Cuore D'oro

A Comforting Companionship

Even though he had taught himself to approach someone before asking if he could help, Anto was so eager to assist that he stood at the end of Angela's spinning wheel and dragged his finger along it as she spun. With that, Angelina's eyes widened and Anto's smile grew as the spools of wool started producing real gold, diamonds, and gemstones. In shock at her father's words coming true, Angelina looked around for the cause of the glittering harvest before squealing as she spun the wheel faster, all while Anto smiled at her excitement. After a nearby basket was filled with assorted gems and gold, Angela placed another basket in front of the wheel and loaded up the wool before looking around again.

"Um... I don't know why, but... I have a feeling there's somebody here with me. Whoever you are, can you please reveal yourself to me?"

After being rejected so many times, Anto wasn't sure if he should reveal himself, but he couldn't say no to a sweet request like Angela's. With that, he took a deep breath and made himself visible before looking at Angela with eyes that showed sincerity. The moment Angela's eyes fell upon the man who was helping her, she was both surprised and fascinated by his appearance and his abilities, and she tilted her head in curiosity as he spoke.

"Please don't be afraid, Miss... My name is Anto, and I'm sorry if..."

Anto hardly started the apology part of his spiel when Angela giggled, causing him to stop before looking at her in confusion as she assured him that he was alright. After thanking him for his assistance already, Angela shyly asked if he could help her some more, causing Anto to almost cry tears of joy as he nodded. For the first time in what felt like years, he had finally found someone who both accepted his help and wanted more, especially someone so humble and kind. The moment Angela noticed Anto's incoming tears, she rushed to him before taking a tissue from her apron pocket, which she gently used to dry his eyes before carefully embracing him. This was the first time in a while that Anto felt comfort from someone aside from Remi, and he smiled as Angela dried his eyes before finishing his brief burst of tears.

"I'm terribly sorry, my lady, that you should see me so emotional... By the way, what is your name?"

"My name is Angela, Sir... I mean, Anto... I don't mind you being emotional, and you can keep my tissue, if you'd like!"

Once again, her sweetness and thoughtfulness caused Anto to smile even more, and he nodded before putting the tissue in his pocket and asking what she needed help with. With a sigh, Angela explained how her father's lie led to her being in the tower room for two days and nights, which she guessed was due to the King going easy on her. Simultaneously horrified at her being caught in a lie and amazed at the King's care for her, Anto asked Angela how long she had been working before she said that she had no idea. With that, he insisted that Angela should rest while he took over, after which he changed a small handful of wool into the most perfect mattress known to mankind. After thanking Anto for his assistance, Angela asked if he'd like something in exchange for his help, but he declined because she had already done so much for him. As a gentle smile grew on her face, Angela wished Anto good luck before she went to rest on the mattress, which was so comfortable that she fell asleep almost immediately.