His Petite Luna

Chapter 5 You are an old man

LEON'S POV

Every time I decide to drop my suspicion about Ana, she gives me another reason to bring that suspicion out. Something about her is strange.

Today, when I went to wake her up and pull up a prank, I saw what she was about to do.

I held my wrist as I recalled what happened. Not only she is knowledgeable on a lot of things, but she is also quite knowledgeable about joints in the human body. She was about to disarm me earlier.

I pursed my lips.

There has to be some way to expose this girl. Something about her doesn't seem right. I know she is not telling us the whole truth about herself and I am willing to find out all of them. But I know I am not going to get my answers if I ask her directly. If I am going to expose her, I would have to outsmart her. My family likes her too much that if I start blabbering things against her without any evidence, they would all go against me.

Just so you wait, Ana. Your secrets will be revealed soon enough.

In the days that followed, I began to observe her covertly and seemed to be polite to her, which satisfied my mother. I was disappointed to see that she had no imperfections. She always ensare my family with that timid behavior, never stayed alone with me.

The fact that she is popular with everyone in the community just added to my anxiety. Marie, the meanest person in the community, even adored her.

She had gone back to the mountains again with Carla today to collect some herbs.

Only Clarisse stayed at home.

I looked at the door where my niece is hiding, watching me from there. I angled my head and she flinched. Is she still scared of me?

"Clarisse," I called.

“Uncle Leon.” She clutched her clothes.

I decided to walk closer to where she was but maintained a good distance so I wouldn't scare her further. When I got there, she was indeed hiding behind the door. She was probably waiting for me to go out so she could come out too.

I crouched and she gave me a curious look. Her eyes turned round as the moon.

"Is uncle a horrible person?"

She looked at me and I swallowed hard when I saw how he got his father's eyes. Then she gently shook her head, her hair moving with the gesture. "Uncle is not horrible," she said. "But uncle is horrible to Ana."

It's Ana again.

"You like Ana that much?"

She nodded, her face bright. "Clari likes her very much. She's very kind to me and she cooks very delicious meals. She knows a lot of things and she teaches me all of it."

"Talented?" Perhaps Clarisse knows something that Ana doesn't show to the whole family. "What other talents does she have, Clarisse?"

She went silent as though she was thinking and then she smiled as she said, "She can cook and she is very good at reading and writing. She is good at teaching me too."

I sighed. Of course, Clarisse will speak from a child's perspective. I don't think I would be able to get any information about Ana from my niece. I looked at her and gone was her smile. She was looking at me with those round eyes as though pleading about something.

"Please don't drive Ana away. If she's gone, I would miss her. Mama will miss her and Granny too. Ismael would miss her too."

I don't think I can promise anything. If I find some fault about Ana that would put this family in any kind of harm then she's out of the house. But as I looked at Clarisse's face, I didn't have the heart to tell that to her. So I managed a nod and her face lit up. Jumping around the house to express her happiness.

Then she looked at me and said, "I could show you what she taught me."

Before I could say something, she started getting something from the table and that's when I saw it was the charcoal they started using to write.

I sat on the couch in front of Clarisse and watched as she started writing letters on the ground until it formed her name.

"She taught you that, huh."

She nodded and started writing other letters until they formed other words.

"You know these words already? Do you know how to read them?"

She nodded again, boastful this time. "Ana said I couldn't go to school yet since I'm still young but she said I could learn even if I can't go to school yet."

She continued writing and I remained silent. Suspecting Ana for something I have no evidence of felt so wrong. Maybe I am just getting paranoid? This girl has been great around the house and with my family. However, I can't disregard the fact that she is someone not ordinary. She is someone who can survive on her own. Why is she staying here?

I spent the next few hours pondering about it while gathering firewood we could use. By the time it was dusk, Ana returned home from the mountains bringing with her lots of herbs.

Mother greeted her first like she was her daughter.

"You returned so late today, Ana," she said and took the bowl from her back.

Ana smiled at her. "Well, today's harvest is abundant. I got a lot we could sell."

Mother looked at me and glared. I already know what she wanted me to do. I sighed. "I will go to the herb shop tomorrow. I'll borrow the donkey cart from the village head."

Mother had a satisfied smile on her face while I couldn't read Ana's expression.

At dinner, Clari was telling Ana something about her day and by the time we were done, both of them were huddled in the bedroom--my old bedroom-- as Clarisse had been asking her to tell a story about Snow White or whatever that is. I didn't realize I was standing by the door watching her slowly get off the bed so as to not wake Clarisse up.

