Royals in Toledo

Chapter 9

I released a scream when someone suddenly took my wallet. Inside it was the money I was going to use to pay for everything we were going to buy today. Aside from putting all the spending money in my wallet, my remaining money was also there. I need it until payday. Why did I have to put them together? I should just have given it to Carmen earlier!

"Thief! Thief! Help!" I shouted. I was hysterical.

A man who chased after that thief accidentally bumped into me. After a few moments, the man returned with a... child? The child was crying, and the man held onto him, his shirt dirty and extremely worn-out. The child looked to be around nine or ten years old.

"This is the child who took your wallet."

I was left speechless while Carmen trembled in fear. She probably never expected that someone would steal my wallet earlier. We were both broke and couldn't go home empty-handed. Our visitor wouldn't have anything to eat.

"That? That's the one who took my wallet?"

I can't believe that a child is the thief. He should be in school! Where are his parents? The people who were meddling earlier have gone back to their stalls.

"Say sorry! What you did was wrong, kid," the man said to the child.

"I was... hungry. I'm sorry, madam," the child said, looking down. That's when I noticed that he didn't have any slippers. Although I wanted to get angry, I couldn't. What does a hungry child know? They would do anything, even something bad, just to alleviate their hunger.

"Here."

I gave the child some money, so he can buy food now. The child was surprised by what I did and stared at me in disbelief.

"Take the money and get something to eat."

I also approached the store nearby that sells cheap slippers. I bought some for the child and gave them to him.

"You need slippers. You don't want to cut your foot. It will get infected and without proper treatment, you will lose your feet. You don't want that."

The child expressed endless gratitude. It turned out he had another companion of the same age. His name is Miguel. How ironic! He was named after an archangel and yet, at such a young age, he already knew how to steal due to poverty.

"Hey! Why did you give him money? We were just robbed, and now you're reducing our funds? That money is not ours. We might not have enough. Besides, we should return the change," Carmen worriedly said to me.

"I used my own money for that. Just let it be. I won't have snacks tomorrow. We'll get paid again in two weeks, right?"

Carmen nodded. "You are different. You were the one robbed, yet you still feel compassion."

I scratched my head. "You saw that he was just a child. Of course, he's hungry."

"That's still not an excuse to steal," the man interjected.

He was the one who helped me earlier. I haven't thanked him yet. He disappeared from my mind. I only got a good look at him now, and he's tall. Almost as tall as Aaron. He has slightly long wavy hair tied back. He has thick eyebrows and gentle eyes. In short, he's handsome. I'm guessing he's in his late twenties. He's wearing simple clothes. Jeans, a blue shirt, and flip-flops. He only has a leather bracelet as an accessory. He doesn't even have a watch.

I felt shy smiling at him. "Yes, I know. But he's still a kid. By the way, thank you. What's your name?"

"Luis. And you are?" He offered his hand.

"Zia." I shook his hand.

"I'll help you guys. Did you buy a lot?" I hesitated because this guy might also be a thief. What if he runs away with our purchases? But he did help me earlier. I am just overthinking things. I shouldn't think badly of him.

"I'm not a bad guy. I'm just trying to help, really."

***

While we were walking out of the market, he started talking to me. Luis is nice. He has only been in Toledo for a month and is staying with relatives.

"So you're on vacation?"

"Yes."

"With so many places to go for a vacation, why did you choose Toledo?" I asked him curiously.

"I just needed a break from the city. I'm saving up for my own place, so I didn't want to spend too much money on a vacation. Right now, I'm helping out at my aunt's bakeshop. She has a small stall here in the market. That's why I'm here now. I brought her some food for lunch. My uncle is busy at his own shop."

He's really hardworking. He came to Toledo for a vacation, but he's still working at the bakeshop. I smiled. It's too early to say, but he's amazing.

"Next time you come here, visit Juana's Sweets. It's easy to find my aunt's place. It's in the far left corner. And if you can't find it, just ask any vendor here."

"Thank you. Alright, we'll go ahead as we still need to cook at home," I bid him farewell.

Luis nodded. "Okay, take care." He placed our groceries in the car trunk as it was opened by the driver.

As we traveled back to work, I thought about the things that have happened to me since I came. I realized that it was also good for me to have stepped out of the palace, not just to escape the marriage my father wanted, but also to open my eyes to things that need my attention as a princess.

It's no longer about the finest schools, pretty ballgowns, and fun parties. I suddenly feel like I've aged.

When we arrived at the mansion, I saw Aaron playing cards with his friends. Those two guys looked wealthy too. Just by their attire and the sports car parked in the driveway, I knew they weren't poor. I wondered if they even go to work. The sun was scorching hot, but here they are, enjoying themselves.