Tia knew that this was a punishment for Lawell's disobedience, and she didn't dare to defy Glen to his face. However, when Glen wasn't looking, she quietly slipped a piece of bread to Lawell.
But in the next moment, Glen appeared out of nowhere and snatched the bread away.
Tia's little plan was thwarted.
The girl really did have her master's best interests at heart, but trying to deceive me? She might as well wash up and go to sleep… Glen bit into the bread he had snatched, deliberately teasing Tia.
She could only puff out her cheeks, glaring at him in frustration.
Late at night, Lawell tossed and turned on the hard wooden bed, unable to sleep. His hunger made him uncomfortable, and the strange noises outside only added to his torment.
He opened his eyes, clutching his growling stomach as he sat up, bending forward in an attempt to ease his hunger.
But it only made him feel slightly better. Deep down, he still refused to give in. One day of hunger couldn't break him.
Eventually, exhaustion overpowered his hunger, and Lawell fell asleep, curled up in a position that made him feel just a little more comfortable, until Tia woke him up the next morning.
"Young master, Glen has already left. He said if you don't work today, you'll go hungry again."
Tia reminded him while he was washing up.
Having just woken up, Lawell didn't feel too hungry, but he felt weak. He half-heartedly acknowledged her.
Suddenly, his eyes brightened. He turned to Tia and whispered, "Tia, go get some food for me. He won't notice."
Tia shook her head. "It's no use. Glen hid all the food. After he left, I searched everywhere, but there's nothing edible."
The light in Lawell's eyes faded.
"I won't listen to him!" he declared, almost as a vow.
Just then, a luxurious carriage with intricate patterns appeared at the edge of the town, its mysterious presence amplified by the fog surrounding it.
Both Tia and Lawell heard the sound of the carriage wheels, which felt out of place in the quiet town.
They pushed open the door and peeked out, their eyes widening at the sight of the strange carriage.
The horses pulling the carriage seemed almost alive, and as they passed, one of them glanced at them with a haughty gaze.
The carriage stopped in front of the large house next door, and a tall, sturdy old man in hunter's attire stepped out. From a distance, it was clear he was not someone easy to deal with.
Upon stepping down, the old man immediately looked toward Tia and Lawell, causing the two young people to hurriedly duck their heads.
But the old man had already noticed them.
"Why are there two kids?" he muttered.
"What's the matter, Bor? Has the ride in the carriage shaken you to pieces?" A smooth, magnetic voice came from the carriage, followed by the graceful appearance of a woman who elegantly stepped out from behind the curtains.
She was dressed in a dark purple mage's robe with a slimming waistline, a finely crafted mage's medallion of metal gleaming on her chest, and a necklace made of sparkling red rubies around her neck. Her wrists and earlobes were adorned with jewelry, making her appear as though she were radiating light as she stood there.
"It's nothing. That brat doesn't seem to be home," the old man muttered casually without turning around.
As soon as the woman stepped out of the carriage, she surveyed the surroundings with a click of her tongue.
"So, this is the famous Baieke Town? It really is just as the records say—full of chaotic elements, with an evil aura pervading every corner."
She closed her eyes, seemingly sensing something, then opened them again. "There are indeed some dangerous individuals around. How do they all manage to live so peacefully together? It's incomprehensible. Aren't you scared, Bor?"
"Just don't go provoking them recklessly. I've lived here for almost five years, and nothing's happened to me," the old man replied nonchalantly.
"I'm not the kind of mindless mage you think I am. Please remember that," the woman said, her tone sharp.
"Enough of that. I feel like that brat isn't home," the old man waved her off and pointed at Glen's house.
The woman glanced in that direction, muttering a quiet incantation under her breath, and instantly knew the situation inside the house.
"There are only two children, around fifteen or sixteen years old. No one else," she said.
"Go ask them," the old man instructed, and started walking toward Glen's house.
"Wait," the woman called out to him. "There's a large dog watching us from over there."
The old man squinted, looking for a long time, but he clearly couldn't see anything. "That must be the brat's. Don't worry about it. It won't attack us."
The woman seemed to ponder for a moment, then they both began walking toward Glen's house.
Meanwhile, Tia and Lawell crouched behind the door, holding their breath. The sight of the old man had scared them both; they couldn't understand how someone could be so tall and so intimidating.
"Master… do you think that old man eats people? His gaze at us was so terrifying," Tia whispered.
Her words made Lawell even more frightened. His body was already weak from hunger, and now he felt even more fragile.
"Shut up! How could your mother let someone as useless as you follow me around?" Lawell hissed in a low voice, scolding her.
Tia closed her mouth, feeling a little wronged.
Knock, knock.
Two loud knocks on the door startled both of them, and they quickly covered their mouths, hoping the people outside wouldn't hear them.
But it was all in vain.
"I know you're in there, you little brats. Open up! I need to ask you a few questions, or I'll just break in!" The old man's hoarse, booming voice echoed, sending waves of fear through both of them.
"You haven't changed in all these years, still the same bad temper. It's just two kids. Step aside, let me handle this," a smooth, attractive female voice interrupted the old man's booming words.
Then, to their surprise, the door behind them opened by itself.
They turned instinctively and saw a noble-looking, beautiful woman with an approachable demeanor, dressed as a mage.
"Don't be afraid, children. Can you answer our questions?" she asked gently, her voice laced with kindness.
Tia and Lawell, both still trembling, found themselves nodding involuntarily.
A short while later, the old man and the woman sat in Glen's living room.
"So, you're saying that annoying brat went to do business in Dood?" the old man asked.
Tia and Lawell nodded, their faces pale with fear.
The old man fell silent for a moment, then asked, "Will he be back today?"
"He should be, sir," Tia whispered.
The old man looked at the woman. "Are you going to wait for him here?"
The woman raised her chin, her expression calm. "I've come all the way here. I can't leave without getting something."
"Alright, I'll leave then. I need to go pick up my dog from a friend's house."
"Take care," she replied.
Once the old man left, the woman turned to Lawell and asked, "You seem like a noble, but how did you end up in this state? You haven't eaten in at least a day. Did that boy, Glen, intentionally mistreat you?"