Chapter 147: Grand Feast
After gently stroking the babies’ heads, Madha moved closer to Gara.
Without thinking, his hand brushed over Gara’s hair.
A giant exclamation mark went off in Gara’s head. What the hell? He pets my kids and then pets me? Does he think I’m a baby too?! Gara fumed inwardly, though his ears betrayed him, turning red.
Madha, oblivious, said calmly, "I have the day off."
"Vice-captain Emir probably gave you the night off hoping you’d join the dinner. Go, have fun with the others." Gara nudged Madha’s muscular arm lightly.
"I can’t enjoy myself unless I’m with you," Madha replied, face composed as always, while Gara’s heart skipped a beat all over again.
Gara swallowed his embarrassment. "Just go ahead first. When Mom gets back, I’ll come over. Bring Fian too."
After Gara insisted, Madha finally stood. But before leaving, he bent down and brushed a quick kiss against Gara’s soft lips.
When the man walked away, Gara could only scream inside his heart.
...
About an hour after Madha left, Gara headed to the gathering with Della at his side.
The young woman almost never showed her face to the villagers. Between caring for the triplets and her own shyness—made heavier by her insecurity as an omega werewolf—she kept herself hidden.
Gara thought this was the perfect chance for her to get closer to the others.
The feast was held in front of the village hall. Long tables stretched across the square with benches lined on either side. Lanterns hung overhead and along the tables, casting a warm glow.
By the time they arrived, most villagers—especially the women—had already gone home. On one end of the table, the food had been swapped out for rum.
"Gara, Della! Over here," Madha called. He was seated among the guards but quickly stood, guiding the newcomers to a quieter spot, accidentally near Kian and Mohan.
The moment the villagers heard Gara’s name, heads turned. Smiles and warm greetings followed.
This young Liner had become their pride. Even though he had only lived here for just over a month. Gara returned their greetings with ease.
When they noticed the young woman beside him, the villagers greeted her as well. Everyone knew a young woman lived at Gara’s house, but almost none had seen her until now.
Della’s identity as a slave was known only to Hari, the village chief, and Mohan, the head of the investigation team.
To the villagers, she was just an ordinary villager. But seeing how delicate and strikingly beautiful she was, some men stepped forward with open hands and friendly smiles, purely with the intention of getting to know a fellow villager.
Unfortunately, because they were all men, Della’s old trauma flared up. She shrank back, timid and silent, staring at the ground.
Her feelings were tangled, fear, shame, and the certainty that her master would scold her for such impoliteness.
Then she caught sight of Gara’s back just in front of her. His voice came steady and clear. "Everyone, Della’s just too shy. She’s not used to being in a crowd."
"Ah, of course, of course. Don’t worry. Please, continue eating," one of the older men replied kindly.
The villagers didn’t press any further, back to their seats. They only offered smiles and greetings from their seats.
Gara settled between Madha and Della, when Fian suddenly appeared from who-knows-where and sat across from them.
Gara spotted Mohan and Kian. He gave them a small nod. They weren’t enemies, but they weren’t exactly close either.
Madha, meanwhile, pulled out a portion of food he had set aside earlier along with a clean plate for Gara and Della.
"Most people have already eaten. There isn’t much left," he explained, serving roasted lamb and boiled yams.
"This is more than enough," Gara replied. Della nodded in agreement.
"Good. Then eat."
Sitting at Gara’s side, Madha watched the beautiful man take his first bite. To him, it was a sight he could never tire of.
Gara cleared his throat. "If you keep staring at me like that, I might choke."
"Sorry," Madha laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck where it didn’t even itch.
Gara only gave a faint smile. Madha was unbearably adorable. But if that man kept staring, he really might choke from the nerves.
He forced himself to keep eating. Madha, seated beside him, started talking about how the villagers would soon reopen the herb fields, sneaking glances at Gara every now and then.
"Mom bought a few plots along with the house, but I think we can purchase more," Gara said, already planning to cultivate exclusive herb fields for the Alrova Merchant House.
Until now, Alrova’s products had always been self-produced, but all the herbs were bought from outside. If he could grow herbs himself—and water them with his water—the end product might reach an entirely different level of quality.
As Gara ate and discussed plans with Madha, the food on the tables slowly vanished, replaced by alcohol.
On the far end, one Liner suddenly burst into song, drawing all attention. From that one spark, others followed. Liners began showing off their talents, and even the villagers joined in.
The night grew livelier than anyone expected, filled with laughter, teasing, and clapping.
Even Della, who had kept her head down and her eyes on her food, finally looked up, giggling softly here and there.
Another person beaming with joy was the village chief. He hadn’t noticed Gara earlier. When the young man arrived, the chief had been inside fetching alcohol. But now, seeing Gara finished with his meal, he hurried over with two large wooden cups.
"Drink, Sir Healer!" he declared, handing one cup to Gara and the other to Della.
Neither Gara nor Della thought much of it. They both downed the drinks in one go, only to realize, too late, that it was alcohol. Neither of them had planned on drinking.
Less than a minute later, Della’s head dropped onto the table. She had absolutely no tolerance.
...