Somehow or other, Sieg's visit gets caught by some paparazzi and I'm caught up in the middle of it! I don't know how I'm going to go about things normally with this happening, and now the store is suffering, too! But what can I do?!
I don't know, but I feel my chest get warm as I'm watching the car drive away. However, I get this pit in my stomach for some reason. I don't know why, but I feel like someone was watching us…
A few days later, I walk into the bakery's kitchen, feeling peppy and cheerful, but...
"Morning!" I say, happily.
Everyone then focuses their gaze on me, as if I did something wrong. I'm not sure why, but I have the same pit in my stomach from a few days ago.
"What's going on? Is there something on my face or what?" I inquire.
"Carly, you are so awesome!" One of my coworkers says. "But I can't believe you kept it from us!"
"What do you mean…?" I inquire. I have a bad feeling about this…
"Carly… this is you, right…?" Yosef asks, anxious. He holds out a gossip magazine to me.
There, on the front page…
"Prince caught the morning after! Spent the night with a Nobel Michel pastry chef?!"
"Eh?!" I shout.
The front page has pictures from when I saw Prince Sieg leave my house! Not only that, but while my face was turned away, but if someone knows me, they'd recognize me.
"W-W-What?! This isn't right? Sieg…" I begin, but…
"You're on a first name basis?" Another pastry chef tells me.
Oops, slipped…
"It says you lovingly prepared a packed lunch for him…" A second pastry chef tells me.
"Is it true that he stayed the night?" A third coworker of mine asked.
The questions are being fired at me left and right, and I can't keep up. How can I respond to all of the questions at once?
I'm sure Sieg already knows about this, but what can I do?!
"Hey, this is where Prince Sieg new flame works, right?" "I just want a quick interview." "Is she there?" "I'm a huge fan of Prince Sieg's, could I get an autograph?"
Once the store opens, reporters and fans are mobbing us like nuts!
"If you're not a customer, please wait outside the store!" One of my coworkers says.
Seeing this, I'm dumbfounded. This whole mess traces back to me! I can't even think that it's anyone else's fault.
"Carly, maybe you should lay low for a while." Yosef tells me.
"Thanks, Yosef… I'm so sorry about this." I say, feeling guilty.
"It's fine. This is good publicity for the store, hahaha!" Yosef says.
Sieg hates being taken advantage of like that. I know that Yosef is laughing it off, but I can tell that sooner or later, this is going to become a problem.
"You go on and slip out the back door." Yosef says.
"Thanks." I say, before making a beeline for the back door.
However, when I get to my apartment, I see that the door is swarming with tons of media people from all kinds of stupid tabloid magazines and the like.
"Really?! I can't get into my own house! I guess I'd better kill time elsewhere." I say, before slipping away before anyone can see me.
As I'm walking through town, keeping my head down, I'm berating myself for this whole circus that I've created. Why wasn't I thinking that this might happen?!
This was a result of carelessness! Now I'm realizing how grave the situation is.
"Miss Carly…" I hear someone say my name. Crud, busted!
I turn around and see a man with a camera and he looks rather effeminate. Not my type. Not to mention at least older than me by a decade.
"And you are…?" I inquire.
"Me? Why, I'm Jake," He says; a paparazzi, I can tell. It's the camera he's holding. "Oh darling, yesterday you were a mere pastry chef, but today you're a celebrity. And it's all thanks to me."
That's when it clicks in my head.
"You're the cockroach that took the photos!" I say, getting a little angry.
"I little birdy told me that Prince Sieg fell for a regular girl. He pranced you around quite a few parties, didn't he?" Jake tells me.
"How…" I begin, but then I realize that in his sentence, someone must have informed him of this, but I'm too upset to think about whom would do this.
"You two got careless, and that got me my picture." Jake tells me.
I can't believe this, but this rodent is right; Sieg is the Prince of a kingdom, yet I'm the one who has no position to be near him.
"Tell me how this steamy plot got started!" Jake asks me, a creepy smile on his face; he's coming closer to me.
"Stay back! I'm leaving!" I say, and then I lift my leg, turn the joint at the knee a bit, and then slam my foot in Jake's stomach.
I then make a dash to get to safety. I soon start running faster than Penelope Pussycat trying to get away from Pepe Le Pew. Albeit in this case, the skunk in this scene isn't the prince, but the reporter.
