III. The Impact of Her

~ Twenty-Eight ~

As soon as the carriage stopped in front of the bakery, I immediately stepped out and approached the chauffeur.

Sternly, I instructed, " Should my family ask for my whereabouts, you are to tell them that I am in the process of choosing a new horse. You are forbidden to tell them the truth."

"As you wish, Your Highness," he bowed.

After I gave my permission, he left. I proceeded into the bakery and as expected, it was filled with the townspeople. Those who preferred the rushed orders lined up until the door. By far, this was one of the busiest days I witnessed in this bakery.

"Robert!" a voice surfaced from the noisy, crowded shop. I looked around and found Grandpa Ben as he waved from the counter.

I smiled and returned a wave.

Grandpa Ben gestured for me to come closer before he patted an unoccupied seat.

Gently, I pushed through the crowd. I didn't want to bump into anyone, especially the workers. As soon as I reached the counter, I greeted, "Hello, Grandpa Ben."

We shook hands before he replied, "Hello again, son. Have a seat."

I raised my voice a little bit so he could hear me, "That won't be necessary, Grandpa Ben. I will not be staying here for long." I leaned into his ear and continued, "I was wondering if I can take Laura with me. I am to choose a new horse."

His brows furrowed as I stepped away. "A new horse? What happened to your Lady?" Grandpa Ben asked.

"Uh, someone poisoned her," my lips formed into a firm line.

Shocked, Grandpa Ben quickly held onto my hands. "Oh, my dear boy, I am incredibly sorry for your loss," he replied.

"Thank you, Grandpa Ben. But I assure you that I have already recovered. I do not want to spend the rest of my days, sulking in a corner," I said as I smiled faintly. I continued, "I already mourned for Lady and her sudden passing. I am certain that she does not want to see me miserable until my very last breath."

"Well, as you can see," Grandpa Ben then pointed at Laura, "She has her hands full at the moment."

As I searched through the kitchen, there was Laura. She was preparing a huge amount of dough for their pastries.

Grandpa Ben returned to me and remarked, "You may need to wait until the chaos dies down."

I nodded. "Then I shall wait," I smiled. I intertwined my hands together and settled them on the counter.

"And while you wait," Grandpa Ben grabbed a menu and slid it in front of me, "What would you like to have?" he asked.

I shook my head as I gently moved the menu away from me. "Thank you, Grandpa Ben but I don't need to ask for anything. You already have a lot of people to attend to. And besides," I leaned forward and whispered, "I don't have enough money with me."

Grandpa Ben laughed for a moment. "Robert," he said as his hand landed on my shoulder, "You are not required to bring money whenever you come to visit. If you want anything, you only need to ask," he explained. He then grabbed his pen and a small piece of paper. "Now, choose whatever it is that you want."

"Uh," my knees shook as I grew nervous whilst I read down the list. "Perhaps, the tea and apple pie that I had before," I requested, gently.

After he wrote down my order, Grandpa Ben gave both instructions and encouragement around the kitchen.

I turned around and watched as even more people flooded the bakery. Every servant in the dining area looked like they had been working since morning. Some people stayed and ate their food with a satisfied grin, plastered on their faces. Others waited in line. Instead of losing possible customers, more people stood at the already-overcrowded line.