Jauna's POV
"It is good to see you back in one piece," Faram said, a breathless laugh escaping his lips as he dropped the heavy wooden crate he was carrying onto the dusty floor. He wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes crinkling with a mixture of relief and amusement. "I was beginning to think you were never coming back. A few more days and I might have actually found myself a wife, and we would have completely taken over this place as our matrimonial home."
I couldn't help but chuckle at his dramatic flair, shaking my head as I gently set down my traveling pack. "Then you should have gone ahead and married, Faram. Let's be honest, you are already past your prime, and time is fast running out on your calendar."
Faram burst into hearty laughter, the sound echoing through the small, familiar walls of the cottage. "I am only jesting, of course. In all seriousness, you are the savior of my life. I wouldn't even be standing here today, breathing this fresh air, if it weren't for your timely help and generosity in the past. My loyalty remains unwavering."
I offered him a warm, soft smile, feeling a deep sense of gratitude for the comforting familiarity he provided. "I also genuinely want to see what your future children would look like, Faram. You are far too devoted, tying yourself down to me and my household like this. You deserve a life of your own."
Faram waved off the sentiment with a modest gesture, his expression shifting into curiosity as he looked around the room, which was still covered in a thin layer of dust from my long absence. "That reminds me, are you finally returning to your craft? Will you be making medicines and brewing remedies once again?"
"Yes, I intend to," I replied, tying my hair back into a practical knot. "But tell me, what is the news around here? Has anything significant changed while I was away?"
Faram sighed, leaning against the sturdy wooden table. "Ever since you vanished, countless people have been coming here, desperately searching for your potent medicines and elixirs. The demand never truly died down. To keep them at bay, I simply told everyone that you had gone on a long vacation and that I had absolutely no idea when you would return."
"Ah, is that so?" I murmured, a quiet determination settling into my chest. "In that case, I will officially begin my work again tomorrow. For today, I need to focus on gathering fresh herbal leaves and roots from the forest while the weather permits."
Faram nodded understandingly, but then his eyes softened, reflecting a more personal concern. "And how is your child doing?"
A radiant smile broke across my face at the mere mention of her. The weariness of my travels seemed to melt away instantly. "She is doing wonderfully well. My little princess has grown so much, Faram. You would hardly recognize her."
Faram hesitated for a moment, shifting his weight from one foot to the other before asking the question that always carried a heavy weight. "And what about Dayesh? Did the two of you finally talk?"
The warmth in my chest tightened slightly, replaced by a dull, familiar ache. I looked down at my hands, tracing the faint lines on my palms. "No. We did not speak. But I completely understand him, Faram. I understand why he refuses to talk to me after everything that has transpired. What matters most to me right now is the present. I am just grateful that, despite his lingering anger and pain, he still allows me to see Lzith from time to time. That small mercy is enough for me."
Faram frowned, his jaw tightening in frustration on my behalf. "That man is truly something else. It has been so long, yet he still hasn't moved forward. He refuses to take a single step out of the past."
I softly sighed, placing a hand on Faram's arm to quell his rising anger. "Let it be, Faram. Do not hold it against him. At the end of the day, it was my fault as well. I carry the blame for the rift between us."
Sensing that the topic was too heavy to pursue any further, Faram went quiet. He gave me a supportive nod and offered a gentle smile to break the tension. He announced that he would head down to the lower plains and the village market to purchase a fresh supply of glass bottles for the medicines I was about to brew. With a short farewell, he left the cottage, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the quiet rustle of the surrounding trees.
Sapphire's POV
It felt like Dayesh and the others had been gone for an eternity, though I reckoned it had only been about four long days. When the heavy wooden doors finally swung open, they walked in looking thoroughly exhausted but remarkably triumphant. To my absolute delight, they were practically weighed down by a massive bounty of souvenirs and gifts. In fairness to them, they really went all out this time.
Dayesh immediately began distributing the items one by one. He was meticulous about it, sorting through the packages depending on what the item was and who it was meant for. His face was stoic as usual, but the care he put into choosing the gifts spoke volumes.
