Tangled By Fate

"They said it was ugly. That's why I had to change it." Veronica was upset. She was always proud of her silver hair.

'I think it's far different from being ugly.' Arthur smirked. He still couldn't forget about her alluring beauty that night.

If she were to dress up with her silver hair, her demand would rise significantly. Since she wasn't a regular employee, they couldn't let others notice her. That's why they came up with this solution. They simply hid her hair.

Arthur tugged her hood well so that her hair was covered properly. "Tonight is no good either. Hide your hair."

"What? Do you think my hair is ugly?" Veronica seemed hurt.

"No, it's so pretty that I don't want others to see it and admire you." Arthur playfully winked at her.

Veronica's face reddened. "W-what's with you all of a sudden?!"

Arthur only laughed and marched forward without replying. He noticed that whenever he was with her, his days were enjoyable.

Just as he said, no one recognized her. She was wearing decent clothes and most of her head apart from her face was covered under the hood.

The female employees gawked at them when they first entered Morina's Palace. It was the first time they saw Arthur with another woman. More importantly, they didn't know who that woman was.

Arthur always sought pretty women whenever he came to Morina's Palace. That's why all women, who had already spent their nights with him and had feelings for him, thought that he was single. Now that he came with a woman, they couldn't dare to ask nor could they handle their broken hearts.

As usual, Arthur chose a private room for them to eat. Veronica had been in this place before. So, she didn't react much. However, she could feel some glares on her back. It gave her chills.

"Am I being hated?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Ah, I apologize about that." Arthur closed the door and came back to his seat. "As you can see, I'm very popular."

Veronica threw a remark as she glared at him, "Yeah, judging from the way girls were drooling over you, you are what they call a ladies' man."

Arthur raised an eyebrow, "Hmm? Where did you hear that phrase from? I don't think the books you read in the temple have this kind of phrase."

Veronica hurriedly looked away. "Umm… not there but in your library."

Arthur caught up quickly. "Hah… so you were spending your time reading romance books rather than working. No wonder you took such a long time cleaning my library."

"Hey, it was a big library all right!" Veronica retorted.

After the meals were served, the two of them were left alone. Arthur taught her how to eat seafood and then asked her, "So, how many books did you read while cleaning my library."

Veronica was busy eating. She had never eaten anything so delicious before. "Not that much. Only two romance books."

Arthur complimented her reading skills. "You are a fast reader. Do you read a lot?"

Veronica nodded in reply. "Yes, this is the only way I can learn about this beautiful world."

Arthur paused eating and looked at her. "Do you still think the world is beautiful after experiencing bloodshed and assault first hand?"

She frowned. "Come on! Just because there are bad things, doesn't mean there is nothing good in there. If there wasn't, I wouldn't be alive right now.

Veronica added, "As long as something has a tiny bit of goodness, it's worth appreciating – that's what I have been taught."

Arthur was surprised to hear that. He couldn't agree more. "Whoever taught you that was a wise person."

Veronica looked down. "It was Sister Ruth. She taught me that."

Arthur didn't mean to upset her. If he knew it would make her sad, he wouldn't have asked her this question. He stayed silent. He knew no matter what he would say, that wouldn't make her feel better.

Veronica was the one who broke the silence. "I still don't understand why she had to end her life like that. I will go back and try to find out the reason behind her death."

Arthur gave her a quiet glance. He drank a mouthful of water and asked, "Do you mean to ask others about her death?"

Veronica answered, "This is the only way. How am I supposed to learn about her if I don't ask the people around her?"

Arthur questioned her in return, "Didn't you say that the senior priests had no clue why she died? How can they answer your questions when they themselves didn't know?"

He shared his point of view, "Moreover, if you ask them, you will expose that you broke the curfew. Another crime will be added to your list. Can you handle all that?"

Veronica looked devastated. "Then what am I supposed to do?"

Arthur asked her, "Do you want to know what I would do if I were you?"

"Yes!" Veronica vigorously nodded her head.

He had an expression of satisfaction all over his face. He narrated shortly, "Go to her room when no one is watching. Check her belongings and see if you can find any diary where she used to write down her ideas."

Veronica frowned deeply and looked at him suspiciously. "Why does it sound like you have lots of experiences in that field."

"I'm using my brain right now," Arthur declared. While drinking soup, he mumbled, "Sometimes, she is too sharp."

Veronica couldn't understand his last sentence. So, she asked, "Did you say something?"

He replied unhurriedly, "Nothing, nothing at all."

"…" For some reason, Veronica had a sense of déjà vu.

After they were done having dinner, they went to the market square. There was a fountain in the square and street musicians would often show their performances. This way, they could show their talents and make the onlookers enjoy their music.

Couples and children would gather here in the evening. They would play and dance along with the music. At that time, some people would sell street foods, toys and jewelry.

Veronica was overwhelmed. "I didn't know such a place even existed." She had to admit that she had never had so much fun before.

"I'm glad as long as you like it." Arthur smiled as she enjoyed the performances of the musicians. While he was looking at her, something unusual caught his eyes.