"Who are you?"

At the sound of a gentle voice, Clayton delivered the last slash to the wraith he was fighting with. He stared at the tiny figure of a girl illuminated by lamplight. The additional glow from the moon showed him a tangle of shiny red curls, a small white face and a pair of agile eyes. The light meandered from her shoulders down to the nightwear rich in ribbons then stopped at her bare feet now stepping on the grass.

"Why is there a person…?" He muttered, wondering how a girl who is supposed to be asleep appeared here. Clayton looked around and saw no companion except for a glaring grumpy white cat. The nasty feline stared at him badly as if he owed it money.

If it weren’t for this tiny animal, he would think she was a ghost itself.

"Why are you here in my garden? Are you related to the caretaker?"

He ignored the question and glanced at the eerie cloud of mist, the greenish colour of the sky, then back at her.

Clayton’s illness is acting up. He pressed on his chest nausea from spraying out.

"You don’t look fine. Are you ill?"

He was ill alright, but thanks to the years of experience and sheer willpower he can still stand on his two feet. There were no other demons around, however, that doesn’t change a thing.

"Come with me, you’re not well. You need treatment."

 

[Clayton Meets The Little Lady.]

---

"Mommy and daddy are slow!" Carmine pouted. 

The twins walked not far away from them waving sticks to scare snakes hiding in the grass. Seeing that they were about to be left out by the children, they gathered themselves and resumed walking.  

Hours later, they stopped in a natural crevice between large rocks to camp for tonight. As usual, Clayton goes out to hunt for food while she starts laying out leaves to cushion them from the damp earth.

"So tired," Carmine moaned and lay directly on a pile of freshly cut grass. 

Raven was looking up at the moon and stars slowly coming out of the dimming sky. "Look over there it's so pretty." 

"Well, it is pretty alright." Ayan agreed. 

"But it's not nice when it rains," Carmine said. 

She laughed softly, "The rain is one thing, the sky is another. Even when obscured nothing changes up there. The moon continues to be bright and the stars remain beautiful beyond. It's just that we cannot see it behind the veil of clouds." 

When their mother spoke softly, Raven looked at her intently. Ayan did not notice. The little boy couldn't understand why he felt strange. When was the last time she looked at them with a smile? 

She was always so quiet looking somewhere far. Before no matter how much he behaves, or how much Carmine cries, mother would only look shortly then she would forget about everything next. They can see her but it was as if she was also not there. 

But right now, it's a little different. Raven's little feet moved step by step, drawn to that warm smile rarely seen on her face.  

"Then why do thick clouds come?" Carmine asked. 

Here comes an elementary science lesson about evaporation and condensation. Ayan surrendered herself and explained it briefly in a way the children would easily understand. 

The three craned their necks up pointing here and there at the sky unaware that Clayton has already returned and is watching them close by.  

In the following days, they continued this routine. Determined to shake off any pursuers until finally, they reached the deepest area of the forest after five days. Today, the weather abruptly threw a fit, thankfully, they found a cave situated near a small waterfall when the rain started pouring on them. 

Clayton and the children looked hallowed out from the long travel. They haven't reached half of this area yet and things are no longer looking so bright. 

Ayan pinched the fairy ring tightly and asked Coco, "How long is the next kingdom?"

"It's Asturia Empire, a month-long trip on foot and there are mountains to cross."

Ayan sucked in her breath trying to contain the panic rising in her heart. That night, she barely slept a wink despite being in the comforts of the cave. She couldn't pull out fruits forever, they needed other things and she had to reveal the fairy ring if she wanted them to survive this place.  

"Awake already?" Clayton asked in a hoarse voice. It was obvious that he hadn't had much rest. 

He had been keeping a vigil for several days when they were out in the wild. It was already a miracle he hasn't fallen ill. When he moved to get up, a violent wave of dizziness hit him, he staggered to the side and unwillingly fell back to the hay.

Ayan was alarmed. He was burning with fever when she touched him! 

"Don't get up." She said.

He brushed her hand off, "I was just dizzy for a moment, don't make a fuss and wake the children." 

"I'm not making a fuss." She gritted out. "You're not well. You need treatment."

"I can't afford to be not well," he replied in a raised tone. 

The look in those eyes pierced her heart. It was so sharp and lethal that she shivered involuntarily. Even so, didn't she promise to help? She had to take all that in and remain calm instead of exploding like a shrew. 

