The note seemed heavy in Sal’s hand though it was the address and nothing more. She was almost certain that Sgra. Edihna granted her an answer. She wished she had not. 

At one look, the tall servant named Abeng tasked her to follow him. It was quite puzzling to see how a few names of places could command this man, but she ought not to fool herself. 

Sal kept herself quiet and prim in the carriage with the tall man, intent not to stir any trouble. As the carriage went on, Sal clutched her skirt and busied herself with the sights inside the carriage. 

When it stopped. Sal can’t help but have a tiny peek outside to see a mansion not unequal in glamor with the Signora’s residence. However, the place was quiet and decidedly empty of people other than the servants. So this is where the heirloom was? 

The tall man was addressed highly by the servants. “Boss, they said. He spoke strictly and inquired on the maintenance of the mansion and its implements. 

Sal ducked. She waited on the corner of the carriage, keeping her knees to her chest while she kept on listening in. Just telling herself to wait for the tall man to bring the heirloom. An hour later, the tall man went out holding a small chest, but there was grimness in the tall man’s face. 

Sal peeked out and watched as the tall man opened the chest to the servant. It was empty. His worries were not sated until a man came rushing in. 

Their conversation died down to nearly a whisper until it was not.

“It was not stolen, Boss. I saw that it was in need of maintenance so we took it to a goldsmith. I see to it that you know it is safe. I will escort you to the man himself.” 

Sal withdrew her feet from the edge of the carriage floor and sat on the couch self as the tall servant turned to go back to the carriage. 

He didn’t look pleased. 

When the horses turned back towards the mansion, Sal does not know what spirit possessed her to speak out to the man and ask him a favor. She wants to meet the goldsmith now. 

It was the spirit of recklessness possessing her for her to demand to seek the goldsmith immediately. Sal wrung her hands. Don’t come out of the carriage again. 

After half an hour of travel, the carriage stopped outside a workshop. It was teeming with constables. A voice rang out from a man tied on his back, yelling as he was shoved into a carriage. 

They’re there. They’re coming for her next. Maybe not now but they will. They are looking for her. Stay quiet. Don’t speak. Don’t get seen. 

Three knocks on the carriage window. They’re here. Don’t look. Don’t be seen. But should she?She does not deserve to hide then- 

“Oh! Hey, kid. Can’t imagine seeing you out here. Wow! Missus Edihna seemed generous. Out for a stroll?” 

The constable from the hospicio looked from the carriage window, his light face filling up the whole space of the window. 

Sal nodded. “ I think so.” 

“Good to see. That lack of air, being stuck alone inside the palace must be awful. Hey…” He then left to talk with the tall servant.

It was improper to listen in on conversations but Sal found her ears stuck to the wall of the carriage, grasping the words she can from Ro and the tall man’s conversation. Settling a case, he said. Place is out of bounds while everything is settled. 

So the goldsmith did something bad then. 

Sal was hoping Ro would talk about something that the goldsmith might have said. 

Ro did not leave but fancied himself to stay in the carriage for awhile with Sal. 

She wished she hadn’t. She didn’t know what to say around him as he made talk. He talked about a lot of things. 

“Tell Lea I’d be angry if she makes you cry, okay?Tell that when you get home.” Ro finally stepped out of the carriage and began closing the carriage door. 

Sal made a fist. “ I’m not going back.” Sal stopped the carriage door from closing. 

Ro turned back at her. 

She can’t look. She cast down her eyes. He would surely be annoyed. He told her to go home. Would he tell the other constables? But Sal was almost finished. If only she got to talk to the goldsmith before the constables came. No, they would arrest her too. 

Ro raised two arms at Sal. “ Go home or a monster will eat you.” He made a strange face, tongue out, eyes bulging, his fingers curled. 

“Frog” Sal remarked 

“That was supposed to be an aswang, but a frog would do.” He tapped lightly on the door. “I’ll get going, be safe okay”

Ro stepped on the stairs blocking the whole view outside with his body. “Don’t worry. My colleagues have left a while ago. They already forgot about me, but it happens.If that is what you’re worried about. The Rock will protect you, alright?” 

Sal stood by the door, silent at his declaration. How she was close to seeing the heirloom. How she thought she could’ve gone home it should’ve been finished, how the answers were yet out of reach. 

Ro knelt down a bit,”Look. I will protect you. I will not let anyone harm you. But you can’t go to places like that. You’re small, fragile, much worse, a -” he stopped himself like he was about to spit a bad word. ”Can you handle what might be out there at your state? The man you’re looking for may be dangerous. You will be hurt.” 

Small, weak, a little girl. 

This man is blocking her vision. She can’t see anything properly but the ground, She’s always been looking at the ground! But where should we look at To eyes that show anger? To her that is weak? 

“I’ll accompany you back, so don’t be scared, alright?”

Sal let him in quietly in the carriage. Sal endured the constable talking on talking. 

“I was almost seventeen,” Sal blurted out. 

“Ah, yes. Sorry about that, but you were cute.” 

“I was almost married. Married people go out and do things.” 

“This is strange, but-” 

Sal stood up on the moving carriage. How far have they passed from the man’s house?Were they that far already?

“That man is dangerous. We have to stay away from him in the time being so I will escort you back.” 

Sal glanced at his uniform. It was just a plain uniform. 

The constable scratched his nape as he laughed drily. “My! It looks so dirty, isnt’ it?” 

Sal kept her gaze unbroken. 

Ro heaved as he spoke in the littlest voice ever. “There were a few illegal items seized from his workshop. An heirloom sword not one of them.” 

Sal leveled a stare at the man as he looked away. 

“What do you know? Did he really have it? “ He whispers in a smaller voice. “Maybe he was secretly a gremlin hiding gold. He could have hidden it in an abandoned quiet flowerfield in the middle of the woods. Like in those stories.” He ruffled Sal’s hair. 

A flowerfield it was with its roots nourished by the ruin of silence and memories being pushed by the sins of today. A nagging feeling tugged at Sal. 

As they travelled, men travelling in horses rode in the opposite direction. Ro would smile and ruffle her hair whenever she’d try and peek outside. Opposite their direction was the road to Calare. 

It was ‘that’ abandoned mansion is it?Say it is not so. Sal’s hands went numb as she eavesdropped more from the constable in his conversations with the tall servant back at the mansion. 

The address was the Casa.