Chương 147: The One Who Dumped You Last Summer

For heavily soiled clothing, Tori kept a large, ceramic and metal bucket in her and Ilyana's bathroom. Inside the bucket were several crystals used to stimulate a washing machine. She could either activate them or use the bucket to pre-soak her usually dirt splattered clothes from when she was at the delta. Wandering around various construction sites and marsh or farmland could get messy. Tori dunked the clothes she wore to the vault inside the bucket.

The crystals were used to move the water to agitate the clothing, heat the water, and pull dirt and blood from the fabric and into a lower chamber. She was only able to find crystals that had an effect with those two. For everything else, she used soap. The wealthy of Soleil also tended to add scented oils to clothing during the rinse and there were two bottles beside the bucket. One was a light floral scent Ilyana used and the other was a more earthy sweet scent Tori favored.

After dropping in some soap flakes, Tori activated the agitation for a few minutes while she bathed. She'd let her clothing soak overnight before changing out the water to rinse, dump the lower chamber, and then hang her clothing to dry on a heated rack.

"Ilyana, are you near?" Tori asked as she tossed her comcry on her bed and towel dried her hair. Ilyana had gone to the delta that weekend with Albert, Ewan, Nanny Rey, and Alexander. Piers had assigned a half dozen imperial knights to escort them, two of whom were his escort knights there for the sole purpose of keeping an eye on Alexander. As Nanny Rey had an allergy, Alexander sat on a special carrying box attached to a saddle on a massive snow white and gray pointed horse.

Was Piers going too far by assigning Frost Giant, Ice Queen's father, to be her cat's designated horse? Yes, but Tori couldn't stop him. Now her cat had a horse before she did, and Tori was bitter.

"No, we left late today," Ilyana's voice replied over the subtle creaking of the carriage as they went along.

"Oh! They had the baby!" Tori gasped. Mr. Sima and Architect Ebbadottir's baby was due around this time, but their exact date couldn't be predicted.

"Already?"

"Yes, it's a girl!" A wide smile broke across Tori's lips.

"I have a goddaughter."

"Dr. Cooper-Fontaine said although the labor was long, there weren't any complications. Architect Ebbadottir is tired, but fine. The baby is also doing well. She's very cute!"

"Did they decide on a name?" Tori asked.

"They said they had a few names narrowed down."

"Sophia Sigrundottir Sima!"

"Sophia...." She heard Ilyana giggle.

"Are you honored, Countess Victoria Antonia Sophia de Guevera de Sophos?" Tori lowered her head and chuckled. Her heart swelled.

"I am. I should call them."

"Mr. Sima was trying to call you this afternoon, but you didn't answer."

"I've been in the vault, focusing on the experiment, so I didn't pay attention to my comcry," Tori said.

"We finished the experiment successfully today and are going to the Three Queens for dinner."

"Oh, boo." Ilyana let out a disappointed grumble.

"We're at least three hours away-""Can you pick me up some chicken braised in wine?" Ewan's voice filled the room. Tori rolled her eyes.

"I can, but how are you going to get it? It may be late when I return, and you should already be in La Garda."

"I've lost so much weight...."

"No, you haven't," Albert was heard replying.

"The Three Queens should still be open when you get into Horizon. Tell the driver to bring you directly to the restaurant before dropping you off, and I'll ask for it to be ready for pick up."

"In that case, can you put in an order for all of us?" Albert asked. Tori's finger slid across her comcry to end the call. As she dug out a dress a bit more appropriate for the fancy restaurant, she called Mr. Sima to congratulate them. The man was excited to be a father and had repeated that his daughter was the most beautiful baby he'd ever seen in his life multiple times. Tori chuckled, listening to him gush before Architect Ebbadottir took the comcry.

"My lady, we've decided upon Suraelle and Tyz, goddess of the sea, for Sophia's trifecta blessings. We plan to have the ceremony a month from now. Brother Cassius asked us to ask you if you've selected her third blessing." Tori had spent a long time thinking about what god to select. She'd even read books on the subject and discussed it with her own godfather. The godparent always picked the third of the trifecta blessing, thus selecting a godparent who would pick a suitable blessing was important.

