For at least a week, Janus found Virgil was always too busy. Even though the servant was still around to talk to him, they weren't spending long days together anymore, and Janus didn't know what to do about. He mostly hid in his room, trying on clothes and attempting new combinations of outfits, or organising his rings. There wasn't much else to do, apart from wandering the house and reading.

Today, he had emerged from his room - the boredom had been driving him mad - and he was in the Blue Room, curled up on one of the sinky, velvet armchairs, with a book in his hands that he had nearly finished. The window was open, letting the warm breeze waft in gently. It was almost perfectly serene, Janus thought to himself, glancing up into a mirror opposite. The entire room was bathed in still sunlight, lighting up any shining metal or jewel, and a collection of violet and indigo butterflies were coming in through the open window, fluttering about soundlessly, like beads dancing on a necklace.

Janus smiled at his reflection softly, closing the book and stretching out his arms and legs before standing up. Calmly, with no sense of rush or need to look unreachable, Janus walked up to one of the bookcases, sliding in the book to its' place.

It was completely silent in the room and he smiled, feeling weightless with no one watching him. It was... unusual, that he could feel alone in a good way. Then someone ruined it.

"Master Adders," Said a loud, blank voice from behind him, making the aristocrat jump. "Lady Adders has requested you to join her out to the towns' market. She requests you to be ready to go in five minutes."

Janus frowned. "Do I have to?"

The servant narrowed her eyes slightly. "Yes, Master Adders. Lady Adders has requested you and you shouldn't defy the Lady."

"Alright, alright, fine," Janus sighed, leaning against the bookshelf and crossing his arms angrily. He glared menacingly at the servant. "You're excused. Go away."

With a tiny, rigid bow of her head, the servant left and Janus felt his happy mood vanish. He pushed away from the bookshelf and took one last, longing look at the comfy armchair. Eventually, he pulled his gaze away, storming out as quietly as he could. He picked up tidy, black leather ankle boots and sat on a small wicker chair to put them on, lacing them while tapping out a tiny tune on the floor.

Four minutes after Janus was supposed to be by the door, his mother arrived, dressed in very flattering pastel pink, with red rubies studded in her headdress. Her skirt was billowing out and her raven hair was winded in a gorgeous style of a half-bun. She beamed at her son, who smiled politely back.

"Hello, Janus, love," Evalyn said. "How are you?"

Janus bowed slightly. "I'm okay, Mummy. Why are we going out to the town market?"

Evalyn wafted her hand lightly around. "Oh, I thought I'd buy you something, to make up for the fact your father and I can't spend much time with you this week."

Something sunk in Janus's' chest. "That's very nice of you, Mummy, thank you. Maybe, when we get back, I could show you my piano-"

"No, no, sweetie, I'm sorry," Evalyn grimaced sadly, shaking her head solemnly. "We're only going to be out together quickly, then you'll have to go home because I'm meeting up with some friends. I just thought that, if I was going out, I could at least treat you as well. You can practise while I'm out so that you can show me when I come back."

"Oh," Janus said. He bowed his head slightly. "That's alright. Are we taking the carriage there?"

His mother nodded. "Yes, but you'll have to walk back on  your own, if that's alright."

"That's fine, Mummy. I don't mind," Promised Janus.

Evalyn smiled radiantly. "That's good. I'd hate for you to be upset while I was buying you a treat."

As the Lady of the House left the building, Janus followed behind her, hands behind his back. The beautiful carriage of his home was waiting on the tidy, gravel driveway and he watched a handsome young boy, his age, possibly, with a familiar face, help his mother up into it. As Janus approached, he frowned at the boy.

There was nothing exceptional about him. His clothes were just as cheap as the rest of the households' outside workers, but it was his face that stuck with him. That was weird. Janus never usually remembered faces.

The boy helped him up into the carriage, shooting him an unreadable look, before closing the door and letting the carriage roll choppily down the gravel driveway.

Slowly, they left the grounds of the manor and reached the village. People stopped and waved at the carriage, smiling and grinning at the sight of their beloved Lady and her son.

Evalyn waved back gently, but Janus kept his eyes firmly on the ground, glancing up every now and then. He smiled once, briefly and shyly, at a small group of young girls, who instantly began to fawn and blush. The carriage kept pulling along and Evalyn finally spoke to him.

"Where would you like to go, by the way, for your little gift?" She asked him.

"The jewellers, please," Janus replied. "I'd quite like a new necklace."

Evalyn nodded. "The jewellers it is." And she knocked on a small glass pane, mouthing her instructions at the driver when he turned around.

Quickly, the carriage followed its' new course and they were outside the jewellers in no time.

Lady Adders disembarked first, of course, and the footman instantly assisted her in smoothing down her dress and opened the door for her. Then Janus stepped out after his mother, shoulders hunched slightly, trying to avoid all the eyes. It wasn't that he didn't want the attention. He just didn't want his mother to notice.

The old man who run the jewellers was a lovely person. His wrinkled face was kind and his brown eyes were warm. His works were enviable, even compared to jewellery Janus had from the mainland. The jeweller's' name was Oliver Jackson and he beamed instantly upon seeing the Adders.

"Lady Adders, Master Adders, welcome!" He beamed, offering a respectfully deep bow. His young apprentice and son, Remy, looked up quickly from his polishing. "I'm glad to see you here! Tell me, what can I do for ya?"

Evalyn smiled politely. "Janus is getting a gift for being so well behaved recently, so he's here to have a look."

Oliver nodded. "Ah, yes, of course. Remy, m'boy, be a good lad and show Master Adders our stock, please."

"Sure thing, dad," Remy replied quickly, bouncing up. He contained his eagerness as he made his way over to his friend, nudging him subtly and whispering, "Hey, queen, what's up?"