Cid was good at jewellery making, which was obviously a good reason to start that type of business. But that didn’t mean that was all to it. He had already thought about how Leonard’s jewellery business had quite a number of regur customers that would be hard to obtain, if they were obtainable at all. Then, on top of that, he might be able to get gems and stones cheap from his friend David, but he had to make sure that he had everything else. He needed to get a building, a home, or possibly both together. He also wanted to make business propositions with the pottery people on the other side of town.

  Argh, if only he had some time on his hands and had a regur payment to put away for this!

  His stash of money was hidden with his papers to his father’s business and the idea on where to hide it was through his friend’s mother, Pauletta.

  She had tried to find something that was right in front of her and still had trouble and so…Cid uses that same strategy with his secret stash!

  His stepfather has probably looked at the bcksmithing shop and also Cid’s room…Many times!

  But did he ever consider that what he’s looking for was under his very nose?

  It was a ughable matter, really!

  For years, Cid had stashed his money there and then his papers there ter, right in his Stepfather’s office!

  Cid doesn’t go to his stepfather’s office unless he’s called to go there but…That isn’t hard!

  Leonard would tell him to dust, stating he forgot to tell the workers to do it instead…Well, that and get firewood and put books away and write something for him and…So on…

  And…In doing these chores it was also a way to nitpick and find a fault in him, especially when Leonard would get him to write. Having to py dumb and not write well, Cid already knew, as soon as the words left Leonard’s mouth, that he was going to be punished…

  So, Cid only needed to wait for his stepfather to be away for a short moment, for him to put away his money, and then continue to work as though nothing had happened!

  Simple, easy and so far…Nothing had been found.

  Sadly, Cid knew that if his money was found, he’d lose it…As the first two times, when he had kept his money in his room, it had gone.

  It was his papers that he was worried about but…What else was he to do?

  Benjamin and Pauletta had already helped him out a great deal! He doesn’t even know how to repay them for all of their help! Only to ask for more help from them seemed completely wrong and he wasn’t going to do that!

  Cid just couldn’t do it!

  He had to rely on himself and so if the papers get taken and somehow his stepfather gains the ownership through finding it, then…So be it…

  Keeping it from the stepfather this long has already tired him out and Cid also knew that he wasn’t looking at doing bcksmithing after he moved away anyway…What was worth it though, was not giving the man what he wanted!

  That was what Cid was getting out of this!

  If he can stop his stepfather from gaining something for nothing, then that was enough for now!

  ***

  With four hours sleep, Cid was up once again to trot down the path and be the first person to enter into the jewellery factory.

  The building wasn’t as big as you would think it would be, as jewellery making was mostly into storage of little things, but they now made wire here, which took up a bit of space because of the materials there that was used for it.

  Boxes, compartments and draws were filled with itty bitty pieces and for some reason, Cid felt like it was his home.

  He had gotten into jewellery crafting full time after his mother had died, instead of beforehand of only doing it on a few occasions.

  His mother had started him onto it, as she had pyed with her new husband’s itty-bitty bits and so…Those times were refreshed in his mind when coming here.

  His mother was not a businessperson, she wouldn’t have had any idea upon how to keep the bcksmithing business his father owned going.

  That was why David’s parents took over the shop after his father had died…

  Cid’s mother had been a wonderful dy, putting her son first and trying to bance everything out…The problem was, she didn’t choose well in obtaining a husband…Back then, Leonard had acted well and did not show his true self, making Cid ever so reluctant to marry in the future…

  Cid found out that his mother had even put him first when he had mourned his father’s death, finding her crying alone a few weeks ter, mumbling out his father’s name…

  It wasn’t long after his mother remarried that his father’s memories became a bit blurry, where upon only words were remembered, not his face. Yet now that his mother had perished years ago, he remembers his mother’s smiling face quite clearly but could not remember everything except the good times.

  Well, Cid strived on his memories on his parents and maybe he thought about his father’s words and his mother’s good times the most, therefore maybe forgetting the rest? He wasn’t sure but that would be reason enough for him and once he accepted that as an answer, he no longer thought about it…

  “Ah! There you are!”

  Cid knew that voice…It was Steven…

  The st time Steven had talked to him he had wanted to change the people who had worked at his Father’s bcksmithing shop for the st decade…The time before that he had said that he was not worthy of being in the Princess’s presence…What will his stepbrother want this time?

  “I’ve come to inform you that those two lowly servants in the bcksmithing shop have been dismissed. Don’t be worried though, I have pced two others there to continue their work.”

  Cid stopped what he was doing and just stared at his stepbrother.

  The two people that he kept at the bcksmithing shop had been his father’s friends.

  He remembered them and they were also loyal…

  “Is there a problem?” Steven asked, smirking at him.

  Cid kept himself from getting angry and tried to remember what words he should be using instead, “Oh? They were not good people?”

  “Of course not! They were terribly rude! If they were to stay there, they would ruin the business! No, I told them that if they had any courtesy, they would leave on their own accord!”

  Hiding his hand away from his stepbrother’s eyes, Cid clenched and unclenched it, “If…If they are bad people then…I understand.”

  You’re a nasty person! How dare you think you could do this!

  “Don’t worry, little brother, the new employees are loyal to me and will report to me so that I can look after the business!”

  Cid desperately wanted to ugh!

  Loyal to you!?

  It has come to this then has it!?

  At least your father has not gone as far as to send the workers away!

  Cid could see that extra bit of ego that this boy has got, whereas his father might have a bit more brains!

  It is done!

  Since Steven wants to even take management off Benjamin, then I will then close the shop! It’s not like my father’s friends are still there to worry about now!

  “Thank you, stepbrother!”

  “It is what I should do!” Says Steven.

  Ho! Well done!

  Cid cpped for Steven in his mind, thinking that he was a pure idiot!

  His stepbrother walked out happily, like he was on air.

  Taking a deep breath and waiting until he was out of eyesight, Cid grabbed his coat and left.

  He was already coming up with a pn to use this information as a reason to close the shop.

  He will say, ‘Did you not say that the shop was not making me any money? What is wrong with closing it?’

  His stepfather will get mad and state about not closing it but giving it to him and then Cid was thinking of something like, ‘My stepbrother brought in two new people, how can I pay them? They will most likely want more money than the st people who were my father’s friends! I can’t afford anything anymore, so I just think it’s better to shut it down. Doesn’t’ that make more sense?’

  Cid got out his money, but frowned, he had only recently put money in his stash that was kept in Leonard’s office, so he didn’t have much left in his room.

  It looks like he will have to walk!