Chapter 23

Chapter 23

“Enya, are you okay…?”

Ihita looked at her face that went pale in an instant, and asked carefully. Meanwhile, Enya hurriedly nodded her head, but her inside was a mess.

“…Anyway, she said she would come to visit the deputy chieftain’s house today, even to see Enya’s face.”

Enya was conscious of her face, which had turned into gray clay in an instant. At the same time, her chest darkened like mud.

She had never met a precious person like the chieftain’s daughter in her life. Kahanti only had sons, and sometimes women he met before Servia claimed that her daughter was Kahant’s child, but Servia did not admit it.

Enya opened her lips and murmured.

“That red hair…”

“Oh, you have seen Avisak?”

Ihita immediately responded. She also thought the red-haired woman was the daughter of the chieftain whom Tarhan had brought from Perugia.

“Avisak…?”

“Yes. Her name is Avisak.”

That was then, in time, a loud noise began to be heard outside of Tarhan’s hut. Enya clutched her chest to the rare commotion that was taking place around her house.

“What kind of fuss is this…?”

Ihita looked at the outside of the hut with startled eyes.

Enya looked outside through the cloth that was laid at the entrance of the hut. Several women were gathered in front of Tarhan’s hut. They were all women she had never seen before. They were tall, a little dark-skinned, and one of them had fiery red hair.

She could recognize her at once… Avisak with red hair.

She was the daughter of the chieftain of Perugia.

“Oh gosh, she really came for you.”

Ihita was contemplating and quickly put the snacks pack Enya had given her into her arms. Enya also smoothed her clothes with a pale face. She looked at Avisak and the women who had come to Tarhan’s hut and opened the door with a hardened face.

Ihita, who followed, also saw the Perugian women and glanced at Enya.

“…Are you Tarhan’s companion?”

The red-haired woman, who noticed Enya had emerged through the entrance, asked, wriggling her eyebrows.

Enya looked at the woman called Avisak and had to work hard not to look shocked. She was very tall, at first glance. She seemed to surpass Tarhan’s shoulders, who was so outstanding that was no comparison even among the men of Aquilea.

The luscious red hair, braided in a single braid, fluttered from her back. She didn’t realize it because she had only seen Avisak for a brief moment yesterday, but when Enya saw her in broad daylight, she could immediately recognize that the woman was a rare beauty.

There was not a single bit of frivolous and rudeness to be found in her as Ihita said.

The well-groomed brown eyes widened in surprise when they saw Enya, then loosened in an instant. The next moment, her gaze turned to Enya’s ankle to make sure it was the woman she had heard.

Enya unconsciously and instinctively hid her legs behind her.

Unable to answer Avisak’s question, she bit her lip. She couldn’t straighten her shuddering shoulders in front of the Princess of Perugia, who stood in a stately manner with the five or six Perugian women who had come with her.

Avisak showed off her great presence and smiled as she realized that.

That expression was exactly what Ihita had said… Ambitious eyes, revealing her own desires openly, scrutinized Enya.

“…That seems right.”

Standing in front of Avisak, Enya felt herself too small and humble. When she didn’t answer, Avisak spoke to the women who were standing behind her.

“I’ll be talking to this woman, so if anyone comes, call me right away.”

Her attitude showed that she was not shy about calling people. Her tone naturally reminded Enya of Servia.

The tone mixed with the Perugian dialect sounded very unnerving.

“E, Enya…”

Enya quickly turned her head at Ihita’s tiny voice coming from behind.

Ihita was looking at Avisak and the Perugian women she had brought with her with frightened eyes. Swallowing a gulp, she opened her mouth kindly to Ihita. Enya felt that she had to let this child go while she had to try very hard not to let her voice shake.

“Ihita, I really enjoyed today. Can you go and tell Tarhan that I’m fine? Don’t tell him who came.”

Hearing those words, Ihita changed his expression at once and looked at Avisak and her alternately with her confused face. Seeing her like that, Enya noticed Ihita contemplating whether she should stay by her side or not.

Perhaps she wanted to lighten Ihita, so Enya urged her once more.

“Go on.”

