After the racket they made, the mother and daughter pair decided to stay away from the city in the meantime. They stayed in the safety of the forest and lived off from whatever they could get within their surroundings. There was an abundance of wild herbs and fruits around the forest. Tamara also kept a small area to plant vegetables.

But they could only get so much in the woods. Soon, Tamara’s stocks for her concoctions ran low, their other supplies lower. The only place they could get the items were in town.

Besides, there was another reason why she had to go out today. Lia remembered that in the novel, her namesake fell love at first sight to the protagonist on the day of the town festival. He was a judge on a cooking contest. In an attempt to capture his attention, she joined the contest and for once, used her knowledge she learned from her mother. Because of her talent and looks, she managed to get his attention and let herself be whisked away.

Lia would not let that happen.

She would not be whisked away. She would not join the contest. And most of all, she would not meet the protagonist.

That was why she had to go down, at least three days before the festival. On the day of the festival, she would be far far away from the town.

Lia checked her hat for the nth time. Her long hair was tied up in a bun, letting only a few loose hairs to cover her forehead with a gray hat on her hair. Tamara remade some of the old clothes in the closet, worked her magic, and turned them into a guy’s clothes. She had to make a loose shirt and pants so Lia’s curves would not be obvious and she would only look like a lanky young man.

With the help of some face paint, Lia made her chin looked sharper and her mouth thinner. She even drew a small dot on her left cheek.

She pulled out her to-buy list again. She had already memorized them before she set out but she wanted to make sure. She had to know so that she could come up with a route that would help her get the things she needed in the least possible time.

There was no room for distraction.

As she stepped into the edge of the town, she pulled down her hat and walked with steady but longer strides. Her eyes darted everywhere, looking for signs that people recognized her. But they just went their merry way, ignoring Lia.

“Ow!” The voice coming behind her.

Lia staggered forward and sharply turned around. There was a boy looking up sheepishly at her. Three or four kids started gathering around them.

“Err– sorry, Mister,” he said, holding the back of his head.

Lia breathed out a bit, allowing herself a small smile to placate the kids. “Be careful next time.”

She watched as the kids went back to their games, shouting merrily at one another. How nice it was to be carefree. But Lia had to move now. She fixed her bag over her shoulder, silently praying that the jars inside would still come out okay. She looked around once more if the small scene garnered any unnecessary attention from the adults. But they still ignored her and the kids.

The closer she got to the center of the town, the faster her heart thumped. Call her paranoid, but she could not shake off the feeling that everyone was staring at her. Her breath hitched when she arrived at the place where the mob surrounded them. Her steps brought to a halt.

‘It’s okay now. You’re safe. No one will know your disguise.’

She chanted those words over and over, unaware of the annoyed pedestrians who needed to skirt around her.

‘Move your feet. Right first. Then left. Right. Left.’

Lia walked like a robot and looked like one with her stony face. She remained like that until she reached the alley going to Yolly’s shop. Finally, a temporary safe place.