Sora watched Lucas’s longing gaze and briefly considered giving him one.
Then she remembered how he’d once complained about sharing food with her and immediately abandoned the idea.
Fortunately, the corn porridge was ready.
She scooped out a bowl and handed it to him.
Lucas took a sip.
Sweet.
Fragrant.
Warm.
His eyes lit up.
Xavier soon received his own bowl and drank contentedly as well.
At that moment, both beastmen felt helping Kaelira build a house was completely worth it.
After breakfast, Sora handed each of them a roasted ear of corn.
The sweet aroma drifted through the forest.
The two beastmen devoured them almost immediately.
Before long, they’d finished every bite.
Naturally, they reached out for more.
This time, however, Sora shook her head.
"Breakfast is over."
Lucas looked down.
Several ears of corn still remained.
"Isn’t there more?"
"There is," Sora admitted. "But those are reserved for someone else."
Lucas wanted to argue.
Then he remembered that offending the cook was the fastest way to lose future meals.
He wisely kept quiet.
Xavier assumed Kaelira was saving some for Martin and didn’t ask any questions.
After all, she had shared food with others before.
With breakfast finished, everyone’s mood improved considerably.
Lucas remembered the favor she’d requested.
"So," he asked, "what kind of house do you want to build?"
At this stage, the tribe could only construct simple semi-underground houses.
Although Sora possessed knowledge from the apocalypse, most of it was theoretical. She knew what good houses should look like, but not necessarily how to build them herself.
That meant she would still need to rely on the tribe’s methods.
Fortunately, she had already chosen a location.
"The southeast side of the settlement," she explained. "It’s higher ground, drains well after rain, and there aren’t too many people around."
It offered enough privacy without isolating her from the tribe.
Sora preferred quiet surroundings, but she also understood the importance of safety.
If anything happened, having neighbors nearby meant help would arrive quickly.
Of course, there was one drawback.
The noise.
After last night’s experience, she’d learned firsthand that nighttime in the tribe wasn’t exactly peaceful.
Still, compared to survival, a little noise wasn’t worth worrying about.
After hearing her explanation, Lucas nodded.
Without another word, he called for Xavier.
The two beastmen disappeared into the forest almost instantly, moving as swiftly as the wind.
Sora watched the two beastmen disappear into the distance, their speed so astonishing that she was left dazed for a moment. They moved almost as fast as the mutated zombies she remembered from the apocalypse.
She had originally wanted to tell Xavier and Lucas what kind of wood to gather, but after a second thought, she abandoned the idea. They knew far more about forests and construction than she did. It was better to leave professional matters to professionals.
With Xavier and Lucas off gathering timber, Sora returned to the tribe settlement. It was time to deliver the freshly roasted corn before it grew cold.
Compared to Ace, Lukan was much easier to find.
Sure enough, she found the wolf beastman sitting beside a sharpening stone, carefully honing his hunting weapon in preparation for the next hunt.
Without hesitation, Sora walked over and handed him two ears of roasted corn.
"This is for you. Roasted corn is sweet and really delicious."
For once, Lukan didn’t refuse immediately. However, both of his hands were occupied.
Seeing his dilemma, Sora spread a large leaf beside him and placed the corn on top.
"I’ll leave it here. Eat it later when you’re free."
The leaf had originally been used to wrap the corn, making it a perfect makeshift plate.
After delivering Lukan’s share, only Ace’s remained.
Sora searched around the settlement but couldn’t find him anywhere. She was just about to give up when she turned a corner and nearly ran straight into him.
The roasted corn in her arms suddenly felt much heavier.
Ace looked at her with an unusually fierce expression.
"Kaelira, what nonsense have you been spreading now?"
"Nonsense?"
She blinked in confusion.
"What are you talking about?"
"I don’t know what you’re talking about."
Ace narrowed his eyes.
"You don’t know?"
"If you don’t know, then why has that story spread through the entire tribe with such vivid details?"
Sora stared at him blankly.
"What story?"
"What exactly are you talking about?"
"Keep pretending."
A mocking smile appeared on Ace’s lips.
"I’d like to see how long you can keep acting."
His rude tone immediately irritated her.
"Ace, if you’re looking for someone to vent your anger on, find someone else."
"I don’t have time for your nonsense."
His expression darkened further.
"Some people don’t even dare admit what they said."
"And yet they have the nerve to claim we’ve consummated our marriage."
Sora froze.
"What?!"
For a moment, she wondered if she had misheard.
Consummated?
When had she ever said that?
Ace crossed his arms and looked down at her.
"You didn’t say it?"
"Then where did those rumors come from?"
"The entire tribe is saying you woke up this morning with back pain and couldn’t sleep last night."
Realization finally dawned on her.
"Oh!"
"My back hurts and I didn’t sleep well, yes."
"But when did I ever say anything about consummating a marriage?"
She glared at him.
"Ace, can you at least figure out the truth before accusing people?"
"You’re slandering me."
"I slept on the ground all night yesterday. Of course my back hurts."
"And after nearly getting bitten by a snake in the middle of the night, do you really think I’d sleep well?"
Ace fell silent.
For the first time, he considered that her explanation actually made sense.
Sora, meanwhile, had completely lost her desire to improve their relationship today.
Without another word, she shoved the two ears of roasted corn into his hands.
"Here."
"I made these this morning."
"Consider it thanks for helping me last night."
Then she turned around and walked away.
Ace stared at the warm corn in his hands.
Surprise flickered across his face.
Since when had Kaelira learned gratitude?
It truly felt as though the sun had risen in the west.
Meanwhile, Xavier and Lucas had already gathered a large pile of timber and building materials.
By the time Sora arrived, nearly everything needed for the house was ready.
Standing nearby, she pointed toward one side.
"Put a window here."
The construction quickly attracted attention throughout the settlement.
Before long, curious tribe members gathered around to watch.
Their expressions were full of shock.
"Look! Xavier is helping Kaelira build a house!"
"And Lucas too!"
"Since when do those two help her with anything?"
"I told you this morning’s rumors were true!"
"You all refused to believe me."
Nearby, Serena listened quietly, her eyes filled with poisonous resentment.
She watched Sora with undisguised hatred.
Sora, however, was completely focused on her new home and noticed none of it.
By late afternoon, the house was finally complete.
It wasn’t large, but it belonged entirely to her.
Excited, Sora carried her belongings inside.
A fitted animal-skin skirt.
An animal-skin blanket.
A few personal items.
Nothing more.
But for the first time since arriving in this world, she had a place she could truly call her own.
The animal skins would keep her warm during the cold nights, and the sturdy walls would provide shelter from the wind.
Most importantly, she no longer needed to depend on beastmen to stand guard while she slept.
As the afternoon sun settled over the tribe, most of the villagers were busy elsewhere.
Feeling secure, Sora wrapped herself in her blanket and decided to take a short nap.
Wild beasts rarely approached the settlement during daylight hours, so there was little to worry about.
Yet the moment she closed her eyes, a strange heaviness swept over her body.
Her head felt dizzy.
Her limbs weakened.
Heat spread through her veins like wildfire.
Confused, she struggled to stay awake.
A faint fragrance drifted through the air.
Sweet.
Tempting.
Irresistible.
Without realizing it, she instinctively moved toward the source of the scent.
A figure approached the house.
And in her dazed state, Sora reached out and wrapped her arms around them.
The mysterious effects of the charm fruit had finally begun to take hold.