chapter 5

She has these mesmerizing green eyes that you just want to look at you and for you to drown in. Her rosy cheeks are complemented by a smile that's absolutely captivating. For that moment, I knew we both got lost in each other's stare.

She was the first one to snap back to reality. She quickly pulled her hand back. "Forgive me for staring, good sir," she hid her face from me, covering it with her hood.

"Please, I don't mind it all. I should be the one to apologize for the trouble I've caused you," I replied. "Being a man upholding the belief of being well-mannered, that was wrong decision making on my end." As every single fruit was returned in her basket, I helped her stand up once again.

She started to scan me, her eyes traveling from my head down to my toes and back to my head. "Why are you even in this alley, good sir? By your manner of dressing, you don't seem like you're from this area."

"I'm just a humble traveler. However, some men were sent after me and I needed a place to hide me and my horse as well," I explained as I gestured towards Lady. "But as I can see," I started to look around, "There's nowhere to hide in this place."

She suddenly heard the galloping of horses from afar. "Are those the men after you?"

I turned to look behind me. The horses started to come closer. "Please, madam," I looked back to her. "I need a place to hide and quickly."

She nodded and without any hesitation, she grabbed my hand and I grabbed Lady as well. She led us into a dark, narrow alley with a dead end. I put Lady at the very end so that nobody could see even a silhouette in this alley. We waited patiently until they finally arrived.

They literally stopped in front of the alley where we were hiding.

"Search every street! Search every alley!" the head of the guards started to order his minions around. "The prince must be returned to the castle before the royal family arrives!" As the guards divided into groups, they all rode away.

She stepped out of the alley first to check if the guards were truly gone. When she gave the signal that it's safe to come out, I grabbed Lady and we walked out from the dark.

I sighed out of relief. "That was indeed a close one," I expressed as I looked around, still on a look-out.

"Those men look like royal guards. Why were they looking for you?" she asked. She then had this look on her face as if she just realized something. She then looked at me from top to bottom once more and asked, "Are you royalty? Were you the prince they were talking about?"

"Come," I gently pulled her to the side, my voice lowered. "You were right when you said I'm not from around here."

"You're not a humble traveler like you said, am I right?" she asked, not wanting to wait for my explanation.

A smile slowly crept onto my face. "Yes, I am the prince that the guards were talking about. They were sent after me because as a prince, I'm not allowed to go outside on my own, especially to a place that I'm not familiar with," I explained.

"That explains the running into random alleys," she remarked with a teasing smile.

"Anyways, I would like to thank you for your help, madam."

"That was nothing," she smiled under the hood of her cloak. "And please, don't call me 'madam'. It's too formal and I'm not a rich person," she continued to smile. Her constant smile is making my mind go crazy. I would love to see her face without the cloak on.

"Um, it's not that hot out here. Why don't you remove--"

"No!" she shouted as she stopped my attempt to remove her hood.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," I retreated my hand as fast as I could. "Did I do something wrong? Was I stepping out of line?"

"I, um... apologies for my sudden response," she looked down at her feet. "When I'm outside, I don't usually remove the hood of my cloak. I don't like people staring at me," she explained.

"Oh, my apologies. I was being too brash. I didn't know you weren't comfortable doing so."

"However, you do have a point," she answered. "It's not that sunny today and seeing that we're having a conversation, I guess it's better that you know the face of the one whom you're talking to, right?"

"Please, if you don't want to remove your hood, I completely understand," I reassured. I'm completely fine if that's what she wants, if that's where she's comfortable with.

"No, I don't mind," she put her hands in front of her in a stopping manner. She gently removed her cloak, revealing a brownish-black hair with a small amount of hair with both upper sides braided into a crown. Her eyes continue to glow in the light and her smile is now clearer and giving me continuous butterflies in my stomach.

I didn't notice that I was staring for quite a while until she asked, "Um, is there something on my face? You're staring."

"Oh! Um," I shook my head as I looked down. "There's nothing wrong with you. You're actually... quite beautiful," I said as I looked back at her.

Her face suddenly turned red as she looked away to avoid my stare. Then an awkward silence came in between us. Robert, think of something to talk about! Quickly! Oh, her name! You haven't asked for her name yet.

"If you don't mind me asking, madam, but may I know your name?" I asked.

