Tia was well aware that this was a punishment for Ravel's disobedience. She didn't dare to openly go against Glen's words. Instead, when Glen wasn't looking, she surreptitiously slipped a piece of bread to Ravel.
However, in the very next instant, Glen materialized seemingly out of thin air and snatched the bread away.
Tia's little scheme was thus foiled.
This young lass truly does have her master's interests at heart, but if she thinks she can deceive me, she might as well give up and go to bed... Glen thought to himself as he took bites of the purloined bread, deliberately goading Tia.
The girl could only puff out her cheeks and glare at Glen with palpable indignation.
In the dead of night, Ravel tossed and turned on the unyielding bedboard, unable to find sleep. The pangs of hunger in his stomach were tormenting, and the strange noises outside only exacerbated his distress.
He opened his eyes, sat up while clutching his rumbling stomach, hunched over, attempting to alleviate the hunger in this manner.
Yet, this only provided a modicum of relief. He remained unyielding in his resolve; a single day of hunger was not enough to break his spirit.
Eventually, drowsiness overcame his hunger. Ravel drifted off to sleep in a hunched position, only to be roused by Tia the following day.
"Master, Mr. Glen has already left. He said that if you don't perform your tasks properly today, you'll have to endure hunger again," Tia reminded him as he was washing up.
Ravel, who had just awakened, didn't feel particularly ravenous, but his body was weak, and he responded listlessly.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he said to Tia, "Tia, go and secretly fetch me something to eat. He won't notice."
Tia shook her head. "It's no use. Mr. Glen has hidden all the provisions. I scoured the place after he left, but I couldn't find even a morsel to eat."
The spark in Ravel's eyes faded.
"I won't heed his words!" he declared resolutely, as if making a solemn vow.
Just then, a magnificent carriage adorned with elaborate patterns approached from beyond the town. Enveloped in a hazy mist, it exuded an air of profound mystery.
Both Tia and Ravel heard the sound of the carriage approaching, which was distinctly out of place in the otherwise quiet town.
They pushed open the door and craned their necks to look outside. Their eyes widened in astonishment at the sight of the extraordinary carriage.
The horses pulling the carriage seemed almost sentient. As they passed by, they cast a disdainful glance at the two of them.
The carriage came to a halt in front of the large house next door. Out stepped a tall and robust old man, dressed in the garb of a hunter. Even from a distance, it was evident that he was not an easy person to deal with.
The moment the old man alighted, he immediately turned his gaze towards Tia and Ravel. Startled, the two young individuals quickly withdrew their heads.
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However, the old man had already taken notice of them.
"Why are there two children here?" he murmured.
"What's the matter, Bor? Has old age made you so brittle that a carriage ride rattles you to pieces?" Deffa's magnetic voice emanated from within the carriage. Moments later, her statuesque figure emerged gracefully, lifting the curtain.
This time, she was attired in a dark purple female mage's robe with a form - fitting waist. On her chest was an exquisitely crafted, glistening metal mage's medal, and around her neck was a necklace of shimmering rubies.
In addition to these, she wore ornaments on her wrists and earlobes. The instant she appeared, she seemed to radiate an otherworldly glow.
"Nothing much. That lad doesn't seem to be at home," the old man said nonchalantly, without turning his head.
As soon as Deffa stepped out of the carriage, she began to survey her surroundings, clicking her tongue in a mixture of curiosity and disdain.
"So this is the legendary town of Bayek? Just as the records describe, chaotic elements run rampant, and an aura of malevolence permeates every nook and cranny."
She closed her eyes as if sensing something intangible. When she opened them again, she said, "There are indeed many dangerous characters here. How can they coexist in such tranquility? It's truly incredible. Aren't you afraid, Bor?"
"As long as you don't overestimate your capabilities and provoke them, you'll be fine. After all, I've lived here for nearly five years without any untoward incidents," the old man said with a dismissive air.
"I'm not a reckless mage. Please keep that in mind."
"Let's not discuss this. I have a feeling that the lad might not be at home," the old man said, waving his hand to interrupt the lengthy discourse that Deffa was about to launch into. He pointed at Glen's house.
Deffa looked in the direction of Glen's house. With a simple incantation murmured from her lips, she gained a general understanding of the situation inside.
"There are only two children, around fifteen or sixteen years old, and no one else," she said.
"Let's go and ask them," the old man said, and then strode over.
"Wait a moment," Deffa called out to him, gazing towards the mist in the distance. "There's a large dog staring at us."
The old man squinted his eyes and looked for a long time, but he clearly couldn't see anything. "That should be the dog the lad keeps. Don't pay it any mind. It probably won't attack us."
Deffa seemed to be deep in thought. Then the two of them walked towards Glen's house.
At this moment, Tia and Ravel were pressed against the door of the house, not daring to make a sound. The old man's appearance had frightened them terribly. They couldn't understand how someone could be so tall and intimidating.
"Master, do you think that old man might be a cannibal? The way he looked at us was so terrifying," Tia said, which made Ravel even more scared. His body was already weak from hunger, and now he felt even more limp.
"Shut up! Why did Mother send such a useless maid like you to follow me?" Ravel hissed, rebuking her.
Tia closed her mouth, looking somewhat aggrieved.
Dong dong.
The two knocks on the door startled the already tense pair, and they let out a cry. They quickly covered their mouths, afraid of being heard by the people outside. But this was just self - deception.
"Two little ones, I know you're in there. Open the door quickly. I want to ask you something. Otherwise, I won't be so polite if I have to break in!"
The old man's hoarse yet resounding voice filled the air, causing the two in the house to be filled with extreme fear.
"After all these years, you still haven't changed your bad temper. They're just two children. Step aside and let me handle this," another extremely magnetic and pleasant female voice interrupted the old man. Then, surprisingly, the door behind them opened on its own.
The two instinctively looked over, and a noble - looking, beautiful, and amiable female mage came into their view.
"Don't be afraid, children. Would you be able to answer our questions?"
Deffa's noble demeanor combined with her gentle tone made the two nod involuntarily.
Moments later, Deffa and the old man were seated in the living room of Glen's house.
"You're saying that the annoying lad has gone to Dude to do business?"
Tia and Ravel nodded timidly.
The old man was silent for a while and then said, "Will he be back today?"
"He probably will, sir," Tia said in a low voice.
The old man looked at Deffa. "Do you want to wait for him here?"
Deffa held her head high and said indifferently, "Since we've already come all this way, we can't just go back empty - handed, can we?"
"All right, then I have to leave. I'm going to my friend's place to pick up my dog."
"Take care."
After the old man left, Deffa looked at Ravel and asked, "You seem to be a noble youth. How did you end up like this? You haven't eaten for at least a day. Did that lad named Glen deliberately mistreat you?"