"Extra! Extra! Read now!" A young man shouted.
"Notorious criminal Jacques was found dead!" He continued, even if his throat was hurting.
"Read now!"
The a chilling cold grazed his face, his nose a bright red, akin of a certain reindeer, and face muscles which were basically numb.
Passersby seemingly indifferent to the icy weather, marched onward to destinations unknown.
"Extra! Criminal Jacques found dead in front of a salon!"
Carriages moved and the sound of the horses' hooves permeated the entire centre. The clacking became louder and louder, before:
"Boy." A charming, yet delicate voice called out from the crowd.
He shrieked before turning around. A tall shadow lay upon him. The person extended their arm, a single coin placed on top of their hand.
He scrambled to take one newspaper out of his satchel, took the coin and placed it safely into a pouch.
"Thank you, madam!" he bowed.
The woman smirked slightly," No need." No sooner did she say her farewells than she left.
Her strides were elegant and confident. With her back straight and demeanor poised, she was the picture-perfect rich lady.
She tightly clutched both her parasol and newspaper and made her way across the cobbled streets.
As she came closer to her destination, the smell of coffee and pastries became more apparent. The warmth of a coffeehouse, on a snowy and windy day like this one, was a true blessing.
She pushed the door. A chime came from above. She scanned the area, taking in the comfort as this is the moment she needed it most.
"Good to see you again, Madam." An attendant greeted her, bowing slightly." How may I server you today?"
"This kind of weather is exquisite for a cup of tea. What kinds do you have?" She inquired.
"Ah...." he hesitated. "We currently have White, Black and Herbal kinds. Right now, our most popular drink is Silver Needle, also known as Baihao Yizhen. Are you interested, perhaps?"
"I'll have.... that." She said, taking off her jacket and placing her parasol on a chair right beside her.
She immediately slumped into the chair. It felt like forever when she could just lie down and enjoy herself, but that was only a week ago.
Who would've thought that things would go downhill so quickly? Well, not her. She didn't expect two of her renters to leave the second they found out someone died right in front of the salon she ran. Everyone else was on very high alert, too.
'My reputation! How am I supposed to recover from this mess?' Her heart filled with worry.
The person who knew how much effort was put into that salon was her and her alone. Every moment, it felt like her dreams were crumbling right before her very eye. Like a small child witnessing their lollipop get stolen.
She wasn't apart of any scandal, love affair or government scheme. She was just a normal woman, running a salon in the capital.
But for some reason, she's facing backlash for thing out her control.
She massaged her temples.
She grabbed the newspaper, the front cover was something of no value to her— something having to go with politics, she guessed. She skimmed through most of the advertisements and came across the article she was looking for.
'MAN FOUND DEAD DISCOVERED TO BE AN INFAMOUS CRIMINAL'
She squinted her eyes with disdain but kept reading on.
'The police received a report for an unknown individual dead late into the night. When the police came to the scene, they were shocked to see the damage done to the nearby area where the body was found...'
She sighed internally. At least they didn't mention her by name.
'As of today, researchers have been able to identify the corpse as Jacques, a criminal known for stealing money from the nobility. What remains to be known is how he ended up there and what his intentions were near the building....'
This little excerpt caused her so much. She wanted to throw, tear and ruin this piece of paper.
'...' She stared at it for a little longer.
'I'll do the crossword later.' She settled. And put it far away from her, lest it sour her mood even further.
When she did, a familiar figure sat it front of her. Smiling so shamelessly, her dear friend from her small village was right in front of her.
"Lady Taylor?" She exclaimed. " Such a surprise stumbling upon you on a day like this. How are you faring?"
"Ah. I wasn't aware we were on such terms. Please, just call me Percy." The woman insisted.
"Very well."
"I suppose we have much to talk about but I regretfully have an appointment to attend. But as i was passing by I saw you through the window and knew i had to at least say my greeting" Percy said.
"I see. I am a bit curious on why you're here, however." The lady mentioned." Have you perhaps moved here?"
"You have the wrong it idea. I'm just here.." she looked down and crossed her arms "..to meet someone. That aside, how is your salon doing?"
"It's doing wonderfully." She lied without batting an eye." Though it's nothing compared to the ones in France, I must say I adore the building and the opportunities it has provided me."
"Really? My, your endeavors always seemed so... perilous. Yet you always succeed, regardless of the odds." She retorted." I've been meaning to ask, but how did you do it, Elizabeth?"
She blushed with embarrassment or anger, perhaps maybe both." I always believe it to be the result of the people who follow me. You must know that a business without a market is like a million pounds in the middle of Siberia, yes?"
"Of course."Percy smile." Trust is by far the most valuable thing a person can give. It takes forever to win someone over, yet the smallest thing can break the relationship apart."
Elizabeth stood up in a flash." My apologies but I need a moment."
"No worries. I'll be departing as well. Don't forget to drink your tea carefully" she said cheerfully.
"..." Elizabeth's head down, she quickly went away front her seat.
In the distance, Percy stared at her with an unreadable expression. "What a pity..." she muttered.