"That young, handsome man is Taya's husband, and that pretty woman is also his wife. You were once curious what kind of man Taya would marry, right?" Tamo asked as he introduced the three to Aelita, who awkwardly smiled and greeted, "Welcome, honored guests. I am Aelita, and I shall make you all feel at home. It's also good to see you again, Aunt Taya," Aelia said with a resplendent smile as she looked at her.
"Likewise, Aelita. You have really grown into a beautiful woman. I am sure you would have no end of suitors lining up for you," Taya said what came to her mind while pinching Viktor again, who looked at her with a puzzled look, 'What did I do?'
But he was surprised that Tamo's daughter looked so young. He could guess that Tamo was at least over 70 years old, so how could his daughter look so young unless he had her late? It was another strange fact he observed.
Tamo and Aelia awkwardly chuckled as Viktor noticed they didn't have the same idea in their mind. Was she kind of a nun or something who took a vow to never marry? It was not a far-fetched idea considering that Viktor could only count about 50 people in this community.
It was just far too less and strange for a community that had been living here for centuries.
Still, he thought that it would be such a pity if a beauty like her took such a vow or something.
"Aunt Taya is looking prettier than I remember. Anyone would mistake you for someone of my age if they see you," Aelita's compliments made Taya feel better than she expected. She was glad Viktor gave that fruit to her. Now she no longer feels that dread of dying from old age, even though she knows she can't run away from it forever.
"Ah, I am being rude. Let me serve food to you all," Aelia quickly ran up and picked up a large steel vessel that surely weighed around 50 kg. But she picked it up so easily, making Taya, Umilia, and Viktor blink their eyes, wondering how strong she must be to not break a sweat.
And only when she came close did Viktor notice the wet drops of water on her body, making him guess she must have taken a bath before coming here, especially considering the sweet fragrance coming off her body.
But the sight that titillated him the most was when she crouched and accidentally revealed a glimpse of her deep cleavage and a pair of big, soft mounds.
'She isn't wearing any bra…' Viktor confirmed what he had guessed earlier and wondered how this girl was so charming without even trying.
Aelita served Taya first before moving on to Viktor, "Respected guest," She greeted with a beautiful smile and kept dumping on food till Viktor suddenly used his hand to gently place it on her hand, "No need for more than that."
Viktor only tapped her hand, but she seemed to ignore what he said and suddenly looked at him with her widened, creamy eyes and raised brows, making Viktor feel flummoxed.
'Did she get offended that I touched her?' Viktor could only think of this explanation upon seeing that her expression suddenly changed from a sweet, friendly girl to shock and silence.
Taya and Umilia also turned their heads with puzzled looks and wondered if Viktor had overreached. But they thought it was not possible since even if Viktor had a thing for beauties, he wouldn't do anything to annoy them for no reason. He was the best when it came to reading women.
Tamo's brows also pulled together, but then he coughed and called out, "Aelita? I think Viktor only needs that much."
Aelita's eyes flickered as her expression returned to normal, "I am so sorry. My mind got swept away with something else."
Viktor had a puzzled expression as he saw her moving on to Umilia and serving her food. It was like nothing happened in the first place.
"I hope you all have a good time eating with us," Aelita said with a friendly smile and took a quick strange glance at Viktor before walking away.
'She did it again!' Viktor knew others might not have caught it, but he did catch the split second where she looked at him strangely.
"Viktor…did you do anything funny?" Taya whispered to him, feeling curious, and Umilia also perked her ears to hear his response.
"I swear on my mother I did nothing. All I did was just touch her hand briefly. Don't tell me there is a custom where we can't touch them or something?" Viktor asked just to be sure.
Taya furrowed her brows and shook her head after some contemplation, "No…I don't think so. The last time I came here, I played some games with Aelita herself, and we even held hands. So no…I don't think just some accidental touch is offensive to them. But since you are a male and she is a maiden, I don't know if they have a custom where she can't be touched by any males till they marry. I have heard of certain communities having such customs but not sure about this one. But even if that was true, there would be a huge fuss, and Tamo didn't seem that bothered. This might be something else."
"Maybe you should try talking to her alone after eating. Perhaps you might find out the true reason," Umilia suggested and added with a narrowed gaze, "Try speaking to her in their native language. Then you might also get to find out how you are connected to their community. If lucky, you might get to learn something about your past."
Taya also readily nodded, agreeing with what Umilia said, and then voiced her opinion, "But this might be a bit risky. Maybe they might consider you hostile if they learn you know their language, or maybe not. It all depends on what you want to do. I have no issues since this might concern your past."
Viktor slowly nodded and said with a subtle smile, "I have never been known to shy away from something because of risks."
