After making sure Everhart would not do anything ridiculous, I made my way quietly behind the children's group. They were all facing the same direction, probably anticipating my arrival. It's lucky that they were prepared—mud balls were neatly piled behind them. It was lucky that the children who greeted me at the village's entrance arrived so suddenly. The attention of the children preparing for war was diverted even more. Good.
But the suspicion of the children reached the heavens when they saw the younger ones carrying a bunch of paper bags.
"What are those?"
The eldest one who looked like the leader of the group, spoke up in a demanding tone. The smaller children looked at each other with worry filling their eyes.
"Has Miss Violet already entered the village?! Why didn't you say anything?!"
One exclaimed.
Coincidentally, the frail girl that tugged on my sweater earlier saw me creeping behind the group. Her face was suddenly painted with an unreadable expression that caught the group's attention. They followed her line of sight, but it was too late.
Mud balls were already in either of my hands and I was standing in front of the muddy pile, making it hard for them to take their weapon back.
"Kowtow for your sins!"
I yelled with a wide smile while the children all panicked in unison. I started to throw the mud balls at the children, not including the younger ones that greeted me by the entrance of course.
"Crap!"
"She's here!"
I was careful enough not to hit their faces, having a ball of mud landing on your face at top speed must be quite painful. I also did not want to get any mud on their eyes—if that happened hospital bills will be coming my way like hot sauce. I must avoid spending money on trivial things like that.
While running around, some of the children miraculously managed to get a hold of a few mud balls.
"Attack!"
The eldest child yelled on top of his lungs while also throwing the mud ball in his hand directly to me. A few mud balls were flying in the air in a second, I managed to dodge a few, however, there were too many. I ran for the muddied pile the children were trying to hide behind them.
They were still throwing mud non-stop, hence I had to cover my head with one sleeve of my sweater. Before I could even reach for the muddy weapons, some of the children were already running away frantically.
"Stay in formation!"
The little commander of the children yelled furiously. I don't think they'll stay in their so-called formation when a mad man is running towards them without hesitation.
"Who gave you permission to run away?!"
I tugged on the back of the collar of the nearest child I could get my hands on.
"AHHH!"
The child yelled with a demented face. With the child screaming out of fear and me forcing him to stay in place by tightly clinging onto the back of his shirt's collar, the scene really looked like it was bearing madness.
The situation playing out made some of the villagers turn to check on the situation, however they only chuckled as if what they saw was only a laughing matter.
Some of the children actually came running and hid behind the villagers, some continuously nugdged at the people to attack me.
"Come on now…Don't be a sour loser. Go apologize to Miss Violet for throwing mud at her…"
Coincidentally, a woman carrying a basket of plums approached me—the child I was holding and gave him a light pat on the head.
"Mom! But she was the one who started it first."
My face contorted violently after hearing the child's response. Weren't they the ones who prepared to ambush me first?
Thankfully, the child's mother did not believe in his lies and instead handed me the basket filled with deep purple fruits.
"Please take these Miss Violet. I just came back from our orchard so they're guaranteed fresh."
"You... really didn't have to..."
I hesitated for a second. I didn't want to accept the basket, it was too much. But the lady was already extending both her hands, offering the basket of plums…
"I heard Miss Violet likes peaches too. If you'd like, you can stop by the orchard and pick as many fruits as you like, so you can take some back home too."
I accepted the basket with a barely visible smile and a heavy heart.
The lady smiled sweetly as I bit my inner cheek. This wasn't the first time the villagers offered me their harvests.
I went home with bags and baskets filled with fruits and vegetables from the village once. However, I can't possibly consume all of those vegetables and fruits all on my own before the day they spoil. I tried giving some to the other employees but a huge portion was still left, so I entrusted it to the estate's chef.
The following day, I found the fruits and vegetables loosely mushed inside the trash can. I stormed into the kitchen and asked the chef—it turns out it was my father who ordered the chef to throw them away. 'Those crops are too low in quality,' is what my father said to the chef. I tried my hardest to prevent Olivia from discovering this, but I got hints that she already knew. Now I feel guilty everytime I visit the village and the townsfolk give me any sort of food that they personally grew and nourished.
"We're not going to lose again!"
The little commander yelled while being dragged away by his mother. I could see streaks of tears on his face.
After the commotion died down and the parents of each child came to pick them up—some were holding strong-looking sticks, possibly to give their children a little discipline, the door of the house flung open and a lady with her flowy light brown dress emerged. It was Olivia.
"What is going on here?"
Her hand was still on top of the door slab, her head hung low as stands of her hair covered her face. For some reason, I'm having the thought of running away right now.
Jade was beside the open door. She's lucky enough that she didn't get squished behind the door.
"Hello. I'm Jade Everhart, we're so sorry for coming uninvited."
However, Olivia ignored her and raised her head instead, revealing a livid expression, ready to bury me underground in a second.
"Violet Amaryllis, what did you do to my front yard?"
Well f*ck.