"Um, well..." she suddenly stammered as she looked down to her feet. "My name... I don't consider it as a real name."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I don't really have a name." She then shook her head and immediately corrected herself, "Well, I was given a name but it's more of a... nickname."

"How is that the case with you?" I asked another as my brows furrowed.

"It's quite a long story. It might take the whole day for me to explain," she giggled through her reply.

"I'm sure I can keep up," I smiled. "But before you tell me the whole story, can you tell me your name first?"

"I'm not sure telling the story is a possibility," she chuckled. "And I also don't recall me agreeing to tell you the reason behind my name."

"Why is telling the story behind your name not a possibility?"

"I have to get back to work. I've already taken too much time away from it," she said.

"You... work?"

"Yes, in a bakery," she nodded in enthusiasm.

"Then, we should start walking back," I started to prepare Lady for the ride.

"Wait," she put her hand out as she moved closer to me. "Did I hear you correctly? Did you say 'we'? And won't your horse cause a crowd, prince?" she smirked as she called me by my title.

"Oh," I stopped as I remembered the chaos that happened a while ago. I've already made too much of a mess and I wouldn't want that to happen again. However, I couldn't just let her walk alone. "As of the moment, I couldn't care less. I need to make sure that you're safe."

"What for?" she asked, absolutely confused. "I'm not trying to be rude but I don't think my safety is any of your concern."

"Think of it as me, repaying the kindness that you've shown me and for scaring you with Lady a while ago," I explained. I hope she wouldn't try to find an escape from my lame excuse to spend more time with her in order to get to know her.

"Goodly prince, you don't have to."

I knew it. She has a persistent character, too strong for someone like her.

"First of all, madam," I winked as the word "madam" escaped my lips. I continued with a smirk, "I insist on doing so. Second, you may call me Robert. Simply Robert. And third, I believe you owe me a nickname and a story so I might as well walk you back to the bakery."

“Wouldn’t it be better if we simply forget the ‘repaying your kindness’ part and go our separate ways like perfect strangers?” she asked with a child-like smile.

“I’m afraid it’s too late for that, madam. At this point, my interest about your story is piqued so I have to know the person who helped me today,” I smirked. “And trust me, I won’t stop until I know your name and the story that you still need to tell me.”

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. “My nickname - well, what is considered to be my name - is Laura,” she smiled as she finally gave in to my request.

I bowed as I reached for her hand. I gently pulled it closer to my lips and kissed her knuckles. “It’s an honor for a man like me to meet such a lovely and kind-hearted lady like you, Laura,” I smiled as I looked up to meet her gaze.

As soon as our eyes connected, she quickly pulled her hand back and turned away before I could fully see the blush on her face. “You love being too formal,” she remarked before she cleared her throat.

I chuckled as I smiled to myself. “I guess I do,” I stood upright.

She then turned to look at me with a smile on her face. A small amount of blush remained on her face.

I would love to stare at her smile for as long as I can. Her smile somehow has given me the feeling of happiness and calmness. “I’ll consider Laura as your name. In that manner, you don’t have to say it’s your nickname,” I said. “May I ask why your given name is Laura?”

“It’s part of the long story that I mentioned briefly,” she replied as she scratched her nape.

“Then we should start walking back to the bakery,” I smiled.

She shrugged after letting out a sigh. “If you say so.” She then giggled after.

Without a moment too soon, we began to walk and she started to tell her story.

We’ve been walking for a while now and Laura has told me so much about her. From her unknown day of birth to being an orphan found at the footsteps of a forgotten orphanage, Laura has managed to survive the odds and become the strong person that she is today.

At the moment, we’re walking down the street of Bullingar which is also a busy marketplace but not chaotic as the one at the entrance. It was filled by numerous shops with different themes, making the street shine with a wide range of color. And to my relief, a crowd hasn’t formed yet ever since we took a step into this place. Perhaps the people here aren’t fazed with a stranger and a horse.

“How is your story connected to your given name?” I asked.

“According to the headmistress, when I was found at their doorstep, rain was pouring heavily. They thought I was going to catch a cold and get very sick but I didn’t,” she explained. “I also have had my share of severe illnesses before. When they thought I was going to die, I never really crossed the bridge between life and death. They said that I could possibly be favored in the heavens. They named me Laura because it meant victory, strength and favored by all.”

