Chapter 3: A Relationship Develops

Master Eldridge proceeded to have an extremely lengthy lecture for his daughter regarding the matter with Gakupo. However, all of his efforts to persuade his daughter were utterly futile... until he threatened to forbid her from going outdoors for the rest of her life. Her only response to his statement was, "I shall take it under consideration." Although it was a vague reply, it seemed to satisfy Master Eldridge, and he dismissed her shortly afterwards.

Gumi's depression worsened in the days that followed, and a worried Miki finally asked her mistress to accompany her into town once more. The heiress agreed to it, and the two females once again began their hike through the woods. When they finally arrived in town, Miki looked around with a cheerful smile on her face, attempting to lift Gumi's spirits as well.

"...I'm so glad that the master didn't actually relieve Kaito of his duties. He only said that he would do it in hopes of calming Lord Gakupo down. Perhaps he isn't such a bad man after all." The maid giggled, turning her head to look at the green-haired female. "It's such a beautiful day out today. We picked the perfect day to go into town!"

"Hmm? Oh, yes... I suppose we did." Gumi replied in an emotionless voice, forcing a tiny smile into place.

"I... I bet there'll be plenty of new items in the shops since the last time we were here! We should revisit all of them!" The concern for her mistress was evident in Miki's eyes as she desperately tried conversing to no avail.

"..."

"Milady?"

Gumi's mind was a thousand miles away... that much was obvious. She couldn't help but ponder over the fate which awaited her... the fate that she despised the most. However, she was suddenly snapped back to reality by two familiar voices.

"Lady Gumi, is that you?!" A young girl who appeared to be in her early teens had just walked up to the maid and heiress. She had short blond hair that stopped just above her shoulders, and her eyes were an icy shade of sapphire. A young teenaged boy was standing beside her, and his appearance was nearly identical to hers... although he wore his blond hair up in a small ponytail.

"U-uhh... yes, it is. Please keep your voices down. We are wearing these cloaks for a reason." There was a hint of uneasiness in Gumi's voice as she spoke.

"Oh, I completely forgot! Please forgive me!" The blond girl quickly placed both hands over her mouth, wearing an ashamed expression.

"It's okay, Rin. You don't have to become so flustered over it. I don't believe anyone overheard you anyway." Miki's smile widened as she reached out and patted the other young female's back.

"Thank goodness!" Rin sighed in relief, letting her shoulders drop briefly.

"What are you and your brother doing outdoors this early in the day? I thought you usually assisted your parents at this time." Miki seemed to be slightly surprised by these odd circumstances.

"We do normally... but there haven't been very many customers this morning, so they allowed Len and I to take a break."

"I see. Well, it's good to see you both. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Indeed it has! We haven't had time to visit your mansion for private tutoring recently. I really miss Lady Gumi's lessons."

"I'm certain that we will be able to continue them soon." Gumi reassured Rin, and another forced smile appeared on her lips.

"Yes! I know we will! I can't wait to eat Meiko's cooking and play with Miki again too!" Rin giggled with excitement while Len just stood there in silence, displaying a shy and timid demeanor.

After a few moments, Gumi slowly reached out and gently ruffled the young boy's hair, causing him to blush faintly. She was fairly talented at forging smiles in public since she was still wearing one. "Why don't the three of you go ahead and spend some time together now? You have not seen each other in a while, and I know for a fact that Miki has been longing for someone to play with."

"Wait... wh-what about you, Milady?" Miki's eyes widened slightly after hearing her mistress's suggestion. "I'm supposed to remain by your side at all times."

"You need not worry, Miki. As long as we return to the mansion together, my father will never find out. Besides, I wish to take a stroll by myself for a while."

"A-are you sure it's all right?"

"Yes, it is perfectly fine. Enjoy yourself for now."

"Y-yes, Milady!" The maid's face showed faint signs of a childish delight.

"Come on, Miki! We only have a few hours to do whatever we please!" Rin grabbed onto Miki's left hand, leading her off while grinning ecstatically. Len followed along after the two girls quietly, and his face seemed to have brightened significantly.

As Gumi observed the three adolescents hurrying off into the distance, her smile gradually faded. She inhaled a deep breath and turned around, letting it out slowly. Then, she began to walk off in the opposite direction toward a secluded area of the town. When she was finally alone, she attempted to collect all of the thoughts that were racing about in her head. She needed to try sorting everything out before she was driven insane. However, she suddenly realized that there were two other figures present in the vicinity. Several feet away from her position stood the new baker's son. He had his back turned to her, and he was watching a scruffy, middle-aged man who was walking away. After a few moments, the young male bent down and picked up a small bag off of the ground. Then, he stepped up to the older man and tapped him on the shoulder.

