60
“Wow...”
On the way to the main street of the capital, Eppie couldn't close her mouth in astonishment.
Under a sky that began to darken, a road stretched, sparkling with lights, as if it reached the end of the world. On both sides of it, shops were lined up displaying countless types of merchandise behind their glass windows, and between them flowed a crowd of people laughing and walking down the street.
In front of this new world, Evie stood mesmerized, immersed in its magic.
“Evie?”
“Yes, yes!”
Evie, who had been looking around in confusion, was awakened by Professor Siyan's voice from beside her.
“Be careful and follow me.”
"present!"
Evie answered excitedly, grabbing the hem of his dress.
But her eyes kept roaming the ocean eagerly.
“It's like I'm in another world.”
Evie remembered the Elram Festival. The festival, held in the central Elram Square, was ablaze with lights until the late hours of the night.
People, elegantly dressed, were talking and having fun with smiling faces. From the orphanage over the hill, the square looked like the busiest place in the world. But… compared to the capital, it was nothing.
Everything here was amazing and beautiful. Jewelry, clothes, and items piled up behind storefronts. But what caught Evie's attention most was the candy store around which the children gathered.
Inside cylindrical glass jars, brightly colored sweets are stacked. Their shapes were varied: regular round candy, curved stick-shaped candy, and flat circular candy mounted on wooden sticks...
Evie swallowed, remembering the gift she received at the orphanage. The taste of that candy was so delicious that she ate the three pieces slowly and carefully.
“Do you want to eat it?”
Cloyce, who saw Evie's eyes fixed on the store, noticed and asked her while bowing slightly. Evie jumped in panic and shook her head vigorously.
"No! I don't like her!"
It was clear she was lying. If she really hated her, she wouldn't have swallowed and stared at her like that. Cloyce laughed and headed towards the store.
"I don't eat it! Really!"
But Evie, who seemed to be politely refusing, suddenly grabbed him with a pale face and pulled him away.
“Evie?”
"I, I really don't like it! I won't eat it!"
Evie's face was filled with fear.
“Why?”
He was sure she wanted candy. Expect her to refuse once or twice, but she will be happy in the end if he buys it for her.
But, contrary to his expectations, Evie seemed determined to stop him, as if she was afraid he would buy candy, so she pulled him in another direction. Cloyce finally had to walk away from the store without entering it.
—
Evie gripped the hem of his dress tightly, desperately trying to turn her gaze anywhere but the store.
“I shouldn't look too long.”
If you do, you will definitely be punished, as happened before. Even in Elram, the small town, there was a candy store, and children always gathered in front of it.
The orphanage children were no exception. After finishing the field work, they would rush to the village and stand in front of the store, staring sadly.
One day, Evie met a noble lady who sometimes visited the orphanage to donate.
The lady was pleased to hear that Eppie was smart, and said kindly: “You can work as a maid in my house one day.”
Evie felt grateful for her friendliness, so she bowed in greeting.
“Oh, you…”
“Ma’am, do you know this girl?”
“Yes, she is from a place I support.”
The lady talked to her friends, and meanwhile, Evie went back to staring at the candy.
“Oh, were you looking at it because you wanted it?”
“It's pathetic.”
The lady who supported the house laughed, then entered the store and bought a large amount of candy and handed it to Evie.
“Take it and eat it.”
"Thanks! Thank you very much!"
Evie repeated her thanks in amazement, then ran to the house to tell the director of the gift, thinking that she would be happy. But…
“This is embarrassing.”
Contrary to Evie's expectations, the manager got upset and told her to just say hello and come back immediately next time.
Days later, as Evie was standing in front of the candy store again, the lady passed by again. It wasn't intentional.
Elram is a small town, and in front of the candy store was the busiest street, where most of the rich people passed.
Almost the same situation repeated itself. That night, the lady visited the house angry.
“I thought she was young and smart, so I loved her, but she is very cunning! She deliberately stands in front of the store, greets me and looks at the candy. Isn’t the reason clear? Do you teach children to beg in this house?”
The lady shouted, pointing at the director, and then left. Evie, who had surreptitiously watched the scene, understood what had happened.
“I didn't ask her to buy.”
It is true that she wanted sweets, but if she had known that she would be accused of begging, she would never have looked at them in front of the lady.
When Professor Sian offered to buy candy, Evie remembered that moment and the shame she felt.
If she continued to stare, the professor might forcefully buy her, and then think she was feigning pity to force him, and hate her. Like that lady who looked down on her and never came back.
So, Evie would quickly avert her eyes whenever she saw something that attracted her, pretending she wasn't interested, as if she never wanted it.
The problem is that in Elram, there were not many shops that attracted attention
But the capital was different. No matter how hard I tried, amazing things appeared like magic with every step.
Clois noticed Evie's confusion, as she stopped whenever she saw something exciting or delicious. But whenever he tried to speak, she would panic and pull him away.
“What are they doing there?”
"Ah, this is a game. You pull a string that raises a stone, and if the stone has a mark, you win a prize. Do you want…"
“No!”
But her eyes did not move from the children pulling stones and taking wooden dolls. Cloyce realized now.
“She wants to play, but she suppresses her desire.” So... he took a coin out of his pocket and gave it to the store owner.
“I won't play…”
“Evie, I'm the one who wants to play.”
Evie had no response. If he wants it, what do you say? Cloyce pulled several strings at random, and, as usual in such games, won nothing.
When there was only one chance left, he looked at Evie who was watching him and said:
“Looks like I'm having bad luck. Want to try?”
"I…?"
“Yes, it's the last chance, try it.”
Cloyce handed her the pile of threads. The whole time he was playing, Evie was watching as if she was the one pulling, holding her hands tight and wishing she could try. “That's okay, right?” Evie hesitated as she moved her hands, and Cloyce laughed and urged her gently:
“Come on, there are others waiting.”
“Yes, okay!”
Evie looked at the threads in her hand, and picked one out with a serious face that she had never shown before.
“Please...”
Although she pretended not to care, she closed her eyes and pleaded before seeing the result. Cloyce smiled at the sight of her. Was her call answered?
"Congratulations, baby! You won!"
The shopkeeper showed the yellow stone that Eppie had pulled out, then brought a wooden squirrel toy from the wall of the shop and handed it to her.
“This...”
Evie looked at the doll in amazement, then held it out to Chloe.
“You won, keep it.”
"but!"
“What I wanted was that big doll over there.”
Cloyce pointed to a wooden human doll that was only awarded by pulling the golden stone.
“I don’t want anything else. If you don’t keep it, I will return it to the store owner.”
At that, Evie frowned and shook her head. This was the first time she had played a game like this, and certainly the first trophy she had won. If she's allowed to, she wants to keep it. Yvette hugged the doll to her chest, and Chloës turned around.
“Should we go somewhere else?”
The event had just begun, and there was still a lot to show her. He felt a sudden excitement, so he took long steps.
At that moment, a group of people passed noisily behind him, shouting and laughing. After they crossed...
“!”
Evie, who was following directly behind him, disappeared and was no longer in his sight.
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