"Big bro... I mean… Dayesh, I'm just going out for a bit. I need to buy something."
"And you're going out dressed like that?" His gaze dropped to the green dress she was wearing, brows slightly furrowed.
"Yes. Do you have a problem with what I'm wearing?" she shot back, a hint of defiance slipping through her tone.
"Go change."
"No."
"Then you're not going out unless you change your clothes."
"Fine. I'll change."
She clicked her tongue inwardly, already forming a plan. I'll just bring the other clothes with me and change later once I'm far enough.
A few minutes later, she returned, now wearing something more modest, though her expression clearly showed her annoyance.
"Well? Is this good enough?" she asked, barely hiding her irritation. Her pride resisted, but every time she remembered that he was the one paying her, her attitude softened just a little.
Dayesh looked her over for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Hmm. That's better."
"I'm leaving. Bye."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel and stepped out.
Meanwhile, Khafa and Ghoth had just come from the guild office, scanning for quests they could take while Dayesh was still too lazy to pick one himself.
As they walked along the street, they spotted Sapphire approaching, now wearing the dress Ghoth had bought for her.
"Hey, why are you out here?" Khafa called out, eyeing her curiously. Then her eyes lit up. "And wow, that looks really good on you. Where are you headed?"
"Nowhere in particular. Just wandering around. I'm bored." Sapphire shrugged lightly. "Dayesh is at home anyway. He can take care of his child for now."
"Want us to come with you?" Ghoth offered, already stepping a little closer.
"I won't go," Khafa cut in quickly, sensing an opportunity and waving a hand dismissively. "You go ahead, Ghoth."
Sapphire smirked faintly. "Come on, Ghoth. Join me."
"Alright." He didn't hesitate.
Ghoth then turned briefly to Khafa. "If he looks for me, tell him I went back to Caelumn for a while."
"Got it," Khafa replied, his tone carrying a quiet understanding.
Before Ghoth could say anything else, Sapphire grabbed his hand and started walking, pulling him along with surprising urgency.
Ghoth blinked in surprise, but a quiet thrill ran through him at the contact. He tightened his grip slightly, careful not to overdo it.
"H-hey… slow down. Where are we even going?" he asked, trying to keep up with her pace.
"Anywhere," she answered without looking back, her voice light but distant. "Somewhere with food. Somewhere we can sit… and just chill."
The late afternoon sun stretched their shadows along the road as they walked, her hand still wrapped around his. Firm, steady, and strangely warm.
And for Ghoth, that alone was already more than enough.
"I'm back," Khafa announced as she stepped inside, immediately spotting Dayesh watching over Lzith.
"Where's Ghoth?" Dayesh asked without looking away from the child, quickly noticing his usual companion was missing.
"He went to get something from Caelumn. He's been gone for a while now."
Khafa remained calm as he answered. Among all of them, he was the most observant. Ghoth often shared things with his, and in their group, the two of them were practically best friends.
Dayesh didn't respond. He simply continued keeping an eye on Lzith, his expression unreadable.
Khafa quietly walked past him and entered his room. As soon as the door closed behind him, he let out a soft sigh.
"Let's just hope they don't get caught together…"
Meanwhile…
"Ahh… I'm so full." Sapphire leaned back slightly in her seat, completely satisfied. "The food here is really good. Back where I'm from, we'd call this something like stirred beef."
"You sure can eat," Ghoth said, staring at the empty plates piled in front of her. "How many servings was that?"
"It's fine. You're the one paying anyway," she replied casually, brushing it off.
Ghoth couldn't help but laugh at her attitude.
"You eat so slowly," Sapphire added, glancing at his still half-full plate.
"To be honest… I don't think I can finish this anymore."
"Give it to me then. It'd be a waste if we just leave it."
Without hesitation, Sapphire reached over and took his plate, continuing to eat like it was nothing.
Ghoth simply watched her.
For a moment, everything around him seemed to slow down. The noise of the place fading, the movement of people blurring into the background. All he could focus on was her.
"Hey… quit staring like that."