"I have," Tori said.

"Vorain, god of communication." She knew it seemed rather minor compared to a god of wisdom and the goddess of the sea, so she elaborated.

"Communication is absolutely essential to get one's thoughts across clearly and to properly understand another party. No matter what Sophia does in the future, I want her to not only understand others, but to be understood. For any orders to be done clearly, to not be misconstrued, and to be able to know how and when to say things to get her point across and her will done." Perhaps it was because she lived another life, but Tori could not stress enough the importance of communication skills.

So many troubles could be avoided with good communication. There was silence on the other end of the comcry before Architect Ebbadottir replied.

"As expected of a young woman given a peerage as soon as she entered adulthood. I am satisfied with Vorain."

"I am also satisfied with Vorain, my lady," Mr. Sima replied.

"Thank you for thinking of such a strong blessing for our daughter."

"It is an honor, Mr. Sima," Tori said.

"I will be going to the delta next weekend and will visit then. Did Ilyana bring you our gifts?"

"Yes, my lady! They're wonderful! I can't wait to use them!" Architect Ebbadottir gushed.

"The bassinet on wheels is amazing."

"The stroller? Yes, we're also working on a version for small children who are just starting to walk," Tori said.

"I'm glad you like it." She chatted until she finished changing and then bid the couple a goodnight before grabbing her small money pouch with her crystal account token and headed outside. Just as she reached the ground floor of her dorm, Instructor Ignatius called to let her know that they had just left the house. Tori confirmed that she would meet them at the Three Queens. SIG One was waiting for her outside Lycée's gates. She climbed on and made some additional calls on the way to the restaurant.

Henrik was still at Duel and declined her invitation to join them, as Mama's youngest son and their new chef, Lukas, had made them dinner at the cafe. JP and Sonia were spending the night at home, as their mother was home, and they were having some family time. Piers and Axton were at the imperial palace. Piers wanted to come, but Tori heard the Empress in the background, reminding her eldest son that he had promised to stay for dinner. No Piers meant no Axton, as he was stuck at the dinner also.

Tori slipped her comcry into her pocket as the carriage stopped in front of the main street entrance of the Three Queens. Usually, Tori entered from the plaza entrance on the other side. One of the valets in front of the restaurant opened her carriage door for her and Tori climbed out. She climbed the steps to the entrance, where another valet opened the door to let her in. As she stepped into the foyer, she looked around to see if she could find Instructor Ignatius or Master Ramos.

The restaurant was dimly lit, allowing for more intimate meals, so she squinted. She couldn't see her masters and wondered if they were waiting at the plaza entrance. Before she could ask the host, a shrill voice pierced her ears from the parlor off to the side, where guests who were hoping to get a table without reservations would wait. The voice was so distracting, Tori couldn't help but crane her neck to see what was going on.

"I'm also here for dinner." Instructor Ignatius sounded somewhat hesitant." You're here for dinner?" the woman replied with disbelief.

"You really expect me to believe that? You've never come to the Three Queens before!"

"I didn't select the restaurant." Tori casually moved by the wall and crept to the entryway to the parlor. She stood behind some potted plants and peered through the spaces of an elaborate gilded screen. Instructor Ignatius was standing a few steps into the parlor. He'd dressed in what was likely the best set of clothing he had brought with him, but his hair had been combed back and the handsome face of a frail beauty was revealed.

Across from him, near a cushioned bench, was a woman with wavy blonde hair and brown, narrowed eyes, glaring at him. She was dressed well; how most guests were expected to dress for a restaurant like the Three Queens. A long maroon dress, leather shoes with a slight heel, and her face was made up. In Tori's opinion, she was a bit pretty. It was kind of hard to judge; her sense of beauty was skewed being surrounded by people like Ilyana and Piers. Tori didn't know who this lady was, but could make a good guess.

"You never took me here when you were with me. I have asked you numerous times!" Tori nodded to herself. Yep, ex-girlfriend.

