LET'S EAT BEFORE WE TALK

"Are you okay? Did the man do something to you?!"

Sir Lucio asked in a worried voice, his hand was placed on the edge of the table as he stood up abruptly and the tea that was on the top of the table shake and almost spilled because of the force put in by Sir Lucio after Leticia filled her in with details regarding the man lying on her sofa.

"How could that man do something to me when he's been unconscious for four days?" Leticia retorted.

She feels like the tunic shirt that Sir Lucio is wearing would tear because of the large muscle underneath it and because she can't help but to see it as he leaned closer.

"Still! You should have reported it to me… What if that man is bad and part of the bandit?! Something worse could happen to you!" Sir Lucio scolded her.

Leticia who was sitting opposite to sir Lucio who leaned towards her on the table because of a sudden burst of emotion, she backed away for a bit as a response and turned her head to the window to avoid his eyes.

"Haaa…" Leticia flinched and glanced at him, she saw Sir Lucio scratch his head with a frustrated look.

Leticia then noticed the scar on his forehead and remembered the story about Sir Lucio's daughter that died because of the attacks of bandits a long time ago and as a result he got a scar from trying to help and aid his daughter but alas… it was too late.

"Sorry…"

Leticia could only apologize. She knew that Sir Lucio was just worried for her well being.

Leticia knew that what she had done was something that could turn into a worse situation and as a woman in a modern society she knew that letting some stranger in your house was at the top of the "not to do list" for ladies who are living alone.

But there was something in the man's eyes when he held her arm and asked her to help him. It was the eyes that held decree, coldness and fearlessness. A man whose eyes held a ferocious look, like a beast that cannot be tamed but Leticia saw it… she saw the desperation and will to survive as well as the hint of loneliness.

That was the reason why Leticia decided to wait for the man to wake up.

"Alright… I know that Miss Leticia is not someone who would do something like that without reason so I'll keep this to myself for now and ask people about him…"

Leticia smiled brightly.

"Thank you! You're the best!"

Sir Lucio chuckled and flicked her forehead lightly.

"But don't do something like that again… You don't know the identity and behavior of that man or other people. Don't trust them so easily. And you live by yourself so you should take extra precaution."

"Yes~ and don't worry… I still have the whistle that you gave me. I can just call for you or the other patrol guards. Besides, I have my crowbar with me. I'll smack him in the head if he do something stupid." Leticia declared and smirked when she saw Sir Lucio once again smile at her.

***

Sir Lucio promised that he will visit tomorrow morning and so Leticia decided to go home after she shopped for some medicinal herbs for injury.

"Thank you Mrs. Betty!" She waved her hand and the old lady and the only doctor of the town smiled at her.

"This will last for about three days… He'll be awake that time, right?"

Leticia mumbled as she looked at the medicine that she procured from the clinic of Mrs. Betty. Now all she needs to do is to walk to her house and see if the man lying on her couch is now awake.

***

Hugh slowly opened his eyes and saw an unfamiliar ceiling. He tried to get up as he felt that his body was squeezed in a small cushion.

"Ugh…" He felt a sudden ache in his chest. Hugh looked down and saw a bandage wrap around his upper body and the hint of medicine lingers in his body.

Anyway... Where is this?

Looking at the furniture and how cleaned the house is and the objects that lingers around the house, Duke Hugh concluded that it must be the house of his savior.

Some time ago, in the middle of the night, Hugh opened his eyes and saw a figure of a woman caring for him, though it was blurry because he was still having high fever caused by the poison that his body was absorbing.

"Haaa…"

He brushed his hair with his callous hand and swept the sweat that formed in his temple, the result of his long sleep and high fever.

It was a miracle as the poison that he took was hard to discern by normal means like putting silver or even a pungents smell was not there. He was thankful that his body has a certain resistance to poison as he was trained to do so.

Now, he got the gist of what happened and how he came down to this house.

"I must have collapsed when I was trying to run from those bastards…"

Hugh remembered what happened that night. Someone betrayed him. Even though he was not sure who it was, he will make sure to find who it is.

