Chapter 43 - 043: Morning after...

The following morning, Anaria woke before dawn. She didn’t want to leave her room yet not when she knew they would be waiting outside. The memory of their fight still sat heavy in her chest. She had thought setting them up together would help. Instead, they had fought like children.

After a while, she gave up on sleep. She dressed quietly and slipped out, wandering through the residence. The corridors were mostly empty. She didn’t go toward the dining room.

The place was quieter than usual. Anaria rested one hand against her lower back as she walked, occasionally stopping whenever something caught her attention. She had barely turned into another corridor when she heard it.

A child was crying.

Anaria stopped. The sound came from somewhere ahead. She followed it until she reached a small open area near the servants’ quarters. A little boy sat on the ground, rubbing his eyes with both fists.

Anaria frowned. "Hey."

The boy looked up. His face was wet with tears.

Anaria crouched carefully in front of him. "Why are you crying?"

The boy sniffed. "I can’t find Mama."

Anaria glanced around. There was no one nearby. "Where did your mother go?"

The boy shook his head.

Anaria sighed softly. "Alright. Don’t cry. We’ll wait for her."

The boy stared at her suspiciously. Anaria sat down beside him instead of trying to drag him anywhere. After a moment, she reached into the small basket she had brought from her room and found a piece of fruit.

"Here."

The boy looked at it. "For me?"

"Yes. Unless you want me to eat it."

His little hand immediately reached for it. Anaria laughed. "Thought so."

He took the fruit and began eating, slowly calming down. Anaria watched him for a moment. "You have a very big appetite."

The boy nodded seriously. "I do."

"At least you’re honest."

He giggled. That made Anaria smile.

She stayed beside him, asking him simple questions about his favorite food and the games he played around the residence. Before long, the boy had completely forgotten that he had been crying. He began telling her about everything he had seen that morning, most of it making very little sense. Anaria listened anyway.

Then his eyes dropped to her stomach. "Your belly is big."

Anaria looked down. "Is that your way of saying hello?"

The boy touched his own stomach. "Is there a baby inside?"

Anaria laughed. "Maybe."

"Can I see?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because the baby hasn’t learned how to open doors yet."

The boy thought about that seriously. Then he nodded as if it made perfect sense.

Anaria smiled. She couldn’t remember the last time she had spent this much time talking to a child. Something about it felt easy. She didn’t have to think about the village, the System, Kenai’s affection, or what she was supposed to do next. She simply sat there while the little boy happily finished his fruit.

For a moment, Anaria forgot she had ever been bored.

Not far away, someone was frantically searching through the residence. The boy’s mother had returned and found his usual place empty. Her panic quickly spread to the other servants.

"Has anyone seen him?"

"No."

"Check the courtyard."

"I already did."

"Look near the storage rooms."

The woman’s voice trembled. "My child is missing."

The search spread through the residence before Anaria realized anything was wrong. She was still sitting with the boy when several servants hurried into the courtyard.

"There!"

The woman’s voice came from behind them. Anaria looked up just as the boy’s mother rushed forward.

"My baby!"

The boy immediately turned toward her. "Mama!"

The woman stopped when she saw Anaria holding his hand. Her expression changed. "Who are you?"

Anaria blinked. "What?"

The woman pulled her son closer. "Why is my child with you?"

Anaria stared at her, already irritated by the accusation. "I found him crying. He said he couldn’t find you, so I stayed with him."

The servants exchanged uncertain looks. One whispered, "We don’t know her." Another looked at Anaria’s clothes. "Maybe she came from outside."

Anaria’s eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

The boy suddenly grabbed Anaria’s sleeve. "No. I want Auntie."

His mother stared at him. "Auntie?"

Anaria looked down at him. "Since when am I Auntie?"

The boy only held onto her tighter. The servants began murmuring again, and Anaria’s patience started wearing thin.

Then footsteps sounded from the entrance.

Kenai appeared with Rylan and Kai behind him. The moment Rylan saw Anaria surrounded by servants, his expression changed. "What happened?"

Kai moved closer. "Anaria, are you alright?"

"I’m fine," she said, glancing at the servants. "Apparently, I’ve become a kidnapper."

Kenai’s gaze hardened. "What is going on?"

Before anyone could answer, the child’s mother stepped forward. "Leader, my child disappeared while I was away. We found him here with her."

Kenai looked at Anaria. "Did you take him?"

Anaria’s mouth fell open. "Of course not."

The little boy immediately shook his head. "She didn’t take me. I found her."

Kenai’s expression softened slightly. The child’s mother lowered her head. "Then I misunderstood."

Anaria sighed. "He was crying, so I stayed with him."

The woman looked embarrassed. "I’m sorry, my lady. I didn’t know who you were."

"You were supposed to ask questions before accusing someone. What if I was hanged because of this?"

Kenai looked at the gathered servants. "Listen, all of you. What happened shouldn’t repeat itself. She is Anaria, my female and the mother of my child. You will treat her with respect. And you shouldn’t go around accusing someone without having proof."

The servants immediately bowed. "Yes, Leader."

Anaria glanced at him. She hadn’t expected him to announce it so casually.

The child’s mother also bowed. "Please forgive me."

Anaria waved it off. "You were looking for your child. I understand."

The boy tugged at her dress. "Are you leaving?"

Anaria looked down at him. "Yes. You need to go with your mother."

He frowned. "But I like you."

Anaria couldn’t help smiling. "I like you too. Now go before your mother starts crying again."

The boy laughed and finally ran into his mother’s arms.

Anaria watched them leave before turning back to the three males. She folded her arms. "Where were you three?"

Rylan exchanged a look with Kai. "We went to get something for you."

Anaria raised an eyebrow. "Something?"

Kenai nodded toward the baskets the servants were carrying. "Food. We thought you might need something better for the pregnancy. And an apology for how we acted yesterday."

Anaria stared at the baskets. Then at them. "You left me alone to go shopping for me?"

Kai shrugged. "You weren’t alone. You had the entire residence."

Anaria rolled her eyes. "Very funny."

They returned to her room, where the food was prepared. Anaria barely sat down before Rylan placed water beside her. Kai adjusted the cushion behind her back. Kenai pushed the plate closer.

She looked between all three of them. "I’m pregnant, not helpless."

Kenai calmly replied, "We know."

Anaria stared at him. "Then why are all of you behaving like this?"

Rylan smiled. "Because you complain when we don’t take care of you."

"I do not."

Kai handed her the cup. "You do."

Anaria opened her mouth to argue, then stopped. She took the cup. "Fine."

The three males exchanged amused looks.

Anaria noticed. "Don’t get comfortable. This doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven any of you."

Their smiles faded slightly, but they didn’t argue. They simply stayed nearby, watching her eat.

And for once, despite everything, Anaria didn’t mind being fussed over.