"I believe you dropped this, Sir." He held the bag out to the man, who turned around and blinked in surprise.

After looking the pink-haired boy over briefly, the man's eyes narrowed. Then, he growled and roughly swiped the bag away from the youth's hand before continuing on his way without a word.

The baker's son apparently wasn't fazed by the man's harsh reaction in the least. He merely turned around and started to walk off... until he noticed another person standing nearby. He stopped in his tracks briefly, looking a bit shocked and confused as he stared at Gumi. However, he soon shook his head and resumed his own journey.

Gumi's eyes were completely fixed on the young male before her, and she instinctively began to move toward him. "Wait!"

Once again, the male stopped and turned his head to look at the green-haired woman. "I thought I told you to stay away from me."

"You did, but I do not see the harm in it. What you did just now... that was very kind of you."

"Eh, I suppose. He's just fortunate that I was the one who found his money pouch instead of someone else."

"Indeed. I cannot believe how he reacted toward you though... it was extremely rude. He displayed absolutely no signs of gratitude whatsoever."

"I'm used to it. No matter what I do, people will always believe I'm evil."

"Why is that?"

"Because some of my family members were involved in crimes... a lot of them were, actually."

"I heard about that. Something about rape and murder, correct?"

"No, they were just common thieves. Even so, my father and I couldn't stand their lifestyle. Stealing wasn't something we wanted to get involved in. So, we cut our ties with them and moved away. Unfortunately, no matter where we moved to, people had heard of our family... and they always treated us with contempt."

"That is horrible. They should not treat you in such a manner when they know nothing about you. None of them have even tried getting to know you, have they?"

"No, but I can't really blame them. I'm honestly surprised that you're still here talking to me. For all you know, I could be lying about everything."

"Perhaps you are deceiving me, but I still wish to speak with you. I believe that we are somehow similar, and I have a feeling deep down inside... that you are telling the truth about everything. Besides, everyone deserves to be given a chance, no matter what their family history is. I know very well that people do not always desire what their family does..." Gumi's eyes dimmed slightly as she spoke.

Upon hearing those words, the young man's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped a few centimeters. After wearing that genuinely shocked expression momentarily, he regained most of his former composure and spoke up once again. "That's... the first time anyone's ever said anything like that to me."

"Well, many people missed out on becoming friends with a wonderful young man then."

"Friends?"

"Are you unfamiliar with that term?"

"No, I've just... never had any friends before."

"Is that so? Then, I would be honored to be your first. Would that be acceptable?"

"Are you really sure about this?"

"I have never been more certain about anything."

"Well... all right then."

"Splendid!" A smile returned to Gumi's lips as she held out her right hand to the young male... and this time it was a true smile. "My name is Gumi. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, and I look forward to a lasting friendship."

"Same here... it's a pleasure to meet you, Gumi." The pink-haired male seemed a little uncertain about how to react to this situation. He slowly reached out and grasped onto Gumi's hand gently, shaking it. "I'm Yuma."

"Oh, that is a lovely name." The heiress's smile widened slightly, and she pulled her hand back once they were finished with their greeting.

"Uh, thank-you..." Yuma's cheeks turned a faint shade of pink in response to her compliment, and he pulled his hand back as well.

"You're welcome." Gumi actually let out a soft giggle for once... something she had not done in years. However, this was a short-lived action. She suddenly stopped when she noticed that the sun was already beginning to set, and her smile mostly faded. "I should find Miki and return home for now. Would it be all right if I came to visit you again?"

"I don't mind it if you want to... but you should still be careful. I don't want anyone to start spreading rumors about you as well."

"I am not concerned about that. Even if they did start spreading rumors about me, I could handle it. Perhaps my father might even let me go..."

"What?"

"Nothing. Please forget that I told you anything. I hope to see you again soon, Yuma. Farewell." After uttering those final words, Gumi turned around and took off in search of Miki, leaving a dumbfounded Yuma behind.

"...so long... Gumi..."

Following this second encounter, Gumi persuaded Miki to visit the town with her quite frequently. The heiress would typically ask her servant to occupy the time elsewhere while she visited with her new friend. Although it was slightly awkward for Yuma at first, he gradually became accustomed to Gumi's visitations and their long conversations. As the weeks passed, they began to discuss more personal matters, revealing that their relationship was growing. On one particular afternoon, Gumi discovered Yuma outside the bakery without his apron, and he was hammering nails into a few large pieces of wood.

"Hmm... what are you doing?" She raised an eyebrow, tilting her head slightly to the left.

