Chapter 17

After our lunch, Arashi said, "Go take a small nap while I am going to give him the medicine." 

He looked at a distance possibly to determine the time as he added, "Otherwise they will be late to return home."

I nodded. "Where do they live?"

"Outside of this village, after the fields end."

The day I came with Arashi, I noticed the fields belonged to the village people. Most of them. But if the priest's house was after those ended that meant, they lived quite far away. No wonder Arashi needed to go now.

Arashi went to his chamber and while I was cleaning the kitchen, he came back wearing his usual yukata. His long hair tied up in a pony tail and he had a bag in his hand. "I will be right back." 

"Be careful." The words left from my mouth before I could think of any reply. 

Arashi turned his head back to me and gave me a tender smile and added, "Don't go outside."

My eyes followed him until he vanished into the woods. Now that I had nothing to do, I thought I could give a small troll in the house. 

My eyes followed his chamber where he kept his medicines and all the other things. My feet padded against the tatami mats as I stood near the door, my heart thumping in excitement. Although I had taken a small peek at the room while he was working, I didn't come to check the whole room. 

Slowly, I slid the door and entered. The room was neat and clean. Not to mention all of his things were carefully placed in their respective areas. Each selves had numbers and I had assumed it was for remembering which herbs were where. On his small table, that stayed before the shelves, there were piles of papers, pens, ink pots and many small to large sized paper bags. 

It was just as simple as one could think. Nothing unusual and nothing much to determine its wealth. As I was about to leave, my eyes fell on a large box that stayed at a corner beside the selves. Although it had no dust, it laid like it had no use in his life. 

I went there and I saw it was locked. It was strange as Arashi had expensive herbs and spices yet he had never kept them locked inside any boxes. Yet he had locked the large box. 

My eyes moved to the table. Would he leave the key here?

My heart thumping loudly as I neared the small table. I knew I still had time as it would take time for Arashi to reach the mountain shrine and give them the medicines. And then come back but there was something in me told that it was not a good move. 

Although my curious cat purred in me, I should not try to look at his things when he had locked it away. He was my husband now. He would be angry if I did anything beyond my limits. 

I sighed and left the room. To be honest, I didn't have enough courage to do that. He might be very gentle but I suppose that was because I had never done anything that would make him mad. 

I went back to the room and saw, my futon was spread out over the tatami floor. A small smile lingered in my mouth knowing that Arashi had done that before leaving. 

I laid on the futon and soon sleep came without knocking the door.

I woke up at a sound of rushing wind and saw the room was already darkened. I peered through the window and saw the sky had been blackened with clouds while wind rushed heavily slapping the trees surrounding us. I sat up immediately as I heard footsteps on the veranda and on our large hall. My heart thumped. 

If it was Arashi then why were there so many footsteps. Did he come or not? My mind formed many notions and most of them ran toward the bad side. 

It could be burglars, thieves, or maybe animals or worse, ghosts. Sweat formed on my forehead as I looked around for anything. Probably a stick. 

But there wasn't anything that would serve the purpose of a weapon. Slowly I slid our sliding door and peeked outside and froze immediately.

In the darkness of the hall, a small silhouette slowly approached toward the middle. My heart pumped in my ears as I thought about Arashi. Where was he? My feet won't move as my hands start to shake. 

That silhouette stopped in the middle and as if it was looking around or finding something, it went toward the kitchen. Was it a burglar? A thief? 

My mind went on a high alert blaring loudly. If it was a thief he must have come for the expensive spices!

I encouraged myself to move but I was so scared that my feet won't move. But in Arashi's absence I should be the one who looks after the house and protects it. A renowned vigor came in me as adrenaline rushed through me and I moved forward.

Arashi had left the house in my hands and I could not disappoint him. I tapped my feet as silently as possible but my heart thundering in my chest made me feel like the intruder might hear it.

I advanced and as if the small intruder sensed me as it turned around immediately. While I was about to throw myself above it, thunder clashed not very far as light illuminated and both of us screamed as we fell on the floor.

"What happened?!" I heard Arashi's voice as hurried footsteps coming toward the large hall. 

Behind him another footsteps came and in his hand there was a lamp as the man shouted, "Wh—what happened?"

As both of the men came our screams halted and I noticed the priest had the lamp hanging in his hand while Arashi was in front of him looking at us with quizzical brows. 

I looked down and saw the small silhouette was the granddaughter of the priest, Hina. I immediately pushed myself up as she groaned. My fear was replaced with embarrassment as I noticed it wasn't a burglar but a small girl. 

"Why the hell did you jump on me?" Hina growled.

"I—I thought there was a burglar in the house."

A pin drop silence wrapped us in its duvet and then Arashi and the priest started to laugh but Hina who still sat on the floor, glared at me.

"I apologize."

"Oh! Don't you start apologizing now!" She yelled as she dragged herself up and grumbled, "How could you even see me as a burglar! I am not even big enough to see me as a burglar!"

"Err... At first, I thought that too but then I thought maybe it was a thief..." I moved my gaze as she looked at me with an angry face while Arashi and the priest again started to laugh.

"A thief!" She fumed with anger as Arashi came beside me and bowed at them a little. I followed him as he said, "I apologize on behalf of my wife. She still hadn't adjusted with our environment." And a scardy cat but he skipped that.

"It is okay, Mr Yuan." The priest said as he came near his granddaughter and said to her, "C'mon, Miss Bianka didn't know we were coming here. Apologize you too for scaring her."

"Why should I apologize when she was the one who got scared on her own?" She demanded and there was an adorable pout on her face. 

"Don't be so egoistic, Hina. We should inform before coming." 

"I won't!" 

The priest was about to scold  her when I interrupted, "It is okay. It wasn't her fault. I should have been more careful before judging."

"They will be staying here tonight since the weather got bad. If they leave now, they might get caught in the storm." Arashi informed me as I nodded. 

"We apologize for our unannounced stay." The priest bowed while making his granddaughter bow with one of his hands. 

"It is alright. Please take a seat." I said as I dragged the chairs. The sky roared and the wind became more wild as Arashi looked outside and said, "It might heavily rain."

The priest nodded as Arashi said to me, "I am going to the backyard, I have to cover the plants otherwise the storm will destroy them." 

"Should I go as well?" I asked as worry grew in me and I saw the outside of the house wasn't safe enough to go. It seemed like the sky was angry and it would destroy anyone who came to its path. 

"No, Miss Bianka, please stay inside. I am going with him." The priest said as I nodded.

Arashi and the priest went outside as both Hina and I stood there with our worry gazes following them.