Chapter Nine: Dinner at Anna's House

Lucas smiled without saying a word, carrying Emiliana down the mountain. She was light and soft, making the journey feel even more effortless for him.

Emiliana felt a strange sensation in her heart, a sense of comfort and security she had never experienced before as she lay against Lucas's back.

By the time they reached the bottom of the mountain, Emiliana had fallen asleep on his back. Lucas didn't disturb her rest and continued walking towards the road, eventually flagging down a bus to take them to the town.

Along the way, people cast envious glances at Lucas.

"That guy's lucky, carrying an air hostess on his shoulder."

"Yeah, she's really pretty. I wonder how this shabby-looking guy managed to win her over."

"Maybe he's up to no good. She might not even know him."

The passengers in the car started chatting, with some even suspecting Lucas of having bad intentions.

"Lucas, where are we now?" Emilianna's voice, lazy yet pleasant, broke the conversation as she woke up just when someone was about to question him.

"We're in a bus to the city, we are almost there," Lucas replied.

"Oh no, you've been carrying me for so long. Are you tired? Let me give you a massage"

Emiliana said, feeling guilty for sleeping so long on his back during their journey through the mountain and now on his shoulders. She reached out with her small hands and began to massage Lucas's shoulders.

This scene left everyone wide-eyed, especially the men, who were filled with envy and jealousy. No one doubted Lucas's intentions anymore.

Once they got off the car, Lucas looked at the bustling street and said,

"It's safe here. I'll head back to Greenfield,now."

"Don't go! I want to thank you properly with my cousin"

Emiliana said, holding onto Lucas hand, reluctant to let him leave.

"There's no need to thank me. It was just a coincidence" Lucas said, spotting a bus returning to Greenfield. He waved his hand and stopped the bus, while saying to Emiliana,

"I'm heading back, now. You should go find your cousin."

With that, he quickly got into the bus. He couldn't help but feel a bit reluctant to leave the cute and pretty girl, but he knew they came from different worlds.

Watching Lucas leave, Emiliana felt a pang of sadness. She wasn't ready to say goodbye.

"Wait, I know where he lives. I can just visit him anytime am free and on holidays" Emiliana thought, her eyes lighting up with a smile as she walked away in the opposite direction Lucas's bus just took.

Lucas returned to Greenfield, with sweat glistening on his skin. He headed straight to the reservoir at the east end of the town and dove in, swimming like a fish.

After swimming until he was tired, he leaned against the bank, talking to himself.

"With these skills, whether it's healing people or farming, I won't have to worry about food and clothes. I just need to use them well to live a good life and find out about my past. I want to ask them why they abandoned me"

As he was lost in thought about his future plans, a clear voice called out.

"Lucas!?"

He turned to see a beautifully graceful woman standing on the bank. It was Anna, whom he had parted with not long ago.

"Hey Anna!, what are you doing here?" Lucas asked smiling broadly.

Seeing Anna always brought him a strange sense of joy.

"I'm here to wash some vegetables!" Anna replied with a sweet smile.

When she noticed Lucas's bare chest, a blush crept onto her cheeks.

"It's not even summer yet. Aren't you cold bathing here?"

Lucas casually put on his shirt and said.

"Anna, I'm not exaggerating. My body is so strong now that I wouldn't feel cold even in winter without clothes."

"Yeah, right..." Anna giggled, covering her mouth.

"I'm serious! Anna, look at my muscles"

Lucas said, flexing his not-so-impressive biceps in a playful manner.

Anna noticed that Lucas's boxers had several patches on them, and while she felt a bit shy, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Lucas was living a tough life, without even a decent set of clothes.

"Alright, alright, stop showing off" she said, while adding,

"Come over to my place for dinner. I just cooked a big rooster."

Lucas had originally intended to decline, but the mention of a rooster made his stomach growl loudly. To be honest, he hadn't had meat in months.

"Okay Anna, I won't say no to that" he replied, taking the basket of groceries from her hands.

As they walked and chatted on their way to Anna's house, Anna was pleasantly surprised to find Lucas more cheerful and lively, like a bright young man. Though he was still thin, his skin had a healthy sun-kissed glow that was somewhat appealing.

When they reached her home, Anna's expression suddenly turned somber. She pushed the door open without a word and called inside

"Mom! I'm back. Lucas is having dinner with us."

"Okay," came the weak voice of Mrs Miriam from inside.

Hearing this, Anna's frown deepened.

"Lucas, make yourself comfortable and watch some TV. I'll go start dinner," Anna said, her eyes slightly red as she turned away to wipe her tears discreetly.

Seeing Anna like this made Lucas feel a pang of sadness. In this world, Anna was the only person who truly cared for him.

"If someone shows me respect, I'll return it tenfold!" Lucas Ross thought to himself, determined not to let Anna worry any longer.

"Anna, I promise I'll help cure Aunt Miriam's illness" Lucas vowed silently.

He pushed open the main room door and walked to the bedroom, knocking gently.

"Aunt Miriam, it's Lucas. May I come in to see you?"

"Lucas, there's nothing inconvenient here. Come on in."

Lucas entered the bedroom and saw Mrs Miriam lying on the bed, a towel on her forehead. Her once radiant face looked a bit weary, yet her charm was undeniable. Even bedridden, it was clear how beautiful she must have been in her youth.

Despite her illness, time had been kind to her. Her skin was fair, with hardly a wrinkle, and a long, dark braid lay beside her. Mrs Miriam was the epitome of beauty in the eyes of every man in Greenfield.

"Lucas, come sit," Miriam struggled to sit up.

"Aunt Miriam, please rest. Your health is more important" Lucas said, quickly moving to her side.

"Oh, it's just my old ailments. I won't die from them, but they do torment me when they flare up. At their worst, even turning over is painful. Poor Anna, she hasn't had a single good day with me" Aunt Miriam sighed.

"Aunt Miriam, everyone in Greenfield knows how good you've been to Anna" Lucas said earnestly.

"Right now, your priority is to take care of yourself and get healthy."

As he spoke, Lucas activated his special energy, a glint flashing in his eyes. Through his vision, he noticed two dark auras, one on the left side of Aunt Miriam's head and another in her abdomen.

Lucas found it odd. If there was a dark aura around Aunt Miram's head, it would make sense because she suffered from migraines. But why was there a dark aura around her abdomen?