The doctor was friendly, and he was also helpful. He was someone Emily could see herself letting her guard around.
Since that was the case, she has been extra vigilant. She would not let herself get fooled by false kindness and regret it.
"As I said before, this is the most secure place in the undertow you will find so that you can place the baby on the bed for now. I can see that you are exhausted, and would need some help. Why don't you allow me to look at you?"
The doctor offered, and Emily was tempted to let him help her. She had been feeling tired for the past few days, and this would only help her out.
Despite her better judgment, Emily decided to put the unnamed kid down and sit in front of the doctor.
Somehow, both got comfortable enough to forget that they had a kid amidst them and when the door was kicked, the doctor opened it without hesitation.
The patient who had urgently knocked at the door looked sick and clutched his bleeding arm rather tightly.
"Oh my! You are hurt so badly. Hurry up and come in now. I want to look at you."
Rasher opened the door to that patient and forgot to close it again. He bandaged the bleeding wound of the person before him and looked relieved to see it healing quite nicely.
"This is good. I feel much more secure to see that the wound is healing. Keep it out of water for the next few days, and it should heal nicely."
The doctor explained to the patient before he turned back to the lady who had asked him for help.
"Miss, I am done here. Is there anything else you want before leaving for home?"
The doctor asked, only to be met with silence. The lady was not only deadly silent, but her face looked worried. Her body shook with shock, and the doctor was instantly alert.
"Is everything alright? Lady! Hey, Miss! Where are you going?"
The doctor asked, but Emily's mind had already gone blank. She had run out of the room as soon as she could because she could not bear to think more about her situation.
She had taken her eyes off the baby for a moment, and it had disappeared. She would never be forgiven if she let the truth be known back home.
"Miss, don't run like this. Is everything alright?"
Emily's panic finally caused her to speak.
"What do you mean if everything is alright or not? The baby! I lost the baby. Do you know how much trouble I will be in if this news? I will be killed! No, I would be burned alive. If so, I would rather not have anything to do with it."
Emily panicked as she ran through the street. Even now, her heart was beating faster and faster. But downtown was a vast place with a lot of secrets. Where could she even go to find the answer to her questions?
And who would help a powerless maid like her?
"Hey, don't run around like this. I know this is your first time here, but don't worry. I will help you, so you do not need to fear anything. I know a few people who can help us track your charge down."
Emily felt a little calmer when the doctor reassured her of this. Everything would be alright if she followed his guidance.
The doctor also considered himself a fool for giving the maid false hope. But something about her had moved his heart, and he wanted to help her.
...
A messily dressed man kicked the door open in another part of downtown. His bright red hair was the only brilliant thing in the vicinity.
Despite his rundown appearance, the man looked content to be back home finally. And especially with the prize he had managed to snatch out of the rick-looking lady's lands.
"Ben, are you back? If you are back, then help me out with something here. I want you to…what did you bring back home this time? Where did you steal such a heavy bundle from? Ben?"
Ben looked at his wife with warm eyes. He hated to see her in trouble, but he had never been able to provide for her as he had wanted to. But now it would all change.
"Wife, today I have brought us one thing that will secure our future. Tada, look at this."
Ben presented the baby in front of his wife, and she immediately had a concerned look on her face. She had not even looked at the baby yet but was still worried.
"Oh, Ben, what have you done? How often do I have to ask you not to bring kids home? Where are we going to keep this kid now? How are we going to feed her? We barely get enough to feed ourselves and the kid you brought home last time."
Ben's wife had a pained expression as she gave her husband a dose of truth.
It hurt Ben to see his wife acting so low. He hated how she had to always bow in front of people and see her dressed poorly. He wanted to do something for her.
"Don't worry so much, wife. I promise you that things will be different this time. This time, the kid is of use. Just look at her hair and face. Doesn't she remind you of someone?"
Ben's wife finally caved in and looked at the person before her. Her heart skipped a beat once she noticed the familiar face haunting her.
"Ben, what did you do? What the hell did you do? This child! We need to send her back right now. We will not survive if we are caught-"
"Ah, but we have the advantage here, wife. This surely is an illegitimate child of Rocx Chlorance. If we play our tools right, we can threaten them to submission."
Ben explained, and his wife still had her doubts. She was ethical, so she did not believe in trafficking people. But simultaneously, she knew she needed to do this to fill her stomach.
"Alright, if you say it is safe, I will believe you this time. So, when are you going to give this child back? In one day, two days?"
Ben's wife asked, but Ben had other plans for this child. He was not going to let his hard-earned prize escape his hands.
"Well, I will not return this child if I need to. With my ability, we can run away as often as we want and start over. No one would be able to find us in the future."
Ben assured his wife. The tiny house Ben had found for himself and his wife was beginning to collapse. It was time for them to change places, and the pair often did this once significant time had passed at one place.
It was time for them to leave this place soon as well. And Ben was sure that he would not be caught while fleeing.
They both did not notice the small child observing them from the corner of the room. The child looked about six years old, but the look in his eyes was ancient.
He looked at the new child that had been brought home by his 'kidnappers', and he was sure that this was the person he had been looking for. It seemed as if all his suffering had not gone unrewarded, making the child glad he got caught.
The way his heartbeat fastened to the way his eyes zoned on the bundle, everything told him that this child was what he had been searching for.
'She is the one I need to make up for my past mistakes. This time, I will protect her and not regret my choices.'
The kid was confident that he would be able to keep his promise. But he also needed time to process his power and gain access to all his memories.
Still, he tried to do what he could for the kid before him. He reached out to hold the kid as soon as the couple had put her down. But he was caught, and Ben looked back at him with an annoyed expression.
He wanted to hit the kid, but he also knew that his wife had gotten attacked by him. So, with much difficulty, he held himself back and cursed the kid.
"Go back into your place, and do not cause me any trouble. God knows how I have been tolerating you until now. You have devil's luck not getting cold all this time."
Ben complained, but the child knew that it had been no luck that had saved his life until now, but his skills.
He watched the couple holding the kid in their arm, and just when they fell asleep, the kid snuck past them and picked up the kid.
'She's heavy. It was never this difficult to pick her up in my memories.'
The kid had not even taken a few steps but was already tired. It would be a miracle if he returned to this kid's home.
Not that he even knew where this kid lived. The kid had no way to track this kid's home down. But he knew he could not leave this kid here to starve.
Somehow, he could exit the house with a kid in his arms. The morning sun was beginning to rise, which meant more and more people would start to leave their homes.
'I need to hurry up and find someone who can help me. I know there must be one person out here who can help.'
The kid continued to struggle, and his tiny body was why he did not notice when colliding with a tall male. The man was dressed like a doctor, and he looked scary. The kid immediately pulled his bundle closer to his chest.
He wanted to hide the kid in his arms, but she was noticed anyway.
And as soon as the doctor noticed the kid, he exclaimed in excitement and relief. Finally, the lost child of the Chlorance house had been found by him.