Heartbeats Amid Fire

3 - Settling

"You speak as if you've been scrutinized for getting involved with Zeros." My statement roused obvious nervousness in him. He brushed it off with a laugh though.

"Why would I be scrutinized when I don't care about Zeros? I just don't want you to get into trouble – as in, you should know that Zeros are hated here as much as in the capital. I mean, they're just despicable existences in this world. The world would be better without them."

I hummed in response but wasn't entirely convinced by his attitude. I didn't press the matter though. In fact, I couldn't because Mr. Waldo seemed to notice us and finally spared Mr. Kian from further abuse. Mr. Kian collected the fruit he had let fall to the ground and was quick to hurry after Mr. Waldo who stepped to us with a grin that rose wrinkles on his face.

"Arran, my boy! What are you doing out at this time instead of helping Luther wrap up at the shop? And who is this pretty young lady?"

I bowed and introduced myself before Arran could, "I'm Alyssa, and I just moved into town from the capital."

"Ah, the quack baron's daughter," he mused. My brow twitched at his rather rude way of speaking.

"Mr. Waldo, I don't think you should be speaking of her father that way," Arran spoke, sounding hesitant.

"But it's the truth, isn't it?" Mr. Waldo was quick to question. "Her father embezzled money and got punished for it. It's a pity that he left his daughter to deal with the brunt though."

I clenched my fists to hold back from snapping at him in anger. It is true that the baron had been sentenced to death because of rumors of embezzlement, but the rumors were not true. He had been set up by the dukes and marquises who wanted to get rid of him because he was poking into their illegal businesses that they were doing so well to hide from the king. This man had no right to badmouth the baron when all he had done was honest work, and I didn't feel this way for any reason more than the wish for justice to be honored as it should be.

"My father was an honorable man, Mr. Waldo, and only suffered these consequences because of getting mixed up with the wrong people. I would like it if you didn't speak ill of him," I said, a sort of sternness in my voice that had both Arran and Mr. Waldo surprised. I noticed Mr. Kian glance at me too from behind Mr. Waldo but I ignored it.

"A-ah, I apologize," Mr. Waldo responded awkwardly. "Anyway, welcome to Amzell."

"Thank you." The half-heartedness in my response was noticeable but nothing was said about it.

"I'm Waldo, as Arran here addressed me earlier, and I'm one of the many who work on the fields. This is my Zero, Kian. Well, it's not really important that you know about him – he's just a useless thing that can't do his job right most of the time."

I sufficed a chaste bow and finally looked over Mr. Kian properly. He flinched when our eyes met and immediately averted his gaze nervously but the curiosity that I had seen in his hazel orbs was unmistakable. I also noticed that he was young – perhaps my age or only a little more – and was good looking despite the obvious signs of abuse and malnourishment.