Chapter 27 – Reasonable Kindness

After the intervention of the skilled attorney, Raoul Dawson, the situation was reversed. Sasha, whose status changed from accomplice to witness, underwent a formal investigation, and was soon told she could leave.

“Then could you wait outside for a bit? I don’t want to tell you how I was treated in that house too.”

Eloise carefully requested this.

Robert, taking the dazed Sasha out of the police station, headed for the café across the street. Sitting at a terrace table, he ordered a cup of coffee and lemonade. Soon, a polite server brought a silver tray and, as if it were only natural, placed coffee and lemonade in front of the gentleman and the young lady.

“Do you want to switch to coffee?”

Seeing Sasha not touch her lemonade, the man asked. Sasha shook her head and lifted the cold glass, sipping the lemonade.

“Who was that person earlier? The attorney who came with you.”

“He’s my friend.”

“Your friend?”

You have a friend? 

Sasha barely swallowed the rude question that rose to her throat. Of course, he would have friends. Today, Mr. Robert, whom she ran into by chance in Laurent, looked especially impressive. His clothes, rarely seen in Manolie, seemed more stylish than usual, and his tall stature and distinct features stood out even among the fashionable crowd in the Laurent café. Many people would want to be friends with a man like him.

Rolling ice in her mouth, Sasha cautiously asked,

“Is it okay to leave like this in the middle of the investigation?”

“Your part is over. Raoul will handle the rest.”

Sasha nodded and fiddled with her lemonade glass, then thanked him.

“Thank you for helping me and Eloise. If it weren’t for your friend, we might have ended up in the vagrant shelter.”

“Yes. I’m glad it didn’t come to that.”

Imagining Sasha Vinoche trapped in that filthy, grim place made Robert feel quite unpleasant. If he hadn’t been there, it could have actually happened.

“What brings you to Laurent?”

Sasha hesitated before asking. Before answering, Robert paused.

‘Why did I come here?’

He’d been invited by the royal family to discuss issues related to the exhibition, but as always, he could have sent a representative. No one would have blamed him for declining the invitation. Yet, he’d come to Laurent and had lunch with Deborah because of Sasha Vinoche. He needed to sort out his feelings about this woman.

“To meet someone.”

Robert replied concisely. Sasha, unaware of the circumstances, nodded and asked again, curious.

“Did you meet everyone you needed to? Will you return to Manolie now?”

“Yes. I was planning to take the train tomorrow.”

He originally intended to stay in Laurent a few more days, attend some social invitations, or visit friends vacationing in nearby resort towns. But just now, that perfect plan changed. Robert decided to buy a ticket to return to Manolie tomorrow.

At that moment, someone tapped the café terrace railing. It was Raoul.

“It’s all wrapped up. The young lady can return home now. Oh, here’s your suitcase.”

Raoul handed over Sasha’s suitcase, which had been tossed onto Sainte-Marie Street.

“Thank you for your help. But hasn’t Eloise come out yet?”

“Ah, her case is tricky. It’s been proven she didn’t steal the money, but she does owe a debt. She’ll probably have to go back to her uncle’s house.”

The attorney delivered the unfortunate news to Sasha, who was searching for her friend. When the situation turned unfavorable, Monsieur Michonnet revealed Eloise was his niece. There was a letter from Eloise’s parents asking him to take care of her. The drunken man claimed his niece had never paid rent, and made his wife and daughter his witnesses.

“If it’s a family matter, lawyers or police can’t interfere any further. Well, if it goes to court and gets really ugly, it’s not impossible, but… Should we really go that far for something so trivial?”

Raoul shrugged at Robert, as if to say he had no reason to get involved. And he was right. Robert had no obligation to rescue Sasha’s friend. His kindness toward Sasha Vinoche was enough as it was. Reasonable kindness. Reasonable distance. Reasonable boundaries. Having reached that conclusion, Robert avoided Sasha’s green eyes, which were hoping for help, and spoke.

