After the villagers welcomed us, they led us to a house considerably larger than the others.
As soon as we crossed the threshold, I could take in its interior. The room was quite spacious, with a large low wooden table in the center, surrounded by cushions and rugs made from animal skins.
Several mana stones embedded in the ceiling illuminated the place with a faint light, while various wooden pieces of furniture and a collection of animal heads adorned the walls.
"A meeting room…" I thought, examining every detail.
Its decoration was rustic, but suitable for a village like that one. Everything seemed arranged so that its inhabitants could gather, eat, and discuss the important matters of the community.
"Come in, come in! Don't be shy!" one of the women exclaimed as she guided us inside with gentle little pushes.
Goliath gave me a hesitant look, as if waiting for me to decide what to do.
I simply nodded.
After all, refusing wasn't going to do us any good.
So we advanced to the table and sat down on the cushions, one beside the other.
We had barely finished settling in when the villagers pounced on Goliath again, exactly as had happened the first time.
The questions, the conversations, and the attempts to capture his attention followed one after another without rest. Some wanted to know where we came from; others simply contemplated him with barely concealed fascination.
It was as if my presence didn't exist.
Fortunately, that spectacle didn't last too long.
From the entrance, more people began to arrive, carrying pots, trays, and plates full of food. Within seconds, the aroma of the stews invaded the entire room, awakening a hunger that had remained dormant for hours.
My stomach, which hadn't received food since the day before, decided to express its discontent with a loud rumble.
"Are you hungry?" one of the village women asked upon hearing it.
I stood motionless.
For an instant, my heart trembled at a sensation I believed I had forgotten.
That woman had noticed me. She had simply heard my stomach rumble and had worried about whether I was hungry.
It was the first show of consideration I had received from anyone in that village.
"I…"
"A little bit!" Goliath intervened cheerfully before I could finish. "I haven't eaten since yesterday! Hehe!"
…
I stared at him in silence.
"Of course. Why would anyone speak to me if they could ask him instead?"
The brief warmth I had felt in my chest vanished immediately.
To top it off, several villagers gave me disapproving looks, as if I had just committed some unforgivable atrocity.
"I see…"
It didn't take me long to imagine what they must be thinking.
"How is it possible that you allowed a beauty like her to go hungry?"
I let out a silent sigh.
Of course. Not only had they ignored me since our arrival, but now I also seemed to be the villain of the story for not having fed their beloved beauty.
I decided the best thing would be to ignore them.
If they hadn't bothered to speak a word to me, why should I make the effort to pay attention to them?
So I did the same thing I had done since the beginning of our stay in the village: I became a simple ornament beside Goliath.
The food began to be served and, as expected, Goliath became the undisputed protagonist of the banquet.
He devoured every dish with an enthusiasm worthy of admiration. His expressions of happiness seemed to melt the villagers' hearts like summer sun melts snow.
"What did you think of my stew?"
"It's delicious!"
"Hey, try mine too!"
"Right away! Hehe!"
The voices mixed with laughter and enthusiastic comments. Every time Goliath tried a new dish, someone else hurried to offer him another.
I looked away from that scene and sank my spoon into my own plate.
My soup was still steaming in front of me.
I began to eat slowly, though, to be honest, I had lost a good part of my appetite.
It wasn't the first time I had experienced rejection from other people. In the past I had received hatred, insults, and countless assassination attempts.
It was then that a question echoed through the room.
"By the way… are you two a couple?"
The chatter stopped dead.
Almost at the same time, dozens of gazes turned toward us.
Men and women alike watched me with an almost palpable expectation, as if they were waiting for me to confirm the worst of their suspicions.
And I…
I enjoyed it.
After having been ignored throughout the entire meal, suddenly receiving so much attention was unexpectedly satisfying.
"Well, well. So now you do remember I exist?"
I had to hold back a smile.
"Cough, cough."
I let out a feigned cough and glanced sideways at Goliath, who seemed to be waiting for me to answer for both of us.
Perfect.
It was my opportunity.
"No, we're just travel companions," I answered with absolute calm. "My companion Lia is completely single."
A smile slowly drew itself on my lips.
Goliath's eyes flew wide open.
His expression was priceless.
"Lia…?" one of the villagers repeated, bewildered.
"Is that your name?"
"Have you always been called Lia?"
"Huh? No, my name is…!"
Goliath barely had time to protest before the villagers' voices completely drowned out his words.
"Hahaha! That's true! We forgot to ask your name!"
"Forgive us, Lia! We've been rude!"
"You have a beautiful name for such a beautiful girl!"
"And on top of that, you're single!"
The last comment provoked a new wave of excited murmurs.
The room erupted in an uproar.
Goliath tried to correct them over and over, but each attempt was met with new questions, compliments, and comments that only made the situation worse.
I, for my part, simply enjoyed the scene as I continued eating my soup.
"Ah… How pleasant it is to watch someone else suffer from time to time."
Of course, I had no intention of helping him.
After an interminable meal, during which Goliath had to endure the attentions of practically everyone present, the villagers finally granted us a little time alone.
We left the room and moved far enough away to enjoy the fresh air.
Goliath let out a sigh so long.
Then he turned his big puppy eyes toward me. However, this time there was no sadness in them, but rather a tiredness mixed with evident reproach.
"Why did you do that, Master?"
I opened my eyes with feigned innocence.
"Do what?"
For the first time since I had met him, I saw Goliath's brow genuinely furrow.
That expression slightly altered his delicate features. His beautiful face acquired an air of indignation that, far from intimidating me, only managed to awaken even more of my curiosity.
"You know perfectly well what! You changed my name and even introduced me as a single woman!"
I brought a hand to my chin, pretending to reflect on his words.
"Didn't you like the name?"
Goliath opened his mouth, but I didn't give him a chance to respond.
"Well, what a shame. I thought it suited you quite well. In fact, I think everyone thought it was a perfect name for someone like you."
"Master!"
His cry of protest echoed through the surroundings.
I couldn't stop the corners of my lips from rising a little more.