I run as fast as I can go and then I soon find a back alley. I sprint into the back alley to hide, and I'm catching my breath.
I think I should be safe for the time being. I decide to hang out and catch my breath. My chest is heaving.
A shadow falls across the alley's entrance and I respond by holding my breath. I hope that he can't see me. As long as he can't hear me, I think I'll be fine.
However, the silhouette is drawing closer and I'm afraid. Has he seen me?!
"Miss Carly!" Someone shouts.
I know that voice… I look up and I see that the man looking down the alley is Hans.
"Oh, Hans… Phew… What a relief." I say, breathing heavily.
"I saw that reporter following you. Are you hurt?" Hans asks me.
"I'm fine, but I'm trying to catch my breath." I say.
"I'm so sorry you're involved in this scandal." Hans says to me.
"You're not the one at fault," I say. "I shouldn't have come out to give him the rice balls."
"No, I'm the one who's supposed to keep an eye on the surroundings when Sieg goes out. This time I didn't spot him… I arranged to take you to a place where we can guarantee your safety. Would you come with me?" Hans says.
"No need to ask me twice." I say with a smile.
We arrive at Nobel Michel Castle, and Zain III greets me.
"Are you sure this is okay for me to stay here?" I inquire.
"Miss Carly, we are delighted to welcome any friend of our esteemed guests into this castle." Zain says to me.
He leads me into the heart of the castle and as we're walking, I hear someone shout out to me.
"Oh, Carly!" Prince Oliver says, as he smiles. "You're here!"
"Getting into my own house was impossible. They're letting me stay here." I say, a little nervous.
"The security here is top-level stuff." Prince Aslan says.
"In my country, we stamp out the gossip-mongers and trash-talkers." Prince Ivan tells me.
"Well, here they have freedom of the press, unlike in Sanct Sybil." Kuon says to Ivan.
"That sounded like an insult." Ivan says, with a smirk.
"I'm just speaking the truth." Kuon says.
"Now now, you two," Oliver says, placating his friends. "I'm glad you got here safely, Carly. So, what's the deal with Sieg?"
Soon, all the princes turn their gazes on me.
"That report in the magazine wasn't… Sieg only came to visit me because I was sick. He stayed with me until I fell asleep; plain and simple." I say with conviction.
"Well, if you say so. I guess it must be true." Prince Hayden says.
Nice to see he trusts me.
"Whaaat, I thought you two had finally…!" Oliver says, but I get a little annoyed at what he's implying.
"At any rate, it's unthinkable for a prince to be seen coming out of a citizen's house." Ivan says to me; I guess he has a point.
"At least it shows how concerned he was about you, Carly." Oliver says.
"Speaking of whom, where is Sieg, anyway?" I ask.
I want to be able to apologize as soon as I can. I haven't been able to see him yet.
"He's in a meeting about this incident." Ivan says.
"Oh…" I say, sadly.
"Geez, Ivan…" Oliver says.
"It's not something to worry about; they're just talking about how to deal with it." Hayden explains to me.
"You must be tired. Take it easy today." Aslan says.
"Okay, thanks." I say.
"I'll show you to your room." Zain III says, and then he brings me into a very luxuriously decorated room.
However, I'm more worried about Sieg. I hope he's okay. I hope he isn't being scolded due to me.
I sit on the edge of the bed and let out a sigh; I feel really awful about this.
I decide to call Yosef and check on him and the store.
"Yosef?" I say, over my phone.
"Carly, is everything okay?" Yosef asks me.
"Yes. I couldn't go home, so they're letting me stay at the castle for a bit. " I say.
"Really? That's good." Yosef says.
"More importantly, how are things going at the store?" I ask, changing the subject.
"We're still swamped with people over here." Yosef tells me.
"I'm so sorry about all the trouble that I ended up causing." I say.
"No, no! You just rest at the castle and don't worry about the store," Yosef tells me. "I'll call you again when this blows over."
"Okay… Thanks." I say, then hang up.
My heart's aching at Yosef's words. I know he's probably in trouble, but he's brushed it off. I, on the other hand, am being a bit of a coward, hiding here at the castle. On the other hand, I'd only be making things worse if I went back there.
I sigh heavily.
"Carly." Prince Aslan says, as he appears out of nowhere.
"Oh, Aslan." I say.