"You should have made sure to kill me… I'll definitely find that bastard"

Hugh's eyes became sharp as he recalled and noted what he will do once he goes back to the Capital but for now he needs to know who is the owner of this house and how he could contact his vice-leader, Austin.

Hugh searched the living area and saw a small mirror hanging in one of the walls and tiredly walked towards it. He needed to confirm if his outward appearance was not exposed and the disguise was still in effect.

"Haaaa…"

Hugh sighed. He still saw himself with the rustic brown hair and his eyes were still color grey. It is safe to say that his identity wasn't discovered.

At that moment, Hugh heard footsteps and the click of the doorknob. As he turned around, two eyes met.

Hugh digested the appearance of the woman who came in from the front door.

Her chocolate hair that dangles in her shoulder and into her hips envelops her body highlighting her light skin. She looks so sweet and lovely as her cheeks flushed against the sunlight that seeps from the open door. And as Hugh met her golden eyes that seemed to have some mystical allure to it that he can't take his eyes off, the cherry lips of the woman opened.

"Oh… you're awake."

Hugh was captivated with the tone of her voice that seems to be one with nature. Her voice has grace and nobleness in it that Hugh instinctively thought that she came from a rich family. However, that thought didn't last as he heard another question from her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Are you hungry? I found you collapsed in the back garden so I helped you and waited for you to wake up." Leticia continued.

Hugh woke up in a trance when he noticed that the woman who was just in the front door was now in front of him and was tilting her head while looking at him.

"Can you even understand what I'm saying? Or are you still confused?"

At that moment, Leticia stretched her hand and touched his forehead.

Hugh flinched as the hand that touched him felt cool to the skin but when she retracted her soft and cold hand, he felt like it was empty.

"I think you still need to rest, you still have a fever but at least it's not as grave as it was before. I'll cook some food that you can eat…" Leticia paused and Hugh caught her thinking deeply which intrigued him as to what it is.

'Why did she stop talking?' Hugh doesn't know why but hearing the voice of the woman in front of her made him feel so calm.

"Do you have anything that you can't eat? Are you alright with milk soup?"

"Yes…"

Leticia heard his first response which made her smile. And as a result, Hugh was once again in awe of her beauty.

"I thought you had some difficulty speaking… thank goodness that's not the case." Leticia said as she tied her apron and started to walk to the kitchen.

"I'll go prepare for now… we'll introduce ourselves later." Leticia said with a smile and then turned her back from Hugh.

While Hugh kept on staring at her as if he saw something interesting.

***

Within a few moments, two plates were laid on the table as well as the other dishes that she made. Leticia and Hugh were sitting across from each other.

Leticia looked at the food that she prepares, a steamy creamy vegetable soup paired with bread, a salad, as well as stir-fried beef with mushrooms.

She felt satisfied and glanced at the reaction of the man in front of him. When she saw that he was intently staring at the food, she concluded that he must really be hungry.

It's been four days, so he must really be dying to eat something.

"Let's eat…" Leticia announced as she picked up the spoon and tried the soup.

"Hmmm~"

She happily scoop the creamy steamy soup like she hasn't eaten it before. She takes a piece of the bread and dips it into the soup and as it touches the soup, the bread, like a sponge, absorbs the savory liquid.

Once it touched her tongue, a happy cheer came out from Leticia.

"Hmm~ delicious!"

Then, she noticed that the man in front of her was just looking at her.

"Why? aren't you going to eat that?"

Leticia felt it before but the man in front of her, ever since he woke up was intently staring at her. She tried to brush it off with an excuse that he must be still confused or that he was dazed and wanted to ask a lot of questions about how he came upon her house.

However, she also doesn't know the answer. She just knows that he unluckily lost consciousness at her back garden which resulted in him waking up in her house.

That was why Leticia decided to let him eat first before they asked each other a question.

But why are you not eating?!

Then, as if Hugh read her mind, he picked up the spoon that was beside the plate and scoop the steaming soup.

Leticia watches his reaction but unfortunately the man seems to lack facial expression because there was not an ounce of change in his face as he gulped down the food.

But seeing that he was now eating quietly, Leticia assumed that he liked her cooking.

Leticia smiled and resumed eating. The interrogation will start once the food in their plate was swept clean.