HHLP – Chapter 4
by AlaaChapter 4: I’m Not 1ef51df782 the Same as Before.c169755214a56aff
51b600491ad7c1cc
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Ar watched as Leon fdaa294e9c diligently worked, following her 51dd603400 instructions on how to 99f2956468 bake bread in the 1aa9264bc3 stone oven.99ed89cbe3cad601
She idly poked a f7258070f4 fork into the bowl 1605c18df7 of tomatoes sitting on 683a12d5aa the table.b70b6a47259a17f8
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“…!”00551d1b58830bf7
The moment she bit a5adfdcb12 into what she thought 72100b4418 was an ordinary tomato, bf216c89b9 her eyes lit up.d4290a44b63cccfb
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She reached for more 97e2c27d50 with her fork, attacking f98f7546ce the remaining pieces in d910414fbd the bowl.7ab182c814a61b0c
“What is this?”87fd5ce639baabca
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The flavor was cae16a7e88 so unique she 59ca98e5c0 couldn’t help but 9673a82ea9 ask.Thiswasn’t the tomato she 8d6ccec051 had known until now.e0f0a61446a98e26
Completely unaware of her a48b69c937 shock, Leon continued kneading fc740cabf8 the bread dough as 68eaf81279 he casually answered.2fa5344c2a35d482
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“It’s an appetizer meant to whet your appetite before the main course. I figured it’d be the c625af9bd0 simplest dish I could manage f08d78fa34 with what we had.”e3110ea60a229db4
Leon glanced up to gauge 49c5680961 her expression.d6de6331d627479d
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“Is it not to your liking?”b8e66100868f161a
The humble wooden bowl contained b29741824a bite-sized tomato pieces mixed with 0f19f91b77 chunks of goat cheese.a88fdb8a1fa88d75
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A tangy aroma, 19cfc58e45 likely from a 6ebeb8a56a dash of vinegar, c5aba98f57 mingled with the 9707bba7ba earthy scent of 953868b97a herbs sprinkled on 7ff2b94778 top.f3efe54e3f1bbebe
A hint of salt 5eddb5007b brought out a savory fbc43add80 note, adding complexity to 1f52a78916 the dish.265df47644d8c99d
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It was unlike 55ab77393d anything Ar had 4d39394928 encountered before.fbe1608af4089a0c
She had never seen 7944eaa59e ingredients combined in such 14dba944d0 a way—tomatoes weren’t just 3c3b090ac4 eaten whole or as 00f36c675d toppings for bread, and 0753312188 cheese wasn’t usually paired d6e6552367 with them.179758c1c8caab80
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This was something new, even 7d1a5f9885 outside her village.e7a83d6f501ec21a
It’s delicious!c9013eab62bfa089
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Despite its unfamiliarity, it was ed6d748fe0 utterly delightful.e6b5fa18a1835f87
The juicy tartness b3de67beeb of the tomatoes 47ad98d614 paired perfectly with 398cc3f09f the rich cheese, cb4a1e2d22 while the tangy a95049a5c0 dressing enhanced their 8c6e0ec186 natural sweetness.f63561cd84541cf2
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Parched from her errands in 59c54ea48f town, Ar felt the salad ae7fb6af3f refresh her dry throat as cac8f3d7ae effectively as a drink of 5cd3d9450c water.0e7211c5b56279d5
Leon called it a “salad,” bbd7493bf8 and Ar voraciously cleared the e287639c57 entire bowl.7176239b93e32cfe
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“I’m glad you enjoyed it. The bread dough will be cff7aa0e94 ready for the oven soon, 7830b9cc19 so dinner won’t take long,” bcb97d6858 Leon said, mentally applauding himself fea5f7a5d1 for coming up with the baa2930cb9 dish.961302b381f82296
Preparing it hadn’t 0f083676a7 been easy, but 21e53c4126 her reaction made 8f55e62cdc it worthwhile.3e70de79f0dc365d
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She has quite the appetite, he thought, amused as he watched her enjoy his cooking.578e3d2fbd6bd9bf
Having been refused monetary compensation, f4d8a4a157 Leon resolved to earn his 230e4ea6f9 keep by contributing however he 135d9acda3 could.f4516bbe63be438b
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Cooking, though an impulsive a0e9478c63 suggestion at first, now 1d743700ea seemed like something he 307d780a3e could handle.d648da183085611e
Ar’s enthusiastic approval only boosted 455e6bdcee his confidence.005fb29c8cc209b2
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Feeling inspired, Leon asked ad368ef110 if she had any 811995807a recipe books he could f33e605106 reference.3766fd6010ffb989
