By the time the sun had set, Leonard and Anika were already done at their work. Instead, they were now sitting at a small table in one of the food stalls near their inn. There were bowls of steaming stew placed in front of them.
The day had been long, loud, and exhausting for the two. However, more than anything, it was worth it.
Anika was practically glowing. Her cheeks were flushed, and the smile on her face was too wide. She couldn't help but clap in her seat.
"Leonard, did you know that we really earned a lot today!" she exclaimed out loud as if she couldn't contain her excitement.
"Oh? You think so?" Leonard just smirked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes! Look!" Anika reached into the heavy pouch that she had been guarding all day. She placed it on the table. With a proud grin, she pushed it toward Leonard.
"Go on, count it!" she muttered in excitement. She already counted it a while ago, so she knew the numbers on her head. It was the reason why she was feeling all giddy.
"I'll count it then…" Leonard looked at her suspiciously at first.
He untied the strings and poured the coins onto the table. Silver clinked against the wooden table. People nearby even turned their heads at the sound, though Leonard quickly covered it with his arm to avoid attracting too much attention.
Fortunately, they were at the corner spot.
"Pst, Anika. Go cover."
"Go cover?" Anika asked in confusion. However, when she realized what he meant, she quickly moved her chair to block the front view.
"Is it fine now?" she worriedly asked.
Leonard looked to his left and right and nodded. After that, he and Anika counted together, their voices overlapping.
"1… 2… 3… 10… 20… 30…"
"...88, 89, 90, 91… 93."
"And then we also have 2 gold coins!"
Leonard stared at the small pile of coins with his mouth slightly open. He had expected some decent earnings for the day, but this… this was way beyond what he imagined.
"93…" he muttered again, just to hear it out loud. His lips curved upwards into a genuine smile. "That's… actually insane."
Anika leaned forward, her eyes practically sparkling. She clasped her hands together and smiled at him.
"It's so high, right? I told you!" she muttered, her voice almost bouncing with joy. "We've never made this much in a single day before. Not even close!"
Leonard chuckled under his breath.
"Guess we really did good, huh?"
"Good? Leonard, we did amazing!" Anika corrected, leaning closer as if she couldn't sit still. She was tired from the long day, but her excitement made her look even livelier.
"If we keep this up, we could… we could really make something out of this!"
Leonard just smirked at it. Without another word, he began dividing the coins into neat stacks. Anika helped him quickly, thinking that they were organizing the coins.
"Huh?" However, she quickly blinked in confusion when he slid a third of the coins toward her side of the table. "What's this for?"
"Here," Leonard said casually. "Your share."
"Eh?" Anika froze. Her eyes glanced at the small pile of coins in front of her. "Why are you… giving this to me?"
Leonard just shrugged.
"Because you earned it. You were working so well earlier. The crowd was really hyped. You also helped me handle the people and made sure our coins were protected."
Anika's lips trembled. She looked down at the silver coins and back to Gray.
"This… this is the first time I've ever earned money." Her voice cracked slightly as she said that. The excitement in her eyes was replaced by the feeling of disbelief.
Anika's hands hovered over the neat little pile of silver, her fingers trembled more as if she was afraid that touching them might make them disappear. Her eyes teared, and the smile on her face slowly disappeared.
"This… this is really mine?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Leonard leaned back and raised a brow at her reaction.
"Of course it's yours. Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"
Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, then closed again. She pressed her lips for a few seconds, thinking. Finally, she let out a shaky laugh.
"Cause you know, back in my house…" she began, her voice was soft and kind of hesitant,
"My parents didn't like me getting involved in business. For my parents, the only thing I needed to do was… be pretty. Know how to smile. Act meek. Know how to act in social events. That was all they ever told me. They said that's what mattered for a girl like me."
Leonard frowned slightly, his smirk fading into a slight disgust.
"But that wasn't what I wanted," Anika continued. Her eyes brightened even as tears began to well up in them.
"I wanted to do something for myself. To actually earn something with my own hands. And now…" She bit her lip, her voice cracking again. "Now you gave me this chance. You let me stand beside you. You gave me this." She gestured at the pile of silver, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.
She let out a laugh through her tears. She was embarrassed, but still kept on going. She felt that it was the only time she could vent her feelings. Her feelings that she had kept back in her old home.
"This is the first time I've ever earned money, Leonard! The first time!"
Leonard couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of her staring at the coins like they were treasure. She looked like a kid.
"That's just a small amount, Anika."
But Anika immediately shook her head stubbornly.
"No… It's not."
Before Leonard could say another word, she suddenly leaned forward across the table. Her lips brushed against his cheek in a quick, warm kiss.
Leonard blinked, caught completely off guard.
"Huh?"
Anika pulled back, her face reddened, but the smile on her face shone brighter than ever.
"Thank you so much, Leonard. I will forever be grateful to you."