New World, New Life: I Became A Bigshot In The Ancient World
Chapter 85: PETE BAILEY

Chapter 85: PETE BAILEY

She managed to make out a monocle amidst her hazy vision. The next thing she knew, her vision turned dark.

The next time she woke up, her head no longer hurt as much. She was lying on a bed in a small but cozy room.

"Dorothy?" She whispered, standing up to search for her sister. Her voice was rough and croaked.

But Dorothy was not in the room. Her heart pounded in fear.

"I see you’re awake, little one." The door opened and a man came in, drawing her attention to him.

Dahlia felt the voice was a little bit familiar. The man with the monocle! She thought. Except this time, he wasn’t wearing his monocle.

"Where’s my sister?" She asked, alarmed.

"Dorothy? She’s having dinner at the dinner table. You must be Dahlia." He paused, then continued. "It’s a good thing I found you in time. You could have been dead. Had to call the doctor and force the medicine down your throat." He said.

"Thank you, sir..." She didn’t know his name.

"I go by the name, Pete Bailey. You can just call me Pete." Pete Bailey said.

"Thank you, Mister Bailey." Dahlia thanked, ignoring his words. Then, she proceeded to exit the room and find her sister.

She walked down the corridor to a place she recognized as a parlour. She scanned the place, her eyes landing on a dining room.

On reaching the dining room, she saw her sister eating soup, hale and hearty. Looking very much alive and not dead.

"Dorothy!" She called out.

Dorothy’s hand that was just about to scoop the soup paused. She turned around and saw Dahlia.

"Dahlia! You’re awake!" She dropped the spoon and ran towards her.

The sisters embraced, happy to still be alive.

"Uncle Pete gave me food." Dorothy said.

"Did you thank him?" Dahlia asked as they let go.

"Yes. I did." Dorothy bobbed her head. "Don’t worry. I remember to say please and thank you," she said cutely.

The next moment, her face dropped and tears filled her eyes. "You almost died. The physician said that if uncle Pete hadn’t found you, you’d have died. I was scared."

Dahlia held her face, "I’m not going anywhere without you, Dodo." She pulled her in for another hug. "I’m not going anywhere," she repeated.

Pete Bailey stood at the door and watched. "You must be hungry." He said to Dahlia, interrupting their moment. "Come on to the dinner table."

As they ate, Pete Bailey spoke up. "Don’t you girls have family? Ran away from home?" He asked.

"No." Dahlia answered, lowering her head. Their relatives had abandoned them to fate. In her eyes, she had no more family.

"You girls can live with me. I don’t have family too," Pete Bailey suggested.

The girls snapped their head up to look at him. Was he serious?

He held both of their gazes, and their wasn’t a hunt of a joke in his bright, mirthful eyes.

The sisters exchanged glances before nodding.

None of their relatives had been willing to take them in, but here this man was, a stranger, and yet he had taken care of them without even being asked.

That was how Pete Bailey came into their life and became a very special person.

***

"He took us in even when our own relatives abandoned us." Dahlia finished. She turned away and wiped her teary eyes. She didn’t know why she told the little girl what happened. She could have just ignored her question.

She continued, "I’ll never forget how we roamed the streets without any food, shelter, clothing or family, and rejected by people. That is why we help the children. We give them shelter, food, clothing and most importantly, family. It may not feel the same as a real family, but it is better than nothing."

"Sometimes, even real families cannot match up," she said. Dahlia’s relatives were typical examples of that. In some cases, even immediate families could be the same.

Dahlia nodded silently. The worst thing was that most of those relatives had been helped in one way or the other by their parents, and yet after their parents’ death, they didn’t bother to help their children.

Yet, Mister Bailey, a man they hadn’t seen before, had shown them more care than those they were related to by blood.

Mister Bailey was the one who taught them to read. He had a lot of books and would often encourage them to read it. They felt very fortunate to have met the man.

Aristia stayed silent as Dahlia expressed her deep feelings. She couldn’t understand because she had never experienced such a thing, but she could try to sympathize with her.

