Anxious Unexpected Encounter

<Are you lost, Vy?>

-Do you know where we are?-

Dotty flew around and surveyed their surroundings. After some quick observation, Dotty came back to Vy.

<Yes I do! By horse, it would have taken us half a day to get here! You move fast~>

-Well, I appreciate the flattering comment but where are we exactly?-

<Oh yes!>

Instantly, a map popped up in Vy's mind. It clearly showed Vy's current location, as marked by a red dot, and the surrounding area. She had travelled down south of the town and ended up in the village of Meloona.

The village was famous for its fruit crop, melons. From the locations marked out on the map, Vy could see that she was on the right track to get to another town. It also looked like it was a much larger town compared to Timbretune.

-Dotty, how long do you think it would take us to reach this town?-

<That's Nook town! If you keep up your speed from before, it should be no more than two hours!>

That was something she could accomplish. Vy thanked Dotty for her help. Once she figured out the right direction to head towards, she continued her journey.

Back in Timbretune, a new day of work had begun to take shape. Despite Lycster's initial fears, he ended up doing it well. There were not as many requests that came in that day, so he took his time to complete the work.

Carole kept a close eye on him, making sure he knew that she was close by. Seeing how hard the boy worked and how intelligent he has put a smile on her face. She still remembered the days she saw Lycster covered in dust and grime, begging on the streets.

But now, he had a bed to sleep in, people who cared for him and a good future. She was surprised how Vyrena, despite being new to the town, fit in so quickly. She has only been in Timbretune for just over a month but she had become an integral part of the town.

The recent events that had happened had brought attention to Vyrena, but the young woman never seemed too bothered by it. On the other hand, Lycster was extremely grateful for the kindness Vyrena had shown him.

For as long as he could remember, Lycster was on the streets, trying to scavenge for food on a daily basis. When Vyrena offered him work, shelter and food, he could not believe it. Thought it was tough in the beginning, he soon got used to it and begun to enjoy the work.

But his constant fear of being abandoned had plagued his mind. Even after Vyrena gave him plenty of assurance, after the stall owners in the market welcomed him with open arms; the fear lingered.

After he was kidnapped, the fear remained.

But that incident made him realize one thing. Lycster's knew he was not alone. There were people who cared about him. If anything happened to him, someone would remember him.

As he continued to take in customer requests, he noticed that there was a group of men walking towards their stall in the distance. The group was led by a well-dressed man in a suit. From his attire and accompanying crowd, Lycster could tell this man was of importance.

Something about this felt ominous.

Lycster recalled Vyrena sharing with him what had happened at the jewellery store.

"So this Baron Koufer, what did he look like," Lycster has asked.

"He wore a dark colour suit and a top hat. Oh, and he had a butler with him. I think the butler's name was Old Chon or something like that…" Vyrena went on to give a brief description of what the butler wore.

Lycster was getting cold feet, breaking out into cold sweat. The two people in front of the group looked exactly like Vyrena's description! Could that really be them? If it was, what were they doing here?

"Old Chon, find out which stall is that girls. What was her name again?"

"Vyrena, Baron," Old Chon replied respectfully.

He went to inquire from the other shopkeepers the whereabouts, and the quickly pointed in Lycster's direction. Carole, who had been tending to a customer in her store, looked over to see Lycster shaking in fear. She quickly went over to check on him.

"Lycster, hey hey, are you alright? You look pale," Carole asked in a concerned tone.

"Miss Carole, it's the Baron! He's making his way over here!"

Carole was surprised, she too had heard Vyrena mention about what had happened. What was the Baron here for? And why was he looking for Vyrena? Carole gave Lycster a pat on his back.

"Don't worry about it, Lycster. I'll be here."

Just as Carole finished her sentence, the Baron and his entourage arrived, casting a huge shadow into the store. Lycster was empowered by Carole's words and put on a brave face. Remembering what Vyrena taught him about good customer service, he put on a smile.