Leagues away from Gaelsworth, Cass was enjoying her first train ride ever.
So far, it was a fairly quiet experience, save for the light snores and scratching of fabrics every now and then from the other passengers. Being the first trip of the day, the smell of coffee was heavy in the early morning air, and there was even a hint of bread and butter.
It was a simple trip like any other train trips, but Cass was having the time of her life. For so long, she had never been outside Gaelsworth on her own.
As a noble, and the only daughter of the family at that, she had never been allowed inside any form of public transportation before. It was rare for her to leave the Vega mansion, as people could handle things with a single verbal order from her.
When situations arise where she had to leave, her parents pampered her with several guards and maids. Thus, one trip would ensure several cars had to be used for they could not fit in one.
Imagine, how would it look like hailing a cab or riding a train with your retinues lining up behind you?
It was, in short, always a spectacular parade. Terrible.
The Vega family had dozens of private cars, so this was not much of an issue. When she was ten years old, Cass was also given one of her own. In addition to that, a personal chauffeur was assigned to her, a mandatory companion wherever she went.
It was on her fifteenth birthday that she was taught how to drive, and ever since then, she had been driving wherever she had to go.
Now, she's sixteen, just two years before her coming-of-age, yet it was her first time being surrounded by so many strangers as she headed towards an unfamiliar place.
It felt exciting and at the same time bizarre.
Are there rules and etiquettes in riding the train?
Was this thirty-minute ride supposed to be taken in absolute silence?
Would it be wrong to try to strike a conversation with a fellow passenger?
And why were everyone in the commons car staring at her like they want to eat the toasted bread she's munching for breakfast?!
How odd! Are they hungry as well? But well, she's hungry too. She's not sharing!
Initially, Cass offered them a watery smile as she passed by them towards an empty seat near the middle, but as the feelings grew more stifling, she simply sat on her place without looking around. Unsure whether she's interpreting things correctly, she opted to glance at the scenery outside the window.
Last night's alcohol had long left her system, and now the spunk she had shown that Third Young Master from the Hann family had evaporated along with it.
Actually, she was even slightly embarrassed upon recalling what she did. Slightly being the keyword.
This made her, who was sheltered her entire life and who was groomed to deal with things befitting her noble class, feel uncomfortable.
Well, that's probably the largest prank she ever pulled, and this time, she's all alone with no one else to pass the blame on.
She quickly finished the toast and brushed the last of crumbs away from her finger. A number of passengers looked away, as if losing interest on her, but there were still a few whose gazes linger.
Why was this train so different from the stories told to her by the maids back home?
According to them, the air here stank to high heavens, a disgusting smell that was like a deadly combination of soiled socks, sweat of a man that never bathed for a year, rotten food that even pigs would refuse to eat and heavy floral perfume used by old ladies one foot into the grave; all those covered with staleness of carton boxes, that a waft was enough to knock you out for hours.
They also said that there were so many people in the commons car, that most even had to stand the entire trip because there weren't enough seats.
Even for those cars up front with individual compartments, the "VIP" train cars, sometimes, the seat numbers on the tickets were never followed because some gutsy and unbearably shameless people implement the "first-come-first-serve" policy and elbow their way to the seats inside. When the rightful seat owners try to claim those seats back, it would cause a riot that delays the trip, that's why some passengers simply turn a blind eye on these incidents because they want to arrive at their destinations as scheduled.
Cass tentatively eyed the handful of passengers around her. They were all seated. There's even plenty of spaces in between, that only about half of the seats were occupied.
It was peaceful. Very peaceful. Bizarre.
…maybe the maids were talking about another train?
…maybe things have long changed?
…maybe she didn't even have to start checking the scope of the curse in Enqeton? It might be possible that a number of passengers here were non-natives to Gaelsworth, just like Young Master Aren.
Taking a deep breath, Cass threw all caution into the wind and decided to offer a bashful smile at the passenger nearest to her.
Two rows away from her, there was a girl around her age whispering to the boy sitting beside her. Behind them, there was a man who looked like a merchant, wearing a business suit and holding onto a bag filled with documents.
Cass opted to head towards the man in business suit; she didn't want to cut into the whisper-argument going on between the boy and the girl.
With another deeper breath, Cass stood up to approach the man.
Smack!
"I'm so sorry!"
The girl, in the heat of the whisper-argument, was waving her hands around to prove her point and accidentally hit Cass. Cass was unhurt; she did not even flinch, but it was obvious that the girl had hurt her hand the way she cradled it.
"Are you all right?" the girl asked, panicked.
"Yes."
"You sure?"
Cass found the situation amusing. Who was supposed to apologize? She was sure as hell it wasn't the girl. "I am unscathed, but looks like your hand is not."
"Ah, no, no!" the girl exclaimed like she had been frightened. "I'm all right! I'm all right! Just an accident. Sorry again!"
"It's okay."
"I'm sorry!"
After another round of apologies, Cass moved on towards the merchant behind the girl, the tension in her body dissipating along the way.
"Hello, sir. Are you by chance a merchant of Enqeton?"
However, she was bound to be disappointed as the feedback from the man was a loud and clear negative. He was a local from Gaelsworth, and he knew no one with the name Cassandra Vega.
With a long sigh, Cass thanked the man and returned to her seat. Looking out the window, her face was obviously paler and her eyes were rimmed with redness.
Feeling out of sorts, she did not realize that the wallet inside her pocket was already missing.
"I told you it was worth a shot!" the boy beside the agitated girl whispered heatedly as soon as he felt Cass was out of hearing range.
He excitedly licked his lips as he grabbed the pouch from the girl's hand. He panted upon realizing it was heavy with coins. "That lady looked travel-worn, but her actions betray that she was no commoner."
The girl whimpered, regret and guilt still clear in her eyes. "B-But, if she's not a commoner, if she figures out we stole her wallet, then wouldn't we—"
"Dear Spirits! Idiot! Enqeton is the largest border city! As soon as we're out of here, it will be like finding a needle in a haystack! A drop in the ocean! A dust in the universe! So, calm down, all right?"
"Uhm… okay… if you say so, cousin…"
"Believe me! Don't you believe me?"
"Of course, I –"
"There you go! Nnah is the best, after all!"
His greedy eyes sparkled at the girl squirming on her seat, but as seconds ticked by, those eyes eventually dimmed with confusion.
"Once we arrive at Enqeton, I'm the one who will… wait… Huh? What are we talking about again? What... Why is there a pouch on my hand? Whose pouch is this, Nnah?"