Chapter 109: Agatha (Interlude)

You could call me Agatha, I was a single mother for 5 years now.

To know about my background further, maybe it should be better I told you about this pitiful and foolish woman story for a while…

5 years ago, after being abandoned by my supposed to be husband after the pregnancy, I decided to struggle to raise the child inside my belly as a single mother since then.

Even though the pain and wound the supposed to be husband of mine left behind in my heart should make me hate the baby inside my belly, but I didn't want to justify myself to being a bastard that I hate the most, my unresponsible supposed husband, by abandoning the innocent baby inside my belly.

Anyway, in the end, that bastard fate was worse than me, the supposed to be wife he left behind. One year after giving birth to Lala, I found his corpse hanged on the town hall miserably. Hearing from the rumor spreading by the townfolks, it seemed he's getting caught cheating with the wife of the lord of the town I lived by, at that time.

Yes, as you already knew, I decided to move on to the small border town of Arkhaim town to sever the misfortune that man brought to my life. You could call me superstitious or whatever, but I just want to follow my heart who trying to tell me to leave that cursed town after the death of my old mother 2 years ago...

Upon arriving at the Arkhaim town, I trying to sustain myself as a single mother by taking whatever miscellaneous job that had a lower wage.

My deceased mother once told me, as a woman, as long as I could survive without selling my body, that's mean I'm a strong woman.

She once told me that we as the woman should keep our value high, even as a commoner. As long as I keep this principle, there's a day that I could meet a good man to marry...

But looking at my miserable situation right now, It seems her wisdom wasn't completely true… or maybe, it's just my justification to deny my own foolishness for getting caught inside that bastard honey trap and miserably thrown away after he stole the most important thing from me…

And maybe, looking at my situation, there's a hidden guilty feeling inside my old mother that caused her death at that time... But I didn't know it for sure, since she was already very old to begin with...

But, even though I ended up in this situation, I just want to hold my mother's wisdom and believe in it. Moreover, since I have Lala now, I couldn't end up being a disgrace for the sake of her future too…

I didn't care if I suffered from hunger, as long as I can feed Lala and raised her healthily, that's enough for me.

Maybe after she grew up and could sustain for herself, I could end this miserable life of mine…

But this gloomy thought disappeared from my heart, once I meet that man.

A man that held my daughter gracefully under the cheering voice of hundreds of townfolks. He was a handsome young man, who known to be the Immortal dragon that led a lot of wyverns Army under his hands.

For some reason, I could saw a figure of the perfect Lala's father in my dream when I saw him holding my daughter…

'Is this love at a first sight?'

I had this thought when I continued staring at him absentmindedly. but the dream of mine suddenly destroyed after I realize there's already a lot of beautiful and powerful women behind him.

'There's no way he has interest to a middle-aged, poor woman like me…'

But, something that ignited the hope in my heart raises again, suddenly happen when that young man came near me to give back Lala to my embraces.

He whispered something that made me blush and raise my expectation and confidence once I heard it

([Are you a single mother? Why I can't see your husband? It must be hard raising a child at this age for you. If it's not inconvenient for you, can I know where did you guys live? Maybe I can help you with something, ah, it seems I'm quite impolite to not asking your name, can I have your name beautiful lady~])

'Did he taking an interest in me? Uhm… what should I do… anyway, let's just tell him the Slum Orphanage where I usually take Lala to wait for me and played by herself with the other children when I busy working…'

After considering this thing, I decided to whisper him back in return

([Yes, I am a single mother, you can call me Agatha. And if you want to meet Lala and… want to meet me, you can go to the Slum Orphanage further inside the Arkhaim Slum… Ah, I-I'm sorry, I know it's not appropriate to say this thing to a young man like you…])

After whispering this thing to him, my face started to redden in embarrassment. I didn't know why but I felt like a cheap woman right now…

'What am I doing flirting with a young guy at this age…'

I hurriedly grabbed Lulu tighter in my embrace before running away and back to my home with a mixed feeling. Since most of the goons and ruffians that dwelled in the slum would busy themselves scavenging the battlefield here, this was my chance to go back home safely.

After that night, I somewhat became disappointed in myself for saying such a thing and act immaturely in front of that young man. but since I had to earn money to survive, in the end, I tried to overcome this thought and stabilized my mind as I came back to my usual daily life.

2 months ago, I got hired as a waitress in some small bar. I never saw the owner's face, but the manager of the bar decided to hire me. I didn't know why he suddenly hired me after hearing that I live in the Slum area, but since I need money to survive, it would be better if I did not ask the reason and just took the opportunity to take this full-time job I could get.

