Elias’s Marketplace Memories

Ezra was taken aback, "Wait.. that tall man with black hair is the duke?!" 

Elias halted his cutting motion, then he continued, he hesitated asking yet he asked anyway, "You know the grand duke?" 

Ezra shook her head, leaning against the table, "No, he's just handsome, he's more handsome than the other man who's next to him. But! The lady is beautiful!" she said cheerily and picked up a flower seed to nimble on. 

Elias snorted, "What are you attracted to her?" Then he clicked his tongue, "You have a very bad taste." Elias smirked at Ezra's exclamation, clearly not agreeing with her assessment of the Grand Duke's looks. 

However, he couldn't deny the beauty of the lady standing next to him. Instead of arguing with Ezra, he decided to change the subject. 

"What are you doing with that flower seed?" Elias asked, genuinely curious. 

Ezra rubbed the 'flower seed' onto her cheeks, "This is called a 'rosebud'. It's said to boost your beauty if you rub it on your cheeks." Ezra replied

Elias raised an eyebrow, "Is that so?" 

Ezra nodded enthusiastically, "Mhm! The lady next to the Grand Duke is already the most beautiful woman in the kingdom, but with this rosebud, I'll make her attractive to me!"

Elias felt that his friend is very hopeless and it's creepy for him, he quickly broke her dreams, "That woman is the Duke's fiancee, so don't even dream about it!" he teased. 

Ezra flinched at Elias's words, her face turning red. She didn't want to admit it, but she had indeed dreamed about the lady.

She tried to deny it, "Ugh what? Do you think I like that lady? I'm just captivated by her beauty! that's all!"

However, Elias's words made her feel foolish for even allowing herself to indulge in such fantasies. She let out a loud sigh, wishing she hadn't let Elias catch her dreaming.

"Whatever, it's obvious anyway." Elias teased further. He finished chopping the vegetables and made his way to prepare the soup. Elias was taught by his father to cook with the simplest dishes for himself. Tobias works around the Landroich and often was out at home. During his rest day, He would teach Elias to read and write by the limit's of his own knowledge and at the same time, Tobias would teach Elias to cook if he ever got hungry and Tobias was not around, Elias would be able to cook and fill his stomach.

Tobias will go to the market to buy food for Elias. Sometimes, he feels envious of nobles whom he always crossed paths with; they would be able to give their wants and needs. And Tobias couldn't do the same. He felt very incompetent as a father, but as a matter of fact, poverty swallowed him whole, so he got his ass to work and spent less time with his son.

He knew that his son never asked for anything but he felt that Elias wanted to buy this and that. He wants to provide Elias a good life, without his mother. Perhaps his good son was mature enough to realize their situation, he didn't ask Tobias for anything. 

He knew he's doing the best that he could, but fate was cruel to people like him. 

Sometimes as he searched the marketplace for the goods he needed, Tobias couldn't help but wonder if he was doing enough for his son. He wanted Elias to have everything he needed and more - he was his son, after all - but sometimes, he felt like he was failing as a father.

Elias started to drift off to reminiscing as he stirred the soup.

Little Elias would go around the market with him, Tobias walked into the marketplace, surrounded by the sights and sounds of the busy stalls. He didn't have much money to his name, and every purchase weighed heavily on his mind.

They walked past elegant dresses and sparkling jewelry, items that were far outside of his reach. Tobias felt a pang of envy as he watched the nobles browsing, picking up items as if they were nothing. He clasped Elias's small hand even tighter. They had everything that he and his son could only dream of, and it made him feel hollow inside. 

Tobias knew that he was a good father, but he could never give Elias the life that he deserved. He felt like he was failing as a parent, unable to provide for his child. He wished that he could give Elias the world, but all he had was hard work and determination. 

Tears threatened to fall as he continued through the marketplace, trying to find the cheapest items for his son. He didn't want Elias to suffer because of him, but it was a struggle to keep food on the table, let alone provide luxury items. 

