Samantha felt a little better after waking up but was still weak from the prolonged sleep. She slowly made her way out of the room, having difficulty with every step due to her weakened state. The delicious smell of cooking drifted into Samantha's nose, making her stomach rumble. She quickly made her way to the kitchen, eager to satisfy her hunger.
"Hi, Good morning. I thought you didn't wake up yet," Alberta said, stirring a pot of hot soup.
"Hey. Oh, I didn't know I slept all night," Samantha replied, feeling a little embarrassed. "It's okay. It's not your fault. Your body needs to heal. I made pumpkin soup and some bread and bacon roast. Get yourself cleaned up and let's eat together."
“Alright.”
Samantha stepped into the steamy bathroom, feeling her emotions bubble up once more. Taking a deep breath, she slowly undressed before stepping under the water. The hot water cascaded over her body and suddenly, the humiliation of Lord Courtney's words flooded through her again. With a shuddering sob, Samantha allowed her tears to mix with the warm water. Unable to rid herself of the pain, she stayed in the shower until it ran cold. Taking a deep breath, she dried off and made her way to the kitchen to have breakfast with Alberta.
As Samantha ate breakfast with Alberta, Sam, and Carter (Alberta’s son). She couldn't help but think of John. She remembered the way he had helped her and wondered what he was up to. A wave of curiosity and affection washed over her, and she felt a sudden longing to see him again.
"Umm... Do you know a lot about John?" Samantha asked, trying to start a conversation.
"I know him. But I don't know much," Alberta replied with a wary look in her eyes.
"He works for Mr. Frank, he is a very cunning and dangerous person. You will not find anyone more manipulative than him."
Samantha smiled slightly, thinking of Lord Courtney, "Tell me more about him." She asked hesitantly.
"Mr. Frank is a ..."
"No, I mean John."
"He's a good boy, a hard worker, and never complains. But you better not play games with him or you will pay the price. He won't hesitate to hurt anyone if he feels humiliated," Albertha warned. Samantha nodded in understanding.
"Anyway, thank you so much for all of your help. I don't know what would have happened to me without you," Samantha said gratefully.
"Don't worry. I'll always be here for you," Albertha said with a reassuring smile.
“I appreciate it."
After breakfast, Albertha returned to his house to do his usual activities, feeling relieved that Samantha seemed to be feeling better and could be left alone.
Samantha put on her robe and ventured out of the house, taking the narrow alley behind the bakery. Few people ventured into that place, as it was filled with a strong and unpleasant smell from the sewage running down its right side. It was also home to various rats and other disgusting creatures. Though she would have preferred to take the main road, Samantha knew that people there often taunted her and had sharp tongues. She stayed away from them whenever she could.
Samantha arrived at Mr. Frank's packing fish. There were only two female workers sorting fish and three men transporting fish in drums. She walked past them and into a small house that had been converted into Mr. Frank's office. Inside, she found Mr. Frank sitting at his desk, surrounded by stacks of paper and parchment.
"Good evening, Mr. Frank," Samantha said as she walked in.
Mr. Frank, who had been opening a file book, turned around in surprise. A smirk crossed his face as he recognized her.
"You! Lord Courtney's whore. What do you want from me?"
Samantha clenched her fists, anger, and humiliation bubbling up inside her. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. It made sense that he knew about her night with Lord Courtney. He had access to the kingdom thanks to Commodore. Disgusting lick!
"I want to ask about John. I heard he works for you here. So, where's he?"
Mr. Frank laughed again. "Oh, so after hooking one night for Lord Courtney, now you want to be a hooker for John? Why don't you try it with me instead? I'll give you lots of gold coins."
Samantha's blood ran cold as Mr. Frank laughed at her. She wanted to scream at him, but she kept her anger in check. Instead, she spoke in a calm and unwavering voice.
"I'm not here to be a prostitute, nor am I looking for money. I'm simply asking about John and his whereabouts. If you know something, I'd appreciate it if you'd tell me, otherwise I'll take my leave."
“Oh? I am not sure you’ll refuse me,” Mr. Frank said.
Samantha kept the knife pointed at Mr. Frank.
“Somebody help me!”
Her gaze never wavered and her smirk remained in place despite his attempts to distract her.
"You are not going to get help," she said coolly. "What's more, you are going to tell me what I want to know about John. Where is he? And don't lie or I will not hesitate to use this knife."
Suddenly the two men and the woman comes and dragged Samantha away as she continued to shout angrily. Mr. Frank watched them go with relief before turning to address her.
"I'll tell you what you want to know," he said, "John is not working with me anymore! He's been there for a few days now."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "But you should be careful. Commodore has many guards, and he is not a man to be trifled with."
Samantha glared at Mr. Frank, her rage returning in full force. "I don't care about Commodore," she spat. "He's gone looking for some mythical mermaids and won't be back to protect you!”
Samantha forced her way from the two Mr. workers. franks. She walks away crying and puts on her hood.
"Wait!"
Samantha looked back and saw the woman who worked for Mr. Frank approaching him at a fast pace.
"You looking for John?"
"Yeah."
The woman looked around, "Follow me!"