Leonard stood up quietly, pushing his chair back. He stayed silent, trying not to add to the attention that the woman was already getting. Trying to calm him down, Anika stood up to.
"Hey," Leonard smiled at the two, as he tried to disrupt the owner from scolding the girl. "It's fine. Accidents happen."
The owner turned toward him, clearly irritated. "And who are you supposed to be? Are you planning to tell me how to run my own stall now?"
"No. I'm just saying there's no need to shout. I'll pay for the damage that the girl has done." Leonard met his glare without flinching.
The man's expression faltered slightly, taken aback by Leonard's calm tone.
"You'll what?"
Leonard pulled a few silver coins from his pocket and placed them gently on the table.
"That should cover it, right?"
The owner stared at the coins, then scoffed.
"Hmph. Be thankful you've got yourself a savior tonight," he muttered before turning toward Maren. "Next time, you're cleaning the whole place until morning if you drop anything again. Got it?"
Maren nodded quickly, her hands trembling.
"Y-Yes, sir…"
The man grumbled under his breath and went back to the kitchen, leaving the three of them in silence.
Maren stayed crouched on the floor for a moment, staring at the broken bowl and spilled stew. Her eyes went to the mess that she had created before moving to Leonard. She looked deeply ashamed.
"I'm… sorry. You didn't have to do that."
Leonard crouched down beside her, handing her a clean cloth that he got from the edge of the table.
"Don't worry about it. It's just a small matter."
Anika also kneeled next to him, helping to wipe the spill without hesitation. She pitied the girl after witnessing how she was just blatantly shouted at in front of the crowd.
"Honestly, it's fine. Your boss is just overreacting."
Maren blinked at them. Her eyes started to get teary after receiving such comments. A shaky smile tugged at her lips.
"Thank you. Really… thank you both."
"Just be careful next time, alright?" Leonard nodded once, smiling faintly.
"I will," she said softly, clutching the cloth.
After a moment, she stood up, gathering the broken pieces of the bowl before hurrying back behind the counter.
Despite her red eyes, she still managed to give a polite smile to Leonard and Anika before resuming her work. As if nothing had happened, she continued to take orders and serve meals, pretending nothing had happened.
Leonard and Anika sat back down, watching her quietly as she moved. Soon after, they were given their new set of meals.
"How can she work in such conditions?" Anika murmured beside him. Her eyes continued to follow the girl, sympathizing with her.
"Yeah," Leonard said under his breath, "That's what I wanted to know too."
They quietly finished their meal. Surprisingly, the food was good that they cleared their bowls.
After some time, the noise in the street began to fade. One by one, the nearby stalls around started shutting down for the night too.
Leonard and Anika stayed at their table long after most of the customers had gone. Neither of them said much. Anika occasionally glanced at Maren, who was still wiping tables and cleaning dishes behind the counter.
"You really have a strange way of picking people, you know that?" Anika gave a small sigh, resting her chin on her palm..
"Hey, it's not that strange," Leonard smirked faintly.
That made Anika shake her head. She simply made a face and continued to look at Maren.
Not long after, Maren started stacking stools and cleaning the last of the tables. There were only a number of customers inside now, who were also just finishing the last of their meals.
"Looks like they're closing," Anika said.
Leonard nodded and rose from his seat.
"Let's wait for her outside."
Anika followed without question. They paid for the meal and stepped out onto the quiet street. Fortunately, there were a lot of posts with lanterns in them, so the street was still bright.
It wasn't long before Maren went out of the stall. She was carrying a small bundle of her things. Her hair had come loose a little, and her shoulders drooped from exhaustion.
When she spotted them, she froze, her eyes widening slightly in surprise.
"Sir? Miss?" she asked, confusion lacing her voice. "Why are you still here?"
"We were waiting for you." Leonard smiled faintly.
Maren blinked, clearly taken aback.
"For… me?"
"Don't worry, it's nothing bad." Anika gave her a small smile, trying to ease the tension.
Maren looked between them uncertainly, clutching her things a little tighter.
"Did I… do something wrong again?"
"No. It's quite the opposite, actually." Leonard shook his head lightly. "You just caught my attention tonight." He paused for a moment, his expression softening.
"Huh?" Maren tilted her head slightly, still unsure what he meant. "I… did?"
"Yes. And I'd like to talk to you about an opportunity, if you're willing to listen." Leonard nodded once.
Maren blinked at him in confusion, the cool evening breeze tugging gently at her hair.
"An opportunity…?" she repeated, her voice was hesitant but tinged with curiosity.
Anika crossed her arms, smiling faintly at Leonard's choice of words. "Here we go again," she muttered under her breath.
"That's right." Leonard only grinned at that, his eyes still fixed on Maren
Maren hesitated, glancing between the two of them. Her grip on her things tightened, afraid that danger was coming for her.
"What is it… Sir?" she asked quietly. There was a hint of fear in her tone as she looked at them.
When Leonard noticed that, his smile softened.
"Do you want to quit your work?" he asked gently.
Maren's eyes widened in alarm.
"Oh no, sir! I can't!" she blurted out, shaking her head so fast that a few strands of hair came loose from her ponytail. "This is my only income! If I quit, I wouldn't have anywhere else to—"
"No, that's now what I mean." Leonard gave a small chuckle under his breath, raising his hands lightly in reassurance. "I'm not here to take your job away. I'm asking because I can offer you a better one."
"Huh?" Maren looked up, startled. "A… better one?"
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