“No. This is enough. Good work.”

Robert saw her large green eyes fill with disappointment and other negative emotions, but that was no longer his concern.

“Eloise!”

Sasha, spotting her friend coming out of the police station, jumped up and ran. Monsieur Michonnet’s face was full of color, while Eloise’s was clearly filled with despair.

Robert did not rise to follow Sasha. He and his attorney watched from the café terrace, signaling they would not get involved any further.

Sasha felt their gaze, but did not look back. Of course, he had no responsibility to rescue Eloise. Knowing this, Sasha still unconsciously hoped he would go out of his way to save an innocent girl, to be that kind of person.

Surprised at her own disappointment in Mr. Robert, Sasha quickly changed her mind. He could have just passed by on Sainte-Marie Street, but he followed to the police station and helped her—that was more than enough. Risking himself to help Eloise was Sasha’s job. Eloise was her friend, not Mr. Robert’s.

“What, why are you still here?!”

Monsieur Michonnet, seeing Sasha run up, shouted loudly. Sasha ignored him and looked at Eloise, whose head was bowed. Monsieur Michonnet quickly grabbed his niece’s wrist.

“Hmph. You got lucky, but you can’t take my niece. She owes me. She’ll have to work at the factory to pay it off.”

He laughed nastily.

“No, I came to talk about my painting.”

Sasha looked away from Eloise and spoke.

“What?”

“You still haven’t returned the painting you stole from me.”

Sasha spoke firmly, without shrinking. Monsieur Michonnet, caught off guard, turned pale. The police station was right there.

‘Why didn’t she mention it earlier? Should I just hit her and leave?’

Suddenly, his instincts flashed a warning. Monsieur Michonnet glanced at the attorney and at Robert, who gave off an intimidating air from the café terrace. Another instinct told him that the young attorney wouldn’t back down so easily if it was about Sasha, not Eloise. Anxious about a possible fine, Monsieur Michonnet fidgeted.

“You don’t have to return the painting. I won’t report you to the police. Instead, cancel Eloise’s debt.”

At Sasha’s proposal, Monsieur Michonnet’s eyes rolled. He quickly calculated the money Eloise earned and the fine he’d pay if things escalated. Finishing his calculations, he spat and let go of Eloise’s wrist.

“Go back home, Eloise. You country mouse. If you ever come back to Laurent and I see you, you won’t get off so easily.”

Eloise looked up in surprise. Was it really over? Was she not being dragged back to that house, but going back to Manolie? Monsieur Michonnet hurried away, as if to prove it.

Euphoric, Eloise grabbed Sasha’s hand and burst into tears. The hand of her brave friend was actually trembling. The two girls, hugging each other in relief on the boulevard, sat down and cried for a long time.

* * *

Sasha and Eloise went to Monsieur Michonnet’s house to retrieve Eloise’s luggage. Her belongings were tossed outside the door. The two girls gathered scattered clothes and items and packed their bags. Eloise, full of hope for the city, returned just as she had left for Manolie.

Overcome with emotion, Eloise clung to Sasha under the bull statue and cried again.

“I really am so foolish. I hated you and yelled at you because I was embarrassed, but you gave up your painting to help me. It’s all my fault. You lost your painting because of me.”

By then, Sasha had calmed down and, instead of crying with Eloise, gently patted her back.

“It’s okay, Eloise. It wasn’t because of you—I didn’t even like that painting much. The Baron probably wouldn’t have liked it either.”

“So what now? Don’t you have to send a painting to the Baron?”

Eloise sniffled and asked.

“I’ll just make a new one. After coming to Laurent, I have new things I want to paint. That’s a good thing.”

“A new painting? How will you paint here?”

Forgetting to comfort Eloise, Sasha fell deep into thought.

“If you need help, should I help?”

A sudden offer made Sasha blink. Mr. Robert and his attorney, who had helped at the police station, were still following them.

“If you need a hotel to stay for a few days, I can arrange it.”