The Visitors (3)

"Urgh…my back…" Andre grumbled.

Andre aroused from his blissful slumber. His mind is hazy and his muscles sore from yesterday's distressing events.

Taking a few quick breaths, he composed himself and slowly stood up from the cold, hard wooden floor he had to sleep on for the night.

'...I should've brought more pillows.'

After Lily's departure—Andre was unfortunately forced to sleep in the living room—for his bedroom was occupied by a woman whom he had saved, and his wife. It wouldn't be right for him to get in bed with another woman as a married man after all.

Slowly, he walked towards the bathroom in order to bathe and resume his tedious everyday routine. His body wobbles with each step he takes and his eyesight gradually returns upon being accustomed to the brightness.

As he plodded towards his destination—an intensely delicious smell entered his nose. His drowsiness instantaneously dissipated as he took another whiff to ensure his nose wasn't playing tricks with him.

To Andre's relief, the mouthwatering scent he had picked up wasn't an imagination he had unintentionally conjured. With his curiosity getting the best of him—Andre was determined to locate the origin of the luscious fragrance that roamed throughout the entire cottage.

Steadily, Andre began his pursuit in order to fulfill his unquenchable curiosity. His nose acting as a guide for him to discover the hidden treasure that dwells within his abode.

He passed through the living room, storage room and corridors—before finally taking a step into the kitchen. The flavorsome aroma became even more prominent there. He couldn't believe it. Just what was able to exude this heavenly odor?

Speculations, theories, and hypotheses swarmed his brain. Andre took his time as he soon reached a conclusion that just might be the answer to the mysterious item.

Although it's merely an assumption—this is the most plausible option it could be. He gulped as he continued marching onwards—to unveil the mysteries lying within his house.

He followed his sense of smell—taking decisive steps to ensure he wasn't going off track. At a certain point, the smell started to become overwhelming as Andre began to salivate uncontrollably.

He could barely hold himself back. His curiousity had peaked and he was using every single of his fiber to suppress himself from mindless rushing towards where the smell originated from.

Luckily for him, just as he was about to succumb to his desires—he had already discovered the source of the heavenly smell.

Unsurprisingly, it was none other than his wife's astounding cooking. From afar, he could see his wife gleefully making breakfast for her husband and daughter to feast upon.

'My guess was true after all. Nothing beats the smell of my wife's remarkable talent for cooking.' Andre smiled inwardly.

With his curiosity now satiated, Andre leisurely approached his spouse.

"Honey." he called out to her.

She turned her head around after picking up a familiar voice, and to her bewilderment—it was none other than her hubby standing so charmingly behind her.

"Wow…you sure woke up early today, honey." she complimented him.

Due to the nauseating nature of Andre's work as a lumberjack—he is known to oversleep after every arduous journey he had to undergo on a daily basis. This didn't simply apply to him—but also all of the woodcutters that resided within the village.

Thus, to see a man of his caliber being awake ahead of time was truly a baffling sight for his wife to witness—but it was still a welcomed one.

A chuckle escaped from Andre's lips—which was then promptly followed up by a praise and a tease simultaneously.

"Your delicious cooking is the reason I woke up earlier than I have ever before. So, you should take responsibility, right honey?"

His wife giggled at the captivating man she had married. His playful yet earnest words have bewitched her since a long time ago.

"Of course I will, honey." she replied.

The both of them lean closer to each other—their lips grazing against one another as the both of them progressively become infatuated with one another.

Andre could feel the softness of her lips, the warmth of her breath mingling with his, and the faint scent of her unique sensational bodily odor filling his senses.

With each passing moment, the intensity of their kiss grows, their bodies drawing closer until they are lost in each other's embrace.

Regrettably however, their passionate moment with one another was short-lived when they heard a loud knock coming from the front door—putting an end to their heated session.

The couple murmured secretly to the person who dared to interfere with their lovely time together.

"I'll go get the door." Andre said as he walked to the front door.

To his surprise, it was none other than Lily—drenched in sweat as if she had participated in a marathon—standing in front of his doorstep while gasping profusely.

"Are…are you alright, Lily?" he asked—concerned for her well-being.

"Y…yes…I-I'm…fine…"Lily responded amidst her panting.

"Well…if you say so. Anyways, come inside and make yourself at home."

"T-thank…y-you…"

Despite the frail state Lily was in—she was still able to move—albeit unsteadily and requiring Andre's wife to aid her delicate figure.

"Just what did you do to be left in this sorry state?" Andre asked.

"W-well…as a hea-healer…I-I got…a-a lot of…re-requests to-today…"

"That's weird. Although it's common for the villagers to ask healers for help, it's only when a person is in a fatal condition. Furthermore, you're the village elder's daughter. Almost no one would dare to ask you for help."

"I-I'm sure th-they must've h-had v-valid reasons…"

"I suppose…it's understandable." Andre mumbled. "But why did you come here, Lily?" his wife asked.

"O-oh, ri-right…"

She rummaged through her right pocket and pulled out a vial filled with reddish liquid.

"Uh…what's that?" Andre inquired.

"W-well…Re-remember h-how I said t-to buy he-healing po-potions, right?"

Andre nodded as Lily continued.

"T-that was…a very s-stupid suggestion si-since…no one wo-would dare t-to s-sell you any-anything f-for bringing t-the str-strangers…

"S-so…I-I came he-here today t-t-to finish w-what I h-had sta-started…a-and take re-responsibility f-for my…a-actions…"

"Now it makes sense…However, are you sure, Lily? You look exhausted. Last thing I want to do is force you."

"I-it's alright…T-the healing p-potion w-will lessen m-my burden. P-please trust m-me."

Even in such a weakened state, the conviction within her eyes never falters. Andre sighed as he let Lily proceed with completing her task.

As his wife and Lily headed to the bedroom, Andre couldn't help but still ponder the villagers' peculiar actions.

Though rarely, one or two of the inhabitants had sought out Lily's magic. But for more than presumably ten of the natives to do so—something was brewing behind the scenes.

Unfortunately, Andre couldn't put his finger on the residents' abrupt acts.

'For now, I might as well eat the breakfast my wife has cooked for me. I should try to figure that out later.'

…