Khafa, on the other hand, was practically beaming as he lugged his own share of bundles. When I asked him about the extra packages, a bright blush crept up his neck. He proudly announced that he would be bringing the rest of those specific items back to Caelumn, intended solely for the lovely lady he was currently courting there. I couldn't help but sigh internally, thinking to myself, Must be nice. I wish someone was doing that for me.
Then there was Ghoth. He had also bought an array of items, many of which looked quite similar to the practical things Dayesh had picked up. However, there was a stark, thrilling difference in his stash. He had bought an entire separate collection specifically for me, consisting of delicious local delicacies and beautiful personal items. He didn't hand them to me right away in front of the crowd. Instead, he waited patiently, biding his time until the bustling room emptied out and there was absolutely no one else left around to watch us.
"Will we finally be able to visit my homeland?" Ghoth asked quietly, stepping closer into my personal space once the coast was clear. His dark eyes searched my face, filled with a longing he could barely conceal.
"I still need to ask for permission," I replied, offering him a playful smile while keeping my voice down to a murmur. "How many days are we talking about exactly?"
"Just three days," he answered, his voice dropping an octave, becoming a low, resonant purr that sent a sudden thrill straight down my spine. "I just want to have you all to myself, Saph. No distractions."
A bold, mischievous spark ignited within me at his words. "Oh, I absolutely love the sound of that plan. Truth be told, I missed you terribly while you were away."
Driven by a sudden wave of playful temptation, I reached out. My hand slid down his torso, boldly finding its way to the space between his thighs. Through the fabric of his trousers, I could already feel a prominent, solid warmth beginning to form. I gently stroked the firm contour, my fingers tracing the length of his growing heat from outside his pants.
Ghoth caught his breath sharply, his entire frame flinching in surprise at my sudden audacity. His eyes darkened with sudden, intense desire, and a low gasp escaped his parted lips.
"Don't tease me like this right now, Saph," he groaned, his voice thick with restraint as his hands twitched at his sides, fighting the overwhelming urge to pull me against him. "If you keep this up, I swear I won't be able to control myself, and we are standing right where anyone could walk in."
I chuckled softly, slowly withdrawing my hand but letting my fingers linger on his thigh for a fraction of a second longer. "Alright, alright, I will behave myself for now. We wouldn't want to get caught red-handed, after all."
Stepping even closer, I leaned down slightly, my breath hot against the fabric covering his lap. My gaze locked onto his bulging form. "My apologies, handsome. I promise I will give you a proper, thorough massage later when the time is right."
Ghoth let out a shaky breath, running a hand through his hair to steady his erratic pulse. "Let us just go and eat the food I brought for you first."
"Good idea," I agreed with a sly grin. "Let's head over to your room. But let's make one thing perfectly clear: we are strictly going to eat the food, okay? No scandalous activities just yet. We need to be smart about this so people won't notice any miraculous events happening between us. Even if someone happens to catch us together, they will only see us sharing a meal, not caught in the middle of a scandalous act. Is that perfectly clear?"
Ghoth nodded, a soft, relenting smile touching his lips as he looked at me with pure affection. "Yes, perfectly clear. I want to keep you safe from any trouble or gossip, too."
We quietly slipped into his bedroom and closed the door just enough to maintain some privacy while we spread out the delicious array of food on his small table. The aromas of roasted meats and sweet pastries filled the air, making my mouth water.
"Regarding how I am going to ask for permission to leave," I whispered between bites, leaning over the table. "We should stick to our old, reliable routine. You will disappear first, making it look like you are simply heading home ahead of schedule. Then, I will formally ask for my leave of absence, and I will follow shortly after you."
Ghoth smiled, the tension completely leaving his shoulders. "Alright. We will do exactly that."
As we continued to chat and eat, I purposefully left his bedroom door slightly ajar. It was a tactical move on my part. If anyone came looking for me, a cracked door was living proof that we weren't doing anything inappropriate at this hour of the day. It removed any suspicion before it could even begin.
