyone pass by his stall, not even giving a look to his goods as if it doesn't exist at all.

"Were you separated from someone?"

"Y-Yes, a commotion happened earlier which separated me from my brother."

"Do you know the way back or a place that you might know? What district were you in earlier?"

Alexandra thought for a moment. She could only think about the café where she ate earlier but she doesn't know what is its name or which district is it in. Her brother only told her that they are going to the town square and market to go to the café and to buy some things. She wasn't sure if the café was a newly built one but it was popular since there are many people inside. Oh, right, Graycole!

"Do you know a café that is owned by the Graycole Family or Bloodline?"

"Sorry, lass. I don't know that bloodline, there are many cafés here. Perhaps the one that you are talking about might just be around here."

"I see, I'll just rest here for a little bit."

Alexandra said before she let out a sigh. Somehow, she felt comfortable talking with this man. She leaned back against the wall as she was already finished with fixing her hair.

"Blue eyes are beautiful and rare."

"Pardon?"

"Lass, how old are you?"

"12, why do you ask?"

"Is that so? It feels like you are way older than that.���

The more that she exchanged words with the old man, the more she gets confused. It feels like he was talking in another language and she is trying her best to keep it as she translates everything. He suddenly brought up and said something about blue eyes, did he see mine? He didn't even look in my direction, how will he know about that?

Aside from that, what about my age? He speaks as if he knows everything about me. Can he see through me?

"No, I can't. I just trust my instincts, my guts, and my mind. Sometimes you have to believe in what your gut is telling you because if you won't, you would be put in danger again. Unless you desire death so much that you are willing to take any risk that might take away your life."

"You're one weird and confusing old man," She couldn't help but say. It just came out of her mouth but she didn't regret it nor does she want to apologize because of saying that. She just remained still, leaning back, watching every person walk by her.

"Lass."

"Yes?"

"Aren't you afraid? Being alone surrounded by unfamiliar people in an unfamiliar environment?"

"No."

"I see, is it because you were all alone in your life?"

He asks weird and mysterious questions but Alexandra wasn't uncomfortable with that, rather she felt relaxed while she was talking to him. How weird.

"Perhaps," She responded.

"But you aren't alone anymore."

"You keep on saying things I don't understand."

"It can't be helped."

Alexandra just sighed before she stood properly, she lifted her hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her hair as she looked at the old man in the corner of his eyes. He was still in the same position as before, staring at the people in front of him who just walked pass by. She looked ahead of her once again.

"I'm leaving now, I have to go look for my brother," She said as she took a few steps in front of her. If she remained here any longer, her head might hurt thinking and trying to understand what this man was saying.

"Yeah, go on. But one last warning—" She began walking but she still wasn't that far away from the stall when she heard the old man's voice again, this time it was deep and it resonated inside her ear.

"—Don't be fooled just because they showed you a little bit of kindness. They will deceive you just to get whatever they want. Humans are foolish and greedy creatures, after all," He speaks as if he has seen everything in this world. As if he was God himself, watching over everything.

She looked back and a person passed by in her point of view, blocking it for a few seconds but when he completely passed by, neither the man nor the stall was there. As if it didn't exist in the first place or everything was just her hallucination, a product of her imagination.

Alexandra felt a chill run down her spine before she looked ahead of her and began walking once again, the words of the old man kept on ringing and repeating inside her like a broken track.

--

"Excuse me, did you see a tall man who has dark-colored hair and blue eyes? There are also two people with him. One is slightly smaller than the other one, his eyes are like the color of gold and his hair color is black. The other one is a brunette with almond-colored eyes. They are all good-looking and eye-catching."

"I'm sorry but I still haven't seen someone like them here, if they were really good-looking, I would have notice and see them. I really do apologize."

"I see, thank you."

"However, be careful, little girl."

"Why?"

"I heard that some kids who are around your age started to disappear nowadays, I am worried about you. I really want to help you look for them, however, I still have things to do," The woman's voice sounded apologetic and filled with worry as she looked at her. Her lips were pursed into a thin line and there were some wrinkles in her face. Her hair was tied in a messy way and she was carrying a few bags with some things inside.

"I understand, thank you for telling me. I appreciate your concern."

"But if you want, I can take you to a café or library. You can stay there for the moment as I report this matter to the officers. I'm sure it can help you."

"Really? Then please do but I won't stay in a café or library, I want to walk around and look for my brother."

"So, you were separated from your brother. Must be hard, then please be careful and take care," Alexandra just smiled at her before she turned around and began walking once again. It would be harder for her brother to find her if she decided to stay in an unknown café, I might bump into them while I'm walking, she thought to herself.

She continued to walk around. It feels like she was just going around in circles. Since she doesn't go out of the palace that often and she isn't used to such places like this, she doesn't know where to go. She still hasn't found any officer in sight.

I somehow remember this happening before too, she thought to herself and recalled the time when she was at the carnival with Harrison and she got lost because someone dragged her away while he was playing in this one stall. That is probably why she isn't that panicking or running around because it already happened to her, she even encountered a few people before who was Harrison's friends.

"Hey, hey, have you seen that one stall?"

"Are you sure that we're going in the right way?"

"Ah, I'm hungry."

"Sale! Sale! 3 apples for 10 eni coins!"

"How much is this?"

"Wanna buy this, lady?"

"Hey, I just saw a handsome man passed by me!"

"Isn't this way too expensive, mister?"

She could hear people's voices everywhere and these were some of the things that they have said. Compared to the market back in her previous life, this have way too many people, you can't even walk around freely without bumping into anyone. What would happen if there was a fight or a special event like a big sale or something would happen? I guess, it would be much worse than the commotion that happened earlier, she thought to herself and tried to imagine that scenario.

Alexandra let out a sigh once again and she arrived near an alleyway. There are no people here except for her. Then she heard a voice coming from behind her.

"Are you lost, kid?"

--

Calixander kept on looking around and walking with two men behind him. Though he looks calm on the outside, he is actually panicking on the inside. He just wants to take out his sister to this nice café that he found then go walk around but who would've thought that he would lose her because of that commotion earlier. He already asked people around him if they found a little girl who has the same hair color and eyes as him but their answer was a 'no'.

"Uhm, hello, are you looking for someone by any chance?"

A woman in her mid-20s suddenly approached him, her hair was tied in a messy bun and there were some wrinkles on her face. Carrying a few things in her hand and she was slightly sweating. He stopped from his tracks and turned around to look at her, he nodded as a response.

"Is it a little girl who is wearing a blue dress and has dark-colored hair with a butterfly pin on the side?"

"Yes, have you seen her? She's my sister and we got separated because of the commotion that happened."

"Ah, I'm glad! I met her and asked me almost the same thing. I already reported it to the officers but it seems like I have already found her brother. Though I don't know where she went afterward."

"Thank you for telling me. Here, please accept this. It's just a small amount," Calixander said as she handed the lady a bag with coins inside but the lady just smiled and politely refused. "It's normal to just help each other and besides, I am also worried about that little girl. Have you heard about the disappearing kids and kidnapping cases which was still kept as a secret to not make everyone panic? Most of those happened around these parts and areas. Since she is a beautiful girl and all by herself, I'm worried."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I apologize but there is a high chance that someone took her already."