A week later.
"So Emily is staying home to sleep?" Eliana asks. She sits with her legs folded under the shade of her umbrella, holding the handle at a slight angle to cover both of them from the sun.
"Yeah" Cassius replies, his hands still carefully adjusting the flowers in front of him
"This morning she said she didn't feel well, so she stayed in the room. Said she was tired, then just lay down and fell asleep"
He slows down a little, his gaze still on the flowers "I'm not sure if it's serious or not"
Eliana watches him for a moment, noticing that his tone is not as relaxed as usual, so she simply nods lightly
"I hope it's nothing serious"
"Me too" Cassius answers, shorter this time.
The air between them quiets for a moment. Eliana slightly adjusts how she holds the umbrella, then, to change the topic, she speaks
"Ah, I haven't asked you this yet"
Cassius turns to look at her.
"When is your birthday?"
"Birthday…" Cassius repeats. His hands pause for a moment, then he scratches his head, thinking for a bit before answering
"You probably know that Thomas adopted me, right?"
Eliana nods "Yeah, I heard the manager mention you and Emily"
Cassius continues, his tone no longer as bright as before but not heavy either
"When Thomas found me, I was in the forest. Back then I didn't remember anything, I only knew my name was Cassius. Everything else was completely blank, including my birthday"
He shrugs lightly "So me saying I'm eleven is just a guess"
Eliana looks at him "So you just ignore your birthday?"
"Yeah" Cassius nods, then smiles lightly
"I don't really think it's that important. If anything, it'd just be a few wishes or maybe going out for a bit"
He turns to her, his tone more relaxed
"For Emily's birthday, we usually just walk around town. Nothing special, but it's still fun"
Eliana looks at him for a moment, then stands up, lightly brushing her dress. Her tone returns to normal
"Right now I'm bored"
"Do you want to go out with me?"
"Go out?" Cassius repeats, a bit surprised
"Yeah" Eliana replies "Your work for today is basically done. We can walk around the nearby town, there should be something interesting"
Cassius stays silent for a moment, clearly thinking, then shakes his head lightly
"I'm not sure. I don't really like going without Emily"
Eliana slightly frowns, then continues, her voice calm but clear
"It's not like this is the only time. She can still come next time"
"It's fine if you go with me today"
Cassius thinks a bit more, then finally nods
"If you say so, then okay"
Eliana nods as well, as if she expected that answer
"Then go back and change. I'll have someone prepare the carriage"
"Okay, I'll go now" Cassius stands up.
"Hurry up" Eliana adds.
Cassius quickly returns to the room. When he opens the door, he sees Emily lying on the bed, a book open in front of her, her eyes still following the lines of text.
"Cassius?" Emily looks a bit surprised as she props herself up "Why are you back so early?"
"I'm going to town with Eliana" Cassius says right away, walking closer to the bed
"Do you want to come with me?"
Emily pauses for a moment, then shakes her head, her voice soft but clear
"I want to go, but not right now"
She pulls the blanket slightly "I don't have the strength to go out"
Cassius looks at her, his expression visibly softening, but he doesn't say anything upsetting. He just nods, then leans down and hugs her
"Then we'll go together next time"
Emily doesn't pull away, just leans into him a little
"Do you want me to buy anything?" Cassius asks as he lets go
Emily shakes her head
"No need. Just go have fun"
She smiles faintly "As long as you're happy."
Cassius smiles back, then goes to wash and change. When he comes out, he is wearing a white shirt and black pants. His hair is still slightly damp, a bit messy but neater than usual.
"I'm heading out" he raises his hand.
"Be careful" Emily replies.
Cassius leaves the room. When he goes downstairs, he sees a carriage already waiting. The door is open, and Eliana is sitting inside.
He walks over quickly. Eliana leans slightly forward and extends her hand toward him. Cassius takes her hand and climbs into the carriage naturally.
"Hello, Eliana"
Eliana nods and sits back in the seat opposite him.
Cassius looks at her for a moment, then asks "Why are you wearing a cloak?"
Eliana is wearing a long cloak, the hood still not pulled up "Wearing this makes it easier to walk around in town"
"Ah, the first time you came to Thomas's flower shop, you dressed like this too, right?" Cassius recalls.
Eliana nods, then takes out another cloak and hands it to him
"This one is yours"
Cassius takes it immediately, puts it on quickly, then pulls the hood up
"I don't know why, but wearing this feels kind of familiar"
Eliana looks at him, tilting her head slightly. With the cloak on, most of Cassius's body is covered, leaving only his face clearly visible. Her gaze lingers a little longer than usual.
"We should get you a hat with a veil" she says, turning her face away
"Huh?" Cassius tilts his head.
"Nothing"
"Where are we going?" Cassius asks again.
