جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 800

The woman still looked hopeful. "Then when can I come back tomorrow to see him?""I'm not sure about that," the guard replied.Now she felt a bit disappointed. Yesterday, she had managed to see him and even shared a meal with the group, but today he was nowhere to be found. Maybe she had come too late. Perhaps if she arrived earlier tomorrow, she would have better luck.Just then, James walked by, still mulling over whether Nash was using the woman he had seen as a stand-in for someone else. He muttered to himself, "It shouldn't be, right? Preparing a hot bath for her? Captain wouldn't be this nice to just any woman, it's not ethical. But then, Captain isn't that kind of person."He was trying to reassure himself, knowing Nash's deep affection for Nina. It did not seem likely he would use someone as a stand-in. But on the other hand, since Nash and Nina were divorced, he wouldn't have to worry about ethics.As James muttered to himself, the woman, Chana, looked up and saw him.

At that moment, she noticed many women with tools, carrying baskets on their backs. Among them was Arin."Arin!" Nina called out. "Are you all going to gather herbs this early?""Yes," Arin replied. "Early is best. Some herbs retract once the dew dries. Plus, we can also gather bamboo shoots. It's the season for them!""I'll join you," Nina offered, thinking she had nothing else to do and was eager to help."Great, I'll get you a basket and tools," Arin responded warmly.Nina quickly integrated with them and joined them in gathering herbs on the mountain. Some of the women, noticing her delicate appearance, doubted her capabilities. One remarked, "Can you manage this?"Nina confidently replied, "I can handle it. I'm stronger than I look," in the Yaren language. Though her pronunciation was still rough, she understood their words and could respond in kind.This impressed the women. "This girl is smart, speaking our language," one exclaimed.Nina smiled. "Just a bit, so bear wi

Nina knew her pants were wet. Everyone too. It was a small price to pay for gathering herbs, and she didn't mind."I’ll change when we get back," she said casually.Nash, however, warned her, "If you don’t protect your legs from the damp, you could get rheumatism.""It’s just for a little while," Nina replied politely. "I’ll change my pants as soon as we return."But Nash’s attention was fixed on her legs. Without saying a word, he knelt down and began to roll up her pant legs.Surprised and a bit embarrassed, Nina tried to stop him. "What are you doing? It’s really not necessary."Ignoring her protests, Nash took off his kneepads and fastened them around her legs.Everyone around them watched with growing curiosity.Arin covered her mouth in excitement, as if she had just discovered a juicy piece of gossip.Their relationship was clearly not ordinary!It felt like watching a romantic drama unfold.Nash tightened the kneepads, securing them snugly. "These are waterproof and

Chana wasn't the only one covered in dirt. Her child was also grimy and tear-streaked, looking as if they had just finished crying. Nash’s attention wasn't on Chana but fixed coldly on James. James lowered his head, feeling guilty for agreeing to Chana's plan. "Captain, I know I was wrong.""You'll be doing all the chores tonight," Nash ordered sharply."Yes, sir!"With that, they continued forward. However, since Chana had injured her leg, she couldn’t walk far and had to be carried by a soldier.Arin noticed and commented to Nina, "I haven’t seen that woman before, and she has a child with her. Looks like she’s one of the women they rescued."Nina nodded, "Probably. There are a lot of refugees along the way."Arin added, "So many refugees, why bring her along? She’s just slowing them down.""Don’t say that," Nina chided gently, aware of Arin's blunt nature.Riding on the soldier's back, Chana kept her eyes on Nash, biting her lip. She urged the soldier to catch up with him.

"Hi, I'm Nina," she introduced herself.Nash cut their conversation short, saying, "Alright, let's move."The child had calmed down, thanks to one of the women. Chana remained in the group, her eyes constantly drifting toward Nina and Nash, monitoring their interactions.Seeing a chance, she pulled out a handkerchief she had embroidered. "Captain, you're sweating. Let me help you wipe it off."As she reached out, Nash turned his head, avoiding her touch. "No need."Embarrassed, Chana apologized, "I'm sorry, Captain. I just wanted to help."Nash pursed his lips, ignoring her. Chana felt a pang of awkwardness, unsure of how to bridge the gap between them.Nina noticed their interaction, seeing that Chana and Nash had spent quite a bit of time together. It was evident from the way Chana offered to wipe his sweat.As Nina was pondering this, Nash suddenly said, "You wipe my sweat."He clearly wanted Chana to see this. Chana's face fell, her hands clenching tightly."Huh?" Nina wa