Days passed after Duncan's visit, and everything gradually returned to normal.
Alora slowly forgot about their encounter and went back to her daily routine. Life at home had not been easy. Her mother's health was still poor, so William stayed behind to take care of Irene while Alora continued working at the bakery.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly until she noticed something strange. People kept staring at her more than usual. Some whispered among themselves whenever she walked past, while others simply watched her in silence.
Trying to ignore it, she continued working until Mr. Benjamin suddenly called her into his office.
"You really want me to go bankrupt, don't you, little girl?" Benjamin shouted as he slammed his hand on the table.
Alora flinched.
"What happened, sir? I don't understand," she replied, her face filled with confusion.
"You don't understand?" Benjamin scoffed. "Now you're pretending to be innocent. Do you know what people have been saying? They claim you seduced a lord and made him keep coming to my bakery!"
Alora froze.
"W-What...?"
"Oh, now you're acting surprised?" Benjamin snapped. "I swear, you've caused me nothing but trouble. I think it's best if you leave for good. Thomas! Bring her remaining salary."
Alora stood there, unable to process what was happening.
Moments later, Thomas entered with a small bundle of coins. He handed it to Benjamin before quietly stepping aside.
Benjamin tossed the money onto the table.
"You're fired."
Those two words hit Alora harder than she could ever imagine.
"No... no, sir!" Tears welled up in her eyes. "I haven't done anything wrong. I swear on my mother's life, I don't know where those rumors came from."
She dropped to her knees and desperately grabbed the edge of Benjamin's robe.
"Please... don't do this."
Benjamin immediately pulled himself free.
"Take your filthy hands off me!" he barked. "I don't care about your excuses. Get out of my bakery this instant!"
He turned to Thomas.
"Throw her out."
Alora slowly let go.
As she walked out of the bakery, dozens of eyes followed her.
Some pitied her.
Others looked at her with disgust.
The whispers were impossible to ignore.
"So she's the girl who thought she could attract a lord."
"What a fool."
"A commoner dreaming of becoming a noble."
Alora lowered her head, wiped away her tears, and quietly walked home.
When she arrived, Irene immediately noticed something was wrong.
"Alora?" Irene asked as she slowly stood up. "What happened?"
Unable to hold back any longer, Alora rushed into her mother's arms.
"Mother..." she cried. "Mr. Benjamin fired me."
"What?"
"He said people were spreading rumors that I was involved with a lord... but it's not true. I swear it's not."
Irene gently stroked her daughter's hair.
"Don't cry, my child. I'll speak with Mr. Benjamin myself. There must be some misunderstanding. I'm sure he'll listen."
Alora slowly shook her head.
"No, Mother. Mr. Benjamin cares more about his reputation than anything else. He won't change his mind."
Irene fell silent.
A strange feeling settled in her chest.
Could the past be catching up with us...?
"No..." she whispered to herself. "It can't be. We left that place years ago."
She looked at Alora.
"Do you know which lord he was talking about?"
Alora shook her head.
"No, Mother. Today was the first time I heard about it."
Irene sighed softly.
"Very well. Go and rest. William went to see his friends, and he'll be back soon. Try to eat something."
Alora nodded weakly before leaving the room.
Later that evening, William returned home. As soon as he stepped inside, Irene told him everything that had happened.
"What?" William exclaimed in shock. "I hope it wasn't that lord I saw her with that day."
Irene looked at him in confusion.
"Which lord?"
William scratched the back of his head.
"I saw Alora talking to a lord about three months ago. I hope he isn't the one they're talking about."
Irene's expression darkened.
Since when would a lord take an interest in my daughter?
Her heart tightened with fear.
If a lord is paying attention to Alora, it can only bring trouble. Men like them often see common girls as nothing more than entertainment.
They might have lost everything, but Alora was still her daughter, and Irene would protect her no matter the cost.
"I'll go to the bakery tomorrow," Irene said firmly. "I'll speak to Mr. Benjamin myself."
