"Damn... why does she always do that?" Aelrin thought, clenching his teeth slightly.

  He tried to stay calm, but in spite of himself, his gaze slid towards his sister's face. And when he saw her pleading expression… he couldn't resist.

  "Arh... fine," he said in an annoyed tone.

  "I've already asked you to stop looking at me with those eyes, right?" he added, tired.

  "Fine... we'll get into the first pastry shop we find."

  As soon as he finished speaking, Lyra, her face lighting up, threw herself at him and hugged him tightly.

  "Thank you big brother!" she exclaimed, happily.

  "You are the best big brother in the world!"

  Surprised by her words and the sudden gesture, Aelrin gently stroked his sister's head, a slight smile on his lips.

  "If there were a pastry shop nearby, we would have gone there immediately," he said calmly.

  At these words, Lyra quickly detached herself and began to look Aelrin in the eyes.

  "Really!?" she asked suddenly, her eyes shining.

  At this question, Aelrin simply nodded in approval, and seeing this, Lyra's face lit up.

  "So, let's go there!" she said cheerfully, pointing to a place.

  Intrigued, Aelrin followed the direction of Lyra's finger. Seeing a small pastry nestled between two alleys a little further down the street opposite, he froze and began to blink, surprised.

  "Ahh... it looks like she had planned everything from the beginning," he thought, slightly terrified.

  Without him having time to answer, Lyra already grabbed his hand and began to pull him enthusiastically.

  "Come on, hurry up big brother!"

  Seeing his sister's happy expression, Aelrin resigned himself and let her pull him along.

  With her face filled with excitement, Lyra dragged Aelrin with her and quickly sneaked between the passers-by.

  After a few minutes of walking, they stopped there, in front of a modest pastry shop from which a sweet and warm smell of sugar escaped. Through the window, cakes were lined up neatly on wooden shelves.

  Seeing all this, Lyra's eyes began to shine brightly.

  Meanwhile, as he studied the shop's fa?ade, Aelrin felt a strange unease he couldn't explain.

  "Lyra... pull your hood up. Now," he said, instinctively grabbing her arm.

  Lyra turned to Aelrin, wanting to ask him the meaning of this gesture, but seeing the expression he made, she remained silent and calmly executed this order.

  As Aelrin was about to say something else, Lyra smiled discreetly and then pulled on his hand, quickly dragging him into the pastry shop.

  "Come on, come big brother!" she said happily.

  The bell hanging on the door rang softly when they crossed the threshold.

  The almost bewitching scent of melted butter and caramelized sugar wrapped around them the moment they stepped inside.

  Shortly after, their gaze fell on the central counter. Several pastries were lined up behind the glass display: fruit tarts, iced cakes, golden brioche, melting chocolates.

  Lyra's eyes lit up instantly.

  "Woaaah..." she whispered, her lips parted.

  Aelrin, on the other hand, remained in the background, observing and analyzing every detail of the place.

  Behind the counter was a man in his thirties wearing a green apron, his expression heavy with contempt.

  The moment Aelrin's gaze met that of the pastry chef, Aelrin froze instantly, feeling a wave of unease.

  "This man... he's a bad person," he thought, swallowing.

  Despite sensing danger, seeing his sister's expression, Aelrin could not bring himself to retreat in spite of himself.

  So, he decided to take Lyra by the hand, then with a slow and measured step, he advanced towards the counter.

  Once in front, he looked up, staring at the pastry chef for a few seconds.

  "Please..." he began in a slow and polite tone.

  The pastry chef did not answer instantly. He remained silent for a moment, observing Aelrin's worn clothes and dusty hair.

  "What do you brats want?" he said in a dry and disgusted tone.

  Aelrin did not falter in the face of the pastry chef's words, but he simply remained calm.

  "We wanted to buy a cake," he said calmly.

  At these words, the pastry chef froze for a moment, as if surprised by his words.

  But in just a few seconds, he burst out laughing... a mocking and visceral laugh that resonated throughout the pastry shop.

  "A cake, huh?" he said, wiping tears under his eyes.

  He then leaned over the counter, staring intensely at Aelrin.

  "Hey kid... do you think I have time to play with you?" he said in a threatening tone.

  "You don't even have enough to pay for bread... what can you buy a cake with?" he added, staring at Aelrin mockingly.

  At that moment, Aelrin felt a drop of cold sweat slide down his neck. But feeling Lyra's grip tighten around his hand, he clenched his jaw, gathering his courage.

  "Sir, please... I promise you that we have enough to pay."

  The pastry chef straightened up and crossed his arms, an amused grin spreading across his face.

  "And what are you going to pay me with?"

  "Pebbles?"

  At these words, Aelrin froze, feeling something change.

  Lyra's hand, which had been gripping his moments earlier, slowly went limp.

  Aelrin turned his head slightly towards her, and what he saw broke his heart.

  Lyra didn't smile anymore.

  Her eyes, which had shone so brightly moments ago, now looked empty like two endless abysses.

  "No... not yet," Aelrin thought, feeling his heart tighten

  "Big brother... we're leaving," said Lyra in a blank voice.

  Hearing these words, Aelrin gritted her teeth.

  He knew that look perfectly well.

  It wasn't the first time he had seen it.

  He knew that she wore a mask, but it was fragile.

  "Don't worry Lyra... everything will be fine," said Aelrin in a reassuring tone.

  Aelrin slipped his hand into his pocket, and without a word, he took out a gold coin that he gently placed on the counter.

  "We'll pay with that."

  The pastry chef froze.

  His mocking smile disappeared, and his eyes immediately widened.

  "A gold coin?" he stammered.