"It has always been difficult to get reservations for the Three Queens and when I offered to take you to wait, you said a table wasn't guaranteed and we'd be wasting our time and we might as well go to a different restaurant." Instructor Ignatius seemed to try to reason with the woman.

"Then what made you come this time, Benedict?" the woman asked as she crossed her arms and glowered.

"I saw you speaking to the host! They said your table will be ready - you have a reservation!"

"I didn't make the reservation," Instructor Ignatius sighed and lifted his hand to rub the bridge of his nose.

"I came here with other crystal users." The woman snorted.

"Then where are they?"

"Master Ramos had an order to put in-""So, why didn't you go with him?"

"I'm waiting for someone."

"Who?"

"Instructor, where's Master Ramos?" Tori straightened up and peered into the parlor. She stretched her neck and looked towards them, as if just seeing them for the first time.

"Oh, sorry... did I bother you? I'll check in with the host." Instructor Ignatius paled at the sight of her and the woman across from him turned red. Her hands lowered to her side and clenched as she looked at Instructor Ignatius and back. Tori froze. Perhaps she made her appearance too early? She just didn't want to let Instructor Ignatius look pathetic.

"You're here? With her?" The woman's voice dripped with venom and Tori hastily pretended she didn't hear. Tori turned her attention to the host.

"Please let the manager know that I've arrived." She grabbed on to the edge of the host's stand with some urgency. The host nodded.

"Right away, Countess. The room is ready." Tori nodded. She took a deep breath and looked back into the waiting parlor.

"Instructor, the room is ready-""The room? You booked her a room?" The woman looked infuriated, and Tori crinkled her eyes.

"Miss, I think there is some confusion," Tori said, taking a step forward.

"I'm the one with the reservation and invited-""I knew it!" The woman glared daggers at Instructor Ignatius who stood in place, his head down and his hands tugging at his pants at his sides.

"I knew you had something going on with the Guevera girl!" Tori's brows shot up and she immediately shook her head.

"No, no, no! You've made a mistake! He is my instructor and crystal master-""I knew there had to be a reason you wanted to leave Horizon and move to that desolate, backwater swamp! It's because of her!" A well-manicured finger pointed at Tori as she realized that she likely wasn't going to be able to clarify the matter.

"Mathilda, I told you before that she is my student-""So, you follow around your students so easily?

"She is also the sister of my friend! Kasen asked me to look out for her!" Instructor Ignatius almost seemed to plead.

"We are master and pupil! Nothing more!"

"Then explain to me why you're taking her to the most expensive, romantic restaurant in the city!" If Instructor Ignatius weren't so much older than her, and her crystal master, Tori would've already flung herself against him and infuriated his ex-girlfriend further. However, this was not her battle. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"You disgusting cheater! And you, you're so young, but you're already seducing men twice your age! Shameless little whore!" Okay, now it's my battle. She turned her head towards the host table and saw the manager swiftly approaching with his lips in a tight line. Tori lifted her chin.

"Manager Sassure."

"Countess Guevera." The familiar man bowed his head towards her. He stopped beside her and frowned at the noise. He looked inside.

"Is something the matter here?"

"Manager Sassure, this lady accused me of being a shameless harlot. In addition to the personal insult, she is screaming and yelling, bothering other guests. I don't believe such disruption is appropriate for the establishment." She didn't mention anything more, but the manager's face darkened. He looked at the woman in the parlor.

"Madam, I am afraid that I will have to ask you to leave."

"Me? Why don't you tell her to leave! She's the homewrecker!" Tori snapped her head back before giving the woman a look of dismissal.

"I am many things, madam, but I am not a homewrecker. And to my knowledge, you never had a home to wreck to begin with." Manager Sassure lifted his hand and two large men in suits seemed to appear out of the corners of the parlor. The woman gasped and took a step back.

"You can't! I'm a guest! We have reservations!"

"Sir! Sir! One moment!" Another voice cut through and someone swept past Tori and the restaurant manager to get to the waiting parlor. The shock of red hair hit Tori in an instant and the dull, impressed look she'd been wearing turned into a glare.