William frowned.
"But Mother, you're still not well. The bakery is quite far."
Irene smiled faintly.
"No. I've been sitting here while both of you carry all the burdens. That ends today. Whether I'm sick or not, I'm still your mother."
She looked toward Alora's room.
"Go and check on your sister. She's probably asleep."
William nodded before walking inside.
The following morning, Irene made her way to the bakery.
As always, the place was crowded with customers. She took a deep breath before asking one of the workers to see Mr. Benjamin.
A few moments later, he appeared.
"Good morning, sir," Irene greeted politely, lowering her head. "I'm Alora's mother. I came to talk about—"
"Get out."
His cold voice cut her off.
Irene blinked in surprise.
"Sir, please... just hear me out."
"I've heard enough," Benjamin replied sharply. "Your daughter has already damaged my bakery's reputation. I won't let her cause any more trouble."
"I only want to explain—"
"Thomas! Liam!"
The two workers quickly approached.
"Throw this woman out."
Before either man could touch her, Irene stepped back and raised her hand.
"Don't touch me."
Her voice was calm, yet firm.
"I'll leave on my own."
She looked directly at Benjamin.
"I don't blame you. I blame myself for coming here after my daughter warned me not to."
She paused before adding quietly,
"But remember... what goes around comes around."
Without another word, Irene turned and walked away.
After walking for what felt like forever, her strength finally gave out. she sat on a stone by the roadside and rested her aching legs.
Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.
"What kind of life is this?"
Once, she had lived in luxury with her husband and children.
Now...
People treated her family worse than animals.
She looked up at the sky.
"Where did everything go wrong?, who casted a spell on them?"
After wiping away her tears, Irene gathered the little strength she had left and continued her journey home.
Meanwhile, preparations for the King's birthday were already underway.
The celebration was one of the grandest events in the kingdom.
The finest chefs were invited, nobles received elegant invitations, and even the common people looked forward to the occasion because food would be distributed throughout the city.
Inside the palace...
"Duncan," Lord William called.
"There was a loaf of bread I tasted at Lord Skender's gathering. It was excellent. I think it would be perfect for His Majesty's birthday banquet."
"I wanted to ask Lord Skender where it came from, but I haven't seen him lately. Was it baked by his servants?"
Duncan smiled.
"No, my lord. We bought it from a local bakery. Considering it was made by commoners, the quality was remarkable."
Lord William nodded thoughtfully.
"If you think it's that good, then it must be. Give me the address so I can send someone to place an order."
"Of course."
Duncan quickly wrote the bakery's address on a small piece of paper and handed it to him.
"There you are."
"Thank you, Lord Duncan."
As Lord William walked away, Duncan suddenly froze.
Alora...
The thought of her crossed his mind.
This is the perfect opportunity to see her again.
Without hesitation, he hurried after Lord William.
"My lord," Duncan called as he caught up with Lord William. "I think I made a mistake with the address."
Lord William looked at him.
"The bakery is quite far, and your servants may have difficulty finding it. Since my men have been there before, perhaps it would be easier if they handled the order instead."
Lord William frowned.
"Duncan, I am not a child. I've handled matters like this long before you were born."
"I know, my lord," Duncan replied respectfully. "But preparations for the King's birthday have kept everyone busy. Allow me to take care of this one matter and ease your burden."
Lord William studied him for a moment before sighing.
"Very well. But if anything goes wrong, the responsibility is yours."
"It won't, my lord."
Lord William shook his head.
"I still don't understand why we're ordering bread from commoners."
With that, he walked away.
Duncan smiled to himself.
"Such arrogance."
Ever since Duncan arrived at the palace, Lord William had never truly liked him. Lord Skender had once warned him to keep his distance because the man was proud and difficult to please.
Perhaps one day I'll learn why, Duncan thought. More importantly...
He would get to see Alora again.
