Despite the tension at the table, Edmund pulled Peony with him, pulled a chair for her and then sat beside her.
"She's a hunter who saved me from the Infected Monsters," Edmund introduced her the way it came into his mind. "Her name is Peony. I wanted to take a few of her rabbits but they could not accept me. That's why she's decided to escort me. I'll need..."
The more he said, the more lies came into his mind. Peony was looking at him in a way that showed she was surprised, but Edmund ignored her and continued.
Soon, the meal was over.
Before standing up, Edmund studied the expressions on everyone's face. The woman with eyes filled with motherly admiration was smiling, the Patriarch rubbing his silver long beard with a prideful expression, Gillian happy and the red-dressed woman, together with her two sons, unhappy but trying to fake smiles.
***
Water was no longer a problem.
