He Had Feelings for Sena?

Sena puffed out her not-so-full chest, trying to make herself look more confident.

"Well?"

She lifted her chin, the freckles across her face vivid in the sunlight.

"The... the prince I brought back—isn't he handsome?"

The moment she said it, the people around her fell silent for a few seconds.

A few girls turned to look at Sena, standing there so proudly, their expressions complicated.

There was envy, jealousy, and even a little begrudging blessing.

"Not bad, Sena. Looks like you struck gold this time," said the chubby girl with the red hair tie, her voice dripping with envy. "A handsome man like that, and you brought him home. You sure got lucky."

"Exactly," the tall, skinny girl chimed in. "How come I never find a prize like that at the village entrance? Last time I picked up a man there, he turned out to be a starving refugee and a lunatic. He nearly bit me to death."

Everyone burst out laughing.

But jokes aside, they couldn't hide the envy in their eyes.

In this remote countryside, it was hard enough to find a man who was healthy and willing to work, let alone someone like Su Li, who was hardworking and looked like a divine being in a painting.

It was like a pie had fallen from the sky, straight into Sena's bowl.

"Th-that's right."

Sena was so pleased by the praise that she felt like she was walking on clouds.

"He... he treats me pretty well."

She pictured Su Li thanking her at mealtimes and helping her lift heavy things, no matter how tired he was.

He didn't say much, but she'd never seen such gentleness in any other man.

"Hey, Sena."

The chubby girl with the red hair tie suddenly sidled up to her and lowered her voice, her face alight with gossip.

"Have you two... done it yet?"

"Huh?" Sena blinked, not understanding. "Done what?"

"Don't play dumb!" The chubby girl nudged Sena's shoulder, waggling her eyebrows. "You know, that! You've been living in the same yard for ages, and Old Buck's hardly ever home... Haven't you made a move on him?"

The question was far too blunt.

The girls around them covered their mouths and giggled, their eyes gleaming.

Sena's face instantly turned red as a monkey's behind.

Heat rushed up her neck, making her scalp burn.

"W-what are you talking about?"

Sena stammered, waving both hands frantically as if trying to shoo away something filthy.

"We... we're completely innocent!"

"He sleeps in the stable! I sleep indoors! We haven't even held hands!"

A chorus of boos answered her.

"Boo!"

"Seriously?"

"Sena, you're useless! You've got a juicy piece of meat right there and you still won't take a bite?"

"Exactly! If it were me, I'd sneak into the stable in the middle of the night and have my way with him!"

Faced with her friends' teasing and exasperation, Sena lowered her head.

Her pride from a moment ago deflated like a balloon pricked by a needle.

She traced circles in the dirt with her toe, a dull ache welling up inside her.

She wanted to.

She wanted to more than anything.

But... she didn't dare.

She knew what she looked like.

Her face was covered in freckles, and her skin was rough.

Standing beside Su Li, she felt like a foxtail weed growing next to a peony.

Su Li was polite to her and treated her well, but there was a distance to his kindness.

It was the kindness of gratitude.

It wasn't the kind of affection a man felt for a woman.

Su Li had never looked at her the way a man looked at a woman. His gaze was always calm and indifferent, as if he were looking at a tree, a rock, or a puppy wagging its tail at him.

"Not yet..."

Sena's voice trailed off, full of unspoken hurt and insecurity.

"I haven't... I haven't brought it up with him."

"I'm scared, too..."

Scared of what?

Scared that if she broke the silence between them, she'd lose even the peaceful life they had now.

Scared of seeing even the faintest hint of disgust in Su Li's eyes.

Even a little would tear her fragile heart to shreds.

"Scared he'll think I'm not good enough for him."

Sena murmured the last words so quietly that only she could hear them.

In the yard.

Su Li had heard the commotion outside the fence long ago.

The girls thought they were whispering, but to Su Li, an old hand at this sort of thing, they might as well have been shouting through a megaphone.

He didn't turn around or put on a shirt.

Instead, he swung the sledgehammer in his hands with even greater vigor.

With every strike, he deliberately tensed his back muscles, showing off their definition.

Heh.

This damn vanity.

Su Li laughed at himself inwardly.

In his past life, he'd lived like a dog, and no one had spared him a second glance.

In this life, thanks to his looks and muscles, he was getting the chance to be watched, discussed, and even fought over by a group of girls.

It felt... pretty good.

But it was pretty pathetic, too.

He had heard what Sena said.

He'd heard the pride in that silly girl's voice, and the disappointment she couldn't quite hide at the end.

Su Li's hands paused for a moment.

That silly girl.

Did he have feelings for Sena?

It was too soon to tell.

He was a bastard, a scumbag who would do anything to stay alive.

But he didn't want to ruin the life of a silly girl who had eyes only for him.

Maybe that was the last bit of conscience Su Li had left in this life.

"Phew..."

Su Li let out a long breath and slammed the sledgehammer onto the anvil.

Clang!

The deafening sound startled the girls outside, who had been chattering away.

"Ah! Did he hear us?"

"Quick, let's go! It'd be so embarrassing if he caught us!"

A flurry of footsteps followed as the girls scattered like startled sparrows.

The yard fell quiet again.

Only the fire crackled in the forge.

Su Li took the towel hanging around his neck and roughly wiped the sweat from his face.

He looked up at the sky.

The sun was already sinking in the west, setting the clouds ablaze until they looked as if they'd been stained with blood.

Old Buck would be back soon, too.