"Great! You look exactly how I imagined you would in those clothes."

Iva has put on the clothes that Xiao gave to her. Xiao expresses his joy in seeing how wonderful the clothes fit on her.

Xiao got close to Iva to check for any error and see whether all the parts were correctly made. His enthusiasm for his work made him stare intensely at every detail, causing Iva to blush until her pointed ears turned bright red.

"Oh! Sorry, I got a little too excited about my work again. Hahaha!" Xiao quickly backed off when he realized he was making Iva uncomfortable.

"How do you feel? Comfortable? Feeling anywhere tight or itchy?" Xiao asked Iva to get feedback from wearing the clothes he made.

Iva takes a closer look at the garments and slightly walks around to feel the boots.

"I feel so warm. It's the first time I've ever worn something this cozy and comfortable."

("From her reaction, it seems like she's only ever worn rough sackcloth, or is her homeland so poor that they can't wear any proper clothing?")

Iva looked at Xiao in curiosity as he got quiet all of a sudden.

Noticing Iva's curious gaze, Xiao shook off his thoughts and decided to focus on the feast he had prepared.

"Well then, with the present settled, let's eat!" Xiao raises his voice to lift up the mood, similar to having a festival.

His attempt fell flat as Iva only raised her hand, responding in a monotone voice.f

Nevertheless, once Iva starts eating, her eyes sparkle, and she immediately stuffs more and more food in her mouth.

"So good~" Iva lets out her feedback as she chews the food in her mouth happily.

("She looks like a squirrel. Just how much food does she stuff in her mouth.")

"Slow down, or you’ll choke! There’s still plenty of food," says Xiao to Iva. Still, she pays no heed to his warning as she continues munching the food happily.

Xiao chuckles a bit upon seeing Iva enjoying his cooking. And he also begins filling his tummy with the food in front of him.

Xiao and Iva thoroughly enjoyed the food. After some time passes, all the dishes on the table are left with empty plates.

Iva kept burping while she massages her tummy with a satisfied expression.

"Hahaha! I never expect you to finish all the food, even if I stop halfway because my stomach is about to burst."

Xiao couldn’t help but laugh, amazed at how much Iva could eat.

"Wasting food is not good~" Iva replied with a smug face.

Seeing how cheerful Iva had become, Xiao shook his head and smiled softly.

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

Xiao waited for Iva to rest up a bit before he announced the most important news for the day and why they were having a feast in the first place.

"Iva," Xiao called, thinking it was time to break the news. He took a deep breath, mentally prepared himself for what's going to happen next.

"Tomorrow, I’m taking you back to your homeland."

Xiao announces his plan without shutting his words and hesitation.

He paused right after that and observed Iva's expression.

As expected, the cheerful mood on Iva immediately disappears upon hearing Xiao's plan. She appears shocked at first, but slowly, her eyes narrow down, and she starts facing the floor, not showing her face to Xiao.

Resolved in bringing Iva back to her people, Xiao continues on:

"Now that you've completely recovered, I think it's time for you to go home. I'm sure you have someone waiting eagerly for your return. So it's not right for me to keep you here when you have a home to return to."

Iva stayed silent for the whole time as Xiao was talking.She kept her head down, staring at the floor—something she always did when she felt lost or unsure.

Xiao paused for a while to see a reaction from Iva, which was still none.

"If you're worried about the curse, I’ve already given you the solution. Just dip your finger into the bottle daily, and you will be fine," Xiao says as he thought Iva was worrying about the curse. Still no response.

"I will also persuade the people at your homeland regarding your condition. They will understand since you have done nothing wrong at all."

Not giving up on getting a reaction from Iva, Xiao followed up with an explanation.

Yet, he did not get any response from Iva.

Xiao kept quiet for some time as he thought Iva might need time to process upon hearing everything he had said.

After waiting for a long time, he gets nothing from her as she remains facing downward.

"Do you...have anything to say?" finally getting impatient, Xiao asks a direct question.

Iva shows a sign of reaction as she slowly raises her head. Although her hair still covered most of her face, Xiao could see the redness around her eyes.

Iva's mouth was half-open. She was shaking as if she tried to muster the courage to get the words out of her mouth.

Xiao was waiting for her to say the words he was expecting, "I want to stay". Xiao kept waiting for her to say the words.

In the end, she did not say anything as she retraced to facing the floor again.

For Xiao, as long as she has a place to return to, his morality won't allow him to keep her here. Whether he was the one who saves her and provides temporary shelter for her, he still has no rights over her.

("Just because I saved her doesn't mean that I can own her. That just makes me no different than a freaking kidnapper.")

Xiao let out a sigh as he was stressed out by the atmosphere. Since Iva didn't say anything about him bringing her back home, he decided to carry on his plan as usual.

"Sorry for the sudden notice. Just go take some rest earlier for today. We will be departing early in the morning," says Xiao as he stood up from his seat, which also means the surprise, the feast, and the announcement has already concluded.

Iva stood up, moving like a lifeless doll. She reached for the plates to clean up as usual, but Xiao stopped her.

"Don't worry about the cleanup. I'll do it. Just go take some rest. The road ahead is far and might be dangerous, so best keep yourself energized for tomorrow.

Xiao pats her head as he tries to convince her to go to sleep.

Usually, Iva would be annoyed and show her childish side by saying she is not a child. But now, she just nodded her head and walked lifelessly to her room. Her head was facing downward, which completely hides her expression from Xiao the whole time.

Xiao knew nothing he said would cheer her up. As long as he was sending her back, her spirits would stay low. He could only look at her small and sorrowful back until she disappeared into her room.

Xiao goes outside to take a breather. The stars were shining beautifully like a gem, but Xiao's mind was too occupied to even be aware of the stars. He was thinking about the decision he had made up until now, praying that his action will lead to a good result.

"This is for the best."