I see that Aslan is smiling at me and he tells me, "I'm about to have some tea. Would you like to join me? It's a special herbal tea!"
I'm not in the mood for it, but I think it might be just the thing.
"Thank you." I say with a smile.
I follow Aslan out into the gardens and then I find a beautifully decorated tea set laid out on the table.
"Go ahead and take a seat." Aslan says to me.
"Thank you." I say, and take a seat.
"I brought dessert, as requested, Aslan." A little boy says, as he brings a dessert platter.
He looks so young and he's actually kinda cute.
"Thanks, Lavi." Aslan says.
"Lavi…?" I ask.
"This is my butler, Lavi. Lavi, this is Carly." Aslan says, making the introductions.
"Nice to meet you." I say to Lavi.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Miss Carly!" Lavi says.
He's definitely cute; also quite small for a butler. His innocent smile is making me feel a lot better.
"Lavi, this girl is a very important guest of Prince Sieg's." Aslan says.
"Oh, is that so!" Lavi says, before addressing me. "Miss Carly, if you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask me."
"Thank you." I say.
The sweet herbal smell of the tea fills my nose and I feel a little relaxed.
"The scent of chamomile is an aid in relaxation. I thought it'd be just the thing." Aslan says.
"Huh?" I inquire; how'd he know?
"You were sighing after you got off the phone." Aslan says.
"You saw that? I'm worried about the trouble I've caused for my store." I say.
"The store? Oh, right, you work as a pastry chef." Aslan says to me.
"I'm still in training, though." I say. Honesty gets you a lot of places in life.
"What kinds of sweets are popular right now?" Aslan asks me.
"What's trending, huh?" I say. Bringing up the Special Madeleines is probably not the most appropriate thing right now. "Macarons are always popular."
"Hm, macarons. What are they made from?" Aslan inquires.
"Egg whites, almond flour, and powdered sugar. Sounds simple, right?" I say, putting on a bit of wit.
"Ooh, I never knew that." Aslan says; he seems interested.
We're soon conversing casually, but soon, Aslan's gaze goes over my shoulder. What's gotten into him?
~Sieg's POV~
I'm walking around, trying to figure out where Carly had gone to; Hans informed me that she was here, but I could not figure out where she is.
I soon see Carly in the gardens, and she's happily chatting away with Prince Aslan! This angers me for some reason, but then I soon realize why: I'm jealous that she's being so cheerful with him.
I'm also quite angry with Aslan stealing away my princess! Carly is just so unaware that she's got so much charm to her that it drew in the other princes, not just me. I decide to go over there and get Carly back.
~End of Sieg's POV~
"Oh, here he is." Aslan says.
"Carly!" I hear someone shout, and I know who it is.
I look around, and I see that it's Prince Sieg walking towards us.
"Sieg!" I say. I'm so relieved; I can finally see him.
"Could I borrow her for a moment?" Sieg asks, a little irritably.
"Sure, go ahead." Aslan says.
Prince Sieg, a scowl on his face, grabs hold of my arm and he starts to pull me forcefully.
"Come on." Sieg says.
"H-Hey!" I shout, feeling a little nervous.
We got into a room in another part of the castle, and Sieg angrily slams the door, before turning a glare on me.
Seeing this, I back off a bit in fear.
"What the hell are you doing?" Sieg asks me, a little angry.
"I beg your pardon?" I ask, a little scared.
"Casually having tea with Aslan! Have you forgotten your place?" Sieg inquires to me.
I decide not to argue because I know not to argue with him when he's upset.
"I'm sorry…" I say, looking away.
"Geez, I can't take my eyes off you," Sieg says. "I brought you to this castle to keep you by my side…"
He then stops, and I decide to speak.
"Sieg?" I ask.
"Quit being so cordial with the other princes!" Sieg says.
"Excuse me? It's rude to treat them like they're invisible!" I say.
"What, you got a problem with that? You're here thanks to me." Sieg says.
"I know that." I say.
Sieg gives me a satisfied smirk.
"All that aside, how did everything go? You had that meeting, after all." I say.
"Yeah, it's fine," Sieg says to me. "We were just working out our response to the media."
I'm about to start crying and then I say, "This whole mess is my doing; I can't apologize enough…"
"The real cause is that I paid you a visit," Sieg says. "I should be the one apologizing."
He bows his head to me, but I'm floored at this.
"Don't bother." I say.
