"Easy, lady!" Anom hurriedly moved his knee to block the leg that had almost arrived near him. A second's delay would have allowed the leg to reach its intended target.
Sweating, he looked at Loreana in incredulity. "Were you trained by thugs or something?" He was really amazed at her reaction speed, but even more so at her choice of attack.
"Hmph!" Loreana, who had already freed herself, snorted. "You really are getting more and more unruly, you hooligan!" Although she hissed in anger, one could tell from her posture that she was relaxed after finding that it was Anom.
He scratched his head before saying, "Well, it's your fault for being so defenseless."
"Is it?" Loreana crossed her hands against her chest, looking at him with her brows raised. "So you're telling me that I can't even relax inside my own house?"
Well, you can." Anom nodded before adding, "But not anymore."
Loreana's frown deepened before she asked, "What do you mean?"
Anom closed the distance between them until Loreana had to step back. Only to get obstructed by the table behind her.
Before she could scold Anom again, he had already started explaining, "I'm not joking." His tone changed from playful to serious. "I came here to warn you."
"Warn me?" Loreana was confused as well as apprehensive. She knew that Anom would not mess around when it came to serious matters.
"Yes." Anom nodded. "I told you about your charm related bloodline, right?"
Loreana nodded, so he continued, "I didn't tell it when Crystal was around." He pursed his lips before adding, "But I suspect that the people who were so adamant on capturing you were probably after your bloodline."
Loreana was stunned. Then her face turned pale.
"You… you mean?" she asked in perplexity.
"From what you told us about yourself, I can conclude that they probably have a way to track you." He paused before saying, "And…"
"And?"
"You are probably not the only one," he concluded. "I mean, looking at the way they handled this matter, it seemed as if they were used to doing it many times."
He then offered another perspective. "Of course, I'm just guessing." He shrugged. "They could be just professional slave hunters who happened to have found out about you somehow."
Loreana turned silent for a while as she processed his words.
"Do you mean they can still track me?" Finally, she asked with a hint of panic visible in her eyes.
"Don't worry." Anom moved closer before he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Since you can't even find the location of your old village, then it's probably quite far away from here. They won't be able to find this place so easily either."
"Besides," he added, "even if they did, this is a city under the jurisdiction of the kingdom, not some small town in a lawless land." He assured, "They'll have to think a hundred times before they even dare to enter."
Hearing his assumption, Loreana also felt at ease, as she too nodded.
But Anom wasn't finished yet.
"That may be the case," he said. "But believing in a system whose rules can be easily bent by the strong," he said while shaking his head. "It's certainly not the smartest thing to do, and it can't assure me either."
He then smirked as he said, "Doesn't this also give you a reason to come with me?"
Loreana had a blank expression on her face before she could finally react. She asked with her eyes widening, "Don't tell me you were scaring me earlier just for me to reach this conclusion?"
"Of course not." Anom immediately refused. "You've already agreed to leave with me; why would I waste my efforts to convince you again?"
Loreana looked at him with suspicion before saying, "Alright." She then lowered her head to look at the hand that slithered down to her waist and commented, "What do you have to say about this?"
"Nothing." Anom chuckled as he grabbed her waist with both his hands and pulled her towards his chest. "Discussion over. Now, I just want to flirt."
Their faces were close enough for them to feel each breath. But even then, Loreana didn't flinch.
"Flirt?" She just smirked. "You're still too inexperienced to do that with me, young man." Then she said, "Just keeping your attention on my daughter will be enough."
"Is that so?" Anom looked at her amusedly. "Funny coming from the mouth of a half-virgin," he commented.
"Wha… what?" Loreana's eyes widened as she looked at him, stunned.
"Did I say something wrong?" Anom asked before sighing. "I really don't know how you'll teach Crystal with that half-baked knowledge of yours."
"You're talking nonsense!" Loreana retorted. "I… I have more than enough experience to teach my daughter." She then looked at him before commenting. "Especially about how to deal with scoundrels like you."
I have no doubt about that part. Anom's cheek twitched as he remembered the violent attack she made through an awkward angle.
But, of course, he only thought about it. The words he spoke were something else.
"Alright. If you say so." Anom said. "How about giving me an example then?" he asked, looking at her with a smirk.
His smile irked Loreana. She felt as if he was looking down on her.
"Go on then." She then declared, "Tell me how you want me to prove it."
Anom's smile widened as he instantly replied, "Kiss me!"
Loreana's expression froze. Her eyes stared dazedly at Anom for a moment before she sighed. "I knew it was going to be something like this." She shook her head. "You can never be serious."
"You think I was joking?" Anom asked, showing an upset expression. He then sighed and said, "I knew it was going to be like this." He loosened his hold and distanced himself from her. "Maybe it was delusional of me to think that you liked me," he said. "I'm sorry."
He turned on his feet and started walking towards the door, albeit a bit too slowly.
But Loreana didn't notice that, as she was currently in a panic. Hearing his words made her feel a sudden sense of loss. She didn't understand what was going on, but she was sure that she didn't like this feeling.
"Wait!" Stepping forward, she said to Anom, "That- That's not what I meant."
Anom stopped but didn't turn back. "Does it matter what you mean?" he asked. "The conclusion is still the same—you don't like me."
Saying so, he once again began to move.
"No. That… You…" Loreana's thoughts became muddled for a moment before she could find some clarity to speak. She said, "I- I like you… As a person. A person that my daughter likes."
Anom, who was about to turn around, stopped and once again sighed. "That short pause was the best moment of my life." Having expressed his disappointment, he once again dragged his feet forward.
"Uhh…" Loreana had never felt so confused before. But her hesitation vanished as she saw him half-way to the door. She shouted, "Stop!" Gritting her teeth, she continued, "I know what you are trying to do, you little rascal! And I'm not liking how it's making me feel! Just… just do whatever you want!" Her breathing was heavy, as if she had used up all of her strength just to speak these words.
Anom stopped again, and this time he turned around. Then, before Loreana could react, he appeared in front of her with an eager expression on his face. "You mean it?" he asked, like a child asking his mother for confirmation to eat candy.
Seeing him act like this made Loreana feel even more helpless. She knew what he was aiming for, but she just couldn't refuse, even if it was an act.
"I already said it," she said in a low voice, her head lowered to the side.
Anom showed his teeth as he smiled. "Yeah, you did."
He once again grabbed her waist and pulled her closer, using more force than before, making their chests stick together tightly.
As he lowered his head, a faint flowery fragrance entered his nose, making him take a deep breath.
Loreana could also feel his actions. His breath tickled her soft skin, making her shiver. Seeing his face growing nearer, she closed her eyes as her breathing also turned heavy, and her soft breasts expressed that by making Anom feel different shades of softness.
Feeling bashful, she lowered her head even further. But Anom had no problem with that, as he simply adjusted his head a bit lower, his mouth moving towards hers.
Although she was nervous, her eyes couldn't help but open to take a peek. But her curiosity soon turned into shyness after she found Anom gazing at her intensely. Her beautiful brown eyes once again hid themselves under her quivering eyelids as she braced herself for the "impact."
It was when…
Click!
"… Mom?"