It took Oriana almost four days to reach the North, which was two days longer compared to when she came to the South through the smugglers’ wagons. Only then did she realize it was not that she misjudged the distance, but Ron and his group had access to a secret route which halved the travel time between the cities of Jerusha and Selve.
About an hour after sunrise, Oriana could be seen hurrying back to her village. She could not help but first check on her grandfather, wondering if she would be reprimanded for arriving later than her original two-week promise.
’I hope I can distract him with the souvenirs I bought...’
To her pleasant surprise, the old man was still sleeping soundly when she arrived home.
Oriana could finally breathe.
’First, I will prepare a meal for Grandpa before he wakes up. I can then prepare concocting his chronic medicine for senility.’ A pleased smile graced her lips. ’Adventuring is fun and all, but staying home with family is still the best.’
She freshened up and started preparing a meal. The family opposite her house chanced on Oriana cooking at the kitchen extension in the front yard.
"Orian! You’re back!" Aunt Gwen called out with a big smile. She was feeding the chickens they raise as livestock. "When did you return?"
Hearing the woman’s shout, her daughter hurried out of their home as she exclaimed happily, "Orian? Orian is back—ouch!"
The little girl whined as someone hit the back of her head. "Brother, why are you so violent?!"
"You don’t look this happy whenever I come home," Luke said with a dry tone as he too stepped out of their house.
"Are you jealous, Luke?" Oriana asked as she giggled at the siblings.
"Stop smiling like a girl."
Luke merely glanced at Oriana before turning away. What kind of man ’giggled’? It was unfair how attractive Oriana’s smiling face was. It was hard to take his gaze off her face. This was the main reason Luke avoided staring at her for too long.
With a frown, Luke went to their yard to chop firewood.
However, he forgot that his little sister was Oriana’s number one admirer.
"What’s wrong with Orian’s smile? Hmph!" Rina began to complain. "I like it when he smiles. His smiles are as bright as sunshine!"
"I knew Rina loves me best," Oriana replied with a casual laugh, her eyes twinkling with mirth. "Your brother probably thinks everyone should have a paralyzed face like his."
"Brother’s face is scary!" Rina chimed.
"That is what I am worried about," Gwen said, agreeing to her daughter’s statement. "Because of this, no one wants to marry him. His expressionless face scares the girls away."
"Who wants to marry?" Luke scowled. The young man brought out logs and an ax from a wooden shed, and he glared at their direction before putting a log on top of a tree stump.
"Your parents do," Gwen shot back. "You are of age, and it is normal for guys like you to marry and start your own family. Your father was eighteen too when he married me—"
"I don’t care," came his cold reply.
Gwen could only sigh helplessly, turning back to the black-clothed neighbor. "Orian, you are his friend. At least, teach him how to smile."
"Me?" Oriana looked at Luke who glared at her as if saying, ’You dare?’
Thud!
He chopped a log into half. A warning.
She awkwardly cleared her throat. "Aunt Gwen, in my opinion, your son is the most good-looking and desirable unmarried man in all the villages in our region. Is it not better that Luke be loved without having to change himself? He doesn’t need to smile to get a girl. He is perfect the way he is."
"Do you think so?" the woman asked in doubt.
"Yes, Aunt Gwen. Trust me."
Oriana glanced at Luke, but he never once looked her way. It was as if he was deaf, busying himself with chopping wood.
"Ah! That reminds me!" Oriana exclaimed. She immediately ran inside her house. When she went back out, she was holding gifts in her hands.
She gave a hair pin to the woman, a rouge to the girl and a hunting dagger to the young man.
"This is for you, Luke."
He simply eyed the knife with a bunny carved on the handle.
’Why isn’t he moving? Does he like the gift or not?’
Oriana could never see through his real thoughts. He was like a stone wall that it was impossible to get through it.
"If you don’t like it..."
A large, manly hand unfolded in front of Oriana. Its owner wordlessly stared at her.
Oriana quietly put the knife in his hand. He accepted it without checking it, tucking the dagger in his belt, and simply resumed his work.
’I was not wrong when I said Luke is the most handsome man here. I overheard some of the village girls say he’s like a wild, sexy beast.
’I bet if he gives a damn about fixing his hair, and he pays more attention to his clothes—no, wear clothes like those nobles I met at sea...’
This reminded Oriana of a certain spoiled brat with eyes as blue as the sea.
’That brat is like a prince charming straight out of fairy tales, but Luke is handsome in his own rugged way.’
"Orian, Orian!" Rina came to her side, pulling her out of her daze. "Orian, I applied that rouge. How do I look?"
The black-clothed youth looked at her pink cheeks. Though the girl applied it unevenly, Oriana didn’t comment on it.
"You look beautiful like a fair maiden, Rina."
Oriana didn’t notice that her words unintentionally caused the girl’s blush to deepen.
Rina turned shy, and then her expression changed, as if she recalled something.
"Oh right, did my brother already tell you about this man who came—"
"You look like a red-faced monkey," Luke said in a loud voice that startled both girls.
Rina pursed her lips. "What—"
"Go wash your face."
The girl aimed to kick her brother before running away.
Oriana glared at the young man. "You were mean to her, Luke."
Luke glared back. "How thoughtless of you." Luke was aware of how Oriana’s words affected his impressionable younger sister. Oriana’s kindness, for the girl’s heart, that innocent praise meant more than intended.
Oriana felt puzzled. "What did I even do?"
"Don’t praise her if you don’t mean it." He then added, as if an afterthought. "Tell her the truth so she can learn how to properly use a rouge."
"But you don’t have to hurt her like that—"
Thud!
The sound of the ax hitting splitting a log interrupted her. She knew what his action meant—he no longer wished to continue this conversation.
Oriana merely shook her head and returned to her own yard. Gwen looked at her, silently apologizing for her son’s bad temper. It was hard to argue with him even like his words were absolute.
Through the corner of his eyes, Luke watched Oriana going back to her cabin. He had to interrupt his sister as he didn’t want Oriana to find out there were people with ill intentions investigating her background.