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There was a loud knocking on the doors. Harper was the first one up. When she glanced at the window, she realized that it was still dark outside.

Hyde was still in deep slumber on the mat. One of his arms was laid flat above his messy hair and the other sprawled over his stomach.

How was he sleeping soundfully with all the noise? Harper crawled over to him and tapped on his shoulder. He didn't budge.

"Hyde... Hyde, get up." She nudged him again. His eyes opened slowly and he grunted when he realized Harper was trying to wake him.

"You'd better have a good reason for waking me, Vixen..." Hyde grumbled and scratched his head.

"Someone's knocking."

"And?"

"Aren't you going to answer it?"

"I don't answer doors before the sun rises." Hyde rolled onto his side. "They can wait."

"What if it's Giada?"

"Arnest will get it," Hyde mumbled, stuffing his face deeper into a pillow. "If you touch me again, I'll break your fingers." He voiced, tiredly.

Harper sighed and pushed herself off the floor. She made her way out of the room and to the front door, wondering who was there so early in the morning.

Harper unlocked the front and opened one of the double doors. Sure enough, Giada stood there with a big smile on her face. "Harpy!"

"Giada..."

"Per favor, call me Mama Giada... Eyu mi figlia. Hyde, where isseh he?"

"Well... he's... sleeping."

"Is he tired from yesterday's feast? Aiy Aiy... poor boy." Giada shoved the box of blades from the night before into her arms. "Place this inside andeh come with mi. Si? Come, come."

Harper quickly set the box down. But Giada grabbed her by the arm and dragged her forward.

Without any shoes, Harper felt uncomfortable walking barefoot across the courtyard. But Giada pulled her all the way to a big wheel-basket full of clothes.

She picked it up and placed the handles in Harper's hands. "Push!"

"Push?"

"Si! Push!"

"Where?"

"Come. I show eyu." Giada raised her skirt and led the way. Harper moved the basket forward, but she moved slowly. The basket was heavy, even though it was on wheels.

They walked down a hill pathway, toward a large body of water. Anna was there, sitting on a blanket on the grassy field, sewing together holes in various socks, pants, and shirts.

Harper set the wheel handles down and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Giada... why did you bring me out here so early?"

"Mi figlia, work is best done when eyu start early." Giada quipped. "Come and bring it. We must wash and hang them early."

"You want me to wash these sheets?"

"Si? Isseh problemo?"

Harper wanted to say yes. She was taken against her will, dragged across the world and now she had to pretend to be a killer's wife.

Doing laundry for his minions wasn't the first thing she wanted to do on her list.

Harper didn't have to do this if she didn't want to. "Is it possible I can go back and get more sleep? I haven't been feeling well these days."

"Feeling sick?"

"Yeah."

"Hm. Hard work can solve it. Here. Rinse and Wash." Giada grabbed a handful of cloth and shoved it into Harper's hands. Then she brushed off her skirt and walked away.

Harper gapped at her, and Anna snickered.

"Scusi. Mama doesn't take no for an answer. If you still feel sick after working, she'll send you back."

Harper groaned and stomped over to the water.

"The washboards are on your left!" Anna called out, teasing her.

Harper picked up a board that was lying in the middle of her path. She observed it for a moment and gave up immediately. "I don't even know how to wash clothes!" Harper whined.

"You don't?" Anna huffed.

"No! Not with this! Don't you people have washing machines to do this?"

"Mama doesn't believe in washing machines. They are bad for the quality of clothes. She feels that good quality things are earned through manual labor." Anna took a moment but she stood up carefully and waddled over to Harper.

"I've never met someone who didn't know how to wash clothes manually. What kind of housewife are you?"

"I'm not a housewife," Harper grumbled. "Staying home isn't my thing."

"Oh. So Hyde is okay with you being away from home? Hm. I always thought he valued tradition. But it's okay if he doesn't mind it." Anna smiled at her.

"Rinse the clothes and scrub them against it."

