FAMILY

The receptionist almost felt that it was better for the small girl to speak. The way the taller girl spoke was somewhat unnerving. It was almost as if she was higher in rank than he was despite the fact that she was addressing him politely. Not to mention how effortlessly she was doing it.

Etiquette was ingrained into nobles' children from birth. They had a certain haughtiness that they could not be hidden, and thus, the receptionist felt like he had immediately understood what was happening. His tone turned respectful, and he bowed his head slightly, "Of course, I shall, but it is up to your strength."

After saying that, he shooed them off with his eyes and turned to the next person who came to the counter. Once they were out of earshot, Evy looked up, "Do you think he bought it?" she asked in a low voice, without looking back.

"I'm not sure," Almathea said as Zingel pushed a chair for Evy to sit on. "But, seeing as he told us to wait here, he may have believed us."

Evy sighed, "I didn't think that's the case." She tilted her head slightly to look back at the short male. He was listening to a woman who was speaking animatedly in front of him. "He doesn't look like the type who would simply believe us because we acted pitifully."

She turned back and stared at Almathea. The man's attitude had changed after she had spoken. Or was Evy simply overthinking things? Evy shook her head. The most important thing at the moment was that they had managed to make the man give them a chance.

"I don't know if we will manage to sign up with this guild, but I did hear some of the people in the inn saying that this is the best guild in this city." Evy continued to speak in a low voice. "If we get identification from this place, then it will be much simpler for us to purchase land and even build a home, just the three of us." An eager smile lit her face up as she spoke.

"Is that what you wish for? Is that the ending you are wishing for?" Almathea tilted her head slightly as she asked. Zingel also stared at Evy eagerly, as if waiting for her answer.

Evy bobbed her head up and down. "How good it would be if we could just have a place to call home? Seeing as we don't have anyone other than each other."

Almathea's heart clenched at Evy's words, "But, at the moment, we are still no more than strangers."

"Even if we are strangers, I still consider the two of you people that I can trust." Evy took both their hands in her own and gave them a toothy smile. "If it weren't for you picking me up that day, I don't think that I would have wanted to go on living. And if it wasn't for Zingel forcefully coming into our lives, then I doubt that we would have someone childish to take care of."

"Evy." Almathea slightly squeezed Evy's hand. Zingel lowered his head and sunk it into Evy's curly hair.

"Zingel happy. Zingel don't want leave."

Although his spoken language was getting better, he still had a hard time communicating what it is he wanted. Nevertheless, the two girls were patient with him and allowed him to take as much time as he needed when he wanted to say something.

"Zingel doesn't have to leave. We will become one small family." Evy shook his hand off and raised it to pat his long blonde hair.

"Family?" Zingel was curious about the new word.

"A family is a group of people who would die for each other. You would die for me, I would die for Thea, and Thea would die for you." Evy pulled them down to sit by her side.

"Family." Almathea spoke in a low voice, "What about the family that you cannot go back to?"

"That is simple, she smiled ruefully, I shall forget all about that family. I shall even change my name. This is all for the future that I want us to have. I want us to live peacefully, just the three of us."

"Alright." Almathea bobbed her head up and down. "That is what we shall work towards." She raised her head over Evy's shoulder to look at Zingel who was still having his head patted. "The three of us."

The term family did not sound like a foreign entity to Almathea. She felt as if she had heard that term before. Or rather, she had had a family of her own before. Was it the one that had abandoned her? But then again, she had been left with food and money. Not to mention that she had a seemingly tight attachment to the necklace that was hanging around her neck.

Had she really been abandoned?

With the information that she had, could she even search the family name she remembered in her mind? Would she even find anything? What if she found out something that she did not want to find out? What if she found out something that would endanger the lives of the two other people that had now become her family?

Almathea Bastete. Almathea Vermillion.

Those two names played around in her mind. One was the safe name while the other was the name that would, without a doubt, cause her and her new family to be in danger.

She took in a deep breath. Almathea Vermillion. She had no idea why that name sounded more and more appealing to her, however, in the end, that is the name that she had decided upon.

From hence on, she looked to the two who were speaking in low voices next to her, she would be called Almathea Vermillion.

No one, not even Evy and Zingel, would know the name Almathea Bastete, not until she was strong enough to protect them from the danger that would come with them knowing that name.

"Thea, don't you think that we should get Zingel's hair trimmed? He refuses to listen to me. Maybe you can talk him into it."

Almathea was pulled out of her thoughts once Evy called out her name. She plastered a smile onto her face. "Well, if he doesn't want to do it, we can do it for him when he's sleeping. He won't be able to do anything once the hair is all cut off. If he dares struggle, we can tie him up and one of us holds a knife to his neck to ensure he doesn't escape."

It took a few moments for the words to sink into Zingel's mind. Once they did, he teared up and hid his large body behind Evy, obviously hiding from Almathea. Evy laughed. "Thea, did you know that you sometimes say the scariest of things with a smile on your face. It is simply terrifying." She still lay her head on Almathea's shoulder despite saying that.

"Does this make us a family?" She patted Zingel's hand in an attempt to stop him from growling at Almathea.

"Yes." The taller female said with a smile on her face. "Family." She paused, and slowly raised her hand and patted the thick curly hair that was Evy's, "Yes. From this moment forth, we are a family."