The Knight's Mysterious Maid-Chapter 467: Normal couple (3)

After changing into a dress, Annalise and Rafael went out the window to get away from the guests in the inn. They both did not know if there was still a crowd but neither one was interested in going out front to see if those curious to see Rafael had left.

They walked holding hands as Rafael tried to find a path that would lead them to the market.

They both knew that Rafael going unnoticed wouldn’t last long as someone would recognise him the more they walked around, but for the short time they were alone, they would enjoy it.

They finally found a way to enter the busy market and join the crowd of people shopping around or just enjoying a stroll. Other couples were walking close to each other, looking like newlyweds.

"What are you interested in seeing?" Rafael asked.

"I don’t know. Are there special types of candy or treats I can only get here? Not for me. Lydia enjoyed the candy we gave her," Annalise said, knowing this could make him change his mind. "It couldn’t hurt for me to taste a few to see if they would be good for her and the other children at the orphanage."

"How are we to ever tell her no to candy when you are always so eager to eat it?" Rafael asked, fearing he would become the bad guy as he didn’t want so much candy to be eaten.

"I’ll get rid of my love of candy by the time we reach the orphanage. You’ll see," Annalise replied, certain she could do this.

"Right," Rafael replied, not believing it would happen by then. After getting a taste of the candy here, Annalise would want to have more and more. "I don’t know if there are special candies because I never looked for any. Do you want a hat?"

Rafael walked ahead of Annalise to a stall with many hats. He picked a green and placed it on her head. "It would suit you for hot days when you want to hide your face from the sun."

Annalise touched the edge of the hat. It was quite large and somewhat hung down to cover the side of her face. It would block the harsh sun from shining on her face. A hat wasn’t something she would go out of her way to buy, but Rafael was eager to buy it for her so she nodded her head.

"There are small ones," Rafael said, continuing to look over the hats. He could get one for his mother, Celine, and Lydia if he could just find one that was far smaller than what he gave to Annalise.

Annalise smiled as already she pictured Rafael to be a father who couldn’t stop spoiling his children. While he worried about her giving Lydia too much candy, she worried about the future trips to town that he might take with Lydia.

They might return home with a carriage full of things that were not needed.

"This one is pretty with flowers. Beatrice would like it," Annalise said, pointing to a white hat with pink flower patterns.

Rafael’s desire to buy many hats for the women in his life brought joy to the stall owner’s face. After standing around waiting for another customer, he was in luck to come across one who seemed to want to buy all that he displayed.

Soon Rafael and the stall owner entered a conversation about what hats were suited for what weather.

Annalise shook her head, laughing at the two. She took this time to look around at what else was also being sold in the market. There were pastries with steam coming from them and the wind blowing the wonderful smell her way. Annalise knew where she was going next as long as she could get Rafael away from buying hats.

Annalise had to pull the sides of her hat down as the wind started to blow and wanted to steal her hat from her. It was pretty, but if she had to chase after the hat frequently, Annalise would leave it for days when the wind wasn’t out to get her.

"Ready to go?" Rafael asked Annalise. He carried a box filled with a few hats. Now he had no choice but to look around for a carriage to buy or one to pay to take them to their next stop.

Annalise stared at Rafael in disbelief. She had only turned around for a second and he was carrying a box filled with hats. Where were they to put this?

Annalise wanted to say that they didn’t need so many hats, but she didn’t want to ruin Rafael spoiling her. He enjoyed it therefore she would go along with it. "I want to taste the pastries before they turn cold. We can walk around and eat them."

Rafael held Annalise’s hand again and walked side by side to where the pastries were. Now it was time for Annalise to be the one lost in what the stall owner was selling and having a conversation with the worker.

Rafael kept watch as she spoke, pointing to what she wanted to buy.

They were being watched again, but now they were shopping around, they didn’t mind it as much.

"Try this one," Annalise said, picking up one of the pastries from the wooden plate they were placed on to feed to Rafael.

Rafael leaned forward to make it easier for Annalise to feed him. He bit into the warm flaky pastry and savoured the taste of the cream filling that was not too sweet. "It is good," he answered, licking his lips to get rid of what stained his mouth.

Annalise used her finger to wipe away the cream at the side of his lips. "I picked a few that weren’t sweet so you can eat with me. I want to try," Annalise said, taking a bite of the pastry.

Rafael placed his right hand in his pocket to get coins to pay for the pastries while Annalise was distracted by eating the rest of the pastry she fed him. He had made the right choice to travel with a lot of money to be able to spoil Annalise during this time. She could get whatever she wanted without having to worry about the price.

"Oh, there are paints over there. The duchess likes to paint," Annalise said, hurrying off to another stall.

Whenever she would be in Lockwood again, she wanted to take gifts to the friends she made there.

"I must get something for the queen. Maybe a painting of a flower," said Annalise. She hoped that the duchess and queen would enjoy that she was getting what she knew they liked based on their conversations.

Annalise thought this was better than getting them an expensive gift with no meaning behind why she was giving it to them.

"I must also find something for Siena, Heidi, and Giselle. Siena would enjoy something special you could only find here while Heidi and Giselle would enjoy a dress. Will you buy something for your friends too?" Annalise asked as she could help him pick them out.

Since Annalise was going to be away from her friends for a few weeks, she wanted to send gifts to cheer them up and remind them of her.

Rafael didn’t have any plans of buying Edgar a gift and certainly not Tobias. They both had everything they needed as they could send someone to buy it the second they wanted it. Buying them a gift with their expensive taste would take up all the money he was going to spend on Annalise.

"No," Rafael answered. "I’m only interested in spoiling you."

"How lovely you are," said Annalise.