THE NOBLE NOBODY

The strawberry boy

Kenneth bursted out laughing. "No harm , no foul! I was just teasing you, but I must say, that expression on your face was priceless."
His words immediately made her feel relieved as she realized that his statement had all been a joke. He had intentionally made her believe that he was married and had taken enjoyment from her genuine and innocent embarrassment.
"Oh, Oh.." Amberlynn tried to keep her calm and composure but she couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face.
"Ugh, Screw you, strawberry boy!" She rolled her eyes as she tried to suppress her laughter, pretending that she was very riled up over Kenneth's mean-spirited prank.
"My apologies, my apologies. That was a little mean I admit!" He said. "How about you allow me to make it up for you? I could take you to my farm, and that way you can handpick your own strawberries and get to know me better at the same time!"
Amberlynn couldn't help but let out a small smile as the fruit seller continued to be so kind and considerate, even after the earlier confusion. It was clear to her that he was a genuine person, as he made his sweet offer of taking her to his farm in order to get to know each other better.

"My forgiveness may be a difficult achievement. However, should those other strawberries reveal a comparable level of mouth-watering deliciousness, I acknowledge the possibility of contemplating the acceptance of your apology."
She attempted to conceal her laughter, though those attempts proved to be unsuccessful in masking her amusement. although she did certainly upheld the appearance and did not let it become too apparent.

Kenneth was astute enough to see through AmberLynn's artificial outrage, but chose to proceed with his suggestion, feigning the notion that he accepted her expressed frustration and annoyance as genuine. "I swear I swear! It shall indeed be worth your time! On the morrow at midday, meet me here at the bazaar. Even though I could take you to my farm immediately with no hesitation, I am presently occupied attempting to sell all of these marvelous, mouth-wateringly delicious strawberries on my stall."
Amberlynn squinted her eyes for a moment before making a suggestion of her own. "How about this.. I shall purchase all of these scrumptious strawberries, and we will collectively give them out to the impoverished members of the community at the local market. Afterwards, we can journey to the farm straightaway!" Kenneth radiated an ecstatic smile as he heard Amberlynn's idea, pleased with the notion that she was willing to purchase all of his strawberries with the intention of redistributing them to those less fortunate than themselves.
"That's actually very kind! I'll give you a discount on these strawberries so it doesn't cost you a lot to buy them all! I mean you are a not wealthy woman after all, am I wrong?"

Kenneth was well aware of Amberlynn's affluence, but he observed how eager she was to conceal it.
Besides, he realized that unlike other people of means, she appeared to have a distaste for discussing her immense wealth.
However, he couldn't resist the urge to tease her a bit with his remark about her wealth, which sure was would get a small chuckle out of her. "Precisely!" she replied, her fake annoyance shifting to a faint smile as she found his teasing genuinely humorous.

As Amberlynn was about to unzip her bag in order to pay for the strawberries that the nobleman had provided, she felt a soft, delicate, and surprising caress on the side of her arm.
Kenneth had suddenly placed his hand gently against her arm.
She couldn't help but feel a slight rush of excitement and butterflies in her stomach. "Do not worry about the berries Amberlynn. I shall provide them at no cost. You do not have to compensate me in any way, shape, or form! Perhaps a brief excursion to your extensive manor, of which the pompous nobleman spoke about, would be an adequate payment for me."
She was speechless for a moment as she realized that he had declined her payment. Instead, he asked for a small tour of her estate.

"No, no, no! I can pay! I do not wish to deprive you of an honest day's work!"
Amberlynn proceeded to withdraw the funds from her handbag. "How much shall it be?"
Kenneth gave the woman a broad grin as his head shook slowly. "Well, If you insist.. It shall cost you the truth" he paused momentarily. "You said you wanted to know me better? Well, I wish to get to know you better as well! So tell me the truth! How come a wealthy woman like yourself buy her own strawberries, instead of having someone else buying them for her?"

Amberlynn inhaled deeply as she recognized the point he had just made. If she desired to learn further about him, she would need to present additional knowledge about herself in return. "Well, if you insist.. where do I even start!" As she spoke, she detected the strawberry seller gazing directly at her, a look filled with eagerness and intrigue plastered on his face, brimming with curiosity to know more about herself.
"Well, being the daughter of a very wealthy nobleman, I found myself constantly suppressing my natural desire to express my feelings and desires.
I could never relate to those of such a privileged class, always being required to conduct myself in a certain manner in order to please others and impress them." She looked down as she continued. "Since my childhood, I have always struggled with this aspect of my personality. My natural daredevilish demeanor frequently got me into trouble, most notably during my youth." She lifted her head up looking back into his eyes. "I also grew up without a mother, and my father was absent for most of my life, only appearing when I got into difficulties. This is the reason behind the distance between us."

Kenneth felt sympathy towards her as she shared the struggles of growing up as a part of the noble class.
He had not imagined that such a privileged lifestyle would actually be difficult and complicated for some. He realized that this lifestyle was not a fit for everyone, and that some people including Amberlynn had a hard time fitting in with the norms and expectations of the noble class.

The noblewoman kept sharing more details about herself, including her appreciation and awareness that her life was much better than many other desperate people who struggled to find food and a decent livelihood.
She also expressed her feelings of being suffocated by having to always play the part of a proper lady and lead a mundane lifestyle. She mentioned how lonely it could be at times, being isolated in a large estate where she felt little connection with the servants.
Kenneth listen to how her father made her feel as though he was ashamed of her due to her lack of "ladylike" behaviour aligned with the traditional feminine characteristics.
She told him how she shared her desire to her father about departing from his estate and seek independence. She was desperate to leave the manner of life that came with his status.
She believed that undertaking this action would be beneficial to them both, allowing her to live independently and also saving her dad the embarrassment associated with having such unstable troublesome daughter.

However, she wasn't very surprised to receive a letter from her dad about the blind arranged marriage only a few days after moving in to the manor he had bought for her.
Amberlynn felt as if her father was indeed hoping that that she would seek independence and praying that she would find a man of her own who would be able to deal with her free spirit and wild ways.
Now that she was no longer under his custody in his estate, she believed that he saw the perfect opportunity to find her a husband and get her off his hands completely, as he will no longer to be held responsible for her once she's married.

Kenneth understood why Amberlynn did not prefer to discuss her status or wealth.
It was because she was attempting to leave the restrictive lifestyle of the nobility behind, aiming to have a tranquil and uncomplicated life as an ordinary woman.
He empathized with her desire to feel free and not be compelled to comply with the limitations and demands set upon individuals of the superior class.

Just as Kenneth and Amberlynn were engaging in their pleasant discussion, they suddenly heard a voice from a distance, and they immediately turned around to see Theodore approaching them with two lawmen by his side.
"That's him! That's him right there! That's the strawberry seller who attacked me!"
His footsteps echoed as he walked in the direction of the fruit vendor, flanked by two lawmen and a determined look on his face. Clearly, he intended to bring Kenneth to justice for the previous attack, and with two capable men by his side, it appeared that he was serious about seeing this matter through to its conclusion.