“He’s said he’d write a medical classic for you?” Upon hearing Alice’s words, Charles Turner became even more excited.
Compared to what William would write, those volumes of “De Medicina” seemed almost trivial.
Alice clearly hadn’t grasped the gravity of what she might have missed. “I looked over the parchment books he gave me, and they are quite extraordinary. It seemed he was giving me a choice: either accept the two books or have him write a scroll for me. Naturally, I chose the books!”
“Oh, dear!” Charles Turner sighed deeply, asking, “Is he not with you now?”
“Of course not.” Alice asked with evident confusion, “Grandpa, just who is William? He seems to possess numerous treasures, but why does he live in such a place?”
Charles responded, “It’s best you don’t delve too deeply into that. Since you’ve taken him as your master, just focus on being diligent.”
“Grandpa, would you like to see these medical classics?” Alice asked eagerly, akin to a child with a newfound treasure.
Charles Turner replied, “Since these were given to you by your master William, make sure you never show them to anyone else! You do understand the significance of “De Medicina”, right?”
Alice felt her heart jump into her throat. From her grandfather’s tone, it was abundantly clear he was convinced of the authenticity of the books. This raised even more questions about William’s identity.
Of course, William was unaware of the conversation between Charles Turner and Alice, nor did he have an interest in knowing.
By 6:30 PM, William arrived at the Moonlit Harbor Pub. By that time, Maria was already there, having opened the bar and was settling the accounts.
“You’re here?” Maria looked up, smiling at William. “Aren’t you attending your evening study sessions?”
William approached with a grin, “Nope!”
Putting down her pen, Maria said, “If you wish to study in the evening, you can always come in later. Education should be your priority. This job might bring quick money, but it’s not a lifelong career.”
Surprised by her concern, William replied, “You mentioned you came from the countryside, right? At my age, it’s good to learn as much as possible. If I had the chance to go to college back then, I might not be doing this now.”
Chuckling, William added, “Maria, you needn’t worry about my studies. I skip the study sessions because they aren’t very beneficial for me.”
Misunderstanding him, Maria sighed, thinking William simply didn’t care for studying. “I’ll let Zachary and the others know. If you need to attend your sessions, you can come in later. Anyway, most of our customers only start coming in after 10:30 PM.”
“Thank you.” William appreciated her understanding and asked, “Will Evelyn be coming in later as well?”
Maria paused, squinting at William with a teasing smile, “Why? Taken a fancy to that young lady?”
Without hesitation, William replied, “Yes, I have.”
Maria burst into laughter, “I thought boys like you would be shy about such matters, but you’re quite direct!”
Boy?
William had been misunderstood many times over the years and just chuckled at Maria’s comment.
For him, liking someone wasn’t something to hide. He refrained from expressing his feelings to Evelyn directly, knowing too well that doing so might make her feel overwhelmed or even repelled. It was better to let things unfold naturally.
“Maria, I hope you can keep this a secret for me,” William said with a gentle smile. “I’m not ready for her to know just yet.”
Maria winked, “Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret. Best of luck to you.”
Regardless of everything, William had a positive impression of Maria.
Around nine in the evening, the pub began to fill with patrons.
Per the agreement between William and Maria, William had the liberty to choose the customers he wanted to serve.
In other words, if he didn’t want to attend to a particular person, he didn’t have to. But since he was being paid, William obviously wouldn’t just sit idle. Whether it was moving stock, carrying bottles, or opening wine for customers, William was expected to do it all.
Moonlit Harbor Pub had a dance floor right in the center, meant for bar performances.
But anyone familiar with such places knows that asking for a dance comes with a fee.
Men come here with a simple goal – to have a good time.
William had been bustling around the establishment for hours when he took a crate of wine to table K13.
“William!!”
The man seated at the center of table K13 was none other than Edward. Upon seeing William, an odd smirk appeared on Edward’s face.
The reason he was here was that he had heard Evelyn was working part-time at this pub. But he never expected to see William also working here.
Now, this was interesting!
William gave him a cursory glance, said nothing, and turned to leave.
Edward’s face, filled with mischief, looked as if a god were gazing down on a mere mortal.
“Hold it right there!” Edward said, getting up excitedly. Encountering William in this setting meant he had a chance to settle old scores. Otherwise, how would he keep his reputation?
William was not one to avoid confrontations. Hearing Edward’s shout, he stopped, turned around, and asked, “What do you want?” 𝒷𝒹ℴ𝓿𝓁.𝓬𝓸𝓂
“You’re a waiter, aren’t you? Don’t you know how to open wine? And what’s with this attitude?” Edward said, a smirk playing on his lips. He had initially thought William had some powerful connections, but now seeing him as a waiter here, he felt reassured.
To him, William was just a poor kid whom he could bully as he pleased.
“Open wine?” William replied, glancing over his shoulder. He then smiled at Edward, “Sorry, I have other customers to attend to.”
Nicholas, who was nearby, immediately stepped in, laughing, “Sir, let me open the wine for you!”
“Get lost! I specifically want him to serve me!” Edward exclaimed arrogantly, pointing at William. “I’ve paid to have fun, and he’s not going anywhere today!”
William, narrowing his eyes and smiling slyly, asked, “Edward, right? Your mom’s here.”
“What nonsense, it’s your mom who’s here!” Edward shouted back. “Do you even want to work here?”
William didn’t bother explaining further. He had an acute ability to recognize people and their familial ties at a single glance.
Just then, Piper, who had drunk with William the night before, approached, glaring at Edward. “You little punk! What are you doing here?”