"Yes," Ayla swiftly responded, affirming Zara's inquiry with a firm nod. She began, "Chieft--"
Interrupting her, Zara interjected with a mix of exasperation and conviction, "If you're going to question whether I lied to him, then spare yourself the trouble because I didn't. And even if I did, I gain nothing from deceiving a young man with a six-star potential for inner strength." Zara took a forceful bite of the juicy kalna fruit, expressing her frustration through vigorous chewing. The notion of a futureless boy seemed absurd, akin to a lifeless body or mere grains of sand beneath their feet. How could he be alive and yet devoid of a future? "It defies all logic!" Zara muttered under her breath, her frustration seeping through, as she gnawed on the kalna fruit. "It makes absolutely no sense!".
Observing the distressed countenance of the woman before her, Ayla reluctantly suppressed her questions, realizing that this matter was bound to consume much of the chieftess's time. Having witnessed and overheard the entire conversation between the chieftess and the boy, Ayla was certain of the truthfulness in their exchange. It was clear that this revelation had the potential to create a significant upheaval. "I will go and prepare your bath for you, Chieftess," Ayla offered, acknowledging that it was the least she could do in such a perplexing situation.
"Please do," Zara nodded, understanding the gesture. Then she immediately inquired, "Has the village chief returned from the second hut?" Zara hesitated, contemplating whether to divulge this information to her partner, who held a particular fascination with Orion, the only individual to have ever achieved a six-star potential for inner strength during the evaluation process.
"No," Ayla replied, shaking her head in response. Sensing the chieftess's unease, she further inquired, "Would you like me to send a message to him, Chieftess?"
Almost instinctively, Zara vigorously shook her head, realizing she had overreacted. She composed herself, clearing her throat before speaking again, "No. Just prepare my bath so that I can take some time to rest," she requested, her energy noticeably subdued as she chewed on the kalna fruit in her hand.
"Alright, Chieftess, I'll be back in a minute," Ayla stated, her voice tinged with exhaustion. She turned around and exited the room, opening and closing the door behind her. A heavy sigh of weariness escaped her lips, betraying the weight on her shoulders. As she stepped into the corridor, she couldn't help but reflect on the unexpected encounter with the intriguing young man. Contrary to her initial assumptions, he wasn't swept away by his own fame and arrogance, nor did he hold any disdain for her due to her less youthful appearance. Instead, he proved to be a source of trouble that had given the chieftess a lingering headache, one that she knew would persist for days to come.
…..........….
"No, I won't do it," Grandma Celia declared firmly, her head shaking in clear refusal. She stood her ground, while Grandma Derry and Vivian looked on, standing at a respectful distance from their hut. Grandma Vivian couldn't help but voice her curiosity, being the first to respond, "Why? Don't you want to inform Celeste that you're carrying her son's child and also let Orion know he's about to become a father?" A frown creased her lips, reflecting the weight of her words.
"No, I won't do it," Grandma Celia reiterated, shaking her head with determination. "Besides, didn't we discuss calling a healer first to confirm whether I'm pregnant or not? It's possible that I'm simply sick instead of carrying a child." Grandma Derry chimed in, her voice laced with a touch of sarcasm, "And you truly believe that the symptoms resembling pregnancy, occurring days after Orion played with your body and released his semen inside your vagina, might be attributed to a mere sickness instead?"
Grandma Celia bit her lip, torn between her uncertainty and the proximity of Celeste's hut just a few steps away. She glanced back at her two hut mates, one with a serious gaze and the other seemingly interested in getting closer to the boy, creating a complex dynamic within the group.
"Fine," Grandma Celia reluctantly agreed. Despite having recognized various symptoms that pointed towards her being pregnant with Orion's child, she remained hesitant about how to approach Celeste and even Orion himself. While the boy had lost his memory and displayed a newfound sweetness and pleasantness, she couldn't predict their reaction upon learning that an older woman like herself, albeit their neighbour, was carrying his baby. They might accuse her of lying or, worse yet, suspect her of trying to get close to Orion due to his remarkable six stars potential revealed during the inner strength evaluation. Such outcomes were far from desirable and could spiral into even more disastrous consequences than she could imagine.
Regardless, Grandma Derry couldn't contain her happiness and grinned widely. "That's good," she nodded approvingly. "Now, let's go meet the boy that made you pre--".
"AHEMM!" A loud throat-clearing sound pierced through the atmosphere, signalling that someone was standing behind them. Their steps faltered with hesitation as they all turned around to see who it was.
"Ingrid," Grandma Vivian was the first to lock eyes with the intruder. "You guys came home late today?" Grandma Derry, on the other hand, averted her gaze and pretended not to notice the interruption. With a quickened pace, she turned around and started walking away in silence.
"Don't embarrass yourself, Derry," Ingrid said sharply, causing Grandma Derry to pause in her tracks and reluctantly return to her previous position. She scanned the faces of all three women in front of her, still unable to believe the conversation she had just overheard. "Celia, are you really pregnant?" Her gaze settled on Grandma Celia, who was massaging her throbbing headache.
With a deeply exhausted and defeated sigh, Grandma Celia muttered, "Great. Just great. Now everyone knows."
Ingrid observed the hesitation that quickly spread across their faces, and she took a moment to inhale and exhale slowly, realizing the absurdity of the situation and understanding that this was not a joke.