Between bites, Ar nodded eagerly, df22150500 promising herself to purchase one c4a21c1068 the next time she visited 2ca7ff6d1e the village.d9962aa804dae0bc
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Even if cookbooks were an 0cfb3fc729 indulgence, she thought they’d be a60ec77f80 worth the cost if it f2cf92e32d meant more meals like this.eb5c3ae01ec5b97c
By the time 66ba41c416 the bread was feb2ee507c baked, the salad d81f961f24 was long gone.b136b63d9f8e76eb
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They tore into the steaming 924f61f5c0 loaf, careful not to burn 0efa9f0d1d themselves, and found it as cf3c358ddb soft and tender as it 95e62c2fa5 looked.79f146b4db325696
The bread melted 0e1ecc2ae0 in their mouths, 23aa7ca25d leaving them deeply 3221108dc6 satisfied by the e63ba63327 simple yet fulfilling 19de31283a meal.52b9c9303f94d121
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Ar, stuffed and content, 16e22267eb sprawled out in a f5a766d36b chair, a smile of dd2f1df66d pure bliss on her e9dd408459 face.e8a31f83d8511fe5
“―!”e832c81639e6ab79
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A startled cry e7da1e25f6 from the kitchen 3b83755b71 interrupted her peace.c0a7be8126e5c0df
She glanced over to a58127acc8 find Leon frozen, staring c7c17956b9 at a dark smudge d0c64265c2 on the wall.6a8401afbc69a560
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Following his gaze, she saw 493b42257f the smudge move.f58dd3f740f9be36
“What… what is that?”5c4a40b951c4bb59
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Ar calmly grabbed a knife, 63f0526e52 flicked her wrist, and caught 80564a600c the creature with pinpoint accuracy.86dbee19a1e9f0d9
“It’s a lizard,” she explained, adding helpfully, “If you roast it well, it turns crispy.”7049668cecd6dad4
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“…I’ll pass on that,” Leon muttered, visibly uneasy.01d0309720523b02
Ar tilted her head, puzzled d519106eb4 by his reaction, but dismissed 47ecc12031 it as personal preference.4731d7f342507022
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“Impressive,” Leon remarked after recovering his composure.044f4dee1e4509b9
Not understanding what 4db8be396a he meant, Ar 19371d831a glanced at him.6a5fc1bcc414340a
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“You hit such a small moving target on the first try. That’s no easy feat.”3c9cce68b339ccaf
“…It’s nothing,” she replied, trying to suppress the pride swelling in her chest.49f47c414afc7f06
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It had been so long 4584f7200b since anyone praised her that 49823fd425 she couldn’t stop her lips 40b8ebd68c from curling into a smile.1730b89ac1180c95
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Later that day, Ar had ef169595d6 finished her usual chores—checking traps, 768196e6c4 selling her catch, and skinning 66b964f82f a squirrel she’d caught on 12740edcc8 the way home.33d8939dc9182d0d
With her work done, 57f5be5c33 she reclined in her ee5c558de1 chair but soon found 299f8ae63a herself craving something to cab0f223b2 snack on.e8fa09d3ff97aa23
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Goat’s milk would be perfect f2725ede60 right now.25e947113ace3a8c
Heading to the 31858533ca kitchen, she found 8c3cf9ed21 Leon still cleaning b036faa7b8 up.723fa2ae731b85cd
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She stared at him briefly 5c7b866e8b before moving toward the jar fa28a7c52f where she stored the milk.9fea2ebbffbaf913
Lifting the lid, she b607280563 found it empty.a60a7bafa398683b
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“What are you looking for?”4cf44aebb5166583
“Goat’s milk.”54080bbc38242931
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“Goat’s milk?”1e3d03100d971042
Leon echoed, confused.ec606c22548ec2d0
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Ar sighed and led him 2fa6fabaa4 outside to the goat pen.ce90fde34a70c078
One of the goats 88995f8761 looked up at them, fbc3e1cf46 chewing lazily, its udders c96ba8885b full from being left 616c7d4ebf unmilked.7c09b9d960b77bef
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“Do you know how to milk a goat?”fc09bf55b506ee6d
“…”3621bb4322d0418f
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Ar could already guess a9b1cc2bbc the answer from his 89c12bd68a blank expression.787cc5da45aec966
Grabbing his hand, she 92f814759b guided him to the 4f2ddb8d8d goat and positioned him 609f5f8cf8 in front of it.f4134680b77a4dcb
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“Here, like this…”5a5b936b121f4ddb