"Yes, I know that but I'm also here." She said giving him the same look he has given her. "There's still me, right? Tell me what you want to do, I'll do it."

"Can you hunt?"

"Well… no." 

Clayton looked down with a cynical smile on his face. 

"I can't hunt but I can look for other food." She shrugged. 

She can really pretend. He had seen much of her ruthlessness and indifference these past few years. A short moment of change will not easily sway him. 

Aside from coldly casting their children aside, he would always hear her sardonic remarks. Deliberately taunting him and grinding his patience. He understood why she would do that because she wanted to forcefully break the marriage. 

But there is no way he would. 

Dragging her here in the middle of nowhere, how could she not resent him knowing her temper? Truth to be told it was exhausting to be on guard most of the time but Clayton just can't quit and let his guard down. The consequences will be unimaginable. 

This time, she seems to have switched her tactic. He couldn't unmask her in front of the children, that would be too cruel for them. He could only watch closely. 

"Don't think I didn't know what you want," he said harshly. "I'm telling you, you can never go back."

"I wasn't trying to argue with you," Ayan replied gritting her teeth. "At this distance, you are still suspecting me of running away. Don't you think that's absurd?" 

Clayton heaved violently. 

"Clayton, nothing's going to change if you keep on refusing to let me." Ayan sighed weakly. 

It has been days. She was also at the brink of losing her temper when facing his cold face. Miss Ayan Rose is a pretty free-spirited and friendly person but she also has her limit.  

She sat on the cold floor while praying for more patience. Ayan had to remind herself again and again not to give in, but damn that predecessor of hers! She did too much damage but she ended up as the one struggling to do the repairs. Clayton was too guarded like a hedgehog raising his spikes at every turn because the things 'Ayan' had done in the past had left him a huge shadow. 

Clayton looked at the woman wearing a bitter face. 

"I won't force you to trust me but at least observe." 

With a resolute gaze, Ayan stood up and put her hands on her hips looking at him. Clayton glared at her defensively. He had never hated being weak as he is right now. 

Ayan felt funny when she saw the distinct tightening of his nerves. Like an arrow knocked on a bow, he would shoot any moment she makes a wrong move. 

"Clayton Rozenberg you said you will give me one last chance but why won't you take a bet?" she said quite displeased. "Haven't I worked enough in your eyes?"

Silence.

To her annoyance, she snorted at him, "I never thought a gentleman would go back on his words." 

He frowned fiercely. This audacious woman...

Ayan rolled her eyes. So you get upset when someone shows you an ugly face. 

"I'm actually giving you a good bargain here. Tell you what, if you lose the bet you will finally be free of a bothersome burden. Isn't that good? And if you win…" she trailed off staring unblinkingly at him.

Clayton gripped the side of his trousers unconsciously. Right now, the stubborn woman looks so guileless and bright, the ends of her lips are curled mysteriously as if hiding a secret.

Suspicion swirled inside his chest like poison. A flash of her chatting with the twins under the starry sky came to him. She was laughing openly, teasing the boys and teaching them childish things. 

That time, that time he felt relieved. If only she could change… 

The suspicion inside of him was slowly suppressed by that moment alone. Although she obviously looked sly and treacherous he couldn't help thinking this is how she should be instead of wearing that cold emotionless mask all the time.

Is she really willing to change?

There was a loud thud in his chest. It had been so long since he felt something like this. Like anticipating that something good is about to happen. Clayton forgot he was originally guarding about this woman. 

"If I win?" he asked. 

"If you win, you'll get the best deal you never had in your life, " Ayan said with a wide smile. "So what now, dare to bet?"

As he looked deeper, an inexplicable feeling faintly grew inside of him. It wasn't so conspicuous now but it was undeniable that it was already there, slowly sprouting. Just waiting for it to bloom and ripen one day.

He snorted, "Cheeky."

Ayan wouldn't be the Ayan if that little snort could dissuade her. Although she did not hear him say yes, the tone he used was more or less an agreement to her ears. 

So without minding the dagger stares, she pushed him back to the hay. "Get plenty of rest. Leave everything to me today."

He was really about to collapse now he could barely maintain his glare at her. When her warm palms pinched his aching forehead, he couldn't fight it anymore and went back to sleep.