"So, tomorrow, are we still going to Silverbroke?"
"Um. Even if I didn't want to go now, I have no choice but to go!" Calista responded as she rubbed her hands.
"Wedding preparations?"
"Um. I don't have anything at home," she responded.
"So, will you be selling anything?"
"Not really. I ate all the fish. Besides, I will be too busy finding what I need, so there won't be any time for me to do so, but pretty soon I will start selling," she smilingly responded.
Susan was relieved to hear that she won't stop selling. Calista was her lucky charm. As long as she was there, her goods would also sell quickly.
Which was why she only goes to Silverbroke town to sell when Calista was going. If she wasn't, she didn't even bother to think of going there.
She would rather go and plough the fields than waste her time.
Susan didn't take Calista all the way since she had left her child at home.
So, at the bottom of the hill, the two friends separated with a promise to meet each other before dawn, as they had to go to town the following day.
After sending Susan away, Calista began to climb the hill as she whistled a hum, admiring the greenery and stones found all over.
After climbing for a while, she finally reached the top, where her sanctuary was.
As she stepped onto her territory, she couldn't help but wonder if he was there or if he would have run away already.
If he was there, then she would treat him well. That was if he didn't dare touch what he shouldn't. She didn't like it when people went through her things without permission.
But if he wasn't there, then she would consider it her loss and go buy a slave in town and marry him. That one would obey her every command since his life would belong to her.
Orson one day might leave her once his memory comes back. She just needed to make sure that she had conceived before that happened.
After all, what she really wanted was a child of her own. As for whether there was a husband or not, it was something she really didn't care about.
"Meow!" as she was lost in her thoughts walking towards the treehouse, Whitey meowed, crying for attention.
Calista looked in the direction where Whitey was crying from and when she saw him, a smile blossomed on her face.
She crouched on the ground and let the kitten jump into her arms before she rose, carrying it.
"Did you miss me?" she cooed at the kitten as she made her way to the kitchen.
"Meow."
"You must have and Mommy missed you too!" she answered shamelessly as she smooched the little thing all over.
"Meow. Meow."
"You must be hungry. Let me get you a fish!" she said dotingly as she made my way to the kitchen.
Upon hearing that, Whitey nuzzled against her arm, making her burst into hearty laughter.
With Whitey in her arms, she temporarily pushed Orson out of her head.
Calista unlocked the door of the kitchen and when a familiar scene greeted her, she felt like she was at home.
Instead of checking the pots she left earlier for Orson, she walked to the shelf where she opened a basket. She placed the roasted fish previously and took one fish.
She also took Whitey's plate before putting the fish inside and placing the dish on the side and letting Whitey go and take his snack.
She watched Whitey for a moment, nibbling on the fish before she went to check the pots. When she opened them and saw that half of the food was gone, a smile appeared on her face.
She closed the pots and petted Whitey before leaving the kitchen.
'I wonder where you are!' she wondered as she walked to the tree house.
Climbing the stairs was very easy for her, as it was something she had done for years. So, it didn't take too much of her time before she was inside her house.
The first place she went to check was the guest bedroom where she let Orson stay, and when she entered, she didn't find him. Her eyes couldn't help but narrow dangerously when she couldn't find him.
However, she didn't dare react so soon as she checked all the rooms first before concluding. Inside her bedroom, she checked everything and found out that no one had come to her room, which was a relief.
If she had found any signs of intrusions, her favorability of her chosen husband would start dwindling and that would be pretty bad for her.
She didn't want to stay under the same roof with someone she had to be worried about.
As for where he was at the moment, Calista decided to give him until dusk to see.
If he returns, then everything will go according to plan and if he doesn't, then go for option B. It wasn't like he ran away with her belongings.
With that thought in mind, Calista threw Orson out of her mind and started dealing with other things.
The weather was a bit hot, though winter was approaching. After walking around, she felt sticky, and she had attracted some dust with all the walking.
So, she first took a bath and changed into one of many black dresses. After changing, Calista took a book she uses as a diary and a quill pen in one of the drawers of her cabinet before leaving the tree house.
As there were no other chores for her to do, she settled in the gazebo where she began to jot things down while frowning here and there.
Calista wasn't joking when she told the village chief and his family about not being lazy anymore. She really wanted to change herself and the village that accepted her.
And for her to do that, she needed to change the lives of the villagers and no longer remain a spectator as she had been for the past decade.