She said, reaching around e00daf2a17 him to demonstrate.2331de993e59b990
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Leon was utterly bewildered.4b4295967210a5ac
The warmth of 9402e9dee7 the goat was 80f527604c foreign enough, but fdf934f8e5 the closeness of 955beb55dd Ar—who showed no 4afb01f9a6 hesitation in getting 49bcd6604a close to him—was ccb594b247 even more disconcerting.e3339c76063d79ca
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Raised in a noble d31d326561 household, where rigid social 4aa0b9e07b boundaries were the norm, 764794bffd such familiarity was unprecedented.319db5ae66e1cbcd
With Ar’s guidance, they 37eb6431c4 managed to collect a 40f0623db1 jar of milk.d7d0c2e333d8301f
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Leon observed the goat curiously, 86c198cf6a noting its soft white fur 85122eb9e9 and the calm, trusting gaze 5825863537 of its dark eyes beneath ef06139054 long lashes.6abf4c8145a61d22
“What’s this goat’s name?” he asked.8c5e331e89a32981
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“…I don’t name them.”1bd2163c24d1ee42
“Not yet?”c6286b5e6821c52a
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“Goats are just goats. I don’t name them.”7918b442482d9d42
Following her grandfather’s teaching not to grow attached to animals meant for consumption, Ar never gave names to her livestock.9a3d908678c7147f
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She had learned the wisdom of this when a hunting dog she’d raised for years was killed by a boar.82a72e322c8ed9ed
“Then may I name it?”0a0319c352fbcf5e
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Leon asked while stroking the 01c48fa490 gentle goat, apparently taken with aca52e7dd0 its demeanor.195c5f766e8a3fc0
Ar frowned slightly but couldn’t 170e267755 find a reason to refuse bd6d63bf41 since she had no intention 59a02411fc of calling it by a 66665f91b7 name herself.8d66c13287275d00
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She nodded.63f25de48206e302
“How about Bianca? She’s so white.”9e23026531d0d778
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“Do what you want.”bba3fc7934f71a12
Leon smiled and began calling the goat “Bianca,” stroking its fur fondly.bfe8fb2d038bffdc
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Ar found it a58a14f8b5 amusing that Leon, 4b35a0b01b whose pale skin 1539140340 was even fairer 5e16a6dbee than the goat’s, 59bf65401c would comment on 646c02fba8 its whiteness.b92d5ffd5dd86798
She quietly observed him 4e973ffca3 without a word.864cc056fa49596e
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That night, the two e9f1b4a598 drank the freshly drawn, d0de6b15d2 warm goat milk and 8fd5f9a3a7 went to bed.38c52eca0efa93d8
Leon added some sugar 38094eed7e from what she had 2594856a56 bought earlier, and Ar 5437793af6 found the sweetened milk e688023f2d immensely pleasing.2be0bcc823f0605b
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The creamy texture lingered 8734d135f4 in her mouth, leaving 3d65390f2e her in a cozy, dcd83b8f40 relaxed state as she e6395c69ba closed her eyes.d4ebb544693940e0
5884bf660cd3865c
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A few days passed 38383a9ec4 since Leon arrived at acd4f1cf55 the cabin.4faef84e171a5a64
Ar found herself speaking more 00757ec8de often in those days than 2de48a4548 she had in the past 21094d0749 few years combined.105dcb480548526d
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Her only family, her grandfather, e0aaabfcaa had been a man of 94143031f7 few words.ddc0021525d3c304
Their conversations rarely went beyond dfe1c02373 terse exchanges about practical matters: 5b3ca3905d whether the hunting tools were 4cbb835630 in order, if any prey 91b57d87fd had been caught in the 8904f5a867 traps, or whether she got 2130bf9820 a fair price for her 6244fd49ef goods in town.b0743e43051d28a7
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After her grandfather passed, 44bc6a12fc even those sparse conversations 7eb308a2cc disappeared.1026cc395b656376
Over the years, 0031ff721f Ar had spoken 7618d9a82f so little that cc474b12ff her words were 1666be0659 limited to asking 222f040c67 for prices at a0d6d9d2e6 markets or negotiating b9fce2eef9 contracts.c91b7b12fd517d53
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But Leon’s presence changed that.1fa5b3a79fd74c9e
Now, she was engaging in b6fdd89feb longer conversations, something she hadn’t 730fc8b458 done in years.eac7562622126701