Harper seethed.

"You should wrap your hair. When the sun rises, it'll be hot. You wouldn't want to sweat like rain." Anna handed her a small scarf.

Harper, aggravated, snatched the scarf out of her hands and tied it around her head. Then she picked up the pile of cloth and tossed it into the sea.

She scrubbed and scrubbed. After the hour passed, her fingers began to blister. But she wasn't finished. She still had several loads to complete.

She wasn't used to this. Harper was a scientist at one of the best Facilities in the world. And now she was handling work usually assigned to lower-classed Westonians who were construction workers. She felt embarrassed.

And to top it off, the sun began rising and she could feel the Itaria heat burning her skin. One would think she was happy to see the sun, but she was beginning to hate it.

It was dark in Westona. Yeah, it was gloomy, but it was cooler and you didn't sweat as much.

"Harper." Anna waddled back over to her with a soft grin on her expression.

"What?" Harper huffed as she sloshed a full-sized sheet against the small board.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did." Harper wiped the sweat from her neck.

Anna blushed and chuckled softly. "I'm curious. How did you and Hyde meet?"

"Do I have to answer that?"

"You don't have to. But, I figured you could use a short break. Giada just brought us some baked buns for breakfast."

"Ugh. Sure." Harper quickly stood and followed Anna over to the blanket she was sitting on.

Anna handed her one of the buns, wrapped in paper. The packaging was warm, so Harper could tell they were fresh. She took a bite and melted into the flavor of honey that coated her tongue.

"So? How did you and Hyde meet?"

"Well..." Harper had to get her story straight. Hyde and she weren't a thing, and she didn't want to be associated with him in that way. But Hyde was on edge.

There was no telling what would happen to her or Anna or Giada if she screwed up.

"He saved me. I saved him."

"That's it?"

"To sum it up, yeah."

"But, can't you be more detailed? How did you get Hyde to fall in love with you? I'm sure it wasn't easy. It's even hard to tell now that he likes you. I've never seen him react any differently, so I just wanna know how he looked."

"Pfft! It was very easy for Hyde to like me." Harper bragged. "I don't want to brag, but I'm kind of popular where I come from. I've been put in charge of very important tasks."

It was exaggerated, but it was true that her position at the Facility was directly under Dr. Bomb.

"Oh?"

"My hometown was attacked by wild bloodhounds."

"Bloodhounds?"

"Yes. They're big ugly ferocious creatures who feast on human flesh. But Hyde appeared that day and came to save me. He shielded me from the swipe of its claw."

"Wow... what happened after that?"

"Hyde killed it. But I won't go into detail. It's graphic. Hyde was injured after he shielded me."

Harper thought about it as she explained it. For sure, the scar on his chest was from the Bloodhound.

"So I brought him to my home and bandaged him up. He was very tired, so I let him rest. And I was also exhausted. It's not fun to see your whole town covered in fire and blood."

"Woah..." Anna gasped.

"When I woke up, Hyde was gone..."

"Did he ever come back?"

"Well... um... yeah, he did." Harper chewed her lip and took another bite of the bun.

"What was his face when he saw you?"

"He..." Harper remembered the day she saw him at the facility. He was angry, fuming. And the confrontation with Bomb didn't make it any better. "He smiled at me."

"Hyde smiled at you?"

"Yeah." Harper lied. "He did. And long story short..."

"That's so amazing. Hyde always seemed sort of cool. Pa Arnesto and my father always admired him. Even my husband had a man crush on him for a while. But of course, Hyde is selfless. He saves anyone in need. But I guess you repaying the favor made him weak at the knees."

"Hyde... isn't that great." Harper scoffed. "He's stubborn, rude, arrogant, and motivated by anger—"

"But you love him a lot. So that's something."

Harper's heart sank. Anna would never understand it. Harper loathed Hyde. Everything he did at this point did nothing but frustrate her.