Two days later, Duncan arrived at the bakery with a few palace guards.The bakery was as busy as ever. The warm scent of freshly baked bread filled the air as workers hurried from one task to another.
Although it belonged to a commoner, Duncan had to admit that Mr. Benjamin managed the place well.
As soon as the workers noticed him, they immediately stopped what they were doing and bowed.
"Good morning, my lord."
"Good morning," Duncan replied. "I'd like to see the owner."
The workers exchanged nervous glances before one of them hurried off to call Mr. Benjamin.
A short while later, Benjamin appeared.
"Good morning, my lord," he greeted with a bow. "It's an honor to have you here again."
Duncan noticed the nervousness in his voice.
"Why are you so frightened?" he asked calmly. "Did you shout at one of your workers today?"
Benjamin forced an awkward smile.
"N-Not at all, my lord. I'm simply surprised to see you again."
Duncan raised an eyebrow.
"So my presence is unwelcome?"
Benjamin's face turned pale.
"No, my lord! That's not what I meant."
Duncan let the silence linger before speaking again.
"The palace wishes to place an order for bread and pastries for His Majesty's birthday celebration."
Benjamin's eyes widened.
"The... the palace?"
"Can you handle the order?"
"Of course, my lord! It would be an honor."
Duncan handed him a heavy bag of coins.
"This is half the payment. You'll receive the rest after delivery."
Benjamin accepted the bag of coins with trembling hands.
"Thank you, my lord. Please give my regards to His Majesty." Duncan gave a slight nod but didn't leave immediately.
His eyes wandered around the bakery.
Workers moved from one oven to another, carrying trays of freshly baked bread and pastries. Customers came and went, yet the one person he had hoped to see was nowhere in sight. For a brief moment, he wondered if she was working in the back.
He looked around once more.
Nothing.
One of the workers noticed him searching and quickly lowered his gaze before returning to work. Duncan found it a little strange, but he chose not to ask. If he mentioned Alora by name, it would only invite more gossip.
She must be busy, he thought.
With that, he turned and walked toward his carriage.
Just as he was about to climb inside, he heard two young women whispering nearby.
"So that's the lord Alora charmed."
"What a shame. Mr. Benjamin fired her before he could come looking for her again."
"I don't even know what he sees in that girl."
"I'm glad she was dismissed."
Duncan stopped in his tracks.
His expression darkened. Without saying a word, he climbed into the carriage.
The ride back to the palace was unusually quiet.
He stared out of the window, replaying every conversation he had ever had with Alora, she had been nothing but respectful, she had never once tried to get close to him.
In fact, she had seemed determined to avoid attention, could those rumors really have cost her job?
His expression darkened.
If that's true... then I may be the reason she suffered.
As soon as the carriage stopped at the palace, Duncan stepped down and called for one of the royal guards.
"My lord," the guard said, bowing respectfully.
"The King's birthday celebration is approaching," Duncan began. "The palace cannot afford any disturbances that might tarnish His Majesty's reputation."
"I understand, my lord."
"I want a few guards stationed near Mr. Benjamin's bakery until the celebration is over."
The guard looked slightly surprised but nodded.
"As you command."
"And one more thing."
Duncan's voice became more serious.
"I've heard Mr. Benjamin has a habit of mistreating his workers. Keep an eye on the bakery. If you hear any rumors concerning him or his employees, report every detail to me."
"At once, my lord."
The guard bowed before leaving.
Left alone, Duncan remained silent for a long moment.
They had met only twice.
Twice.
Yet somehow, rumors had spread throughout the town. It didn't make sense.
Alora wasn't the type of woman who sought attention. If anything, she had done everything she could to avoid it.
He let out a quiet sigh.
"I'll uncover the truth," he murmured to himself. Turning away, he made his way toward the stables.
For the first time in years, a stranger's misfortune weighed heavily on his mind.
He couldn't explain why. He only knew that until he learned the truth, his heart would not rest.