Chương 37: The Bad Thing

"You don't intend to poison me, do you?" said Leyman with a little suspicion to Jihan. "You know what will happen to those who harm the commander of the royal army, right?"

Jihan nodded and still didn't dare to lift her face.

"Y—You've already drunk this liquid medicine," said Jihan.

Leyman smiled. If that was the case, he thought, then the liquid in the cup was indeed medicinal herbs.

"Okay."

Leyman used the elbow of his right hand to raise his body a little higher. And then, Jihan helped the man by bringing the bamboo cup to Leyman's mouth.

A few sips and Leyman had enough. After all, the liquid tasted bitter on his tongue. But he was not surprised, because most of the medicinal herbs like that did have a pungent smell and unpleasant taste.

"Enough!" said Leyman, and he lay back down with his body completely naked.

"I—I'll put this herbal medicine, on this small table," Jihan still nervously put the bamboo cup on the table.

Yes, Leyman realized that. He had to spend the potion water for his health.

Then, the girl will move out of the room because she feels enough for now with the man's treatment.

"Hey," Leyman asked the girl. "Don't you think I'll catch a cold if I'm naked like this?"

Jihan looked doubtful. Her gaze fell on the rough blanket, then on Leyman's body. And when she looked at the adult man's body, Jihan looked down again with a red face.

Leyman smirked. "Come on, Jihan. Help me cover my body."

Without saying much, Jihan grabbed the rough blanket back, stretched it out before finally covering Leyman's body, from chest to knees.

But, of course, there are parts of the blanket that stick out high.

"You're interested in touching that thing?" said Leyman in a low voice trying to seduce the girl.

Jihan's face was getting redder, "S-sorry…, please, get some rest," and then she quickly left the room.

"Not now, Jihan," Leyman muttered to himself. "Not now." And the man was lay on his back, staring at the roof of the hut with a sly smile at the corner of his lips.

***

Marni had been waiting for Munra's return for a long time in front of their hut. The woman's face clearly showed extreme anxiety for the safety of her husband, who for some reason still hasn't come home until now.

The sky was getting dark.

"Ooh, Great Gods, please..., save my husband," Marni muttered half inaudibly.

"Mom," called little Aryan from the doorway of their hut. "Why dad isn't home yet?"

Marni smiled at Aryan, rubbing the child's head.

"Your father probably brought a lot of grass, Aryan," said Marni. "So, that's why he came home a little late this time."

"But, it's been too long, Mom," said Aryan with the same worried face as Marni's. "It's not usually dad like this."

Marnie smiled again. However, she didn't want to show her concern in front of Aryan. Besides, Munra didn't necessarily experience anything, maybe she was just too worried.

At least, that's what Marni thought.

"Please go inside, Aryan," said Marni to her son. "Let me wait for your father here. You, go to eat first."

With a slightly gloomy and worried face, Aryan finally obeyed his mother's words. He returned to the hut, then sat on a piece of wood, in front of a bamboo table.

But, Aryan didn't feel hungry anymore. His concern for his adoptive father overcame his hunger.

Ooh, gods and goddess of Swargaloka, Marni screamed in her heart. Please get rid of these worries and bad thoughts inside of me. Please…, protect my husband wherever he is.

Amid her worries, Marni saw someone's shadow from a distance. Someone seemed to be limping while carrying the grass. Due to the dark conditions, Marni could not recognize the figure at the end of her vision.

After all, Marni certainly doesn't know that the female buffalo that used to accompany her husband is no longer on Munra's side. She still thought her husband still had the buffalo.

So, whoever the figure on the other end was, Marni didn't think it was Munra himself, her husband.

However, the closer the figure got, the more Marni sank into her anxiety.

And sure enough, when the figure carrying the bundle of grass was only a few steps away from Marni, the woman immediately ran towards the figure.

"My husband…?!"

Munra finally reached his hut, his steps already very tired. He fell in his wife's arms along with a bunch of grass that crashed to the ground.

Marni's scream startled Aryan. The seven-year-old boy immediately ran out of the hut, he approached his mother who was hugging someone.

"Mom…!" Aryan screamed. And, when he saw his adoptive father's condition. Aryan was crying hysterically. "Dad...!"

The screams of the mother and child also startled some of their neighbors who lived nearby.

"What has happened to you, my husband?" asked Marni with wailing tears. With trembling hands, she rubbed her husband's face. Wiping the remaining blood from her husband's nostrils and mouth. "What has happened to you, honey? Oh, Gods and Goddess of Swargaloka… why are You punishing us?"

"Mar—Marni…" Munra said, trying to smile. "Don't blame the Gods and Goddess, please..."

The neighbors started to gather near Marni who hugged Munra. Of course, they were quite surprised by what had happened to Munra, that the middle-aged man came home with a sore face. Broken nose and cracked corners of the lips.

"What has happened to you, Munra?" asked a man.

"Where's your cart?" asked the others. "Where is the female buffalo?"

"Munra?"

And then, due to his exhaustion and the wounds on his face, Munra finally fell unconscious in his wife's arms.

"My husband?!" Marni screamed while rocking her husband's body.

"Dad…!" Aryan shouted hysterically.

A neighbor approached Munra, he tried to check the breath in Munra's nostrils.

"Calm down, Marni," said the man. "Your husband just fainted. Hey!" he turned to some of the grown men around them. "Help me carry Munra."

Then, two adult men immediately approached. The three of them picked up Munra and carried Munra into his hut.

"Over here," said Marni, pointing to a bamboo divan.

The three men laid Munra on the divan carefully.

TO BE CONTINUED ...