Eventually, Ihita slowly backed away and quickly turned her body before she started running towards the village. In an instant, Enya was surrounded by Avisak and the women she had brought.

Avisak looked at Enya, who had sent Ihita away, with curious eyes. She opened her mouth.

“…I’ve heard you’re not feeling well, but I don’t think that’s necessarily true.”

She spoke respectfully.

Confused, Enya blinked. Contrary to what she had expected that Avisak would be mean to her as she treats her subordinates, Avisak spoke with manners.

“I heard a lot about you on my way. They said you’ve lived in Tarhan’s hut for a long time. Even though there’s no spousal tradition here, you’ll be treated like a companion if you live together long enough. Like Servia and Kahanti.”

Avisak smiled, then she added in a sharp voice.

“Of course, it may make a difference whether they have children or not.”

Saying so, she reached out her hand.

Enya tried not to look flustered in front of Avisak, who uttered defiant words while glancing up at her. She opened her mouth carefully without holding her outstretched hand.

“…I heard you were looking for me.”

With her defensive attitude, Avisak gave a slightly vague expression. She seemed more surprised by the firm response. However, she soon opened her mouth with a smiling face.

“Ah, right. I think you’ve heard of me. I am Avisak of Perugia.”

She added, pointing to the other women she had been with.

“This is Jerzena, Pireche and Iomba. Others are exploring the area. I was worried, but this turned out to be a much better place than I expected. It is well managed.”

“Ah…”

Avisak’s remarks were more favorable than Enya had expected, so she looked at the women Avisak had brought. They, too, stood behind Avisak with nonchalant expressions and looked at her indifferently.

It was the first time she had been treated this way, so Enya was very embarrassed. Neither the disgust she had expected nor the instinctive rejection towards her ankles were found in them.

‘Are they not aware of the situation here…?’

Enya soon realized that Perugia’s culture of treating people with disabilities was not as abhorrent as Aquilea. Paradoxically, this enabled her to tremble less in front of the Aquileans.

“Did you say Enya? I wanted to meet you. I heard that you are very weak, but you seem to be fine today. If it’s okay, can I talk to you alone?”

As she asked for Enya’s intention, Avisak glanced at the women behind her. Then, the Perugian women nodded their heads and took a few steps back.

“Are your legs very uncomfortable? How about we go in and talk?”

“Ah…”

She was baffled when she first met someone who considered her legs except for Tarhan. Not understanding her reaction, Avisak raised her eyebrows.

Enya eventually let her into the house.

Avisak, who had the other Perugian women wait outside the door, glanced around the house and marveled.

“It’s a nice house. I’m always amazed at Aquilea’s standard of living.”

Enya swallowed a gulp as she looked at her, who curiously looked around the house. Soon after, Avisak, who sat facing her, did not delay and went straight to the point.

“I don’t know what you’ve heard from Tarhan. But I think our arrival would not have been sudden for Enya.”

From her seated position, with her back straight and her hands on her knees, Avisak looked more like a warrior than a princess of Perugia. Meanwhile, Enya looked up at her. She didn’t let this woman in just so they could have a fruitless conversation.

“Why were you looking for me?”

When she asked her straight-forwardly, the brown eyes stared down at Enya clearly with ambitions. Avisak answered indifferently.

“Ah. Since we met in this way, I want to clearly define my position and aspirations in Aquilea. In fact, I thought I would be able to meet Enya in the morning, but I didn’t. So, Enya… Let me first clarify that I have no ill feelings for you. What kind of ill feelings can you have with someone you see for the first time today?”

The friendly, curved eyebrows stared at her. Enya felt a creep in her shoulder.

Avisak opened her mouth with a confident voice.

“I will make Tarhan my husband.”

As Enya opened her mouth at that shocking remark, Avisak continued speaking with a smile on her lips.

“I really liked Tarhan. He’s a little stubborn and he doesn’t speak well, but that’s going to get dull over time. Most of all, I like his tenacity. He has the ability. By the time he came, Perugia was almost incapacitated. He not only solved the difficulties of our community, but he also provided a refreshing breakthrough to the problems of my tribe. Ever since I was a girl, I wanted such a man to be my husband.”

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