"Pa Arnesto loved him too. Me and my brosos, often teased how Hyde was the favorite. But Hyde was the only one who showed interest in his work. He loved watching Pa Arnesto and my father create weapons. That's why he left Hyde with the Dojo."

Harper finished her breakfast and sighed. "How did you meet Hyde?"

Anna frowned.

"Hyde came to Itaria in horrible shape. He was covered in blood and paled at the skin. He looked sickly when he washed up over here."

"Hyde washed up here?"

"He didn't tell you?" Anna raised a brow at her. "I guess he may not want to tell you everything he's been through. I'm sure it's already bad enough that you know his condition."

"Yeah, but the antidote seems to be helping him."

"Not entirely. Hyde's condition is unknown. We don't know how to cure it, or if it can be cured. But when he washed up, my father found him and brought him back to our home. And Pa Arnesto took him in to work for him."

Harper crossed her legs. "I don't get it. Hyde didn't attack you or anyone else?"

"Goodness, no, Hyde would never put his hands on us. Pa Arnesto trained him how to make weapons and use them, but he wasn't allowed to spar with us. However, Hyde did take charge whenever bandits would steal from our vineyard, or when scammers would roam the markets."

"What do you mean by 'take charge'?"

"Hyde protected us, and the rest of Piccposto from corrupt thieves or tax collectors. Without him, we would've lost our whole courtyard and home."

Hyde had them completely fooled. By escaping from what he did in Westona, he made a cover for himself here in Itaria.

"But that's no surprise to you, considering how you met and all." Anna brushed her hands together. "We should get back to work. I don't want Mama to worry."

"Yeah... you're right." Harper nodded and crawled back over to the water.

After that, she continued to scrub until every load was finished and hung to dry.

It was afternoon when she completed the task. But what kept her the rest of the day was Giada making her and Anna patch the holes in everything that was cleaned.

Harper didn't get back to the Dojo until the sun had set. Her hair was a frizzy mess, but she didn't care.

Harper wanted to just lay in bed and go to sleep. It was evident when she walked into the Dojo and didn't greet Arnest or Yanpu, who was sitting at a coffee table drinking tea.

"Wow. You look a mess. As always." Arnest snickered.

"Uh huh." Harper responded softly.

"Harper! I saw a boar today! A boar!" Yanpu chimed happily. "Wanna go see?"

"Yani, not now." Harper massaged her forehead and walked toward Hyde's bedroom. "Maybe... tomorrow."

When she opened the door, she saw a furious-looking Hyde glaring at her. But instead of acknowledging his expression, she strolled by him and collapsed onto his mat.

"Where were you the whole day?" Hyde shut the door and stepped forward.

"Why? Were you worried I'd run and tell Giada the truth?"

"I told you not to go out of my sight."

"I wasn't out of your sight. I was down the hill and next door."

"You'd better have a bloody good explanation, Vixen."

"Can we talk about this tomorrow?" Harper moaned. "I can't even think straight. My feet and my hands hurt. I don't know where to begin."

"Not my problem."

Harper didn't bother to respond. Her mind went blank as she got comfortable. Eventually, she fell asleep. Hyde dragged her body off the mat and onto the floor, but Harper was so exhausted that she didn't even budge.

For several days, the same routine went on. Giada would come to the Dojo before sunrise and call Harper out to work. And then Harper would return late in the evening, completely tired to do anything else.

On this particular night, Giada and she stopped by the vineyard to get some wine. After two glasses, Harper was very drunk.

Anna and Giada guided her to the Dojo. Harper, who was unaware of her surroundings, began singing songs and even crying.

By the time they made it to the front door, Harper was giggling uncontrollably. Giada laughed with her.

"Poor femalia. Drinks are too strong for mi figlia."

"Well, Arnest did say she can't drink." Anna snickered.

"I can drink!"

"Harpy, eyu can not even walk," Giada murmured.

"Let me go! I can walk!" Harper hiccuped. She shoved both women away gently and took one step. That's all it was before she slipped and face-planted into the door.