I'm shocked that he's apologizing like this.
"Hans said he found you being chased by a reporter." Sieg says to me.
"It was the same reporter who took the photo; the cockroach was following me." I say, shuddering.
I remember that Jake told me that we had become too careless. I can't be fraternizing with Prince Sieg. What am I doing?! Bad enough I've caused trouble for Yosef, but now I've made Sieg feel like he's in a position where he has to apologize.
"Sieg… I promise not to cause this trouble again," I say, and I start to break it to him. I can't see him anymore. But why is it that it hurts so much? "I had fun with the lessons. I really loved them and accompanying you was the best thing in the world, but…"
"Are you saying we should stop?" Sieg asks me.
"Right." I say, nodding.
"Which means that we shouldn't see each other again." Sieg says to me.
"Exactly." I say; I'm about to cry, but why?!
It's silent between us for a few seconds, but then Sieg speaks, breaking the silence.
"You're right." He says.
It's nice to see Sieg understand, but this breaks my heart.
As I'm thinking about how sad this is, I hear Sieg speak up again.
"But that doesn't mean I'll give in." Sieg says, and this catches me by surprise.
"Excuse me?" I say, quite surprised.
"Why should some tawdry rag dictate what we do?" Sieg says, and then he takes my hand; he brings it to his lips as though to kiss it.
I think my face just turned into a volcano; I feel my face heating up.
"I will protect you," Sieg says to me. "All you need to do is trust me."
"Sieg…" I begin; I'm a bit skeptical about this.
A boy's vow to protect someone is a cliché, but my heart is still pounding.
I look down in embarrassment; my face is burning.
He lets go of my hand and pats me on the head, before saying, "Anyways, if anything happens, you tell me."
"Thanks." I say.
He gives me a gentle smile before beginning to leave the room.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Sieg says.
"What?" I inquire.
"My thoughts on the rice balls you made." Sieg says to me, turning around.
"You really ate them? What did you think?" I ask.
"Maybe it's because you didn't compress them enough, but the shape wasn't so god and they fell apart as I was eating them." Sieg admits.
I slap myself in the face and say, "Ugh…"
"But they tasted good." Sieg says.
I scoff a bit; some people are better bakers than they are chefs and vice-versa.
"You're more suited to baking," Sieg says to me. "While you're here, you can make the desserts for the meals."
Hearing this, I feel a lot better.
"Really?" I ask, relieved.
"That's all you can really do while you're here." Sieg says to me.
He makes a point.
"Well, I'll leave it to you." Sieg says.
I can tell he's trying to make sure I'm not going to get bored, but he's being so brusque about it. As I watch his retreating back, I feel warmth flow through me.
The next day, I'm thinking about what I should make for dessert for the night. Baking always makes my spirits soar in joy as I think about it. I feel really ecstatic about the baking.
"I know; I'll ask the head pastry chef what everyone's favorites are!" I say, before making a beeline for the kitchen.
"Hello? Is the head pastry chef in?" I ask, as I enter the kitchen.
Everyone had finished clean up and they are watching TV.
One of the chefs tells me, "He just went out to do the shopping."
"I'll come back later in that case." I say, but as I'm about to leave, I notice the narration coming from the TV.
"This is where the girl seen with Prince Sieg yesterday works…" Hearing that, I look to the screen on instinct.
Sure enough, Patisserie Brown is on the screen.
"As you can see, it's not currently open. There's a sign on the door saying that it'll be closed for the next few days…" The anchorman says.
"What the…?! What's happening?!" I shout. This whole thing is because of me…
That tears it! I need to get back to Patisserie Brown.
I drop everything and run through the corridors of the castle. I try to make a beeline for my bedroom to get my bags.
"Hey, Carly, no running in the castle corridors." Sieg says to me.
"Sieg…" I say, tears about to fall.
"What's going on? You look even more frazzled than usual." Sieg tells me.
"Well…" I begin, not sure how to speak. I'm lost for words because of the shop closing. Lucky for me, Sieg catches on.
"Did something happen? Tell me." Sieg says.
"Sieg, I'm going back to the store." I say.
"Huh? What are you saying? Things just started to calm down." Sieg tells me.
"The news said the store closed!" I state.
"So?" Sieg inquires.
"I gotta go back." I say, before turning around in an attempt to head back to my room.
