Anom didn't reply instantly. He stared at Loreana for a longer period than was considered appropriate before finally asking, "You did it again, didn't you? You should stop already."
"What are you talking about?" Loreana replied, maintaining a straight face.
Anom let out a sigh as he walked toward the beautiful mother, stopping in front of her. "You know, suppressing your feelings like this will hurt you more than you can imagine. Trust me, instead of relying on whatever drug you're using to numb your emotions, just share them with me."
"How do you...?" Loreana was startled, never imagining that he would know about it.
"Well, I sensed a peculiar substance suppressing your vitality. You know, when we were hugging earlier," Anom explained, chuckling.
Loreana blushed slightly, a trace of confusion flashing across her eyes.
"Ah, I'm referring to the time we hugged outside old Head Gamus's house."
This time, she turned completely red, not e
'No! Don't stare, my eyes... Dammit! I said, don't! Both of you, stop it! How can I lose my unyielding temperament that didn't even waver while watching those ridiculous fan service episodes?'As Anom struggled to regain control of his wandering eyes, Loreana finally decided to look up. Their gazes met, and Anom managed to regain his composure, acting as if he hadn't been caught staring.Clearing his throat, he suggested, "Hmm, the girls from the capital are still waiting outside. Perhaps you should go and make some arrangements for them, and in the meantime, I'll talk to Crystal and do my best to comfort her, alright?"Loreana didn't speak further and simply nodded, loosening her grip on his hands and standing up from the bed. She walked towards a cabinet, retrieving a robe to cover herself before heading towards the door. The silence in the room made Anom feel slightly awkward.Just as he was about to break the silence, Loreana suddenly spoke: "Even if
"Do you miss your father?" An unexpected question hung in the air, catching Crystal off guard. She hesitated for a moment, unsure of his intentions, but eventually replied, "Yeah, but Mom wouldn't let me see him. I wonder how he's doing right now…" Anom nodded, delving deeper into the topic. "How are things between you and your father?" A wave of nostalgia washed over Crystal as she embarked on a trip down memory lane, recounting her cherished moments with her father. Her face lit up with a radiant smile as she shared stories of his unwavering love and the absence of scolding. Anom listened attentively, asking probing questions and engrossing himself in her anecdotes. The conversation flowed effortlessly, forging a bond between them that transcended mere acquaintance. After their heartfelt exchange, Crystal turned to Anom, her curiosity piqued. "Why are you so free to discuss these topics today? Weren't you working on your scheme with those two 'respected guests' from the capital?"
"Huh?" Crystal turned towards the door, momentarily confused. Loreana, her face swollen from tears, took hesitant steps into the room, keeping her head bowed, afraid to meet her daughter's gaze.To say Loreana was nervous would be an understatement. She had just returned and was standing outside the door when Anom abruptly summoned her. But her primary concern was how her daughter was coping with the devastating news. With a deep breath, she mustered the courage to enter the room.Loreana's heart ached as she saw her daughter nestled in Anom's embrace like a koala. Their eyes met briefly before Crystal abruptly turned her head away. Loreana felt a pang of guilt, fearing that her daughter was upset with her. Little did she know that Crystal was simply unsure of how to face her mother, partly influenced by Anom's revelations. Crystal realized the pain her mother must have endured upon learning that her daughter had gone missing shortly after losing her husband. Crystal f
"You praise him too much, Mom. He..." The mother and daughter were engrossed in a private conversation after Anom had left when an unexpected interruption occurred."Yeah. What's the point of praising me behind my back?" Anom's sudden voice startled both women, causing Crystal to attempt leaping into her mother's lap but inadvertently shoving her down instead."You!" Crystal felt a mixture of fury and embarrassment at being caught off guard. Her anger intensified as she saw Anom standing behind them, his eyes filled with amusement.Swiftly seizing a nearby pillow, she aimed it directly at his face. "Why are you back, you sneaking bastard?"Anom chuckled, effortlessly catching the pillow mid-air. "I overheard you yelling my name, so I assumed you needed me. But I'm glad I returned. It's always entertaining to hear you grumble about me to your mother."Crystal blushed at his retort but continued to growl. "Are you a dog or something? And don't you know it's impolite to eavesdrop?""Alri
"You really love us, don't you?" Crystal asked Anom, her voice tinged with amusement."Of course..." Anom replied, realizing he had let his guard down in the presence of the two women. 'Damn! This girl set a trap for me!' he thought, regretting his swift response.Unfortunately for Anom, it was too late to retract his words. Loreana, who had been frozen in his embrace, finally became aware of their proximity and the embarrassing situation unfolding before her daughter. Her heart skipped a beat from the embarrassment that surged within her."Maybe I answered too quickly, but my response wasn't wrong, you know," Anom said to Loreana, who was attempting to gather her strength to extricate herself from his hold. Gently lifting her chin with his finger, he continued, "I do like you. Perhaps I pretended otherwise because I knew you wouldn't accept it. And maybe it's unconventional, but I no longer care. Now that you two have opened your hearts to each other, let me tell you something."Anom
"Mom?""…Hm?""So you, um… you never loved father?""…""I'm sorry, Mom. I know I shouldn't meddle in your affairs, but I was just a bit curious as to why…" Crystal's voice trailed off, as she decided to drop the question."It's okay, dear." Surprising her daughter, Loreana removed the pillow from her face and answered, "There was really nothing like that between your father and me."But that only furthered another question in her listeners' minds. "Why did you marry him, then?" Crystal asked, before she further added, "You also never cleared my doubts about your side of the family, Or, for that matter, anything about the life you had prior to your marriage.. Can you tell me about it now?"Loreana remained silent for a moment before responding. "Fine.""Uh, I should go to sleep now. Good night, ladies!" Anom stood up to leave the room to provide them with some privacy."Hmph! Stay seated." Crystal snorted as she said disdainfully, "Why are you acting modest all of a sudden? Didn't you
"After that, we were all directed to the selling area. It was where purchasers could inspect the "goods" and place their bids.The excited crowd stood in stark contrast to our despairing thoughts. There was no sympathy in those gazes, only more greed.We witnessed multiple batches of people being auctioned off one at a time. We saw our friends and comrades being received by their buyers, who, ignoring their pleading, enthusiastically dragged them off. That feeling of waiting for the same fate was revolting, to say the least. Not all those sold were children, however. There were many adult women, dressed in clothing based on their "quality".Finally, the turn of the batch I was part of came on stage, and so did the time for the conclusion.You could just by looking at the faces of the crowd that it was the main attraction there. After all, who wouldn't want a slave that can be used for more than just entertainment? It was actually the primary reason they kept raiding new cities on a re
"I don't know how those moments went by so quickly, but I realized that I had become reluctant to part ways with her. Not only because of the kindness and affection she had provided me with, but also because I didn't want to face the inevitable that was waiting me outside the carriage. She saw through my thoughts and said: "You can stay here and not go out. I'll ask Benny to check out the situation inside. But I would suggest that you go witness it yourself. Whatever it might feel like for now, it will give you direction when you feel lost. It will make you realize what you need to do and not let this kind of thing from repeating itself." I realized something from her words, or maybe I had realized it long ago. But I ultimately decided to go myself. We disembarked and followed the butler Benny to what looked like the ruins of a once lively town. Due to its location in an open plain that was simple to assault, the bandits presumably didn't use this town as a b