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46 Bril Street.
People could see the ladies drinking tea and chatting over the show window. They were wearing practical but elegant dresses instead of fancy ones.
It didn’t change the fact that their waist was being pressured by a corset, but they didn’t have to wear a heavy bustle nor have accessories.
It was the owner of 46 Bril Street who was leading the way.
The lady’s pants and one piece dress, jacket and blouse became the new fashion trend of the empire.
“If you came to pick up Princess Rosina’s outfit then come in. It’s cold out.”
Lia opened the door, nodded at the employee and went in. A moment of silence went through the shop. The young ladies who saw the rumored young nobleman stared at him in awe.
“I’m here to meet the owner,” said Lia.
“Not to pick up clothes?”
“I told you I’m here to meet the owner.”
The employee bowed while avoiding Canillia’s gaze.
“Then, come in.”
Lia went through the red curtain while leaving the young ladies’ stare.
It was like a small salon. The room was full of smoke and the smell of alcohol, and laughter reverberated everywhere. But as she walked deeper inside, it felt like an underclass brothel. Was it because of the locks on every door?
As Lia stopped feeling displeased, Sharon greeted her with her brown hair elegantly put up.
“Isn’t it Sir Canillian Vale? I’m honored that you’re looking for a lowly merchant like me.”
Lia glared at Sharon as she greeted her. “I’m here to meet another owner,” she said, looking around.
“Oh my, I’m the only owner here, sir.”
“I’m not talking about the owner of the shop. I’m talking about your owner.”
Sharon’s lips parted a little. The kindness on her face was gone. She whispered something to the employee that led Lia. Then, the employee closed the door to the room they were in and left.
“I’ll lead you.”
As expected, something was up.
The lady led the way with a crooked smile. Lia followed Sharon. The pistol she had on her waist felt heavy.
The inside looked much larger than outside. She felt the ground shaking oddly as they walked into the sewing room.
Is it a trap?
She wondered.
No.
She didn’t think they would rob the Marquis’s place just to lure her into a trap. She was a fake with nothing. They also knew—that there was nothing she could really do for them.
Sharon stepped in front of the shelves with many different colored fabric, glanced at Lia and then stomped on the floor.
“I was told that a guest would come but I didn’t think it would be you. I was told that a lady will come.”
“Seems like you’re not very good at seeing people.”
Sharon looked a bit annoyed at her answer.
“It’s here.”
The floor opened with a clicking sound. Canillia saw the stair leading to the basement and gulped.
“You’re telling me to go there?”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to meet my owner? Why, are you scared? Are you afraid of the dark?” Sharon sneered. She sounded like she was ridiculing Canillia.
Camellia lifted the lantern on the table and said, “There are guards outside. If I don’t come back out in time, they’ll come find me. So don’t think of anything funny.”
Sharon smiled, “I hope to see you again.”
Her words sounded like she meant this was the end.
Lia started climbing down the stairs. There was a passage that led somewhere. There was a smell of fresh dirt as if it was made recently.
“They made a passage
”
Since the entrance to Louvre was restricted due to war, the anarchists stopped hunting the nobles. She thought there might be another reason why they stopped hunting.
Lia started walking towards where the wind came from. The moment she became aware where this place was, she was no longer scared. She asked herself, what if this really is the end?
Maybe
 Just maybe
 What if her mom has become an anarchist? Then what should she do?
But they were the first to draw their sword. If she could meet her mom just once, it felt like the decision would be easier after.
Perhaps she could live a new life, forgetting about Louvre and her mom. But this was all after knowing whether her mom was alive.
It felt like she was walking towards the endless darkness.
A bit later, a wall showed up and blocked her way. As she looked up, she could see faint light.
She met someone’s eye through a tiny crack. That person saw her and opened the cover. Lia frowned and tried to adjust to the sudden light.
That moment, there was much smell of alcohol.
As she climbed up the ladder that came down, an unexpected scenery greeted her.
“Your beautiful honey coloured hair became a mess.”
It was Doctor Carl.
Lia glared at the doctor with round glasses as she tapped dust off her shoulders and looked around.
“Is it Louvre
?” she asked.
Children’s laughter that could be heard. Her heart pounded as she heard children chattering.
“It’s our home. Welcome, Sir Canillian Vale. No
 Lady Canillia.”
Carl, with a polite gesture that didn’t suit him, opened the door. It was an open space. There were about ten children that were playing. Their clothes were simple and didn’t fit the cold weather and their shoes were old, but their smile was real.
Canillia looked around confused then stopped at a spot.
“Do you recognize her?”
She saw a lady in the rocking chair who was feeding soup to a blonde child. Children ran and leaned their head against her knees from time to time and even kissed her cheek.
It was her mom.
The doctor handed her a handkerchief as she froze in surprise. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes.
Lia stared at the doctor.
“She can’t use one of her legs. Seven years ago, she walked a few thousand miles as her only daughter was kidnapped. But the only thing Laura got back was her wound.”
“Where
 is this.”
“It’s not the Louvre of the past. We started to come together as we were ignored and treated as criminals. While we earn money fairly, Laura takes care of the children. Of course, it’s not easy to find jobs just because we’re from Louvre. That’s why we hunted the nobles.”
A child tripped while running on the field. Her mom hastily stood up and helped the child up. The child then hugged her neck and bawled. Her mom calmed the child and kissed the child’s cheek.
They looked happy.
“Is that why
. You stole the diamonds?”
Her voice kept trembling and tears kept coming down. She pushed down the immense amount of longing.
“Technically
 We didn’t steal them. We gave them back to you.”
“Why? Why are you making me the culprit?” asked Lia.
“It was the Marchioness that made you into a culprit. Two sides of the nobles. How do you feel being abandoned? Is there truly no anger inside of you?”
“Anger?”
“So now
. I’m hoping you’ll bring back all the diamonds we left. As the second child of the Marquis family. Now that you’re framed as the culprit, don’t you feel like you shouldn’t be wronged?”
Canillia laughed sharply and turned around. Something annoyed her quite a lot. She should feel comfortable just looking at her seemingly joyful mother, but it was hard to even breathe as if she swallowed something heavy.
And diamonds as well.
It seemed like they were after the diamonds from the Vale family for quite a long time, while waiting for her to be abandoned patiently. They prayed that she would be abandoned.
She bit her lips hard and then went through the door. She ripped the buttons off her sleeves. She grabbed the collar of the doctor who followed her and dropped two sapphire buttons. More tears streamed down from her red eyes.
“I didn’t get abandoned. So this is the last mercy and grace I’ll be showing you. I’m running out of patience.”