“I think your name suits you very well,” I nodded in agreement.

“And why would you say that?”

“I can tell by your attitude that you’re not one to quit easily,” I smiled.

She smiled to herself as she turned her face away from me. She put some of her hair on her ear as she cleared her throat. “That was kind for you to say. Thank you,” she turned to me. As we shared a brief giggle, we stopped in front of a small shop. “We’re here.”

I looked up to read the sign that hung in front of the roof. Winston Bakery. I then turned my attention to its front and the bakery had a modest look to it. Some bricks were out of order and the window at the front seemed to be a bit slanted than normal. Barrels and crates were displayed beside a wooden bench that sat under the window. But even though the bakery doesn’t look fancy or has pretty decor, it was still visited by a lot of people. Buyers have continued to come and go from this bakery. Maybe the food here is amazing. I could smell a bit of a delicious aroma, escaping the open door. Without knowing, I felt my stomach grumble as my mouth thirsted to try some of their creations.

“Are you a baker?” I asked as I turned to her. “Or do you have a different position?”

“I don’t have a particular job in the bakery. I simply assist everyone with what they do,” she replied. “And as you can tell,” she briefly raised the basket. “I’m the one who is tasked to buy whatever ingredient is needed.”

I nodded.

“Well, I should get back inside. They might be looking for me,” she started to slowly walk towards the entrance.

“Oh, of course,” the tone of my voice changed quickly as my emotions changed from being happy to being disappointed. For some reason, I didn’t want her to go. I wanted to spend more time with her. She seemed so calm and her kindness radiates all over her which is  something that can’t be found in my realm. Maybe it’s the reason why I find her so intriguing.

“Are you all right, Robert?” she asked as she walked back to me.

“Well--”

“Laura, where have you been?” our conversation was cut short as an old man walked out of the bakery. He headed towards Laura and he wasn’t angry, just confused and perhaps, curious.

“Oh, Grandpa Ben!” Laura ran up to him and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. “I got the ingredients you told me,” she showed the basket filled with different fruits. “And I bumped into someone on my way home.” She then gestured to my direction.

This Grandpa Ben doesn’t look like a grandpa at all. Sure, his hair was gray and is shining underneath the mild sun but his overall appearance made him look like he wasn’t young enough to possibly be called a grandfather. He was wearing a humble attire: a white shirt with brown pants and brown suspenders, finished off with black shoes. His grayish-white beard was beautifully placed on his chin and his chin alone. His face was clean.

I could already tell that this man matters to Laura so much. To see a lady give an elder a kiss and act as if she’s a young, innocent child when he’s around, I can tell that Grandpa Ben loves and spoils her in whatever ways he can.

“And who’s this fine fellow you’ve brought, child?” he asked with a smile.

“Oh, um, this is--”

“How are you today, sir? My name is Robert,” I bowed as I introduced myself, not letting Laura finish because she’s obviously struggling with her words. I stood upright and held out my hand for a handshake. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

“I’m Grandpa Ben, it’s nice to meet you, too,” he moved his walking cane to his left hand and shook hands with me with his right hand, smiling all throughout. We then put our hands down. “Are you a friend of Laura?”

“He’s an acquaintance, Grandpa Ben,” Laura interrupted as she entered the conversation. “We just met a while back.”

“Laura, haven’t I told you that once you introduce someone to me, I will consider them as your friend?” he turned to Laura.

At this point, it seemed like this conversation would be between the both of them so I cleared my throat before saying, “If you don’t mind, I’ll take this as my queue to leave. I’m just here to make sure that Laura returned safe and sound.” I had to choose my words carefully because I didn’t want to sound like I was being rude by leaving them in the middle of a conversation. I did what I had to do for Laura and now, I have to go.

“Thank you again, Robert,” she looked at me and smiled a gentle smile.

“Wait,” Grandpa Ben stopped me as I started to hop on Lady. “Who said who’s going home?” he  smirked as he put his cane in front of him, resting his hands on top of the handle.

“Grandpa Ben, please don’t do this,” Laura slightly whispered to Grandpa Ben as she hid her face from me.

“You, young lady, are going to have to work on your socializing skills,” he scolded her as he briefly pointed a finger at her.

“What?” her eyes widened while her brows furrowed in shock, confused on why Grandpa Ben is scolding her.