"Adrien!" The ex-girlfriend's face filled with relief as her savior appeared. She pulled herself away from the two security personnel who had just taken hold of her arms.

"Do something! They want us to leave!" She grabbed on to Adrien's arm and looked up at him with pleading eyes. Tori narrowed her eyes further. The only person she knew of who was banned was Axton's father and, by extension, stepmother. Other than using the private room recently, Axton wasn't very hands-on with the Three Queens.

"Surely there must be a mistake," Adrien said, giving the manager a winning smile.

"There is no mistake, Mr. Rosiek," Manager Sassure said with a stern look.

"Your guest was yelling at two other guests and causing a scene. We request that she leaves immediately."

"Adrien!" The ex-girlfriend seemed to tighten her hold on Adrien's arm. She turned her head to shoot Instructor Ignatius and Tori a glare.

"It's their fault! They provoked me." Tori's brows shot up once more.

"Does our appearance in your line of vision count as provoking you? What are you, a guard dog?" She heard the host behind the manager muffle a laugh as he turned his head to the side. The ex-girlfriend's face heated up.

"I'm not the little bitch hooking up with older men-""Mr. Rosiek, please get your guest under control or I will have no choice but to ask you to leave the Three Queens at once," Manager Sassure said in a cold voice.

"She is bothering our guests."

"Miss Moore, I'm sure it's not what you think," Adrien said, placating the woman.

"I apologize for being late. Our table should be ready by now. Why don't we get seated?"

"No! I won't dine if they're here!" The woman ground her teeth together and stood her ground.

"I demand they be removed!" For a moment, Tori was impressed. Imagine making such an outrageous request with absolutely no sense of the situation.... Adrien let out a low breath and looked at Tori. He gave her a pleasant smile.

"Lady, no, Countess Guevera. This is an awkward meeting after so long. I apologize for this ugliness, but my friend and I have been planning this meal for some time. Perhaps you can return at another time? I will of course compensate you." Tori didn't bother to answer him. She looked at Manager Sassure with a deadpan expression. He gave her a bow and turned towards Adrien.

"Mr. Rosiek, you are in no place to order a guest to leave. If you or your guest insist to forcing-"Do you know who he is?" The ex-girlfriend demanded as she lifted her chin proudly and she clung to the arm of the redhead.

"Adrien Rosiek owns the Golden Cow! He's one of the most successful merchants in the empire!" Adrien patted her arm and gave Manager Sassure an apologetic look.

"Manager Sassure, I've been a guest of the Three Queens for years. This is the primary restaurant I take guests and business associates to. Can't we work something out?"

"We appreciate your business, Mr. Rosiek. However, your guest is making an outrageous request," Master Sassure said. He maintained an undaunted posture.

"I'm afraid I will have to ask you and your guest to leave."

"Excuse me?" The woman's face dropped. Adrien blinked.

"You're asking me to leave?" Manager Sassure nodded.

"You are always welcomed here, Mr. Rosiek." His eyes drifted to the ex-girlfriend.

"But she is not." The woman lifted a hand to her chest.

"How... how dare-""Manager Sassure, she is my guest!" Adrien said, his smile starting to falter.

"If it is a choice between offending the guest of Mr. Rosiek and the beloved sister of the owner, we will always choose the latter," Manager Sassure said. Tori raised her brows and looked at them.

"You know who owns the Three Queens, don't you?"

"The Getonica Company," Adrien replied. Tori smiled wide.

"Yeah, and Getonica is owned by Duke Alvere. The new one." She met Adrien's eyes with her mocking ones.

"I know you know who I am to him." His lips slowly melted into a frown.

"I see...." He let out a small scoff.

"It seems I was negligent, Countess. I apologize for the inconvenience."

"What?" The ex-girlfriend snapped her head towards him. Her eyes were wide with disbelief.

"Adrien, you're not giving in, are you?"

"I'm afraid we don't have a choice tonight. It would be rude to remain."