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  A heavy silence fell on the pastry shop.

  The pastry chef looked up at Aelrin, staring at him with a sharp look.

  "Hey kid... do you have any idea what you just put on the counter?"

  The pastry chef pronounced these words with a calculated slowness, while slowly taking the coin.

  "It's a gold coin," Aelrin replied serenely, looking at the pastry chef with a determined look.

  Not paying attention to Aelrin's words, the pastry chef simply turned the piece between his fingers, the faint jingle of metal sounding strangely loud in the quiet shop.

  Then, without warning, the pastry chef let out a dry laugh.

  "A gold coin..." he repeated in a low voice.

  "That's funny."

  He slowly raised his head and stared Aelrin straight in the eyes.

  "Tell me kid, do you know what value this piece represents?"

  "Or... you completely ignore this kind of thing?"

  Aelrin remained motionless, supporting the pastry chef's intense gaze. But despite his resistance, drops of sweat flowed down his temples.

  Seeing this, the pastry chef sketched a slight smile, then put the coin on the counter without withdrawing his hand.

  "I knew it," he continued in a falsely calm tone.

  "Tell me... where did you steal this piece?"

  Aelrin straightened up.

  "We didn't steal anything," he replied firmly.

  At these words, the pastry chef sneered slightly.

  "Yes yes, of course."

  "And I am the great King Raphael."

  "Stop making me laugh, kid," he said in an imposing tone, banging on the counter.

  The pastry chef slowly bypassed the counter, his steps resounding heavily on the floor. He then stopped in front of Aelrin, his gaze sliding up and down on his worn clothes.

  He crouched at Aelrin's height, then pinched the piece of fabric between three fingers.

  "Look at you a little..."

  "You really expect me to believe a kid dressed like that walks a gold coin legally?"

  He straightened up by blowing through his nose.

  "Don't take me for an idiot."

  As he was about to turn around, the pastry chef's gaze turned to Lyra.

  A few white locks protruded slightly from Lyra's hood... and seeing this, the pastry chef's expression changed.

  "Well, well..." he whispered.

  He advanced slowly towards Lyra.

  "Hey, kid," he said in a honeyed tone, addressing Aelrin.

  "I think I might have an arrangement to propose to you."

  At these words, a shiver ran through Aelrin's body.

  "No... he must not approach her."

  Instinctively, Aelrin stepped forward and positioned himself in front of his sister.

  Upon seeing him, the pastry chef clicked his tongue in annoyance, and with a simple wave of his hand, he pushed him aside, not giving him a glance.

  "You, wait there."

  In front of Lyra, the pastry chef squatted at her height, and without saying a word, he pulled abruptly on her hood.

  At that moment, Lyra's eyes widened.

  And her body froze... as if paralyzed.

  Seeing Lyra's eyes, the pastry chef froze for a moment, as if astounded.

  He then grabbed Lyra's chin between his fingers, and slowly turned his face, observing her from all angles. His fine features, his fair skin, his eyes of a bewitching blue.

  A wicked smile appeared on his lips.

  "I knew it..." he breathed.

  "You are more beautiful than I hoped."

  Lyra trembled.

  Tears began to flow unconsciously down her cheeks, and no word came out of her mouth.

  "You're not from here, are you?" the pastry chef tenderly resumed, caressing Lyra's cheek.

  "Hair and eyes like yours and your brother's aren't common around here."

  The pastry chef tenderly passed Lyra's locks behind his left ear, while caressing her cheek.

  "Tell me, girl..."

  "...do you have the slightest idea of your worth?" he asked, looking into Lyra's frightened eyes with a smile on his lips.

  After staring at her for a few moments, he leaned close to her ear, and whispered:

  "With a face like yours, I would make a real small fortune."

  At these words, Lyra tensed suddenly, her pupils trembling violently.

  Her breathing became jerky, and his sobs uncontrollable.

  "Come on... don't cry," said the pastry chef with a fake smile.

  "Of course I would sell you to another kingdom, because I would risk dying if I did it in this one."

  "Besides that, your brother—

  Before he had time to finish his sentence.

  BAM!

  Aelrin's fist crashed violently against his jaw.

  A thud echoed throughout the pastry shop. The pastry chef, losing his balance, stepped back under the impact, then crashed violently against a shelf loaded with cakes.

  A heavy silence followed.

  Without wasting a second, Aelrin, who was breathing hard, rushed towards Lyra and grabbed her arm.

  "Come on Lyra! We're leaving!"

  But as soon as he had grasped Lyra's arm, Aelrin was hit by a cold so violent that he seemed to have had his flesh pierced.

  Quickly, he looked up at Lyra, and seeing her vacant expression, as well as her lack of reaction, he gritted his teeth.

  "No... not yet," he thought, shaking his head.

  At that moment, Aelrin tightened his grip around Lyra's arm, and pulled her towards him.

  "Come on Lyra... we're leaving."

  But as soon as they had taken three steps towards the exit door, the rattling of the latter resounded.

  Two massive men with faces marked by scars entered, their silhouettes blocking almost all the outside light.

  "Boss... we're back," said one of them, closing the door behind him.

  The two men suddenly stopped when they saw the mess of the pastry shop.

  "What's going on here?" asked one with a confused look.

  In the back, the pastry chef straightened up painfully.

  "Hey guys... grab these two children and take them to the back," he said, spitting on the ground.

  "Give them a good lesson, and especially, don't damage their faces too much... I think you are already aware of how much they can cost."

  At these words, the two men exchanged a look, a predatory smile appearing on their lips.

  At that moment, Aelrin stepped back, trying to protect her sister.

  "Damn," he thought, looking at the eyes of the two men.