"Wait!" Sieg says, but then he grabs my arm. "It's not like you going back there will solve anything, will it? It might cause even more problems."
"I can't be a coward when everyone is getting the brunt of it! I'm going." I say, before turning away.
"And what if I say I won't let you?" Sieg asks me.
"Sieg…" I say, in shock. I never thought he'd say something like that. "I'm so sorry… You've been kind enough to hide me in the castle, but I can't stay here like this…"
"I see…" Sieg says. "That's just like you."
He turns his face away in resignation, grumbling.
"Hans will take you to the store." Sieg says.
"Thank you…" I say.
I get in the car with Hans, and I'm a little down. I decide to speak up.
"Hans, is Sieg upset with me?" I ask, feeling really down.
Why am I even acting like this? Sieg and I may have to part ways in the future, so why is it bothering me so much that I made Sieg upset.
"I think he's worried, rather than angry. It's easier for him to protect you if you're close by." Hans explains.
"Are you sure?" I ask, a bit skeptical. "But I'm being selfish here. I'm really sorry. And you've certainly done a lot for me, as well, Hans."
"Don't worry, I think Sieg understands where you're coming from," Hans says. "And of course, I do too."
I see Hans smile from the rearview mirror, and this is something that I feel makes me feel a lot better.
"By the way, could you open that paper bag I brought?" Hans asks.
I nod and then I open the bag, before saying, "A hat and sunglasses? Oh, a disguise so I don't get spotted."
"Exactly." Hans says.
"Thanks, Hans… You really did this for me…?" I asked.
"Miss Carly… Please take care of yourself." Hans says.
"Thank you very much," I say, about to get out of the car. "And give my thanks to Zain and the other princes, too."
Once I get out of the car, I run to the back of the bakery and get into the kitchens through the back door. I see Yosef alone, on the phone.
"I'd really appreciate it if you could… yes… I see." Yosef says, before hanging up the phone, and then his shoulders are slumped.
"Yosef, what's going on?" I ask.
"Carly! You're back?!" Yosef says, quite surprised.
"I saw on the TV that the store is closed; I couldn't just hang out at the castle like a coward." I say.
"I see… so you saw it on the news." Yosef said.
"What was the phone call about just now?" I asked, changing the subject.
"Our supplier cut us off; they won't ship to us anymore." Yosef says to me.
"WHAT?! You mean to tell me that they're doing this due to that stupid tabloid?!" I ask, quite upset.
"I find it hard to believe it's because of that," Yosef says to me. "We've had a long relationship with them…"
He makes a good point: a gossip scandal like this wouldn't be the main thing to cause a supplier to do this to us. I don't get it, but in the back of my mind, I feel like something – or rather, someone – is behind this.
"They're probably getting pressured into doing this by someone… But who?" I ask, but I get the feeling that I may know the answer, but it isn't at the front of my mind right now.
"I have no idea. What would someone gain from that?" Yosef asked.
He makes another good point.
"Oh, Carly's back!" I hear one of my coworkers say, and then I see the other staff coming in.
"Everyone, I'm so sorry about all of this trouble!" I say, feeling more rotten than an egg that had been in the fridge too long.
"Seriously, don't worry about it." One of the other employees says to me.
One of my coworkers says, "Right, it's that worthless clod of a reporter who's to blame."
"I think 'cockroach' is more appropriate." I say with a scoff.
"So did any of you manage to find a new supplier?" Yosef asked, changing the subject.
"We got turned down everywhere because we need a fast turnaround…" Another of my coworkers says.
"I see… I made a few phone calls, too, but…" Yosef says.
"I'll go and try to convince them one more time." I volunteer.
"You really shouldn't be in the public eye right now…" Yosef says.
"I wouldn't bee too worried; there's only a few reporters who actually know my face, and I have my disguise with me, too. I want to try; please!" I say.
This is the only way I can help right now; I have to try.
"Okay, I'll leave it to you. Guys, we can get through this if we all work together." Yosef says.
"YEAH!" We all say in unison.
I still feel guilty about this, but I gotta try.
Later, in town…
"Please? Even a small amount would be good!" I say, begging a shopkeeper for help.
"I hear what you're saying, but… I can't," The owner of the supply store says, frowning at me. "I'm sorry, I know we've worked with you for a long time, but… under these circumstances…"
"Are you really convinced about what they wrote about Prince Sieg?" I inquire, crossing my arms. "Please…!"
