A/N: As usual, I would recommend putting the video on loop.



Dull lantern light flickered across the room again, and the sound of running water pressed on. (F/n) rolled onto her left and stretched her arms out some as if attempting to cuddle with the sheets. To the girl's disappointment, she found no soft fabric to greet her. Rather, her hands were met by the cold stone. This discomfort caused her to steadily open her (e/c) eyes.



Upon doing so, she was met by a stone wall and drawer. She glanced up only a little to see her bed slightly above her. So, she still had the habit of rolling off of the bed. At least, she hadn't rolled into the water. Moving onto her back, she noted that Tarhuinn wasn't there, which was a relief. It would've been embarrassing to wake up next to him.



Sitting up, she found that she could only do so steadily. Her limbs were sore from sleeping on the stone, and she wondered how he could tolerate such a bed. Still, where he had gone off to? After she rubbed her eyes some, she glanced around the room.



When her gaze met the bathtub, heat flooded her cheeks, and she grabbed the sheet off of her bed to cover her face with. A little warning would've been nice. Luckily, in her quick glance, she had only seen his bare shoulders and the top part of his chest.



"You're certainly shy, (f/n)," came his voice in between soft laughs.



"Well, forgive me, good sir, but unmarried people in my village typically don't take baths in the same room! Or, at least that's what I was taught!" she shouted out. She didn't mean to, but her bashfulness was currently running her speech at the moment.



She heard a splash and footsteps progressing towards her in the water. Tensing some, she didn't dare uncover her face. "Well despite me finding your reaction cute, you're in the way of my clothing drawer. So, you can either move onto your bed or let me pick you up and move you." Her cheeks burned at mental image of the second option, and she pulled the sheet away some to climb back onto her bed.



Facing away from him, she still clutched at the sheet as he opened his drawer. "Let me know when you're finished changing," she murmured, hearing another laugh from him.



"Of course, but do you plan to bathe this morning?"



"Yes, but I'll only do so once you leave the room. Unlike you, I have a sense of privacy."



"I've noticed, but there's something wrong with your plan," he voiced as the sound of footsteps filled the room again. She shut her eyes tight and cursed in her head. He was definitely coming her way, and he hadn't told her that he was changed yet. Hands rested on her shoulders and cool breath blew onto her face. It smelled of soothing mint. "You can open your eyes, (f/n). I've already changed."



Hesitantly, she did so and tried to keep the heat away from her cheeks, but he was so close. She could feel her heartbeat increasing. (F/n) backed away some or tried to, but his grip on her had tightened some. "Wh-what's this issue in m-my plan?" she questioned, looking down and refusing to meet his stare.



"It's simple. This is our room, and you can't force me to leave. What if I wish to stay and watch you bathe?" he breathed out, moving his face closer to hers.



Face and ears burning, she turned her head away. She knew that if she looked into his eyes now, she wouldn't even be able to utter a counter. His captivating voice was drawing her in too much. "Th-then, you're a p-pervert, and I-I'll f-find a wa-way," she managed to argue.



A series of light laughs left his lips while he pulled away and stood up straight again. "You don't sound too convincing, (f/n). I'll let you off for now. You take a bath, and I'll prepare some breakfast for the both of us. I should be about twenty minutes. That should be more than enough time for you."



Despite this, she kept her gaze off of him until she heard him walk away. Watching him, she noted that he had on a loose black jacket, a long purple shirt and black pants. It was a surprise to see the color purple on him as that color was exceptionally rare to see on an individual. Was he royalty of some sort? She pushed the thought aside, though, once he left the room.



Quickly, she stood up from her seat and attended to her morning routine. When she had been taking her bath, though, it was odd since there was no soap. Instead, she found a bottle that smelled of mixed fragrances. She couldn't compare it to anything that she had smelled before; she could only tell that it was sweet. There was another bottle that smelled of pine. (F/n) had decided to use the sweeter scent.



After she had left the bath, she made her way carefully across the stone floor, not wishing to slip and fall. Reaching the dresser, she grabbed a new change of undergarments before she opened the second drawer. Simple blue, black, grey and purple dresses were in there. Her hands went over to the purple fabric, and she was tempted to wear it, but it seemed too important for her. She was intimidated by the color, and the power that was usually associated with it.



So, she picked out a simple corset grey dress. Slipping it on, she tied up the front and noted how her long-sleeve black undershirt was quite visible due to the dress's short sleeves. Still, he wouldn't be able to see anything revealing. She smoothed out the skirt of the dress and did note that it went just below her knees. If anyone in her village were to see her in this, they would consider it to be scandalous, but it made sense due to the water paths that she would have to occasionally walk in.



The door to the room opened soon after she had a changed. Tarhuinn came in and shut the door behind him with his right foot. In his hands was a metal tray with two bowls, two spoons and two glasses. He walked up to the edge of the water near where she was at. While he set the tray down, she laid her night gown on top of the dresser and added her other undergarments to the pile of clothes from yesterday.



He seated himself on the edge of the solid ground, keeping his feet in the water, and motioned for her to take a seat next to him. Doing so, she glanced to the food and noted scrambled eggs mixed in with chopped potatoes and peppers. There was also a glass of what looked like some sort of juice. The light pink color confused her, and she furrowed her brows at it. She picked up one of the glasses and peered at it for a bit longer. "What is this? I have never seen this color of juice before."



"It's grapefruit juice. I added sugar to it so that it wouldn't be so bitter."



"Grapefruit? I've never seen a grape this color," she mentioned, giving him a skeptical look. "Are you sure that you know what a grape is?"



An amused smile crossed his lips as he rolled his eyes. "Just try it, and I'll show you what the fruit looks like on the tour today. It's a type of citrus."



"That name still doesn't make sense to me," she muttered before drinking a small sip. She made a sour face, not expecting the bitter taste, but the sugar definitely helped. (F/n) didn't dislike it, though. Swallowing, she glanced over to him. "Thank you for making breakfast, but how are you getting this food let alone everything else here?"



"There's a central trading site for my kind. In that area is a chart for what one or multiple item(s) is/are worth. Still, I only go there for thread, fabric or fully produced clothes and a few others things. I produce my own food, salves, dyes, etc. since I specialize in growing crops."



That would explain how he managed to get the purple dye. Despite it interesting that he grew his own food and such, she was still more curious about this chosen business. To her, that seemed more pressing, and she was getting distracted again. Somehow, he kept managing to draw her attention away from the things that she originally wanted to understand. If he didn't explain it to her today, she would pester him about or try to.



His personality did seem to have moments where he looked like he was about to snap at her. She set down her glass and picked up the bowl and fork. Soon, she found the food to be delicious, and she had it finished within a matter of minutes. Granted, that might also be because she wished to satisfy her curiosity. Picking up her glass again, she swirled the drink around and questioned, "Will I be able to visit this trading site in the future?"



Silence answered her, and she peered over to him. She had asked merely to bring up conversation between the two of them since she could feel his stare on her. Besides, she desired to learn more about her whereabouts and his kind. Now, she was worried that she had asked another question that would anger him.



"No, you're not allowed to go there," he answered, placing his finished food down now. "There will be no argument on that. You're to remain in my home only. You have much to learn, and you won't have time to go there."



Seeing his hardened gaze, she looked back to her drink and took a sip. She was going to point out that going there would be learning, but she feared what he would do. "I'm sorry for asking," she mumbled, hoping that would get him to relax his expression. Out of the corners of her eyes, she noticed that it did. Regardless, the more time she spent with him, the more she realized that something was off.