"Thank you for understanding, Mr. Rosiek," Manager Sassure said as he moved back to clear the way for them to leave.

"Rest assured we will reserve a room for you at table pricing the next time you bring a different guest."

"No! You can't be serious!" Instructor Ignatius' ex-girlfriend released Adrien's arm and stared at him, stunned.

"It took so long to get reservations! I'm not leaving!" Adrien gave her a gentle look and Tori silently complimented him for not letting the irritation in his eyes be known otherwise. The two guards who had been called earlier stepped forward and grasped the ex-girlfriend's arms. Tori stood to the side, watching as Adrien walked out. Two guards followed, dragging a shrieking woman with them. She pursed her lips and looked back at her instructor. His face was still pale, and he looked at a loss.

"I apologize for the scene, my lady. Every so often, we do encounter such unreasonable guests. I should've stopped her earlier," the manager told her. She shook her head.

"Think nothing of it. Some people simply don't know how to act in such spaces."

"Allow me to escort you to your room."

"Instructor Ignatius, let's go." Tori gave her instructor a small nod. He closed his eyes and seemed to take a deep breath before following Tori as Manager Sassure led them up the stairs to the owner's rooftop dining room. Master Ramos was already there. The doors outside were open and he was standing by the edge of the roof, looking down at the brightly lit street below. His hands were grasped behind him and as the door from the stairs opened and Tori and Instructor Ignatius arrived, he turned around.

The two were quiet as they walked to the table that had three place settings prepared.

"I'll bring up the Countess' favorite sparkling sweet wine," Manager Sassure said gently.

"Please take your time deciding on what to order." Tori gave him a small smile and nod. Master Ramos walked back into the room and raised a brow.

"Are either of you going to tell me what happened downstairs?" Tori let out a small, tired chuckle and slumped back against her chair.

"Did you see an angry woman being dragged out?"

"I saw, but I couldn't hear what she was saying over the wind."

"Her name is Mathilda Moore," Instructor Ignatius said, as if all the life were drained out of him. He sat listless on his chair, his eyes looking blankly down at the table.

"She is my ex-girlfriend."

"The one who dumped you last summer?" Master Ramos was only clarifying it, but Tori still cringed. Instructor Ignatius nodded, seemingly unaffected by the harsh question.

"Last year, she thought I was only going to the delta every weekend, not the entire summer. I was very excited to go to Anahata Island and was caught up with the work we were doing there, so calling her slipped my mind. When I finally remembered to do so, she wouldn't answer.

"Once or twice, I could understand. She's very social, so I expected her to go out with her friends or colleagues at the bureau and not check her comcry. However, after the fifth or sixth time, I realized she was avoiding me. I was uncomfortable, so I left the island twice to see her. The first time, her parents said that she was working late. The second time, I went to wait by her office."

"Did you apologize for your negligence?" Master Ramos asked as he took a seat at the head of the table and gave Instructor Ignatius a knowing look. Instructor Ignatius looked up and nodded.

"Of course, I did! I almost got down on my knees. She wanted to talk in private, so we went to my house...." He trailed off and his face reddened. Tori looked away. Despite having been forty in her original world, she still felt that she was somehow too young to be listening to her instructor's love problems. Master Ramos lifted his hand and let out a little cough.

"And then?"

"And then I told her I wanted to move to the delta." Tori let out a low hiss. From her brief brush with her instructor's ex-girlfriend, it was clear that the Mathilda woman was very much a city girl and would not compromise the comfort and city lifestyle to live in the boonies. Tori could understand where she was coming from. In her original world, she grew up in the suburbs of a sprawling metropolitan area. Everything she wanted was at her fingertips. She couldn't imagine living elsewhere permanently.

In this world, if it weren't for the fact that she had been assigned such a challenging Lycée project, she would never have thought to leave Horizon or Presidio outside of temporary travels.

"She didn't want to move," Master Ramos said. Manager Sassure arrived with the wine and uncorked it at the table. As he poured the wine into their glasses, Instructor Ignatius stared at the bubbling liquid dumbly.