ANA'S POV

I almost jumped to my feet when I saw him standing by the door. What is he doing? What does he want this time?

I couldn't read the expression on his face but then he said, "Come with me."

Suddenly, I had a bad feeling about it but I followed silently. Is he going to dispose of me somewhere? Hopefully not.

But I was surprised when he was walking towards the village so I felt a little relieved. The village was not bustling with people unlike how it was during the day but I could see some people busy with their farms, readying some tools for their work the next day.

"Ana!" I looked at the first house in the village and saw Mr. Sung. He was waving his hand at me.Since I taught the villagers how to recognize the herbs and he earned as well, he’d been greeting me every chane he gets.

I waved back at him.

When we neared his house, I stopped walking. He eyed Leon and then said, "I heard you've been hostile to her, Leon."

"What?"

"Treat her badly and we'll teach you a lesson," Mr. Sung said, and before Leon could say something, Mr. Sung turned to me.

"Where are you off to, Ana?" he asked.

"We're going to borrow a donkey cart from the village head's house. We're going to the county tomorrow to sell herbs."

"Is that so? I have stored a bunch of herbs as well. Let’s go county tomorrow together."

“That would be great.” Then we aparted.

Leon remained silent and walked ahead of me. Even though he purposely sped up, the distance didn’t change,I continued trotting after him at the same distance without showing any signs of patting.

When we arrived at the village head's house, the wife warmly welcomed us inside.

“I was going to send you some cherries. The cherries on our tree were fully mature. This is the one saved only for you.”

When she saw me, she gave me the whole bowl to eat.

I expressed my gratitude and she said I should help myself.

Leon went to talk to the village head.

"If it's not too much to ask, can I ask you to buy these items for me?" the village head said and handed Leon the money.

They didn't stay long in the village head's house and started walking home. Leon walked ahead and I am not complaining. I was actually enjoying the cherries the village head's wife gave me. I'm sure Clarisse is going to enjoy this tomorrow too--

I suddenly hit something that made me halt walking, almost dropping my bowl of cherries. When I looked at what it was, I scoffed when it was Leon, scowling at me.

"What--" I stopped myself. I am supposed to act timid and not hostile so I cleared my throat. "What is it?"

He narrowed his eyes at me and I swallowed hard.

"Would you tell me the truth youself, or should I do my own invertigation about you?"

Oh, gods. I knew he still wasn't done.

"What's your intention for staying in our family?"

LEON'S POV

This girl is good at acting timid and shy but I could see everything beneath it.

"It was not me who insisted to stay. Melissa bought me to be your bride. Do you mean I could leave now?"

I almost choked at what she said. My family would kill me if I don’t return home with her.

"So you want me to survey it myself."

I didn't want her to say something and I started walking ahead. But when I looked back, I saw her walking in the other direction.

What is this girl on about? This manipulative little--

"Hey!" I called but she continued walking. I started running after her and grabbed her arm.

"Where are you going?"

"Didn't you want me to leave?"

"When did I tell you to leave?"

"Since we met each other, it's all you've ever wanted to happen. I may be a young girl, Leon but I can read people. I know you don't like me in the house. Melissa has given me shelter and I will repay her in time when I have the means."

"If you want to leave, go back to the house and tell them that yourself. Tell them you wanted to leave and I did not make you do it."

"You made me want to leave. I don't want to be your bride either. You are an old man."

My jaw dropped at what she said. Old man? I am only 18.

She was about to say something when I started to carry her like a sack of rice. She was protesting but I don't ever want to hear something else again from her mouth.

Eventually, she stopped protesting and when we arrived at the house, Mother saw us coming. I put Ana down and she put the bowl of cherries on the table and then went back to her room without another word.

"What the heck did you do?"

After blaming me and poking my forehead, my mother walked inside to comfort her.

Finally, she came out with Mother. I turned back to avoid her.

However, she stepped in front of me, holding the bowl of cherries.

“Brother Leon, would you like some cherries? I gave it to you, please don’t drive me away,” Contrary to the tone she used on the way back home, she plead with the sweet and soft voice.

I quickly turned to look at Mother. Under the pressure of the gaze of Mother, I gulped, picked up a cherry into my mouth, saying, “No one would drive you out, suit yourself.”

“Thank you, brother Leon.”

Her voice may have warmed my heart, but the underlying assumption is that I failed to notice the cunning in her gaze.

Now, I am even more determined to prove she is lying.

But how should I start without any helpful tip?