After a moment of silence, Aristia asked,

"So, you’ve known Mister Bailey for a long time?"

"Yes." Dahlia nodded, feeling a bit perplexed. Wasn’t it obvious from her story?

"Then, how come he’s still so young?" Aristia asked. It was something she had been curious about after Dahlia finished her story.

Owen glanced at them. He understood what Aristia was saying.

From Dahlia’s story, Pete Bailey should have been in his late twenties or early thirties, and now, at more than fifteen years, how come he still looked so young.

Dorothy, who had been silent since Dahlia began to recount the story of the first time they met Mister Bailey, finally spoke.

"Uncle Pete just looks younger than his age." She laughed and waved her hands.

Aristia was speechless. [You took ’younger than the age’ to another level.]

As they entered the street the restaurant was in, Aristia asked. "Do you know of anyone who can cook well? Anyone with good cooking skills."

"Yes. We know quite a few ladies." Dorothy replied.

"Good. Let them know that you know someone who needs people who can cook to work for him and with good pay, both male and female alike. Their cooking skills will be thoroughly tested before they are hired. I can already attest to you both, so you are exempted."

They arrived at the restaurant and entered after it had been unlocked.

"Where is this restaurant?" Dahlia asked. They didn’t know where they would work in.

"The new building near the heart of the capital." Aristia casually dropped the bombshell.

Dahlia and Dorothy were dumbstruck. The new building near the heart of the capital, whose owner no one had a clue about? They stared at Aristia with amazement.

"May I ask your identity?" Dorothy asked. They had no doubts she was part of aristocracy, but which family?

"Ah, I think it’s about time. Lock the door. I don’t want anyone witnessing this." Aristia said.

Quickly, Dahlia moved to lock the door and returned. Aristia pulled out a small potion from her cloak and drank it.

The hair and eye changing potion’s effects wore off. Her gray hair and purple eyes were revealed.

Dahlia and Dorothy gasped in shock. Then, they recovered and bowed quickly. "Your Highness. Forgive our ignorance."

They remembered the twin girls they saw earlier and concluded that they were the first and second princess. They couldn’t believe it was really the third princess and that she wanted them to work for her.

Aristia waved her hand, "It’s not your fault. How would you have known it was me? Anyway, you may rise."

"Dahlia, Dorothy." Aristia called. The sisters stood straighter, suddenly becoming more conscious of their actions. "Do not forget the terms outlined in the agreement. Also, whenever you see me disguised, do not address me with my title."

"We understand, Your Highness." They both nodded. They couldn’t afford to offend the Royal family.

The sound of a carriage sounded outside the palace. "That’s my ride. We’re leaving," Aristia said.

As she turned around and headed towards the door, she took out the feature changing potion and drank its contents. Her hair and eyes returned to the brown color.

Owen unlatched the door and they exited the building.

The carriage door was opened. Adeline was just about to come down from the carriage and inform Aristia that they had returned. She smiled upon seeing Aristia in front of the carriage door.

Aristia and Owen boarded the carriage and the carriage rode away and into the buzzing streets of the capital.

Behind them in the Kendall sisters’ restaurant, the sisters glanced at each other in surprise.

"That’s really the third princess." Dorothy said to Dahlia in disbelief.

Dahlia shook her head, also in shock. "This is why you shouldn’t pay much attention to rumours."

"Who’d spread such ugly rumours about a child? She seems so sweet and reasonable." Dorothy’s face scrunched in disapproval.

"Haven’t you heard Uncle Pete say that aristocracy hides its viciousness? This is the viciousness. They spread lies even against children." Dahlia said.

Dorothy shuddered in disgust at Dahlia’s words. Uncle Pete was always right. She hadn’t quite believed that the high and mighty aristocrats could stoop to such a level. Like others, she thought they were above such badness, but she was discovering that they just might be worse than the commoners, hiding behind a veil of righteousness.

Now, she felt like dispelling any rumour she heard about the third princess if she hears any again.