"Who is that?" Gerald asked, interrogating in a disappointed tone. "Who wrote the letter? I'm sure he burned our house and shop as well." His face was annoyed, disgusted, furious. "I told you not to sleep with the men anymore because you would get into trouble. Now, look at what I said? You're in trouble again. Not just vandalism or terror, but all of our belongings were burned down."
Lyra looked down without being able to do anything. She saw him kick the charred, shapeless skeleton of their house and shop. He was really mad.
"Now what's your plan? It took us a year to be able to rent all of this. Now how can you be responsible to the landlord? Do you have money? Can your men save you? In the end, I have to clean things up!"
All the residents who had been huddled in there slowly retreated to hide. Some of them peeked and eavesdropped, they returned home because they didn't want to get into trouble.
"I'm sorry, Ger!"
"Is an apology enough to compensate for all this?" he snarled, looking like a raging, ferocious bear. "Come on, I can't take it anymore! You just finish your business with BJP and then repay for all this. I will keep giving you a hand." Then he just walked away, not looking back at his two old friends.
Lyra couldn't speak anymore, even her knees were weak, so her body was curled up on the ground.
Tania tried to catch up with Gerald. "Gerald, where are you going?"
"Go as far as possible! Come with me if you want." Then he paused what he was saying and raised an eyebrow. "But I know you won't be able to leave her. So, goodbye."
"Gerald! Wait a minute! You can't leave us."
"Because I am the only one who can keep you guys alive?" He snorted and then completely disappeared into the darkness. His huge figure seemed to shake the village ground, weaved between the buildings of the residents' houses, and then completely vanished.
Tania, frustrated, now approached Lyra to persuade her. "Lyra, you must persuade him now. If he leaves then our friendship will be ruined. Lyra! Lyra!" Her hands shook Lyra over and over again, observing her friend's blank stare. Finally, she knew that there was nothing they could do.
Her face looked up to see the remnants of smoke and charcoal from their building. Tomorrow their landlord would arrive after hearing the news. What should they say?
"It's my fault," Lyra said suddenly, lost in thought but failing to cry. Her tears were dry. "I am indeed the one at fault, even though Baron Jason did this to us. If I don't hurt him then…"
"Oh, Lyra!" Tania hugged her very tightly, then kissed her head. "If you know you're wrong then why don't you stop?"
"I wanted to, but my pain was too enormous. Now everyone is almost leaving me, even Gerry."
"He'll be back."
"No," Lyra muttered. "Not this time."
They looked at each other meaningfully, then wept together.
"I'll be right here with you, honey. I will still accompany you."
"Sorry you had to get into trouble," Lyra said in a trembling voice. Her gaze fell on the traces left by Gerald, hoping that her close friend would return to her. But she knew that would never happen, not anytime soon. Now she had to stand by herself and solve all the problems she faced.
…
As they expected, their landlord came in very early in the morning. He was a chatty and fierce middle-aged man, whose hair was always sticking up like a palm fiber broom. His back was bent but his movements were very agile.
"What are you doing with my house? Why did you burn it?" he roared, not much different from Gerald. He even almost hurt Lyra as well as Tania, in front of people. Then he burst into tears.
"I don't care. You have to compensate for everything." His old, wrinkled hand tugged at Tania's arm. "She will be the guarantee." His eyes narrowed viciously at Lyra. "I will sell you two as slaves if you are not able to compensate them all within one month."
"Wh-what? One month? Mr. Pinn!" Lyra protested. "We can't possibly compensate for everything in one month. Please give us some respite." Then she paused and thought, moving her fingers to count. "Five months. Give us five months. We will compensate for everything."
"Five months, uh?" Mr. Pinn glared, showing off his old eyes and light cataracts. "If you deal within five months then I will starve to death. One month, you still have one month." Then he dragged Tania to get on his horse. There were his son and son-in-law to help.
Lyra shot up again to kneel before Mr. Pinn. "I beg you, sir. Give us a little space. Four months. Give us four months."
He had almost refused. His old mouth looked almost cursing and screaming. But suddenly he glared as he looked in a direction, then stuttered at her. "Th-three months. I'll give you three months. My decision is unanimous." Then he kicked her off his leg, then walked to the horse and back to the house.
Lyra's hands squeezed the ground beneath her, holding back all the hate she was pointing at herself. All the luxurious dresses she had bought were wasted, not a single one of them could save her from misfortune.
Her feet moved to approach a corner, among the firewood belonging to one of the residents. There she saw a man wearing a hat. She threw a letter from Baron Jason at him.
"Tell your master that I will see him tonight. Just tell me where to meet him. I will figure out all these problems." Then she left him, who she knew was one of Baron Jason's guards. Even the baron had bribed Mr. Pinn to make her suffer. Damn it!
…
Gerald managed to salvage some clothes for her, he bastard. Even though he was mad, he was still very caring. But that didn't mean he was going to forgive her any time soon.
The meeting location had been determined, namely in a hotel located in another city.
"Isn't he overreacting? Why would he want me to meet him in another city?" Lyra looked worried, especially considering how desperate Baron Jason had been with her. But now the situation was not supporting her anxiety. If she didn't finish all of this, then she and Tania would end up as slaves. If she was the only one involved, that was fine, but the problem was that Tania did.
Lyra had to take a train to get to another city after she got full accommodation from Baron Jason. When she arrived at the station she was picked up by someone and dropped off at a very luxurious hotel in the city.
"I can go back home right?" she whispered nervously. Then she walked into the hotel, following a maid who led her to a room. At first, she was hesitant to enter, but when she saw Duke Kleo was also in the hotel, her feet instantly jumped in and hid.
'Damn it, why is Duke Kleo here? What is wrong with him...? Argh!' she thought.
Suddenly a voice startled her, "My Dear, you have come?" It was Baron Jason, who looked as disgusting as ever. However, this time his expression was filled with hatred and resentment.
She swallowed hard. While dragging her trembling steps, she lifted her red skirt, almost all of her dresses were red. "My Lord, I have come to fulfill your summons."
"So have you changed your mind?" he asked, twirling the coffee cup in his hand. His face was blurry and hideous.
"My apologies, My Lord. But I won't change my mind. I can't marry you because I don't want to get married."
"May I know the reason?"
She bit her lip. "That's for personal reasons, My Lord."
He snorted as his hands slipped into his trouser pockets to feel the sleeping pills inside. "You hurt me so much. Aren't you afraid if I do something bad to you? What if I kill you tonight?"
Her blue eyes widened. Suddenly she saw danger crawling towards her. Yeah, at least it indicated that that night she would sleep with Duke Kleo.
***