Deadly Charm

Chapter 4: First meeting

After Mr. Vango's housekeeper left, Aunt Sophia also returned to work. Violet lay helplessly on the floor, not noticing the knock on the kitchen door. Antoni hadn't left yet, and what happened to Violet, he knew. Violet's eyes stared up at the ceiling; she cried out in humiliation and hatred.

A moment later, Violet sat up. She can't live in this house forever; she must go to the Dome to work and get away from the wedding that Aunt Sophia arranged. That's why Violet can be resilient when waiting for Priest Josep Bucki's to bring news.

Two days later, a rainy day. Priest Josep Bucki visits Violet when Aunt Sophia's family is out, the chain at Violet's feet causing his face to wrinkle. Then he sighed, "That's miserable, Violet,"

"It'll be fine, won't it, Priest Josep Bucki?" Violet said in an expectant tone.

But the look on Josep Bucki's face right now doesn't look like the one who brought the good news. He sat at the dining room table and motioned for Violet to sit across from him, "The Raseberts just hired a tutor this morning. They sent the butler to inform me. It's a pity to tell you that there's no chance you'll get to go to the Raseberts Clan,"

Violet's face was as pale as the cake she had just swallowed this morning, mushy and tasteless. Violet didn't dare to raise her head and tell Priest Josep Bucki that she was okay.

The following day, Aunt Sophia's whole family is off, and they decide to visit the farm of Aunt Crenna, the sister of Dean's uncle. Violet is unlocked by Aunt Sophia, and asks her to go to the market to buy food for the next week with enough threats if she dares to run away. Violet stood upstairs, waiting until the car left. After that, she rummaged through her box, picked up the most extended dress, and rushed towards hope town's central market.

Violet needs to buy some sap to hide her body's scent. Next time, she wasn't allowed to go out, so this was her only chance to stock up. The shop owner was a thin man, always wearing a hat covering his whole face. Violet usually comes here on the last day of the month; Violet's sudden appearance makes the boss a little startled. Still, he pointed to the sap bin tucked away in the stall for Violet.

"New type, perfect effect," he said.

Violet wanted to buy all the sap, but the amount of 5 coins needed to be more. She took a small glass bottle and filled it, then quickly placed it on the counter. The boss, after counting enough money Violet gave him, then said, "Mr. Raevi is on the hunt for the others; it's best not to leave the house too much,"

"Did they catch anyone?" Violet asked curiously.

The shopkeeper replied slowly, "A fairly old mermaid with her daughter just yesterday afternoon,"

"Are they die?" Violet asked painfully.

"No," the boss said. "It hurts more than death."

Violet was even more worried about herself. She put the glass bottle in her pocket and stopped by the market to buy the foods Aunt Sophia had listed. She had to hurry home and find a way to hide the sap bottle before Aunt Sophia spotted her.

Weakis glanced boredly at the market that sold their family food for servants. In the distance, Weakis saw his daughter arguing with an austere-looking woman whose clothes were probably too washed to fade out of color. He watched his daughter, Miss Nazza; she had never let herself be disadvantaged, even if she was wrong. He was utterly assured his daughter would bring victory back. Weakis' eyes darkened as he remembered his wife lying in the white castle. The longer time passed, the lower the chances of his wife being resurrected.

Suddenly Nazza screamed, startling Weakis to escape his lousy recollection. He slowly opened the car door and stepped down.

"I'm going to banish you from the Dome," Nazza shouted angrily.

The saleswoman said fearfully, "Even so, you still have to pay for the item you just took,"

Nazza, of course, disagreed; she said in a highly arrogant tone, "No. I have the right to take whatever I want."

Coincidentally, Violet was buying lamb at the counter next door. She didn't want to get involved with other people. Moreover, the little girl wore a dress made from expensive silk fabric, which the people of Hope Town could not afford. But the wretched woman clung to Violet and wanted her to testify for her. The child looked at Violet with provocative and disdainful eyes. On the other hand, the woman sees Violet as a lifeline in her most desperate moments. Perhaps out of empathy and mercy, Violet honestly told the truth, "Good baby, give the item back to the mistress, or you can pay coins,"

Nazza hated that someone complimented her on being good. Immediately she screamed in anger, "No,"

"Let's go, Nazza," Weakis said coldly. "I said you shouldn't come here,"

Nazza was still unhappy and said, "This will be the last time I'll be here."

The father and son left without an apology or payment to the shopkeeper. Violet's heart is full of aversion to the rich in the dome capital. And yet she still dreamed of going there to work for them.

"That's why the Bawiens announced their daughter's nanny recruitment, but no one dared to do it for more than two days," Mrs. Wave said.

Drioce, the owner of the lamb shop, added, "My son said the Bawiens were under the curse of solitude. Waekis' wife died prematurely, and his daughter did not have a friend to play with. Not to mention his younger brother looks like a ghost who is always gloomy without seeing the sun,"

Violet's heart is burning again; if she can work for the Bawein family, she will have a chance to escape the wedding with Mr. Vango. She only needed two weeks after Mr. Vango gave up, and she was eight-teen years old. She has the right to decide her fate without a guardian. Violet wanders back home with dozens of thoughts about her plans to go to the Dome capital tomorrow, unaware that there are even more terrifying dangers than Aunt Sophia and Mr. Vango was lurking ahead of her. And no one knew what their future would be until dawn rose.