"She said I could move, but she wouldn't come with me." Instructor Ignatius closed his eyes.

"She then broke up with me, saying she would not come second to crystals." Tori brought her glass to her lips and took a sip. Who wanted to come second in their lover's eyes? Even she understood that. She took a deep breath and lowered her glass before looking across the table.

"Instructor, do you want to go back?" she asked, careful.

"We can order food and leave if being here makes you uncomfortable." He lifted his head and shook it.

"No. It's not... it's not the Three Queens."

"If you are shaken by seeing her, Benedict, do not force yourself. You have every right to leave a situation that makes you uncomfortable," Master Ramos told him sternly. Instructor Ignatius shook his head again.

"No, we worked hard this week. We deserve a good meal. And the Countess arranged with the Duke to have such a meal here. I want to stay and enjoy it." Master Ramos gave him one more critical look, as if assessing whether Instructor Ignatius would crumble. He then turned to the manager.

"Beef braised in wine over vegetables." Manager Sassure smiled and nodded at once.

"And for the Countess?"

"Roasted pheasant with seasonal greens."

"I'll have the pork tenderloin over mushrooms," Instructor Ignatius said. The manager nodded and left to put in their order. Tori looked back at Instructor Ignatius.

"Had I known she'd be here, I would've arranged otherwise."

"There was no way you would've," he replied with a sad smile. He looked at her apologetically.

"And I should apologize to you, my lady. Because of my past relationships you were disparaged so rudely." He shook his head, as if he had said the words himself. He took a long sip of wine.

"It's not your fault, Instructor."

"It is," he said, frowning.

"You are both Kasen's younger sister and my student. I spoke of you often, especially when we began working on crystal technologies. She has always been a bit possessive, and I suppose mentioning you often, and the fact that I followed you to the delta, caused her to become jealous." He gritted his teeth.

"Still, she should have never said those words." Tori tried not to make a disgusted face. She thought they had a good relationship as a master and pupil, but considering their eight-year age difference and status with each other, it was uncomfortable to consider anything more. If she were older and he wasn't her instructor, she could accept it, but not in this situation.

"You cannot control what she says." Instructor Ignatius let out a small bitter huff.

"I didn't expect to see her with a new man." Master Ramos picked up the wine and refilled his glass.

"It is rare that feelings can end when the mind tells them to." Instructor Ignatius shut his eyes tight.

"I really did like her. I thought that even if she didn't come with me to the delta, she would be all right with visiting. I thought of offering her my home to stay in so she wouldn't have to commute all the way to and from the Fourth District every day. I didn't think she didn't want me to leave Horizon at all."

"Did she know your passion is crystals?" Master Ramos asked. Instructor Ignatius nodded his head, almost eagerly.

"I thought she did. I became a teacher to introduce students to crystals for that reason. I studied it at Université." Master Ramos let out a heavy breath. He extended his hand and patted Instructor Ignatius' shoulder.

"There will be others, Benedict. Someone who understands your passion and encourages you." Instructor Ignatius nodded, but didn't answer. Tori ordered a bottle of red wine to be brought to the table when Manager Sassure returned. Tori also put in orders for her friends who were coming from the delta to be picked up. The food came, but before dessert was served, Instructor Ignatius was properly wasted. He was slumped over the table, muttering to himself about what he could've done differently.

Master Ramos raised a brow.

"It seems he's been holding in quite a bit."

"Hmmm." Tori nodded as she brought a small spoon of crème brulée to her mouth.

"Instructor Ignatius comes from a well-off family and if his house is in the First District, is it possible that his ex-girlfriend was with him for the money?" One of the things she'd heard the woman ranting about was how Instructor Ignatius never took her to the Three Queens.

"It is possible. Despite his fascination with crystals, Benedict is a good-looking young man and the sole remaining member of a wealthy Horizon family. I would imagine many would be interested in the boy." Tori pursed her lips and slowly nodded.

"Instructor is so kind. I'd be worried he'd be taken advantage of." Master Ramos sighed.

