SMITTEN

Aisha heaved out a deep sigh as a slow smile lifted her cheeks.

Lord Lycano was probably not as bad as she thought he was. She also has her own fair share of being judged.

Finally, she was now at ease. Her feet scuffled forward to the mountains of grains.

Lord Lycano went behind her and Lysa tagged along Lord Lycano.

Her bright eyes darted to the left and to the right.

It seemed like Lysa was telling the truth. The storehouse boasted of grains that she had not seen in the Market Town..

"This is a good warehouse," Aisha couldn't help but blurt out.

Lord Lycano was just nearby, so he heard Aisha.

His cheeks heightened up as he commented, "Of course, I owned this place."

Aisha froze on her feet. Her eyes peeked at Lysa trying to search for confirmation if Lord Lycano was telling the truth.

Lysa nodded her head, making Aisha's jaw drop.

"Oh my gosh, so you're the owner of this warehouse. How could I have missed that? That's so foolish of me. Forgive me, my lord. I thought you both are plotting against me," Aisha let out a sigh of relief.

But Lord Lycano and Lysa gave each other a knowing look.

Lord Lycano snickered in response with his usual gruff voice. But it was a little kinder now.

"Why would we do that, my lady? Go on, have a look. Lord Lycano bragged to her as he walked over to her side. Then he whispered, "Maybe you can find some grains that would remind you of home."

Aisha couldn't help but give a side glance to Lord Lycano. He was acting sincerely nice.

"Yeah, right, the food here is foreign to my taste. They are yummy. But you're right. Maybe I just missed the food in my hometown," Aisha grinned at him.

Now, they were having a really friendly conversation. However, she noticed that Rosalia was frowning beside Lord Lycano.

"Oh, I completely forgot. I'm sorry, Lysa. You also need something here, right?," She apologized to Lysa.

Lysa was about to speak up, but Lord Lycano intervened, "We can talk about it later." He winked at Lysa, making Lysa cheer up in response.

Then, with a sweep of his hands, he pointed to an area in the warehouse. "Maybe you can find what you're looking for over there."

Aisha bolted to that area to check it out. To her delight, she saw a very familiar-looking grain. It was white rice.

"I can't believe this," Aisha blurted out as she sat down. Her smile went from ear to ear while her hands played on the grains.

It was the staple food in her country. Their citizens couldn't live without it.

"Those are Riso. They are fewer in quantity because they are used for ripening fruits and vegetables," Lord Lycano explained to her.

Aisha's heart skipped as she was excited to go back and tell the King that she had found a solution.

She bowed down to Lord Lycano and said, "Can I have a small bag of this? How much is it?"

"It is yours for free, my lady," Lord Lycano answered. "You can repay me back some other time."

With Aisha's excitement, she quickly bowed down to him. "Thank you, Lord Lycano. You are most kind."

Lysa helped her put some rice in a small bag and gave it to Aisha.

"I better get going. The King might be looking for me," Aisha gave them a warm smile before turning her back and walking away.

But Lord stopped her with a confounding statement. "My lady, I just wanted to give you a warning regarding the King."

Aisha's eyebrows knitted together as Lord Lycano seemed to be saying a negative criticism about the King. But she turned her back and try to listen to what Lord Lycano might say.

"I have known the King for the longest time. I don't mean to offend him or you. But you need to know that he was not capable of loving someone. He is just using everybody to establish his kingship. But his only loyalty is to the Great Theos. He would risk everything for the sake of power. I hope you will not be swayed with his sweet actions and fall for him," Lord Lycano said, befuddling Aisha.

His words against the King just stabbed her heart. It isn't how she has known the King. But is that who he really is?

She immediately replied, "Thank you for your advice, Lord Lycano. I will think about it. I will be going now. Lysa, are you coming with me?"

"No, my lady. I'm staying for a while," Lysa answered before gazing at Lord Lycano.

On the other hand, Lord Lycano bid his goodbyes.

"Farewell, Lady Aisha. If the King hurts you in any way, you can always come to me," Lord Lycano said with concern in his tone.

Lady Aisha didn't know what to say, so she just bowed down again and waved her hand cheerfully, "G'bye everyone!"

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Love doesn't need to be perfect.

Love just needs to be true.