Emily followed her grandmother back to the bakery, her thoughts still swirling from the strange yet exciting conversation with the mysterious mage.

As she crossed the threshold of the old, worn wooden door, the aroma of freshly baked bread and flour in the air felt as familiar as ever.

The bakery was small, dark, and modest, with barely a couple of shelves filled with already-cool bread and a small stone fireplace where remnants of the fire used for baking still lingered.

Despite its good location in the city, they barely managed to survive, as the business was not owned but rented for a sum that always left the family on the brink of poverty.

Upon entering, her grandmother gestured to her husband, who was behind the counter.

"Close up now, old man."

The grandfather, a man with a weathered face and calloused hands, frowned with concern.

"What happened to the breads you were supposed to bring?" he asked, swallowing hard as he remembered they still had some customers waiting.

"We already sold them," his wife replied simply, without giving it much thought.

The grandfather didn't seem as relieved as one would expect.

Instead, his face paled slightly.

He knew that the reason Emily and his wife had gone out in the first place was because they had customers waiting for more bread.

'How am I going to apologize to them?' he thought as he tried to come up with excuses to reassure the few customers still in the shop.

Meanwhile, the grandmother led Emily to a small table in a dark corner of the shop.

"Sit down," the old woman ordered.

Emily obeyed, though with a hint of nervousness.

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Her grandmother's tone made her think she was about to receive a lecture for having dropped the basket of bread on the ground when she had been distracted by the mage.

However, the old woman didn't scold her. Instead, she began to search for something in a small wooden chest.

When she returned, she brought with her a collection of hair ribbons, all different colors and shapes, with a childlike and sweet air.

Emily looked at the ribbons, confused.

"Grandma, what is this…?" Emily asked, expecting some kind of reprimand.

The elderly woman sat down in front of her and, with a smile, asked,

"Are you going to see the mage tomorrow?"

Emily's eyes widened, puzzled by the question and her grandmother's tone.

She didn't know how to respond.

"No... I don't know. I don't want to be a bother," Emily murmured, her gaze dropping to the floor.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp slap on her cheek.

The pain shot through her, but Emily only sighed to endure the blow, accustomed to her grandmother's harshness.

"I'll ask you again," the old woman said, her tone severe. "Are you going to see the mage tomorrow?"

Emily, still rubbing her cheek, answered almost without thinking.

"Yes, I'll go tomorrow…" Emily said, her voice trembling.

Satisfied, her grandmother smiled again and extended her hand to show her the ribbons.

"Choose one. I want you to look presentable when you go."

Despite the pain, Emily chose a red ribbon, the only one she liked among all of them. However, her grandmother clicked her tongue in disapproval.

"No, that doesn't match your green eyes," she said, taking a green ribbon shaped like a clover and placing it in Emily's hands.

Emily frowned.

She didn't like the ribbon, but she didn't dare to say anything. She carefully held it, trying not to show her displeasure.

At that moment, her grandfather reappeared, wiping his hands on his apron.

"Did you really sell those loaves?" he asked, clearly worried. "We just lost several customers!"

The grandmother, unfazed, showed him the silver coins that Nolan had paid.

"Look at this," she said, smiling. "We sold more than those loaves are worth."

The grandfather stared at the coins, astonished.

"What…?" he asked, still in disbelief. "Did you rob a noble or something?"

"No, you old fool," the grandmother replied with a laugh. She leaned over to Emily and, unexpectedly, hugged her warmly. "Our girl has caught the attention of a noble."

The grandfather looked at Emily, his eyes shining with a spark of pride.

"Wow, finally you're doing something right!" he exclaimed, giving her a pat on the shoulder. "Do you think that mage has a lot of money?"

The grandmother smiled and said confidently,

"Tomorrow we'll find out. Emily is going to visit him in the morning, right?"

Emily's eyes went wide.

'In the morning…?' Emily thought in horror.

She had barely processed the idea of going, and now she had to do it so early…

But not wanting to receive another slap or unleash her grandparents' anger, she forced a nervous smile.

"Yes… of course," Emily said, laughing weakly. "Tomorrow morning, I'll see the mage…"