"I don't know" Eliana answers
"We'll just walk around. If we see something interesting, we'll stop"
Cassius nods, doesn't ask more, and turns to look out the window as the carriage begins to move.
On the other side, Eliana occasionally glancing at him.
Not long after the carriage stops in town, Cassius is the first to jump down, his eyes clearly lighting up as he looks around. The streets are crowded, voices mixing with the sounds of vendors, making the atmosphere much livelier than the quiet garden he is used to.
"Cassius"
Eliana's voice comes from behind, making him turn around immediately.
She is standing on the carriage, looking down at him without saying anything more. Cassius understands, walks closer, and reaches out his hand. Eliana places her hand on his and steps down gently.
"Thank you"
Cassius nods.
The two begin walking around the town. Eliana walks slightly ahead, but not far, just enough to turn back and check if Cassius is keeping up. She is clearly more familiar with this place, occasionally pointing somewhere and giving short explanations.
"That place sells sweets, but they're not very good"
"And over there is a tailor shop. I often order clothes from there"
Cassius follows each direction she points to, nodding repeatedly, his eyes full of interest.
"You know a lot"
Eliana crosses her arms and turns her face slightly away.
"Of course. I'm not like you"
Cassius smiles lightly, doesn't argue, and just keeps following her.
—
Eliana leads Cassius through the main market, where all kinds of stalls are lined up close together. The place is noisy but not unpleasant, the smells of food, fruit, and new fabric blending together.
Cassius keeps looking from one place to another, occasionally stopping to examine something more closely.
"This looks interesting" he points at a small wooden handmade item.
"That's a toy for children"
"Which means it suits you" she adds with a slight smile.
Cassius laughs, doesn't argue, but still picks it up to look before putting it back.
They continue walking past a fruit stall. Cassius stops a bit longer this time, looking at the neatly arranged ripe fruits.
"Do you want some?" Eliana asks.
Cassius shakes his head.
"No need. I just think they look nice"
Eliana doesn't say anything, but a few seconds later she goes back to the stall, says something quietly to the vendor, and hands over some money. When she returns, she gives Cassius a skewer of cut fruit.
"Take it"
Cassius looks surprised.
"Don't ask, just eat"
Cassius takes it, smiles lightly, and takes a bite.
"It's sweet"
Eliana turns her face away, her voice a bit softer.
"Yeah, everything here is decent"
They keep walking, this time the distance between them is a bit closer, no longer as far as before. Cassius occasionally tells small stories about his days working with Thomas, while Eliana listens and sometimes adds a few comments.
After walking around for quite a while, Eliana leads Cassius into a small restaurant at the corner of the street. It is not luxurious, but clean and quieter than outside.
They sit across from each other. The table is small, the distance not far.
Cassius looks at the menu for a while, then puts it down.
"I don't know what to choose"
"Give it to me" Eliana takes the menu from his hand, scans it quickly, and orders for both of them.
"You're choosing everything?"
"Yeah. As long as you can eat it"
Cassius doesn't object, just rests his chin on his hand and looks at her.
"You come here often?"
"Yeah, sometimes I go out"
"Don't you get recognized?"
Eliana points at her cloak.
"This isn't for decoration"
Cassius nods, then smiles lightly.
"I think this look suits you"
Eliana pauses for a moment.
"Suits what?"
"Like, you look more mysterious"
She turns her face away, saying nothing more.
When the food is brought out, Cassius eats naturally, not too restrained. In contrast, Eliana eats more slowly, though her eyes occasionally glance at him.
After a while, Cassius speaks, his voice softer.
"I think today is fun"
Eliana pauses and looks at him.
"Just because of the food?"
Cassius shakes his head.
"No, because I'm with you"
Eliana doesn't reply right away. She just looks at him for a moment, then lowers her gaze.
"Don't say things that are easy to misunderstand like that."
Cassius tilts his head.
"Misunderstand what?"
"Nothing"
As the sky begins to darken, lights in the town are gradually lit. The streets are still crowded, but no longer as noisy as during the day.
Eliana and Cassius slow down. This time, the distance between them is close enough that their hands brush lightly a few times.
After a while, Eliana takes his hand on her own.
"Too crowded" she says shortly.
Cassius doesn't react much, just holds her hand back, as if it is something completely normal.
Cassius's face also makes quite a few girls turn to look back, and whenever that happens, Eliana's grip on his hand tightens a little more.
They walk a bit further, not talking much anymore, only exchanging a few short sentences now and then.
Finally, Eliana stops at a quieter street.
She turns to Cassius, not letting go of his hand.
"Cassius"
She stays silent for a few seconds, as if arranging her words.
"From the very first time I met you, I already felt something strange"
Cassius looks at her, not interrupting.
"I don't know why, but I wanted to see you again… and again… the more we talk, the clearer it becomes"
Her voice slows down, but it doesn't shake.
"I think… I like you"