Anna laughed hysterically, and Giada shouted at her for laughing. "Come! Grab her! Hyde will take care of her!" Giada yelled and began knocking on the door.

"Hyde! Mi boy! Come!" She pounded at the entrance.

It didn't take long for the doors to swing open. Hyde was on the other side, at first, very irritated. But when Giada nudged Harper's drunken body forward, his face changed to pure confusion.

"What the he—"

"She had too much to drink." Anna chortled. "We just came to drop her off. Take care of her. We'll be on our way."

"Wait!" Hyde seethed as the two sauntered away, leaving him with a hiccuping and burping Harper.

"Hyde!" Harper sang his name. "The wiiine... it tastes sooooo good." She wrapped her arms around him.

"Shite."

"I didn't bring any for you." Harper pouted. "Don't be mad."

Hyde glared at her, and she pressed both hands against his face. "You're mad... I told you not to be."

"I'm pissed, but not because you didn't bring me a drink." Hyde growled and snagged her away from the door.

"Why are you maaad?"

"Your breath stinks." Hyde guided her to the bedroom. Fortunately, Yanpu was with Arnest upstairs, so he wouldn't have to see her in this state.

"You smell gooood. Did you eat? Are you hungry?"

"Get inside." He tried to push her through the doorway, but she was preventing him by putting all her weight against him.

"I'm hungry!"

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am!"

"No."

"Yes!"

"Harper."

"Hyyyde." She cooed softly. "Have a heart... I know you have one. A big one. Right here." She pressed her ears against his hard chest. "But I can't hear it... unless... you're dead? Are you dead!?"

"Harper, get inside before I—"

"Don't die..." Harper tugged him down. "If you die, how will I get back home? Dr. Bomb..."

Hyde shoved her inside, and she landed on his mat. The moment her butt smacked against the surface, she started to cry.

"Why did you push me?"

"Because you were in my way." Hyde sat next to her and nudged her to lay flat on top of the cushion.

"Why are you hurting me?"

"Shite, I barely touched you. Just sleep!"

"I don't want to! I want to go home!" Harper wailed. "I want to go back to my bed... at my house... in my room." She hiccuped. "This room is soooo empty... I feel so lonely."

"Are you finished?"

"Nooo." Harper sat up again. "Why don't you listen to me? I have to hear other people tell me how great you are... but you're not nice to meee."

"Harper—"

"Are you mad because of the bloodhound? Is it my fault they came to the capital? You didn't have to save me. But you did. So it's your fault!"

Hyde pressed his lips thin. "Okay. Just go to sleep."

"Not until you're nice to me!" Harper whined. "Respect me!"

"Oh hell," Hyde grunted. "I'll be nice. Will you go to sleep now?"

"Prove iiit!"

"Prove what?"

"That you'll be nice!"

"What do you want me to do? Kiss your scars and comfort you like a child? You want me to hug you and shite?"

"... Yes."

"Bloody heck I will. Lay your arse down and sleep."

"No!" Harper pushed herself up, but Hyde wrapped an arm around her front, and pushed himself on top of her so she would lay down. "Let goooo!"

"Sleep."

"You're heavy!"

"Too bad. I'm not moving until you close your eyes and sleep."

"I can't breathe!"

Harper began to kick and scream, but Hyde rolled over and held her in place. When her head smacked against his chest, she began to calm down. Oddly enough, the sound of his heart eased her nerves.

Her breathing softened. When Hyde felt her body go limp, he could tell she had finally gone to sleep. Rather than taking a risk by waking her up by moving her, he covered her with a nearby blanket and sighed.

"Childish..." He swore under his breath. Her soft snores frustrated him.

But he knew he was going to look forward to her hangover in the morning. Hopefully, she'd remember the crap she said.

With that thought in mind, Hyde fell asleep.

~~~

Shout out to Zhufni! Thank you so much for supporting me on Kofi :)~