CHAPTER 225: I’LL TAKE CARE OF YOU

The mediator couldn’t take his eyes off the woman’s smile, his gaze fixed on her lips.

He watched as her lips curved upwards, the corners of her mouth rising and revealing a set of pearly teeth— loving the way her mouth curved upwards, the corners of her mouth slightly quirked up in a beaming smile.

Her whole face lit up when she smiled, her emerald eyes sparkling and her cheeks rounding with the fullness of her smile.

He could feel his heart beat faster as he looked at her, her happiness contagious, the sight of her smile filling him with a sense of joy, his own lips twitching as if he wanted to smile at the sight.

He felt a lump form in his throat, his entire being captivated, his eyes roved over her face, taking in every detail, his heart rate quickening at the pure happiness she radiated.

As if the answer wasn’t obvious enough, Zaque answered her question, voice laced with certainty.

"Of course." The words went past his lips, the sound of his confirmation made Coco’s already bright smile widen even more as the mediator agreed to her question.

Her whole face seemed to glow, the smile on her face growing bigger and brighter with every passing moment.

Her eyes sparkled with happiness, her whole body radiating with joy as she heard the man’s response and she felt a sense of elation wash over her, her whole being filled with satisfaction and relief.

She couldn’t help, but let out a soft laugh, her happiness clear in every movement and sound that she made.

"That’s really reassuring." Coco hummed out as she laughed, shaking her head in a surprised manner while she took a step closer to Zaque.

"To reassure you even more, we can hire someone to check on the house and I could send a letter to my father to ask about whose name the house was under." Zaque suggested, his shoulders dropping slightly as the tension left his body.

"We can do the former." Coco said and closed the distance between them, her body moving forward as she moved to stand in front of the mediator.

She reached out with her hands, grasping his hands in her own, her touch was gentle, but firm, her fingers wrapping around his knuckles as she held onto him— the feeling of his skin against her own was electrifying, but comforting.

Coco’s gaze is fixed on his face, her expression soft and warm, her touch gentle but full of an unexpected tenderness.

She was completely pleased at the fact that she didn’t have to worry about paying for a room to stay in the main city and could focus on the food, completely unaware of her action’s effect on the poor mediators before her.

Speaking of the red haired mediator..

Zaque’s expression was one of pure surprise and awe with his eyes wide and his mouth open.

His cheeks were flushed, a slight blush creeping across his face, his breathing slightly unsteady as he struggled to come to terms with her action.

He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his breath caught in his throat with the sound of his own heartbeat loud in his ears.

He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry, and he could feel a lump form in his throat as he stared at her.

He could feel her warmth, felt the way her hands were rough through the contact, the calluses on her fingertips— possibly gained from working every day— scraping against his smooth skin, her touch sending a shiver up his spine.

Zaque’s gaze flickered from their intertwined hands, to her face and then back to their joined hands again.

He couldn’t help, but reflexively clutch her hands tighter, his fingers clinging to hers like a lifeline, the touch of her fingers on his skin sent a jolt of electricity through him, his heart racing in response to her touch.

He felt a wave of emotion wash over him, a mix of pleasure and nervousness coursing through his veins, his hands were larger than hers, his fingers enveloping her hands in a grip that was out of panic and awe.

"I’ll take care of you." Coco declared as she squeezed his hands reassuringly, "I’ll make sure that you won’t be neglected the whole time we’re in the main city."

Zaque’s face turned even more flushed as he heard Coco’s declaration, his cheeks growing warmer, deepening in color, his complexion taking on a deeper shade of red as the woman’s words sunk in, his mind struggling to process her words.

His heart beat was so loud that he was surprised she didn’t hear it as he felt a wave of emotions wash over him, a mixture of surprise and embarrassment that left him stumbling for words.

He wanted to respond, to tell her that he didn’t need to be taken care of, but the words stuck in his throat, his mind frozen in shock.

"Coco, you can’t take him with you since he doesn’t have a permit—"

"The permit— shoot, you’re right, Quizen!" Coco snapped out of her thoughts and gasped as she turned to the mediator.

"But I haven’t received mine yet so I can still ask the village chief for Zaque’s permit." Coco brightened up, the smile on her lips returning as she came up with a solution in her spot.

Quizen felt a strange mix of emotions swirl inside his chest.

He didn’t understand why, but he felt a sudden pang of sadness, disappointment, and pain in his chest like he was stabbed by a sharp knife.

He had never felt this way before, his emotions catching him completely off guard.

He tried to make sense of his feelings, but he couldn’t understand why he was feeling so sad and hurt upon hearing Coco saying that he will take care of Zaque.

It was like a switch had been flipped inside him, his mind and heart consumed by a sudden sense of longing.