The rhythmic sound of the wheels over the stone road began to change. María noticed that, as they advanced, the terrain became smoother, and the echo of the horses' hooves resonated more clearly.

They were no longer in the countryside.

María looked up and saw a monumental shadow starting to loom over the carriage.

The vehicle stopped abruptly.

María, who had been absorbed in looking out the window, gave a small jump.

“I have a bad feeling about this…” María thought to herself.

She glanced at Aria, who remained unbothered, her hands perfectly crossed on her lap. The girl didn’t seem the least bit affected by the interruption.

María, however, couldn’t resist peeking out the small carriage window.

What she saw made her swallow hard.

In front of them rose an imposing wall, with a massive gate flanked by guards armed to the teeth.

The air she inhaled suddenly felt heavier.

“Why… is there a wall?” María murmured to herself, confused.

Weren’t they headed to a village?

What kind of village had a wall that tall?

The carriage driver was speaking quietly with the guards while knights inspected the sides of the vehicle.

This isn’t a village.

María felt a drop of cold sweat slide down her forehead.

No matter how much she tried to calm down, her mind was already racing with anxious thoughts.

A small village wouldn’t have guards or a wall this massive.

“Why would Esmeria bring us to a city? What’s going on here?”

When the driver finished his conversation, and the knights gave them the green light to pass, the carriage began to move again, crossing the great wooden gate.

Inside, the city was a mix of bustle and order. The stone streets were clean, the buildings had an air of opulence, and people walked back and forth, many wearing fine clothes.

María, her eyes fixed on the window, began murmuring softly, almost like a prayer:

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“Please don’t have a branch here… Please don’t have a branch here…”

“What did you say?” Aria asked, turning her head slightly.

“Nothing, Miss Aria!” María replied quickly, straightening in her seat.

Hearing how María addressed her, Aria frowned ever so slightly.

The carriage continued moving until it stopped in a broad, busy area where other carriages also waited. Some were as luxurious as theirs, while others seemed to belong to more modest families.

“We’ve arrived,” the driver announced from outside.

María opened the door and stepped out first, the intense morning sun hitting her face.

The city air was warmer and denser than it had been outside. She extended a hand to help Aria down, but, as always, the girl ignored the gesture and descended calmly, her movements small but deliberate.

“Guide Miss Aria,” ordered Esmeria, her voice echoing from the girl’s shadow.

María blinked, confused, and looked around.

“You want me to guide her…? Me?”

María couldn’t help but let out a brief laugh.

‘How am I supposed to guide her when I don’t know a thing about this city!?’ María thought frantically, but with Aria’s gaze on her and the immovable shadow at her feet, there was no room to protest aloud.

After all… this was her job.

“Uh… I’ll do my best,” María responded, forcing a nervous smile.

Aria started walking with short but decisive steps, and María hurried to follow.

The streets were full of life: merchants shouting their wares, nobles strolling with their servants, and the constant sounds of voices mixing with the clatter of horse hooves.

María tried not to lose her composure as they moved, scanning the shop signs for anything that might interest Aria.

That’s when her eyes landed on a familiar logo: an emblem in the shape of a lily flower embroidered with golden threads.

“Ah, a clothing store!” María exclaimed, almost relieved to have found something that might distract Aria.

Just as she was about to head toward the store, something inside her made her stop.

‘No, wait. It can’t be…’

María turned on her heels, giving the place her back.

“What are you doing?” Esmeria asked sharply from Aria’s shadow.

“That store is trash,” María blurted out without thinking, trying to keep her voice casual while her thoughts began to spiral.

“How do you know that?” Esmeria inquired. Though María couldn’t see her, she could perfectly imagine an arched eyebrow of disbelief.

Before she could respond, a group of noble girls passed nearby. They wore immaculate dresses, their excited voices ringing out as they headed for the store.

“Look at those dresses!” one of the girls cried, her face lighting up as if she had seen treasure.

“They’re gorgeous! We have to go in!” added another, practically bouncing with excitement.

María pressed her lips together, trying to ignore them, but Esmeria’s expression was clear even without seeing her.

“It seems that place catches the attention of humans. Perhaps we should take a look.”

“Fools!” María exclaimed, frustrated, before she could stop herself. She swallowed hard at Aria’s gaze and tried to calm down. “I mean, those girls have no idea what they’re saying. That store isn’t as good as it looks. I… I know a better one.”

It was a lie.

María had barely found that store and mentioned it aloud just to avoid looking completely useless.

But if that shop turned out to be what she feared…

They had to get away from there.

Esmeria was silent for a moment, as if evaluating the situation.

“Interesting. But—”

Before she could finish, Aria interrupted with her usual cold tone.

“Move. I’m getting tired of walking.”

María’s heart raced.

Even though Aria’s comment was quite curt, it was obvious to her that she was being given a chance.

The pressure from both figures, Aria and Esmeria, seemed to crush her, but María managed to force a smile as she made a small bow.

“At once, Miss Aria!”

Once again, Aria frowned ever so slightly at her words.

With quick steps, María took the lead, guiding Aria in a direction completely opposite to the store.

Her mind worked at full speed, trying to find another shop.