As usual, I went to the workplace by walking while covering myself in a big cloak to hide my body and face. With this, I could lessen the chance to get involved with the ruffian and the goons who usually littering around the worn-out shop and bar area.

I walked absentmindedly and recalling the night when I met the young men, Sir Alex. I didn't know why, even though I tried very hard to not dwelling on that night's event, but I couldn't get off the thought of him while he cuddling Lala that night...

'Sigh… don't tell me, did I really fall to that man? Or maybe it's just the huge burden slowly wear me out of my body and mind, and made me start yearning to the figure of a strong man to depend on...'

While I lamenting the unsettled feeling of mine, without noticing I already left the Slum area and enter the shop and commerce district of the Arkhaim town.

I unveiled the hood that covering my face and continued heading to the small Bar on the corner of the street, where I usually went to work in these past two months.

Jingling* bell SFX

[Good afternoon~]

I greeted the old bartender behind the counter politely as I entered the bar. I took off my cloak and put it into the hanger near the entrance.

Usually, I directly head off to the staff room to get the broom and duster to start cleaning the bar. But after realizing there's something wrong with the old bartender's expression, I felt quite unsettled for some reason.

The old man bartender who usually returned my greeting with a smile had a sad and ghastly expression plastered on his wrinkled face.

[Mr. Bartender, did something bad happen?]

The old bartender back to his sense after hearing my worried tone, it seemed he just realized that I just entered the shop.

He looked at my face for a while before sighing strengthlessly.

[Miss Agatha… I have some bad news for you- no, I mean for us… it seems the manager and the owner suddenly disappear, he just left a letter on my table that stated this shop already sold to someone else…]

[T-then, h-how about our job?]

[Sigh…]

[…..]

Hearing the Old bartender sigh, I knew that I just lost my job. Even though the salary here is not that high, but from time to time, the manager always gave me an extra job by delivering a letter to some beggar in the slum area.

I didn't know what information inside the letter was, but I knew it's not my place to get curious about it, so I just dutifully doing my job as a courier. And these menial delivery jobs gave a lot of income to me…

But now, losing this full-time job means I have to find a new menial and part-time job on the street once again…

'Sigh~ just I thought that I can live on stability for a while, this thing suddenly happen… I wonder if I can get a full-time job once again at another place…'

[Miss Agatha, since I already pass you this news as the last employee, then I already finish my last duty here… and, I'm sorry, it seems the manager didn't give us this month's salary when he disappears… I wonder what happen to him… sigh…]

The old bartender grave news made me back to my sense, hearing that I also lost the salary for this month, my expression started to contort. But after thinking about it for a while, I shrugged and exhaled a heavy breath in defeat.

[Miss Agatha, good luck out there~]

Jingling*

The Old bartender gave me his last, farewell word as he exited and left me alone in this lonely and dark bar.

I silently glancing around the now empty small bar and sighed tiredly. I took my cloak from the hanger and wear it before leaving the small bar.

Upon exiting the bar, I saw some people already coming in this direction

'It seems it's the new owner, forget it, I don't have any business in this place now anyway'

After having this thought, I hurriedly left to go back to my home in the slum area silently with a gloomy expression.

After the day I lost my job, I back to scratch, doing job hunting once again.

But along the time, I failed to pass the interview on all of them. even the part-time job I usually did in the past, I couldn't get it back. It seemed, after I left and quit, there's a surge of new people applying to the job.

Realizing the grief situation I was into, I started to despair and decided to rest my messy mind in the Slum Orphanage with Lala today.

[Mama, are you awright? Don't be sad mama, Lala promise to be obedient and not be a naughty girl, okkwey?]

Looking at Lala who worried about me, I just gave her a bitter smile and caressed her small head to appease her.

'What should I do, because of my decision to became a full-time employee in that small bar, I can't go back to my previous part-time job… sigh… and I'm not getting this month's salary from that little bar too…'

As I absentmindedly thinking about this, all of a sudden, Lala who was still in my embrace became excited. She hurriedly getting off my lap and running toward the Orphanage entrance direction as she started screaming excitedly

[Swir Aleex!! Dwid ywou rweaally come to pwlay with me?! Yeeeeayyy!!!]

Hearing Lala's excited voice, I hurriedly turned my head toward the entrance before seeing the handsome young man that always appeared in my dream in these recent days.

And unbeknown to me, today was the life-changing day that would change my fate forever….