As it turned out, my intuition was spot on. Not long after we had settled in, the distant sound of footsteps approached, and Rosarie's voice called out my name through the hallway. She told me that Lzith was looking for me and seemed incredibly restless.
"Alright, I will be right there!" I called back, making sure my voice sounded completely casual. I turned back to Ghoth, giving him a reassuring look. "Wait for me here, I will be right back."
I hurried out and took Lzith into my arms. The poor little thing was clearly exhausted, her tiny eyes heavy, yet she was fussing and utterly unable to drift off to sleep. I tried rocking her, but nothing seemed to work, and I couldn't quite pinpoint what was making her so restless. Deciding a change of scenery might help, I carried her back into Ghoth's room.
"Let me just lay her down here for a little bit, alright?" I whispered to him as I gently placed her on the soft mattress.
Ghoth nodded silently, moving to the side to give us space. I sat at the edge of the bed, softly running my fingers through Lzith's hair. I began to hum, smoothly transitioning into a soft, comforting rendition of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, followed by a slow, rhythmic lullaby of Rain, Rain, Go Away. My voice was nothing more than a soothing whisper in the quiet room. True enough, within a matter of minutes, the restless energy left her tiny body, and she fell into a deep, peaceful slumber.
As I tucked the blanket around her, I happened to look up at Ghoth. He was standing by the window, watching us with an incredibly somber, tender look in his eyes. His gaze was heavy, filled with a bittersweet emotion that caught me off guard.
"What's on your mind?" I asked softly, stepping away from the bed. "You look so serious."
Ghoth let out a quiet sigh, his eyes never leaving the sleeping child. "It is nothing. I was just standing here, imagining what it would be like if that was our own child you were putting to sleep."
My heart skipped a beat, a sudden wave of panic and discomfort washing over me. "Oh, stop it. Don't say things like that. That is completely impossible."
I forced a light, airy laugh to break the sudden intensity of the moment, trying to laugh it off as a joke. However, the utter seriousness etched into Ghoth's face didn't fade. He wasn't joking at all.
Seeing his crestfallen expression, a pang of guilt pierced my heart. My laughter died down, and I looked away, my voice dropping to a vulnerable whisper. "I am sorry, Ghoth. I really can't give you that. I just can't... you know how I am."
I bit my lip, unable to voice the rest. He still didn't know the entire story of my past. He didn't know about the deep scars and the history of the soul inhabiting this body, which was precisely why I had built such an impenetrable, icy wall around my heart whenever the topic of true love and romance brought us too close to the edge.
Ghoth looked at me for a long moment, a quiet acceptance washing over his features. "It is alright," he replied shortly, his voice even, though a hint of sorrow lingered beneath the surface.
To ease the heavy atmosphere, I carefully leaned over and gathered the sleeping child back into my arms, lifting her with practiced ease. "I am going to bring her back to her own bed now. I will be right back, just give me a moment."
Ghoth didn't say a word. He simply stood there, his intense, dark eyes following my every movement as I walked out of the room.
When I returned a few minutes later, having safely tucked Lzith into her own bed, the heavy mood had partially dissipated. We immediately sat down to iron out the fine details of our plan for my three-day departure. To make my excuse completely believable to the household, I decided to use the family of the original owner of this body, the people to whom this physical vessel truly belonged. It was the perfect, unquestionable alibi.
"So, it is a plan then," I said, walking up behind him as he sat at the edge of his bed. I wrap my arms securely around his broad shoulders, hugging him tightly from behind and resting my chin on his back. I couldn't help but giggle, the warmth of his body radiating into mine. "You will head home first, and then you will come and find me at the designated spot once I am officially permitted to leave. But if they don't allow me to go, well, I guess you will just have to turn right around and march your way back here."
Ghoth wrapped his hands over mine, a genuine, soft chuckle escaping him as he leaned back into my embrace, the unspoken promises of the upcoming three days hanging beautifully in the quiet air between us.