The Royal Deal

Chapter 259

“Carol, I think you need to give Gray a raise, or else you might lose him to another café!” Pauline joked

“Thanks a lot, Pauline. You didn’t have to hit me with the fact,” Amethyst scowled.

“Whew, sorry, sorry.” Pauline tried to control another bout of laughter.

“Anyways, since we’re sold out today, let’s leave!” Amethyst said. “Come back with us Pauline. You look like your legs hurt.”

“I won’t say no. Thanks.” Pauline helped Amethyst clean up and then her and Erina climbed into the carriage with them to head back to the café.

The next day was the same, with everything selling out as Amethyst left the booth for a bit. At this rate, it seemed like she’d have to give Gray a raise, like Pauline said. On the last day, Amethyst decided to not even remain at the booth. The fruit juice was sold out before noon, despite having brought extra supplies. And the only explanation was Gray. Amethyst glared bitterly at him.

“What’s wrong?” Alexcent asked, smirking.

“Nothing, never mind. Let’s look around the festival, since we’re sold out.”

“Look around? Didn’t you do that on the first day?”

“I did, but I couldn’t browse properly, as I spent most of the time chasing Erina.”

Alexcent sighed. Amethyst knew his feelings about shopping. She tried to pique his interest “There’s a shooting game at one of the booths. Let’s go!”

“All right.”

Amethyst smiled. “Yay! On we go!”

The shooting game was near by.  “I’m pretty good at shooting, haven’t you heard? Can’t miss!” Amethyst joked, elbowing Alexcent in fun to try and get him to smile.

She picked up the air pistol and aimed at the target. With a pop, the first shot missed. “What’s wrong? Maybe there’s a problem with the gun?”

The second shot missed as well. This time she smacked the gun.

“I think it’s broken,” she announced to the man running the booth.

“Ma’am, it’s not broken! It’s fine. You have 8 shots left.”

Alexcent stood close to her and spoke in her ear. “This gun has a different velocity to the gun you own. The recoil is different as well. Don’t look at the middle of the board, but shoot as if you were aiming further, past the board.”

Amethyst froze up when Alexcent’s breath tickled her ear. “Your body is stiff. Your shoulders can’t twist like that.” Alexcent said. He put his hands on her shoulders, so they wouldn’t move. “How is your aim?”

“Good,” Amethyst replied.

“Then shoot now.”

With another pop, the pellet struck the middle of the target.

“Well done.” Alexcent smiled brightly and patted Amethyst’s head.

A memory brushed her mind. This scene seemed familiar. She remembered blowing up half of the target range trying to learn how to shoot. She managed her first bullseye standing next to Alexcent like this. Her heart was beating out of control.

“Aim again,” Gray said.

Alexcent fixed her posture again then told her to shoot. She released three shots in a row, all of them hitting the centre of the bullseye.

“Look!” Amethyst jumped in glee, pointing at the target.

“Yes, I can see it very clearly.” Alexcent smiled.

“Do you want to give it a try?” Amethyst asked, handing him the gun.

“Me? No, I’m fine.”

“Why? Are you not confident, now that you have to do it instead of coaching me?” Amethyst wanted him to have fun at the festival. She was hoping that he would start enjoying life a bit more, instead of saying he was fine all the time. She just wanted him to be happy.

“I don’t know. What would you do for me if I win?”

“Why are you asking me, ask the owner.”

Amethyst and Alexcent looked to the owner simultaneously. He laughed. “If you hit all of your shots, then that doll is yours.”

“Do you want it?” Alexcent asked Amethyst.

As Amethyst nodded, Alexcent lifted the gun and, without hesitating, aimed at the board and fired in rapid succession. The gun rattled off ten shots, all of which struck the centre of the bullseye. Amethyst felt embarrassed, trying to show off in front of him.

The owner laughed, but Amethyst could tell that he was upset that they had won. “Congratulations,” the owner grumbled as he handed over the doll to Amethyst.

“Great! I should give it to Erina.” Amethyst turned to Alexcent. “Gray, you said you were a knight before becoming a slave, right?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“That would explain why you were so good at shooting.” She just didn’t want to admit that she really wasn’t that great at shooting.

They continued through the festival and stopped in front of a booth that had a card game. “I’ve always wanted to try that!” Amethyst exclaimed.

“No!” Alexcent said forcefully. “They are con games. You can’t beat them.”

“Really? You still don’t know! I could have beginner’s luck.”

“Beginner’s… What?!” Amethyst sat down beside other players before Alexcent had a chance to stop her.

“Welcome! Welcome! You can win any time. It’s your chance to win twice the amount you bet!” the owner of the booth announced. Alexcent just shook his head in frustration. He decided to watch from a few steps away. He thought she needed a harsh lesson.

Amethyst smiled when the dealer gave her a good hand and frowned when she got a bad one. She had absolutely no poker face and loudly exclaimed her anger or joy every time a hand was finished. Eventually she was forced to stop, once she had lost all of the money she made from selling the fruit juice that day. Amethyst got up and walked over to Alexcent, her head bowed in shame.

“This is why you never gamble,” Alexcent said, comforting her by putting an arm around her shoulder.