"My hands are tied. They said…" The shopkeeper asked.
"Excuse me? What do you mean 'they'?" I inquire. "So someone did tell you not to sell to us?"
"N-No… Anyway, I can't sell to you no matter how much you beg. Sorry." The shopkeeper says before shutting the door.
"Ugh…" I say, and then I go and try again with another store.
After about five or ten stores, I give up. It was the same for all of them. I decide to head back to the store and as I'm walking, I glance at my reflection in a shop window.
"What the…?" I say, but then I see that a large man is tailing me.
From the looks of it, he's not a reporter, but just to be safe, I pick up the pace and dash back to the store. Once I get there, I turn to face the man, but he's gone.
He may have seem like he was set on following me, but it looks like he gave it up. I manage to relax after that.
The next day, though, I wake up to the sound of my cell phone beeping.
It's not even daylight; what's going on?
I pick up the phone, and ask, "Hello?"
"Oh, Carly? Sorry to call so early." Yosef says.
"Never mind that; what's going on?" I ask.
"It's the store…" Yosef says, and I knew that I needed to get to the bakery ASAP.
I get to the store faster than a Mako shark chasing a tuna, and I soon find Yosef running around, surrounded by the ingredients we've needed.
"Where did all of this come from?" I ask, quite surprised.
However, I feel a sense of déjà vu coming over me, and I think what might be going on. Sieg sent us a bunch of flour after the marriage interview and I think this could be a relapse.
"Don't tell me…" I begin, knowing where the idea was going.
"Someone named Hans brought it all for us," Yosef tells me. "He's the guy who made that huge cake order before, right?"
Hans? But why?
"Carly? Are you listening?" Yosef asks.
"Permission to leave for a bit?" I ask.
"Huh?" Yosef asks me.
"I'll help out as soon as I get back; I promise!" I say, and then make a dash out the back door.
"Carly?!" Yosef shouts after me.
I make my way to the castle and then I ask after Hans.
"Hans!" I shout.
"Miss Carly! What's the matter?" Hans asks me.
He hurries out to meet me and I put on my biggest smile.
"Thank you so much for the supplies." I say.
"Is that why you're here?" Hans asks me.
"Yes, but I really wish I knew why any of the suppliers won't work with us…" I ask.
"I did some investigating into your store's situation myself. It's our fault that your store is suffering. So the supplies were an apology." Hans says.
"How am I ever going to repay you for that…" I ask, really touched.
"It was all Sieg's decision." Hans states.
"I knew it!" I say, with a smile. "I came over to tell him that I appreciate it. Is he available?"
"He's currently very busy." Hans replies.
"Expo work, I guess; is a telephone call possible?" I inquire to him.
"Hans looks troubled, and I feel like something is going on.
"Miss Carly, I know you came all the way here, but… I'm sorry. I'll pass on your thanks." Hans says.
"Okay. Forgive me for bothering you about it." I say.
"Not at all." Hans says.
His expression lightens up a bit, and I leave the castle; it's best not to hang around in this situation.
"Carly, you're really working your butt off." A coworker or mine tells me.
"Sure am; I need to make up for the inconvenience." I say, as I'm working on some lemon chiffon pie.
It's too bad I wasn't able to thank Sieg directly, but I'll make him something really good in return. As I'm enthusiastically working away, one of the staff comes into the kitchen, and sighs.
"What's up?" I ask.
"Oh, Carly… It's the store…" The staff member says, and then he explains what's going on.
Looking in from the kitchens, I see two thuggish men hanging around; doesn't seem like they're patrons.
"How long have they been there? All morning?" I ask Yosef.
"Yes, they're not doing anything, just looking at the displays. But with those two here, customers are afraid to come in…" Yosef tells me.
"I'll talk to them." I say, about to go and confront them.
"No! I don't want another commotion. That might be their aim." Yosef tells me.
"True…" I say, but what else can I do?
However, the door's bell rings and then a large man comes into the store, and now I'm about to get chills.
"Oh, crud… Is he one of their friends?" I ask, getting a bit scared.
"C-Could be." Yosef says.
However, a sense of familiarity overcomes me and then I wonder where I've seen this particular guy.
The big man comes up behind the other two and he then taps them on the shoulder.
"I can't see the cakes with you two in the way." The big man says.