"Because our interest in crystals can take us anywhere, it can be difficult to find others who understand. Perhaps this is the same with any passion that can overwhelm personal relationships." She slowly savored her crème brulée and lowered her eyes. Aside from her interest in crystals, she still wanted to travel, and she knew that would put some strain on her relationships, especially in a world with limited communication. If she were on a boat over water, she wouldn't be able to call with ease.

She'd have to wait until she was on land, and long-distance ocean travel could be weeks long. Tori put her spoon into the empty bowl and leaned back to let her food settle. If she survived past Université and then set off for her adventures, however short as she still had a county to run, she couldn't expect a prospective partner to come with her. What if they weren't the traveling type? Or what if they had responsibilities that wouldn't allow them to be absent for months at a time?

Wouldn't it be unfair to them to be absent from the relationship and only spend time with them when it was convenient? It wasn't impossible, of course. She knew couples both in her original world and in Soleil who lived apart and rarely saw each other, and it worked out perfectly fine. Gramps and Granny had a sea between them, but their calls to each other were like clockwork. She looked across the table at her drunk instructor and let out a heavy sigh.

Perhaps one day, Instructor Ignatius could meet someone with just as much fervor for crystals as him. She made a mental note to keep an eye out.

"It's getting late, and you have class in the morning," Master Ramos said. He lifted his hand and called over Manager Sassure. He presented him with a crystal token.

"Dinner is on me."

"Master, I'm the one who invited you." Tori frowned and extended her hand to stop him. He shook his head.

"My pupil completed a rather complex experiment. As your master, I should treat you," he told her. He grabbed the manager's hand and stuffed the token into his hand.

"I will pay." Manager Sassure chuckled.

"If you insist, Master Ramos." He quickly exited before Tori could stop him. She pouted and looked at the old man.

"Master, the Three Queens is expensive...." He let out a snort and smirked.

"Do you think I'm short of money? Am I not the premier crystal master in the empire? And don't forget that I taught your brother for ten years. Does your family pay poorly?" He gave her a knowing look and Tori flushed. She never really thought about her master's financial status. She assumed he was comfortable enough, as he voluntarily moved to the delta and paid his own way.

"Just this once, Master." The old man chuckled, and Tori put her napkin on the table. She stood up and told one of the servers waiting on them to go and call for her carriage. The server bowed and headed down the stairs. Master Ramos looked at Instructor Ignatius and let out a snort.

"He's skinny, but he's still a grown man. We should request assistance to carry him downstairs." Tori nodded. A petite sixteen-year-old girl and an old man didn't have the strength or coordination to carry a full-grown man downstairs. What if they dropped him?

"Let's see if he can at least stand," Tori said. She rounded the table and gave Instructor Ignatius a gentle shake.

"Instructor. Instructor, wake up, we're leaving." He let out a low groan, but didn't move. Tori frowned. She put both her hands on his shoulder and gave him a stronger shake.

"Instructor Ignatius! Wake up!"

"I said I'm sorry!" His voice filled the room and Tori jerked her head back. She didn't move back fast enough. She felt her breath knocked out of her as his arms grabbed on to her. Tori wheezed, her eyes watering at the pressure of suddenly being grabbed and pulled forward. For a frail looking man, he was much stronger than he looked. A face pressed against her stomach and a choked cry followed.

Tori looked down, unsure whether to be disgusted or concerned as Instructor Ignatius rambled drunkenly about how crystals were important and were of great benefit to the empire, and that his and Tori's work was revolutionary. All points Tori agreed with, but she wished Instructor Ignatius weren't crying as he spoke. He was drunk and clinging on to her. What if he vomited on her?

"Tori, you're still here...." She snapped her head towards the entrance and saw Axton come to a stop. His eyes crinkled up as he looked across the room, where she stood beside the table with Instructor Ignatius hugging her waist and crying. Piers stepped around Axton and stopped beside him. He furrowed his brow as he looked at Tori and Instructor Ignatius. Aside from Instructor Ignatius' whimpering, the room was quiet.

"Tori," Piers said in a low voice.

"What did you do to make him cry?"