章 12: Jealous man

Noelle is outside, drawing water from the well to tend to his plants when he hears a cheerful, feminine voice call out his name.

"Noelle!" Mona's voice rings out, high and full of energy. He looks up to see Mona perched on Big Ben's shoulders. Ben carefully lowers her, but Mona jumps off with the enthusiasm of a child who has no concept of fear. Ben's face reflects a momentary panic, but Mona lands safely, her giggle punctuating the air. Noelle can't help but think that Mona must shave a few years off Big Ben's life with her daring antics.

Noelle waves at them, walking towards their direction. "Are you not a little too active this early?" he asks Mona with a gentle tap on her nose.

Mona looks up at him with wide, admiring eyes. "Whoa, you're so pretty!" she exclaims. Noelle realizes that, until now, he had been covered up, and his appearance had been concealed.

"Really? Thank you," Noelle replies with a smile.

"I thought you were scarred," Mona continues candidly, "that's why you were covered. I didn't know people could cover up to hide their beauty." Mona's lack of a filter earns a frustrated sigh from Big Ben.

Noelle chuckles and decides to spin a little lie. "My husband is a jealous man, you see. He's afraid I might be stolen away, which is why I needed Big Ben's help." With a quick glance at Ben, he accepts the meat, eggs, and milk Ben has brought.

Noelle places the meat, eggs, and milk in the kitchen, and notices Mona's eyes darting around, clearly intrigued by the unfamiliar surroundings. Her curiosity is impossible to miss.

"My husband is currently asleep because he's not in the best of health," Noelle informs the inquisitive little girl. Mona's face flushes slightly with embarrassment, and Noelle chuckles softly at her reaction.

"Where's Ben?" Noelle asks, hoping to keep Mona occupied and away from the more sensitive areas of the house.

"He said he's going to look for firewood," Mona replies, her gaze shifting back to Noelle with renewed interest.

"Alright then, come with me," Noelle says, guiding Mona to the side of the house where his modest garden is located. Mona's eyes widen in awe when she sees the array of plants and vegetables flourishing in the garden.

"Noelle, this is amazing!" she exclaims.

"No one else can see this," Noelle says, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. "I need you to promise me you'll keep this a secret."

"Why?" Mona asks, her curiosity piqued even further.

"You see, I have a special ability to grow things like this," Noelle explains, feigning a touch of sadness. "My mother warned me that greedy people might try to take me away and lock me up just to use my ability for themselves."

Noelle looks at Mona with earnest eyes. "I need to be able to trust you. Can I?"

Mona puffs out her chest and nods confidently. "Don't worry, Noelle. They'd have to kill me before I'd say anything."

Noelle suppresses a laugh at Mona's fierce declaration. "I believe in you," he says, smiling warmly.

He then leads Mona into the garden and gestures to the array of ripe strawberries. "You can eat as much as you want," Noelle offers.

Mona hesitates for a moment, then dives into the patch of strawberries with unrestrained enthusiasm, her earlier shyness forgotten as she happily devours the sweet fruit.

Mona crouches beside a grapevine, her cheeks stuffed with plump grapes. "I have a little assignment for you," Noelle says, trying to keep his tone serious.

Mona looks up, her mouth still full. "What is it?" she asks.

"I need you to find some seeds or nursery plants for trees," Noelle requests.

Mona hesitates, chewing thoughtfully. "Hmmm, I don't know," she replies with a doubtful expression.

"Oh dear," Noelle says, feigning disappointment, "I thought you could help. Never mind then."

Mona's eyes widen with determination. "What? I never said no. Believe in me!" she insists, her small face showing resolve.

Noelle suppresses a laugh, amused by her earnestness.

Ben returns, and Noelle directs him to place the dry branches by the fireplace. He nods, setting the load down with a grunt. Noelle hands him some fruits for the journey, and Ben accepts them with a nod of thanks.

"Bye, Noelle!" Mona calls out as she and her brother head down the hill. The sound of her voice fades as they disappear into the overgrown path.

Noelle watches them go, noting the dense canopy of trees that surrounds the hill. As he walks halfway down the path, he places his hands on the nearest tree. With a focused effort, he channels his ability, causing the already massive trees to grow even larger. The grass and vines quickly thicken, expanding and intertwining.

Satisfied with the progress, Noelle steps back to admire his work. The house and its surroundings become more concealed as the foliage thickens, enhancing his sense of security. He plans to repeat this every day until the entire hill is fully covered, ensuring privacy and protection for the house.