جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 1880

Michael paused. Even at that moment, he could still remember how anxious and horrified he had been when Ivanka had fallen into the sea and nearly drowned in the cold water.Fortunately, he had managed to save her in time.Michael shut his eyes. When he opened them again, clarity had returned to his eyes.He said, “Later on, you fainted. We both drifted to this place, where the locals saved us. You drank a lot of seawater and hurt your throat, so you need time to recover. This medicine is for your throat. It was a local remedy made from herbs.”As he spoke, he picked up the medicine and wanted to feed Ivanka.But she shook her head and turned him down.She reached out to take the medicine. “I’ll take it myself.”Since she had said that, Michael did not protest, but a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.The medicine tasted very bitter as Ivanka ingested it.Herbal medicine tended to be more bitter than pills. Even Ivanka frowned as she swallowed it.Perhaps the medicine

Ivanka pointed to the house and turned to Michael. She asked, “Why is that house different from others?”Michael glanced at the house and snorted coldly.“It’s the village chief’s home.”Ivanka could tell he disliked the village chief, but since he did not elaborate, she naturally refrained from delving into this subject. She nodded, and the two kept on strolling.It was afternoon. One after another, more people left their houses to work.Even from behind, Michael and Ivanka looked like a match made in heaven.People started discussing this matter among themselves.“Are they the outsiders Mdm. Wright found the other day?”“Yeah, the lady is drop-dead gorgeous. I want her to marry my son.”“You wish! She and her man look so good together. Besides, Mdm. Wright has a son herself. You won’t stand a chance!”“Hey, stop running your mouths. Don’t forget that…”Before the person even finished, a shrill voice rang out. “Look good together?”Everyone looked toward the source of th

After Ivanka left, everyone began discussing the incident.“Did Ivanka really just stand up to Anais?”“Looks like it.”“I was so nervous for her. I thought Anais was going to lose it and attack her. But after what happened, the village chief probably won’t let them off easily.”“Who knows? Let’s just hope they’ll be okay.”Ivanka was not concerned about how her words might have shaken Anais or what others were saying. She focused on supporting Michael as they returned to the straw hut.On the way, Michael leaned against her, using his injuries as an excuse for his difficulty walking.Despite his efforts to lighten the load, Ivanka still found it physically tiring to support his five-foot-eleven frame.She said exasperatedly, “You hurt your hand, not your legs. Do you really need to lean on me like this?”Michael did not retort. He merely muttered something about how badly he was injured.Ivanka sighed but did not say more. She continued to support him as best as she could.

Ivanka had a nagging feeling that something bad was about to happen.She told Michael about it, but he just shrugged and said, “Don’t overthink it. There’s no point in worrying right now. Just think of it as a vacation.”Ivanka did not argue further. She lowered her head and continued chopping the vegetables.A heavy atmosphere settled between them.These vegetables were picked a few days ago with Mdm. Wright. The wild greens here are delicious when served cold.Michael was chopping firewood nearby.He was quick to learn and picked up new skills easily.In just a few days, he was already doing it well.Each of them had their own tasks, and life was going well.To Ivanka, the only silver lining in this unfortunate situation was that Anais had not come to cause trouble again.In a way, it was nice to have some peace and quiet.Ivanka and Michael were even planning when they might steal the compass and make a run for it.However, someone oblivious had to show up.That morning

Mdm. Wright was so furious that she had a strong urge to drag Doska back and continue to give him a beating.“Outsiders can participate,” she explained. “There’s no rule against it.”Ivanka and Michael exchanged a glance. Without a word, they both knew what the other was thinking.If the Heroes Meeting was so important and meant so much to the village chief, they could use it to ask for the compass.Mdm. Wright hesitated momentarily before continuing, “This competition is meant to find brave warriors. Not only is it incredibly dangerous, but as outsiders, you’ll be targeted more aggressively, especially by Anais. She can’t compete by herself, but she has three older brothers.”Hearing this, they both understood how dangerous it would be for Michael to participate.The competition might allow outsiders, but it would not be fair and would put them at significant risk. It even seemed like a death trap, especially with Anais involved since she was the village chief’s daughter.It al