I nodded in response and said, "Do you still want to talk, or are you too tired and want to go back to sleep?" As soon as my question ended, Sura swiftly shook her head vigorously and replied, "Don't worry, I'm already awake. How about we go outside and talk, so as not to disturb the others."
However, just as she was about to prop her body upwards and stand on her feet, Aunt Greta emerged from the adjacent room with a folded mat in her hand. With a frown on her face, she looked at us and said, "Where are you guys going?"
Seeing her patiently waiting for our response, I helped Sura to her feet and replied, "We are just going to talk outside, Aunt Greta, and we'll be back once we're done."
Upon hearing my explanation, the frown on her face deepened as she responded, "By this time of the night? Can't you get some rest and wait till tomorrow? Besides, after your meeting with the Village Chieftess, you should be really tired to stay up late."
Understanding her concern, I assured Aunt Greta, "Don't worry, Aunt Greta, we will be back in no time. Besides, I can protect both myself and Sura if anything bad were to happen to us." Although the village had an almost non-existent crime rate, I couldn't say the same thing when it came to the tree nymphs.
Aunt Greta furrowed her brows for a moment, a thoughtful expression clouding her face. Then, she refocused her eyes on us and suggested, "Why don't I come with you two then?"
"Huh!" Sura and I uttered in confusion, exchanging glances as Aunt Greta gently tossed the mat into a space on the ground. She then walked towards us, halting her steps in front of us, and focused her eyes intently on both of us.
"Since your mother and everyone else is asleep, except for some of us pretending to be asleep," she gave a sly glance to Fifi, who was still quietly snoring, indicating she was pretending, "I don't think your mother and the rest of the family would like it if I just went to sleep while you two wandered around the farm at this time of the night."
I turned my head to the side to catch Sura's weary smile before I agreed to let Aunt Greta join us. "You can come along, but you'll have to remain silent and not interrupt my time with Sura," I said, sensing a hint of jealousy as she furrowed her brows once more.
Before she responded with a small smile on her face, "Don't worry, I won't be interrupting your moments together. Just think of me as old Aunt Greta, silently watching over you, and learning how to gain my own moments with my partner."
"Spfff…" A small chuckle escaped Sura's mouth, and I couldn't help but feel the urge to smile. Nevertheless, I composed myself and only pressed my lips together, trying to maintain a serious expression. "Alright, let's get going then," I replied.
However, Aunt Greta's puckish smirk, as she licked the space between her beautiful teeth, made it hard for me to keep a straight face. Turning around, I immediately let the smile show as I walked towards the door, with only Sura catching the subtle grin on my face.
As we stepped outside, Aunt Greta closed the door behind her as she followed, we strolled along the quiet path of the farm. The cool breeze wrapped around us, refreshing our minds and bodies. Savouring the tranquillity, until Sura finally broke the silence and asked, "You know, I thought Reena was your first partner."
I wanted to speak, however, Sura immediately responded, "I know," she continued, "You introduced your mother as your first partner, but I assumed you said that to demonstrate how close you two are. I never thought she was genuinely your first partner and carrying your child."
Keeping my lips sealed, I allowed her to continue, curious to hear what else she had to say.
"And surprisingly, that almost got me into trouble with your mother. Also, I thought all those women were either your aunts or grandmothers, but it turns out they are all your partners." Suddenly, she paused and turned her head to lock eyes with me, catching me already staring at her intently. "Did you really have to go that far?" she questioned.
My brows furrowed in confusion, and I couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by that?" I was genuinely perplexed by her question.
Exhaling a deep breath as though she was trying to rearrange her thoughts, Sura asked once more, "What I mean is, you have partners who are extremely unattractive, both young and very old. Are you trying to prove something to anyone...… or...." She paused, hesitating for a moment, before gently biting her lips and continuing, "...or do you really love them the same way you love me?"
Suddenly, I became serious and looked at her as I responded, "Are you implying that I have some hidden agenda behind all of this?"
"No," Sura immediately responded, shaking her head vigorously, "I didn't mean that. What I meant is, even if you don't judge people by their appearance and are capable of looking way beyond that, don't you think that a day would come when you would no longer be able to look beyond that, or regret..."
"Sura," even if I wasn't holding her, I could sense her figure trembling and shivering the moment her name left my lips.
"Orion, I just..." She wanted to say, however, I swiftly cut her off. "Let me talk, Sura," I stopped and turned towards her, while she did the same, but her eyes were trembling and getting moist as I continued, "Sura, I....."
However, Aunt Greta immediately interrupted, "Orion, I think that you two should enjoy the silence for some time."
As I looked into her eyes, seeing the pleading look in her expression, I immediately dropped my facade. With a calmer expression, I focused my eyes back on Sura and asked, "How are you currently feeling?" My previous serious demeanour had been nothing more than a mask.