He snapped out of it, realizing Sapphire was already waving a hand in front of his face. He blinked, caught off guard by his own behavior.
"There's something on your face," he said quickly, trying to recover. "I just didn't know how to tell you."
"Wait, where?"
"Near your nose."
"Is it still there? Just take it off."
Even though there was nothing there, Ghoth gently dabbed her face with a clean cloth, careful and almost hesitant.
"Thanks," Sapphire said softly.
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
And somehow, the silence didn't feel awkward at all.
After they finished eating, they wandered through a few more stalls in the marketplace. Sapphire had gone out for a reason in the first place. She had run out of cigarettes and needed to restock.
"So this is where you usually buy those," Ghoth commented, watching as she casually picked out what she needed. A thought crossed his mind 'next time I don't know what to give her… maybe I'll just buy tobacco'.
"Yeah. No choice, it's already a habit," Sapphire replied, shrugging lightly. "It helps calm me down after everything I've been through."
"Do you drink alcohol?" Ghoth suddenly asked, even though it had nothing to do with cigarettes.
"I do," she answered. "But why is it that the alcohol here tastes like water? It doesn't even get you drunk."
Ghoth scratched his head. "I'm not sure either. Khafa and I aren't originally from here."
"Oh, right. I forgot," she laughed softly. "Come on, let's go."
Sapphire walked ahead while Ghoth carried the things she bought, following closely behind her.
"Let's hang out over there for a bit. That looks like a nice spot."
They found a large tree, its shade stretching over a patch of soft Bermuda grass. It looked like the perfect place to rest.
Sapphire dropped down first, letting out a long breath. "Haaah… it's so refreshing here, even with the sun still out."
Ghoth sat beside her, a little more careful. As he shifted, his hand accidentally brushed against hers. He immediately pulled away, startled by his own reaction.
For a few minutes, Sapphire said nothing. She simply soaked in the calm surroundings. The rustling of leaves, the distant chirping of birds, and the gentle breeze passing through.
"Back where I'm from," she began quietly, "I'd have to join some organized mountain tour just to experience a place this peaceful."
"I know somewhere like that," Ghoth said after a moment. "If you want to go, just tell me." He was referring to Caelumn.
"Alright. Maybe next time, if we get another chance to go out like this."
Several minutes passed in comfortable silence.
"Let's go," Sapphire finally said, noticing the sky slowly turning orange. "We still have to walk back."
Ghoth stood up and followed her without complaint.
"Oh, wait." Sapphire suddenly stopped. "I should take this off first. I was told not to wear it."
"That explains why it looked like you were just layering it," Ghoth said with a small laugh.
She slipped it off casually, then glanced at him. "Thanks again for this, by the way. I really like it. It's the kind of thing I'd wear every day. The fabric feels cool on the skin."
"You're welcome," he replied simply.
As they neared the house…
"You go ahead," Sapphire said, slowing her pace. "I can't walk in with you. Big brother might suspect that we were together."
"I understand. I'll see you later at dinner," Ghoth replied.
When Sapphire stepped inside, the living room was quiet.
"Looks like everyone's asleep," she murmured. "Well, it's still early evening…"
Suddenly, she felt arms wrap around her from behind.
"Did you enjoy your walk?" Dayesh whispered, his lips close to her ear.
"O-okay… yeah. Why do you ask?" she replied, slightly startled.
"I miss you when you're not around."
A flicker of discomfort crossed her expression. His hands began to wander, and her body tensed slightly at the unexpected closeness.
"H-hey… not here," she said under her breath. "Someone might see us."
Even so, she could feel her resistance weakening, her body reacting despite herself. The things she was holding slipped from her hands as Dayesh lifted her effortlessly.
"Then let's go somewhere private," he murmured.
He carried her toward his room.
"W-wait… I need to wash up first," she said quickly, trying to steady herself.
"It feels like I can't trust you anymore when you say you're going to the bathroom. You don't come back."
Dayesh remembered what Sapphire had done the night before, and the thought lingered in his mind.
"Where are you going? My room has its own bathroom. Use that instead."
"O-okay…" Sapphire replied, giving in.