Yuma blinked in surprise, turning his head to face the young female. "Huh? Oh, I was just building something for one of the residents here. I'm not getting paid for it, but I wanted to help him out since he needed it."

"How sweet of you... but I thought you were a baker, not a carpenter."

"My father is a baker. As for me... well, I suppose you could say I'm something of a freelancer. I help people out with various jobs when we're not too busy with the bakery."

"I see."

The male set his hammer down and slowly rose to his feet, stretching. "If you want to talk some more, we could go for a walk. I've been working on this project for a while, so I don't think it'll be a problem if I took a break now."

"That sounds wonderful."

"All right. Let us be off then." A tiny, rare smile formed on the corners of Yuma's lips as he started to walk along with Gumi. They once again travelled to that secluded part of town where few people would be able to hear them.

"...so if you don't mind my inquiry... where is your mother, Yuma?"

"Ah, it's fine. I figured the question would come up sometime. She died during childbirth... so I was raised by my father."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Although, I suppose that is yet another common trait we share. My mother passed away several years ago also."

"I'm sorry. It must have been rough for you."

"It was. She was the one who educated me and comforted me when I was having a difficult time with my duties. My father became much more strict with me after her death also. Honestly, if she were still here, my life could actually be tolerable."

"Why don't you just run away?"

"I have contemplated that option countless times. I suppose I'm just too cowardly to actually go through with it. I mean, I have nowhere to go."

"So? Just go and travel the world then... you could always find a new place to settle down."

"True. Although, I'm still not certain if I could go through with it. Perhaps it would be an easier decision if I had someone to flee the town with me... or someone to give me the final push I need to leave on my own."

"I can understand that. It would be less frightening if you had a companion or someone to support you."

"Indeed." Gumi released a deep, disappointed sigh from her lungs, and a nervous expression appeared on her face soon afterward. "Yuma, there is something I need to tell you. Since you have been pouring your heart out to me, I feel that I must be honest with you as well. I'm just... not certain how you will react when you hear what I am about to tell you..."

Yuma suddenly reached out, placing his hands over Gumi's shoulders gently. "Gumi, no matter what you say, it won't change anything. You've been here for me in spite of everything, and I'll be there for you no matter what also."

"Well, all right. The truth is..." She inhaled a deep breath and exhaled it softly. Then, she slowly pulled back the hood of her cloak, revealing her entire face to Yuma for the first time. "...I'm actually the duchess of the Eldridge family."

Yuma's entire body froze up briefly, and he finally managed to speak up shortly... although he was stuttering. "Wh-what?"

"I am the daughter of Lord Eldridge. Now you understand why my father is so strict. I never told you the truth because I did not want you to treat me any differently than you usually do. I wanted you to give me the same treatment as a normal person. I wanted you to like me for who I am, not for my social status and riches."

Over the duration of approximately one minute, Yuma finally managed to recover from the shock of Gumi's true identity. He slowly removed his hands from her shoulders, and that faint smile returned to his lips once more. "No matter what family you come from, you'll always be the same Gumi to me. I'll never treat you any differently... and to be completely honest, I never liked nobility much anyway. You're the first one I've ever thought highly of."

Gumi's eyes widened slightly, and her lips soon curved upward a bit as well. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear those words. I'm not too fond of most nobles either. Their arrogance is overwhelming."

"I agree. I'm not sure how much I'd be able to put up with if I were in your shoes either."

"Well, we could test it. Since you know the truth now... well... my father is holding a dinner party next week. I suppose it is something like a ball. He told me that I am allowed to invite some friends if I wished."

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"I'm not exactly nobility... and I don't own the proper clothes to wear to something like that."

"I could lend you one of my father's old suits. They do not fit him anymore, so he will never wear them again anyway."

"Eh, I don't know. If we get caught, both of us will be in serious trouble..."

"I want you to attend though. I'm not sure if I could handle it without you there. When I'm with you, I can temporarily let go of all my cares. You're the only one who can really understand me, and I truly enjoy your company as well." Gumi's voice was filled with emotion for once, and her eyes displayed a tinge of longing. "If you do not attend, the other nobles may drive me to madness..."

"Are... you really sure about this?"

"Yes, I'm positive. I want you to be there with me, no matter what."

"Very well. I'll come."

"Thank-you, Yuma! Thank-you so much!" Gumi suddenly stepped forward and embraced Yuma, causing his shocked expression to quickly make another appearance. "I shall do everything I can to make you fit in there, I promise!"

"A-a-all right..." Yuma once again found himself stuttering, and his cheeks suddenly turned the same color as his hair.