“As for you, young man,” he then turned to me and started to walk towards me. “You’re not going anywhere until you have tasted some of Laura’s specialty in the bakery: her own version of apple pie.”

“There’s no need for that, Grandpa Ben. I’m sure that Robert still has things to do,” Laura continued to protest behind him.

“Oh, shush, Laura, there’s no need to be shy about your talents,” Grandpa Ben turned his head to right for a quick second. “Come on in, son,” he moved to the side as he made way for me to enter the bakery.

As I entered the bakery, the atmosphere was very light and cheerful. Everyone was smiling at one another and they all seemed to be on good terms with one another. The big window pane by the front brings in so much light and openness into the whole shop. There were five to seven tables with four chairs each and a long counter: half of it was for dining and the other half was for those who were taking their orders on the road.

This sort of interaction has the feel of being too perfect, unrealistic. This doesn’t happen in our realm. Everyone is always serious about their own kingdoms and keeping everyone in check when we instantly forgot how to smile at times. And for me who has been in that kind of environment for the longest time, this is very refreshing for me.

“Robert!” Grandpa Ben shouted from the counter where people were dining. “Please sit here. We have a long chat ahead of us,” he continued, pointing to a chair right in front of him.

I rushed over to the counter and quickly made myself comfortable on the last stool. Grandpa Ben handed me a list of what they have in the bakery.

“What would you like, son? Choose anything you want.”

As I read down on the menu, everything on it looked… delicious. The list contained the name of the meal. At the bottom of the name was a short description on what that meal has and at the right side are beautiful hand-drawn illustrations of a certain meal. Such careful planning has been incorporated in this menu and it reflects on how radiant the atmosphere is inside the bakery and its effect on its customers.

I would buy all of these just to make sure I’d try every single one. Unfortunately, I can’t. I shouldn’t spend all of my money and I can’t spend any more after giving seven pieces to that bastard a while ago. It might also cause another riot inside here and I wouldn’t want to disturb the peace.

“Is there something wrong, son?” he asked, a hint of worry reflected on his face as he leaned closer to me.

“Grandpa Ben, all of these appear to be quite scrumptious,” I replied with a smile as I lifted the menu for a quick second. “Just by their names and their ingredients, it’s enough to make one’s mouth water.”

“Then how come you haven’t chosen anything yet?” he asked another. “You seemed to be in deep thoughts. You couldn’t possibly be thinking about this too hard.”

“I would like to buy one of everything on your menu. However, the money I have with me isn’t enough to let me do so,” I lowered my voice as I scratched the back of my neck.

Grandpa Ben suddenly bursted into laughter. He enjoyed it for a few seconds then stopped, wiping a tear from his left eye. “Oh, boy, you just made me cry,” he snickered, trying to stifle his laughter. “Don’t you worry about it, Robert. You won’t have to pay for anything,” he explained as he calmed down. “It’s a rule here that if it’s your first visit, you can order what you want without paying.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to lose profit because of me,” I replied, worried that I might cause trouble.

“Calm down, young man,” he answered, stopping me from speaking by giving me a tap on the shoulder. “You don’t have to worry about anything. Just choose what you want and you can have it.”

I stared down at the menu once again, trying to decide if I should order the whole menu or just choose a few.

Grandpa Ben then put his hands on each of my shoulders. “Don’t stress yourself over this, Robert. Just choose anything that catches your attention.” He pulled his hands back to give me space to think.

A few seconds have passed when I finally decided, “I think I would like to try your special tea and the apple pie that you said Laura makes.” I then returned the menu to Grandpa Ben.

He turned to his staff and began giving instructions. “Rodrigo, I need one of your tea creations.” He then turned to Laura, “And you, little one, I need one of those pies.”

“As you wish, Grandpa Ben,” she nodded with enthusiasm and went to work.

Grandpa Ben pulled a chair and sat right in front of me. “I’m so happy my granddaughter has finally found a friend around here,” he started.

My brows furrowed. Did I hear him correctly? Did he just call Laura his granddaughter?

“I beg your pardon, good sir. Did you say granddaughter?” I asked, incredibly baffled. Laura said she was an orphan. How could she be his relative?

“I was pertaining to Laura. And please, don’t call me ‘sir’, I don’t own this town,” he replied, shaking his head as he stifled a chuckle.