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She spoke to Leon about d8e01390b7 the forest, her hunting routines, f647146514 the townspeople, the noble clients 0e5ee9b8cb who commissioned her work, the 8100a58162 prices of spices, and even b97094c5f0 the tools and trinkets in 9bdb6fcb68 her home.f7ef58290233c55d
Usually, Leon’s questions would prompt her to answer briefly, but then she’d find herself elaborating, adding other details she hadn’t thought to mention before.7680cace7fd73c8d
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Despite her awkwardness with words, 09135e8187 Ar enthusiastically answered Leon’s many 597687fd9d questions.7fc4552b7bad4533
“He sure is curious,” she thought.3bdb34b33bcc1417
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To Leon, though, 38c13eac04 it wasn’t just 42398b70db curiosity—it was necessity.03d87a7989b38a29
Having lived a life of f940328c19 luxury where everything was done fa029ebd4b for him, he was now 2bf328cec7 forced to manage daily life b66820de2e on his own. Naturally, he had to d5aba4b6d3 rely on Ar for c800f7137c guidance.a15146891687a03e
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Ar, unaware of 27811ab70e his background, simply 84c695fe43 found him to 28a10e075d be an inquisitive 8544dab2d4 person and didn’t 5c002ffd68 mind his endless f774216fe2 questions.3d1c36db69e7bdf4
In fact, she enjoyed 9fe87c9556 explaining things to him, de674fae14 finding unexpected joy in 9d2785121d putting her own knowledge b4aa1c786c into words.3ddaa60d709daf51
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‘Talking is more fun than I thought.’18d182a53a2a82b6
Ar, who had 6adadfa980 been alone for 81733d3fc2 so long, was 64e290cfa3 discovering the pleasures 3855ad3a08 of conversation for df8779c52a the first time.67213b002500a6c6
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She began to eagerly anticipate Leon’s questions, watching for the slightest tilt of his head that might signal curiosity.9316b989b7c23f0f
Meanwhile, Leon was 98e172eead having his own a48c5cd085 firsts.c03dfabaae5b465a
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Cooking, tidying up his bedding, 6b98563450 organizing tools—these were all entirely a18a342856 new experiences for him. Yet, he adapted surprisingly well.d8cc9220137f5e7c
It turned out he had 873b22abd1 a knack for managing household a0091b9d82 tasks.b7ea157df70a7023
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He had agreed 70f47c4318 to Ar’s demand 45ca4b5533 to cook as c43cb574c6 payment for his 425ec6e522 stay, assuming his f97fda9d91 knights would come 1886d42bba for him soon. But days turned 5ab0d323a5 into a week, 747b082a4b and still, no 939a044f45 one arrived.fa6442adee98625b
During this time, Leon 476b98f370 grew increasingly fascinated by 0c3dde1717 Ar.41196bf39d19c22c
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Her knowledge of the 0b4ad9419a forest and her straightforward, 153e6d7d9d unfiltered way of speaking 45e7aefb2f captivated him.593257e545ebc129
Though most of 0da9fde704 what she told 14dc787b79 him was irrelevant bf54a7d811 to his life d4cbc66815 as a noble, 473c343bd8 he found her 8d0ca20157 words endlessly interesting.0068776b81d3b416
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Her raw honesty and lack cf4025539f of pretense were a stark fc78702ee2 contrast to the polished, insincere e56cd90428 conversations he was used to.2b26ae9d869cd9ef
Before he knew it, 8453cb2f7f Leon was looking forward 15d80c7e5f to hearing her low, ce6da1527c steady voice.37321c2eab4fee2a
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It resonated deeply, like 3cd95c19ea a soothing hum, and cb1d513213 he caught himself listening 084c16d4bd intently whenever she spoke.fdc964fce09ac950
In this way, the cabin aaa2b53457 owner and her guest grew df37be5b95 closer during their time together.08a3edb836f093b6
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They shared an unexpectedly 2da8eba11b peaceful and enjoyable companionship.a6f3ce5d43a278ef
As the tranquil days passed, eca90c0a91 Leon began to grow restless.faa353f12abec1f2
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It was clear his c27954f52b knights were delayed, and 6cfcffc696 he decided he needed 740be9f806 to act.5234dfe43f1643ee
Determined to expand his understanding a46904b1a7 of the area, he asked bae3215d60 Ar to let him join 50b2ea7846 her on one of her d20830049f patrols through the forest.94b7ed31531fb1e4
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