Ann's face flushed red like a ripened tomato upon hearing Sal's question.
Sal realized that she was feeling embarrassed as he noticed the change in her expression, but wait, why would a person be embarrassed if they haven't done anything wrong?
Did she do something questionable to obtain the herb? Sal wondered to himself.
He wanted to hear her answer, but Ann didn't say a single damn word even after a few moments passed, silently looking at him with her big doe golden eyes, hoping he would end the matter there and move on.
If she looked at others like that, their hearts would melt, and they would give in to her demand unconditionally.
But Sal wasn't like the others.
He needed to be clear about this matter to understand if in order to acquire the bloodworm weed and save his life his sister had made a deal that endangered her life or increased their debts.
He wouldn't rest until he got his answers.
No amount of tricks or acting cute and pitiful was going to change that!
Sal gripped Ann's hands firmly. Looking straight into her eyes with an unyielding gaze, he said, "Why are you only being silent? Dear sister, say something!"
Ann knew she couldn't get out of this situation by acting cute and pitiful.
Her brother's unyielding gaze made it quite clear he wouldn't give up on finding out the truth unless she answered him.
She had to answer him.
She took a deep breath as if bracing herself against harsh winds. Then, she let out some words.
"I went to the wilderness and stumbled upon it."
Sal's eyebrow arched in disbelief.
He scoffed, "You expect me to believe that?"
Anna earnestly nodded.
He scoffed again, "How can anyone stumble upon a miraculous herb like the bloodworm weed just by strolling in the wilderness when they need it the most?"
Sal seriously looked at Ann with a gaze that made her feel overwhelmed.
"Tell me the truth about how you obtained it," Sal said to her in a voice that brooked no argument or lies.
"But brother, that's the truth. It's what actually happened," Ann insisted on her version of the story.
Sal pointed at her red face that had gotten so red it looked like it would spurt blood if it was pinched. Pointing exactly at her face, he questioned,
"Then why do you look guilty?"
"Because big brother... you forbade me from going to the wilderness, and I... I..." Ann's words trailed off.
"You defied me. Is that what you want to say?" Sal asked.
Ann nodded like a machine that had gone haywire. Her movements were stiff and unnatural.
The original owner was the best brother in the world.
He had never asked Ann for anything, and he had given her everything to the best of his ability.
Even when he was being suffocated under a mountain of debt that he had accumulated to save her life, he never uttered a word of complaint.
He never blamed her.
The only time he had her make him a promise was also for her own sake.
He had made her promise she would never step foot in the wilderness under any circumstances as long as she was a mortal.
However, she failed to keep even that promise. Although she broke the promise to save his life, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed and ashamed, the reason why her face had turned beet red.
'I guess she is telling the truth.'
Seeing how sincerely she regretted her actions, Sal was forced to believe that Ann had really gotten that lucky.
'But is it really luck that led to such an opportune encounter or something else?' Sal wondered.
Looking at Ann, all he saw was a mortal with good luck who would fade away from existence in mere years. There was seemingly nothing impressive about her.
But looks can be deceiving.
How can an unimpressive person have a luck that defies odd?
There was something odd about her.
Before Sal could put a finger on it, a voice rang out, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"I'm sorry, brother. Please don't be angry at me," Ann perceived Sal's silence and judgmental stare as a sign that he was upset with her. Being upset with her was fine; she could deal with that. But being given the silent treatment by what she considered her entire world was something she could never tolerate. He was all she had. Thus, she hurriedly voiced her apology to him in a trembling voice, lowering her own pride to make amends with him.
By now, if a person wasn't naive, they would be able to guess the type of upbringing she had—the type where women were raised as cattle without a will of their own, expected to act on the whims of their parents and brothers for the first half of their lives, then the whims of their husbands for the second half of their lives. It was something Sal disdained as he found it similar to the behavior of cowards. If he had the time, he would make sure to temper her character.
Having lived for a very long time and having a great understanding of human behavior, he could tell Ann was a bundle of insecurity.
She looked sad and pitiful as she stared at him with a gaze that demanded forgiveness.
He patted her head and said, "You did it for me, so don't blame yourself. And if it's an apology you are looking for, then I forgive you."
Ann, who sat with her head lowered, her long golden eyelashes casting shadows under her eyes, reflecting her troubled mood, trembled upon hearing his words. It was as if she had never expected to hear such words come out of her Big Brother's mouth now of all time. Shouldn't he be nagging her, telling him what she did wrong, and forcing her to reflect on her actions? Since when did he become so kind and considerate?
He was behaving too differently than his usual self. Usually, he would be acting like a mother hen and a father rooster both at the same time, being overprotective of Ann but also reprimanding her if she made a mistake.
As if she couldn't believe him, Ann looked up with bright eyes and uttered in disbelief, "Really?"
"Really," Sal calmly nodded.
"Are you sure, big brother? You won't go back on your words, right?"
"I am sure," Sal said firmly. "I am a man of my word. I never go back on my words."
"Really, really?" Ann blinked her eyes twice, washing away the tears that had accumulated there.
Sal leaned closer to her, bringing his face a hair's breadth away from hers. Then he tapped her forehead gently.
"Really, really, really, my dear Little Sparrow."
Ann's smile grew wider and wider as he made the promise, and she hugged him out of excitement.
Experiencing the unexpected, Sal stiffened up.