CHAPTER 121: CHANGE TARGET

Every day, while fetching water from the mountain, Narin tried to get close to Fian, but he always ignored her. She had even pretended to be exhausted or fallen to the ground, yet he never objected.

Still, she wanted to capture the elf’s attention. Not as a lover just as a follower. Imagine what people would say if they knew she had an elf at her side.

Like Gara, who could command Fian to do anything, she wanted someone like that for herself.

As the two young men walked home, Narin trailed behind, not too far.

Gara greeted villagers along the way, making Narin huff in irritation.

"Gara, you’re so friendly. Why doesn’t Fian greet us? Are humans not on the same level as elves?" asked an elderly woman, genuinely curious.

"Sorry, Grandma. Fian isn’t refusing to greet you, he just can’t speak," Gara replied honestly.

The grandmother was left speechless. Narin, overhearing, couldn’t help but hiss under her breath.

"An elf who can’t speak... it just ruins my dignity. There’s no point in being nice in front of him!"

She flicked her hair aside and walked off.

Gara and Fian continued on their path.

"Is she still following us?" Gara asked.

Fian shook his head.

"She won’t bother you anymore," Gara said, making Fian relieved.

Fian was genuinely annoyed by Narin’s behavior toward him. If he had known that admitting he couldn’t speak would make her back off, he would have done it long ago.

Gara chuckled quietly at Fian’s frustrated expression.

Before long, they reached home. Gara first checked on his adorable children before continuing with his experiment.

This time, he poured his water into the well behind the house. The well had been contaminated and was unusable for daily needs.

As he dropped his water in, he could estimate the depth of the well and mentally calculate the volume of water already inside. Then he added the precise amount of his water, carefully blending it thoroughly with the well’s contents.

"That should do it," he murmured.

He called Rea to test the water. The little white squirrel sniffed and nibbled, letting out an unhappy squeak.

"So, it’s safe now, huh?" Gara laughed, while Rea squeaked in dissatisfaction. Gara didn’t care.

With Rea perched on his shoulder, they headed to the front yard to water the plants in the late afternoon. Even after just a few days, tiny leaves were sprouting from the small stems.

"It feels really suffocating to have to keep moving from place to place," he muttered.

Rea squeaked from his shoulder.

"We’ll stay here for a while. But I’m not sure we can stay forever. The druids are still hunting us."

Rea squeaked again, this time pounding his little paw as if to punch.

"You want to teach that druid a lesson?" Gara chuckled. "I wouldn’t dare."

He nuzzled Rea’s soft, furry head. "But someday, I’ll make sure we find a permanent home. You, Becky, Pandy, and Taly will each have your own treehouse.

I’ll have an herb garden filled with every kind of plant. Aldwin, Arion, and Ava will explore it and know it as their home.

Mom won’t worry in her own house, and even Della, Fian, and Madha will each have rooms of their own, just the way they want."

Rea squeaked excitedly.

"Yeah... we’ll make it happen," Gara murmured.

...

Since Della’s arrival, Madha no longer had to spend his time at home helping Wina care for the triplets.

Yesterday, he had promised Gara he’d accompany him to the river to try neutralizing the water while the other Liners were still up in the mountains.

As he stepped out of the guards’ barracks, fatigue was visible on his face, yet his spirit burned bright.

The sight of the fit, uniformed Madha caught Narin’s attention as she approached the barracks. She had arrived earlier than the others, likely to make sure no one spread rumors behind her back while she was away.

Yet, it was an unexpected bonus. Madha was incredibly handsome. He wasn’t mute. And more importantly, he was connected to Gara, whether as a relative or something else, she didn’t know.

How delightful it would be if someone close to Gara actually liked her. Narin couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face.

She called out, trying to stop him. "Hello, you know me, right?" she greeted sweetly.

Madha simply glanced at the blonde woman before him and walked past without a word.

"Y-you..." Narin wanted to shout, but she held herself back.

Unconsciously, her feet started following him from a distance. She had completely forgotten that she was supposed to arrive before the other Liners.

She watched as Madha entered Gara’s yard at the same moment Gara stepped out of the house, beaming. The previously indifferent Madha now greeted Gara with a wide smile, his hand naturally rising to ruffle Gara’s black hair.

Narin immediately understood the look in Madha’s eyes. There was longing.

"But Gara already has children... Is he switching to men because his wife left him? Does that mean he approaches Fian the same way? What a sl*t!" Narin spat, glaring at Gara with disgust.

Even though same-sex couples were fairly common in the county, it still made no sense to her. How could a man ignore her beauty because of another man?

"I’ll show him what a real woman’s power is," a sly smile crept across Narin’s face.

Meanwhile, Gara was enthusiastically guiding the tall man toward the well behind the house.

"I’ll check it again. If the water’s truly clean, I’ll neutralize the river next," Gara said. "If only there were an herb that could fully neutralize poison... it would make things much easier. No need to rely on my water."

Even so, he couldn’t hide his happiness. Soon, the village would return to normal.

Rea, perched on Gara’s shoulder, tasted the water from the backyard well. His little face lit up instantly.

Seeing that expression, Gara’s shoulders sagged.

"Why?" Madha asked.

"The water’s contaminated again," Gara muttered.

...