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In a long hut, nine people were sleeping soundly.
…Actually, ten people were inside the hut.
But—
"HARGH… HAAAAAH—"
Damn muscle-brained women. How can they snore this loud? I can tolerate three or four… but a whole team?! I can't sleep because of the noise. And the fact that they let me sleep in the middle didn't help at all.
Ugh. Annoying.
I cursed in my head, rolling onto my side in frustration. What a crazy day it had been. First, the panic attack when I arrived. Then, Lani's speech at dinner. And finally, the sleeping arrangements… I wasn't even fully settled when one of the women approached me and introduced herself.
Her name was Siasha. She was the smallest among them, though still taller than me. Like the others, she had silver hair and pale white skin, almost ghostly under the dim lantern light. I didn't understand every word she said, but I gathered that she was talking about herself and her elder sisters—about their adventures and their journey to the Lula Tribe's village.
From what I could piece together, they had set off from their home, a place called Himar, about five days ago after hearing the news about the new 'Puitu.' Apparently, she was one of the last children conceived from the former Puitu.
That caught my attention.
I asked her about the former Puitu, but as expected, she didn't know much about him. She had been born after he was taken away to the empire.
Personally, I think I may start to hate this guy.
How could he act like such a scumbag? I don't want to judge someone before meeting them, but from what I've heard, this man abandoned everything. He had a duty—not just as a man but as a father, too. Even if he hated being held captive, shouldn't he have felt some responsibility for his children?
That's just acting like a lizard. Laying eggs somewhere, not even caring if the place is safe, and then leaving without a second thought.
I won't be like him.
I repeated that thought to myself as I drifted off to sleep.
---
I woke up gradually, my lower body feeling strangely cold. A shiver ran up my spine, and as my mind caught up to the situation, I realized—
There were voices around me.
"... How different from us. Xxxxxx at his xxxxx so xxx and xxxx."
"Xxx it a xxxc. What if he xxxcup?"
"It's interesting."
"That's enough!!"
That voice—I recognized it. Siasha.
Slowly, I became aware of my surroundings. The weight of the blankets, the warmth of bodies close by… and the distinct sensation of someone touching me.
Wait.
I jolted fully awake just in time to realize—
They were checking out my body.
The moment Siasha scolded them, they hurriedly pulled up my pants, but—
STING—
THUMP—
I sat up too quickly and ended up slamming my forehead into one of the women holding my pants. A sharp pain shot through my skull, and I groaned, rubbing at the sore spot. My vision swayed slightly before settling.
By the time I regained my senses, all of them were staring at me.
The woman I had bumped into kneeled in front of me, looking both embarrassed and regretful.
"I'm sorry. It's my xxxxx. I was curious about the xxx body."
Despite my lingering headache, I sighed. Well, at least she sounded sincere.
"It's okay. No worries. I forgive you."
She tilted her head, confused. Right—my language skills weren't perfect yet. Siasha quickly stepped in, explaining to her what I meant.
Understanding dawned on her face, and she extended her hand.
"My name is Ayleen. Thanks for forgiving me."
I shook her hand, only to realize I had done something wrong when she blinked at me in confusion.
Siasha chuckled, explaining that I was supposed to hold her hand for a moment instead of shaking it.
Feeling embarrassed, I scratched my head. "You can't blame me. I don't know the culture yet."
Ayleen just smiled.
With that, the chaotic morning finally settled.
---
After escaping the cramped sleeping hut, I stepped outside, stretching my arms. The crisp morning air was refreshing, and the early sunlight cast a golden hue over the village.
Siasha followed me out, and before we descended the hill, I glanced back at the hut—only to see Ayleen being overwhelmed by the other women. Probably being teased for what had happened earlier.
Breakfast was quiet.
I ate in my hut with Siasha, Meliss, and my two guards. Something about the atmosphere felt tense, though. Maybe it was my imagination, but Meliss and my guards seemed to be on edge around Siasha.
After we finished eating, I asked Siasha about their plans for the day. She told me they would be going on a hunt with some of the Lula tribesmen near the river on the west side of the mountain.
Curious, I asked what kind of animal they were hunting.
"Sloth bear," she replied.
Apparently, sloth bears were hunted for both their meat and their fur. The meat was smoked and dried in kelp leaves, while the fur was treated with dried eucalyptus and rose petals to get rid of its strong smell.
It sounded interesting.
Too interesting.
I felt bored just staying inside the village, so I asked if I could join them.
Siasha immediately refused.
But I was persistent.
After some back-and-forth, she sighed, exasperated. "Fine. But we have to get permission from the chief first."
That was good enough for me.
Excited, I followed her, already looking forward to the hunt.
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