I smiled as his smile was contagious. “Sir--I mean, Grandpa Ben, how come you said Laura’s your granddaughter? She said she was an orphan,” I continued as I leaned closer, keeping my voice at a low volume.

“Well, she wasn’t lying about that. She was an orphan,” he replied, his voice changed to a bit more serious tone. “I’m the one who adopted her. Originally, I signed up to be her grandfather but I have since adopted her as my own which makes me her father as well.”

Laura is fortunate to have a father and a grandfather in one person. Perhaps that’s why she has such a gentle nature: it’s because of how Grandpa Ben treats her.

“So, Robert, who are your parents? And where do you live?” he asked, crossing his arms and putting them on the counter.

His question made me stop and think everything through. Up to this point, I’ve introduced myself as a random stranger that happened to pass by and assist Laura. I can’t tell him that I’m not of this world. My identity as an immortal must be protected at all cost or I’ll end up with a crowd again. I don’t think that Grandpa Ben is the type of person that tells people everything but still, I don’t want any eyes on me in this place.

“Did I say something wrong, Robert?” he asked as he noticed my silence. “Did I say something offensive?”

“Oh, not at all, Grandpa Ben. It’s just, um…”

Come now, Robert, think of something.

I continued, trying to be as careful as I can possibly be, “You see, Grandpa Ben, I’m not from around here so I don’t think mentioning my parents would be worth it.”

“Is there some kind of family conflict? You seemed… uncomfortable talking about your parents,” he said.

“Let’s just say that there are so many things that happened with my family that made our relationship as a unity turn sour,” I replied, my lips formed into a firm smile.

“Can you share a bit about that?”

Maybe I could share a few things to lift some weight off of my chest. I didn’t tell him that I’m from a family of immortals so I think it’s safe to share a bit of my frustrations with him. He seemed to be interested and concerned as well.

“I think… I think it’s the marriage arrangement they pushed me into that ultimately destroyed my relationship with them,” I answered, looking down on my hands that are now intertwined with each other.

“If you’re in an arranged marriage, I assume you came from a rich family, am I correct?” he smirked.

“I guess we can call it that way,” I replied, hesitant. I’m not the kind of person that’s absolutely proud of his title and parades his wealth outside of the castle. To be completely honest, I prefer to look like a normal being whether I’m inside the castle or not. Boasting what I have was never an attitude of mine.

“One order of tea and apple pie, ready to be served!” a worker shouted behind Grandpa Ben, putting the meal on the counter behind him.

Laura then appeared from the workplace, grabbed the tray and headed towards me. “Here you are, good sir. Tea and a freshly-baked apple pie,” she said as she put my order directly in front of me. “Enjoy!” she smiled and started to head back to the workplace.

Grandpa Ben let out a chuckle. “I’m sure he will,” he teased Laura.

She then turned around and stuck her tongue out to Grandpa Ben. After their little moment of playful banter, Laura headed back to work.

“Go ahead, son. Try it,” he reverted his attention back to me.

I smiled as I gently lifted the cup of tea closer to my mouth. As the hot liquid touched my tongue, I could definitely say this is one of the best kinds of beverage I’ve ever tasted. “Sir,” I put the tea down. “I mean, Grandpa Ben, I have to say that this is one of the best teas that has ever touched my tongue.”

“I’m glad you liked it. Rodrigo was the one who makes all the beverages here,” Grandpa Ben said with a sense of pride. “He said his recipe has been handed down through his family for generations and it is a well-guarded secret. Whoever created the recipe was a genius and all thanks must be given to its creator.”

“A genius, indeed,” I smiled. My eyes then turned its attention to the apple pie.

“Since you had, as you said, the best tea you’ve ever tasted, are you now ready to taste the best apple pie in this place?” he asked, his expression full of enthusiasm.

“Well, by the looks and the aroma of this pie, it must be mouth-watering,” I complimented, pulling the slice of pie closer to me.

“Though I must warn you, boy… those who have tasted Laura’s apple pies went mad about them. They would always return here and eat as much pie as they could,” he replied as he handed a fork to me.

