*****CHAPTER 13

MAE'S POV

I continued my search for a cheaper pair of shoes, and even in the next three stalls where I stopped by, the price was obnoxiously higher than the former. It was beginning to drain me, and I felt frustrated already. But I wasn't going to give up just yet. I had made a promise to Pearl, and I was going to do anything to keep the promise.
 
After walking around the market for what felt like hours in search of a cheap pair of new shoes, I found a place to sit under an empty stall, and from there, I observed the rest of the market tiredly. For the millionth time, I wished I didn't come from such a poor family. I wish I didn't have to work so hard to afford basic stuff that I could easily have if I came from a wealthy family. I wished I was never a low-class wolf, subjected to this poor and pathetic fate. I wished I could have more than this pathetic life I was living right now.
 
My eyes landed on something, and my thoughts shifted and refocused on the view in front of me. My sight hungrily squinted, and I observed a hooded figure backing me and standing in front of a fruit stall. He was wearing a dark cloak that shielded his identity, but that was not what had attracted my attention. It was the golden glint that caught my eye when he dipped his hand into the pocket of his cloak and produced some bronze coins.
 
A fucking golden coin.
 
My body was instantly rejuvenated at the realization that the man had a golden coin in his pocket. What if he did not just have a single golden coin in his pocket? What if there were more? In my head, I calculated the equivalence of a single golden coin to a bronze coin.
 
A single golden coin was the equivalent of five hundred bronze coins!
 
I scoff with a small laugh at the wild thoughts. Five hundred bronze coins! If there were two golden coins in his pocket, that would be a thousand bronze coins! With such money, I could buy Pearl, the best pair of shoes on the market. I could feed my family for a week straight and even buy myself a new pair of jackets. I did not waste a single moment to get on my feet and plan my next move to rob the man of his gold coins. But before I walked to the fruit stand, I gave a quick prayer to the gods for success in my mission, even though I knew it was pointless to ask the gods for help when I was going to commit a crime.
 
But still….
 
Taking a deep inhale and calculating my next moves in my head, I walked over to the stall. I made sure I was standing directly before the man, and I kept my eyes on the fruits in the baskets, feigning interest in them. Everyone was too busy to pay attention to the tiny, dirty girl in an oversized coat. This is what I liked, that no one ever seemed to pay attention to me because they saw me as worthless. It always helped me carry out my mission successfully without getting caught, except a few times when my hair was arranged and out of my face, causing people to pay attention to my pretty face and wonder why a beautiful girl would be subjected to this kind of life. It never bothered me either. The most important thing was surviving. Beauty could come into the picture later.
 
Expertly and with precise care, I slid my hand slowly into the back pocket of the man's cloak, where I had seen him pull out some coins. As I did that, I prayed fervently in my heart.
 
The gods!   If I carry out this mission successfully, I promise I will give up stealing for good.
 
It was the same prayer I had prayed every time I stole, a prayer I was sure the gods were tired of hearing constantly. Perhaps that was the reason they allowed what happened next to happen.
 
A hand shot out and caught my hand before I had the chance to see it coming. A short, shocked gasp escaped my mouth, and the man turned his head to look at me. For a moment, I forgot that I was being caught red-handed for stealing, and I admired his beautiful eyes. They were the color of forest green eyes, piercing and boring into mine. They did not stare at me accusingly, but rather with curiosity. That was all I could see of his face because he had a face mask on. But his eyes did hold me spellbound for that moment until someone shouted from behind me.
 
"Thief!  " "It's a thief!"
 
Immediately, my body vibrated with fear, and my eyes scanned around us. Everyone's attention was on us now, and even as I turned my head back to look at the man, his hold was still strong against mine and wouldn't let me go. I knew I was in trouble now. I had been caught red-handed stealing. There was no escaping for me this time. These unfriendly, harsh people were going to lynch me and make me pay for my crime. For the first time, the realization that I might actually lose an arm hit me hard, and I switched into my pathetic poor girl mode in hope of gaining the man's empathy.
 
"Good sir, please pardon me." "I didn't mean to steal from you." I pleaded amidst the yells from the people. Inside me, I keep on praying to the gods for help. This time, I promised to stop cursing and swearing if I got out of this situation unharmed.
 
But the crowd that now gathered thought otherwise.
 
"Chop off her hand!"
 
"Lynch her!"
 
"Cut off her pretty hand! That is the price that must be paid, you thieving swine!
 
"No please! Please have mercy! I began to cry now as I tried to struggle from my hold, but it was only a fruitless attempt. The man's grip on my wrist only hardened. His eyes still stared calmly into mine. He did not look angry or try to be as violent as the crowd. But I noticed how his body language instantly changed as he stared down at my wrist this time. I looked back at my wrist too to see him eyeing the bead bracelet on my wrist. It was the same one the stranger at the bridge had gifted to me. As he stared at it for a few seconds, his eyes went cold and suddenly accusing. This time, fear gripped me even harder.
 
"Where did you get this?" He spoke for the first time. His tone was calm, yet cold and lacking empathy. I shivered terribly at his sudden coldness. This time, I concluded that there was no escape for me. This man was not going to take pity on me. He would let the mob lynch me and punish me greatly for my offense.
 
"I promise, I didn't steal it, good sir." "It belongs to me." I could tell he did not believe a word I said. He had probably concluded that I was a petty thing who never had anything good that belonged to her unless it was stolen property.
 
The man continued to stare at me in doubt, and after a few seconds, he looked back at the bracelet. I could swear that for a moment, I saw a glint of recognition in his eyes as he stared at the bracelet. as if it were something he had seen somewhere before.
 
"Tell me…"  Again, he raised his gaze to look at me. His beautiful forest-green eyes had softened again. "What is your name?"
 
"Uh…sir…"  The thought of coming up with a fake name crossed my mind, but as if he could read my thoughts, the man asked again.
 
"What is your name?" His tone was stern this time. "Or I will have your hand plucked off this very moment."
 
Realizing that there was really no escape for me, I surrendered to my fate, and this time, the tears that bathed my face were genuine ones.
 
"M–my name…"
 
"Don't try to play smart and lie to me." The man warned me. "You are too pretty to lose an arm."
 
I swallowed a dry lump down my throat nervously before finally exposing the truth about myself.
 
"Mae, good sir. Mae Barrow."