He loved his son so much, but he wished that he could do more.

Elias remembered, Tobias asked him what he wanted that time in the market, Tobias asked gently, "Elias, do you want something? a toy? pick one, and father would buy it for you." Tobias led him to a small stall that sells various toys. 

The little Elias stood in awe, the toys were brand new and hand made. He liked the toys.

Elias pointed at the little toy car, "Oh, you like that? hold on, let me ask for the price." said Tobias as he asked the clerk politely but he was answered rudely, 

The clerk yelled at them, "Go away! I don't have time for your dirty-ass coins!"

Tobias stepped back, hurt and embarrassed by the clerk's words. He knew that some people saw him as less than them simply because of his station in life. But still, it didn't make it any easier to hear such cruel words directed at him in front of his son.

Elias could see the pain in his father's eyes as the clerk's derision echoed in their minds. He knew that his father was trying his best to provide for them, but sometimes it wasn't enough. He wanted to help, but he was just a child and didn't know how.

Where is mother? was the only thing that Elias thought.

As Tobias guided them away from the stall, he kept his head down, trying to ignore the eyes of the other shoppers. Elias knew that his father's hands were callused from a lifetime of hard work, but he couldn't see his father's pain. He wished that he could take the burden of responsibility from his father's shoulders. 

As they walked away, Tobias turned to his son and asked, "Do you still want that toy, Elias? If so, I will go back there and make him sell it." Tobias gave a slight smile, trying his best to hide the pain behind his eyes, wanting to give Elias what he wanted.

Elias politely shook his head. In truth, the young child was also hurt when he saw his father being spoken to like that. 

I guess he's not up to nagging. Thought Tobias.

Tobias walked through the bustling marketplace, holding Elias's little hand in a clasp, feeling overwhelmed by the sight of the luxurious goods that he could never afford. He tried to focus on the few items on his shopping list, but it was hard to ignore the shiny jewelry, the beautiful fabrics, and the sumptuous food. He wished he could provide his son with such comforts, but he knew that it was out of their reach.

As he searched through a stall, he overheard two noble women gossiping about him and his son. One of the women whispered to the other, "Did you see that poor man with his son? They're probably here to steal something." Tobias tried to ignore the comment, but it stung nonetheless. It was a painful reminder of how the world saw him and his son as less than everyone else.

He tried to shake off the feeling and focus on his shopping. As he continued through the market, a child bumped into him, causing him to drop one of the few items he'd managed to buy. As he bent down to pick it up, the child's mother hissed at him, "Watch where you're going, peasant!" 

The little Elias was going to say something to the mother but he was held back by his father, covering his mouth and shaking his head, so he helped his father to pick up the things he dropped.

Tobias felt a pang of anger, but he knew that such reactions would only make things worse. He forced himself to stay calm and finished his shopping as quickly as he could. 

From this day forth, his father's humiliation by the others, his father's kindness, his father's efforts for him to make him happy remained fresh to his mind.

"Hey, Elias!" Elias heard a distant voice, snapping him back to reality, "Elias! you're spilling the soup everywhere! you'll have a spanking to uncle Tobias!" it was Ezra's voice, panicked and concerned, "What're you daydreaming for? you're spilling the food everywhere! don't cry at the shop and complain that your ass hurts!" 

Elias was startled out of his thoughts by Ezra's voice. He shook his head a bit to clear the fog from his mind and hastily wiped the spilled soup with his rag. He then stood up, straightening his back and facing Ezra with an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, Ezra. I didn't mean to spill it," Elias said sheepishly, looking down at the floor. "I guess I was just lost in my thoughts."

Ezra rolled her eyes but her expression softened when she saw how embarrassed Elias was. "It's okay. Just be careful next time, alright? We don't want to upset Uncle Tobias any more than he already is." she said with a teasing tone.

Elias nodded, still feeling a bit guilty. Despite Ezra's teasing tone, he knew that his friend was right. They couldn't risk upsetting his father any further, especially considering the recent events.