I stuck my fork into the pie when someone from the baking area started to ring a handheld bell. “It’s almost time for lunch, everybody! Lunch is almost here!” he continued to shout as he walked around the baking area with the bell. “Enough with all the breakfast pastries and beverages. It’s time for dessert!” he continued. After ringing the bell and shouting like a mad man inside the bakery, he went back to this workstation.

“You have someone who keeps time in check here, Grandpa Ben?” I asked.

“Oh, yes, we do. We have to,” he answered as he folded his arms and laid them on the counter, supporting his weight as he leaned towards me. “We want to be different from other bakeries here as much as possible. We don’t want to be a bakery that bakes bread and only bread. Our treatment in the workplace is like family. So, every time a customer enters that very door,” he pointed to the shop entrance briefly. “We serve breakfast, snacks and desserts for everyone’s delight,” he added.

“What time do you normally close the bakery?”

“When the street clocker starts to ring his bell during the evening, we take it as a sign that it’s time to close the shop. If there are people who wanted midnight snacks, we would deliver them after we close the bakery,” he explained. “Now, that’s enough talking. Go ahead and try the apple pie,” he pointed at the pie.

Oh, right, the pie! I turned back to the pie and carefully sliced a small bite. As I lifted it up, it looked just too delicious that you just wanted to eat it with your eyes alone. I was about to take a bite when Lady started to whiny in front of the entrance.

“Your horse has a bit of an attitude, son,” Grandpa Ben snickered.

Lady doesn’t usually act that way unless there’s a crowd. What’s happening with her? Is she trying to tell me something? I turned back to Grandpa Ben, “Grandpa Ben, do you know what time it is currently?”

“Hm… well, for starters, it isn’t officially lunchtime yet. The street clocker hasn’t announced it yet,” he explained.

Right after he said that, I heard someone shouting outside on the streets. “It’s time for lunch! Time for lunch! Those who are currently working, it’s time for lunch!” a young man started ringing a bell, along with five other men who were beating their drums. He continued to shout as he passed by the shop.

“Well now, it’s really time for lunch,” Grandpa Ben laughed.

So that’s what Lady was trying to say! It’s time for lunch. It’s time for her lunch and I need to be heading back home. I don’t want my family to know I was out of the castle, especially James.

“Grandpa Ben, I have to go,” I replied, standing up as quickly as I could.

“What?” he stood up, his brows were knitted together in confusion. “But you still haven’t tried the pie yet.”

“Maybe next time, Grandpa Ben. I can’t be late for family lunch,” I answered. Without wasting any more time, I ran towards the entrance.

As soon as I reached Lady, I wasted no time and quickly jumped onto her back.

“Wait!” a voice shouted from inside the bakery. I turned to see Laura as she raced towards me with a basket in her arms. “Here you are,” she said as she handed over the basket, covered with a plaid blanket.

“What’s inside?” I asked as I received it.

“You didn’t get the chance to finish the pie so Grandpa Ben told me to put it in a basket and give it to you,” she smiled. “It’s still fresh and as I can see, it wasn’t touched so it would be a waste if we threw it into the trash,” she put her hands on her waist.

“Oh, thank you, Laura but there’s no need for this,” I started to hand the basket back. “I told Grandpa Ben I will try it on my next visit.”

“Don’t fight us back, son,” another voice came from the entrance. Grandpa Ben then walked towards us and stood behind Laura. “Take the pie home with you. Share it with your family. They might like it.”

“But Grandpa Ben--” he then put his hand out to block my protest.

“It’s all right, son. I don’t want to hear any excuses. You’re bringing it home,” he smirked as he rested his hands on top of his cane.

How can I fight back? There’s two of them. I’m outnumbered. I must accept defeat this time. “So, when’s the next time we will see each other?” I asked Laura as I turned to her.

She smiled before she replied, “I guess we’ll have to wait for your next visit, Robert.”

“I certainly hope I’d see you again,” I returned her smile. One way or another, I’ll find a way to keep seeing her without my family knowing. For once, I think I found someone who, I think, I can share my thoughts with.

“We will, Robert,” she smirked as she crossed her arms.

I was about to answer but Lady began to whine once more, even threatened to stand. “Well, I must be on my way. I will see you again, Laura,” I replied then I turned to Grandpa Ben after. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

“Come back anytime you want, son,” he smiled. “You’re always welcome in our bakery.

I nodded in response and went on my way back to the castle.