"Huh? What, you lookin' for a fight?" One of the first thugs asks.
"Don't make a scene here. Let's take this outside." The larger man says.
"Who d'you think you are?!" The second thug demands.
"Guess I got no choice." The large man says.
"Argh?!" The first thug says.
"W-What you doin'… lemme go!" The second thug shouted.
The larger man had grabbed the other two by the scruff of their necks and then he dragged them out.
"Guess he wasn't their friend after all. Looks like he drove them off…" Yosef says.
"That's a relief." I say with a smile.
A moment later, the big man comes back into the store and approaches the counter.
"Sorry for that scene," The man told us. "I'd like thirty of your special madeleines."
"S-Sure!" Yosef says. "Thank you."
As I watch him leave, it hits me: this is the same person who followed me back to the store here yesterday.
I rush after him, and I see him rounding the street corner. Spotting him, I turn the corner after him, but I hear his voice.
"Yeah, no problem at the store. I got rid of the brats," I hear him say, and I see him talking on his cell phone. "Miss Carly seems to be working hard today too…'
Me?
"Yes, I got the thirty madeleines like you asked." The man says.
The madeleines… I then get an idea of whom he's talking to over the phone.
Later that night, after work, I get a ride with the man to the castle.
"Miss Carly, please wait here a moment." The man asks.
"Okay." I say, with a nod.
"Miss Carly," Hans says, as he comes back with the man. "I was surprised to find that one of the security team brought you here…"
"I realized this bodyguard was keeping tabs on me. I really wanted to thank you for going that distance for me, so I brought a cake I made with the ingredients you gave us." I say.
"Miss Carly…" Hans begins, and his expression clouds over slightly, like last time.
"Could you pass this on to Sieg? He's probably busy, isn't he?" I ask.
"Yes. I'm terribly sorry, but he's busy today, too…" Hans tells me.
"Hans, it's fine." I hear someone say, and then I turn to see Sieg.
"Sieg!" I say.
"You came to thank me?" Sieg asks me.
"Yes. Thank you so much for the supplies, and for the bodyguard," I say to him. "If not for you, the store can be open again and now my life can go about normally."
"I'm glad to hear it." Sieg says to me.
~Sieg's POV~
"Yes, so I brought you a cake." Carly says, handing it over to me.
I hate doing this, but… I have to. For her sake...
"I see," I say, and then begin the act. "I don't need it."
It's not that I don't want it; I don't deserve it after what I've done to her, and to her store.
"Pardon?" She asks me.
"I'm to blame for the trouble you and your store went through. I was just doing my duty." I say; I hate saying this.
I keep my tone professional and business-like.
"Sieg, what's gotten into you?" Carly asks. "Something's definitely wrong."
"Nothing's wrong. Anyway, stop coming to the castle." I tell her, before losing my poker face.
"Hold on…" Carly begins.
I know she's probably confused, but I have no choice.
"I've been busy lately. I don't have the time to look after you," I say. "I'll make sure I don't disrupt your life any further. And to stop this getting even more out of hand, you need to stop coming here."
"I get it…" Carly says.
"Hans, take the cake." I say.
"Y-Yes…" Hans says.
After that, I dismiss Carly and I stalk off; I'm tempted to look back.
~End of Sieg's POV~
All I can do is watch Sieg leave, and I'm completely shocked.
"Miss Carly?" Hans asks me.
"Yes?" I ask.
"We're here." Hans says; he dropped me off at my house.
"Oh…" I say, before getting out of the car.
My head's been a complete hurricane on the drive.
"Miss Carly… are you okay?" Hans asks me.
"No." I state.
Hans gives me a worried look and I just decide to speak up.
"What was with Sieg back there?" I ask.
Hans hesitates to answer me.
"He ordered you to prevent me from seeing him, didn't he?" I ask.
"I…" Hans begins, before averting his eyes.
Figures…
"Sieg… he thinks that it's best to place some distance between the two of you." Hans tells me.
"Pardon?" I ask.
"But that is in order to protect you." Hans tells me.
I know that much. But when I said we shouldn't see each other again, he totally disagreed with me.
"I will protect you. Just trust me."
His words once again echo through my head about ten times.
That Sieg! He keeps flipping his script! One minute he says to trust him, and now he says we need distance! Is he just messing with me?! I don't even know what's going on, but someone really unexpected shows up at the apartment...
