Almond was sitting by the stream, adjusting the straw hat of Cashew that he was wearing on his head.
Suddenly, he noticed someone running quickly toward this direction.
"Who is that… is it her?"
Almond stood up to take a closer look. Then he grabbed his mace and quickly jumped into the bushes to hide.
In the distance, Cashew was running toward the stream. In her hands was a plate holding some bread.
" It's her!"
Almond felt a small surge of joy. But suddenly Cashew stopped halfway, standing still and breathing heavily.
" What's wrong… is she tired?"
Almond put his mace down and was about to step out. But then he hesitated.
"Or maybe… she's trying to lure me out so the soldiers can capture me?"
Thinking that, Almond stayed hidden in the bushes.
On the other side, after catching her breath for a moment, Cashew started running toward the stream again.
When she arrived, she looked around for a while and softly whispered,
"Where did Almond go? Did he wait too long… and leave already?"
Almond remained hidden in the bushes, quietly watching.
" Maybe… I was being too suspicious."
Then Almond noticed the sadness in Cashew's eyes.
She was staring down at the flowing water.
" What… that look… is she sad?"
Cashew placed the plate of bread on the ground.
She sat down, gathered her clothes, then placed the straw hat back on her head.
"Maybe I should just go home… Almond has probably already left."
Just as she turned around to walk away, Almond finally came out of hiding.
"Wait, Cashew!"
He jumped out of the bushes and shouted.
The sudden voice startled Cashew and she almost fell backward.
" Ah… Almond? Why were you hiding in the bushes?"
Cashew asked in confusion.
Almond scratched his head.
"Don't worry about that… but why do you look so sad?"
Cashew shook her head.
" It's nothing… but I brought some food for you."
She handed the plate to Almond. But on the plate there was only a small piece of apple pie and a few crumbs of bread.
Cashew smiled.
" Almond, you should eat. Otherwise you'll be hungry."
Almond hesitated for a moment, then reached out to take the piece of bread.
" Wait."
Almond stopped and looked at Cashew.
"Have you eaten anything?"
Cashew shook her head.
"I'm not hungry. Almond, you should eat… you haven't eaten for several days."
Almond picked up the apple pie. But just as he was about to eat it, he noticed the sadness on Cashew's face.
" You… is something wrong?"
Cashew sighed.
"This… was given to me by the Mayor Heguel. My house… has nothing left now."
Almond looked confused and put the piece of pie back on the plate.
" Why? Did your house get robbed?"
Cashew lowered her head and slowly explained.
" The soldiers broke into the villagers' homes to search for you, Almond. But they didn't really search for anything… they just used it as an excuse to steal."
Hearing that, Almond immediately became worried.
"Did they… do anything to you, Cashew?"
Cashew nodded slightly.
" Yes… one of them touched my body… but I pushed him away."
Cashew's eyes slowly filled with tears.
" They took everything… even my personal belongings."
A few minutes earlier, Cashew had cleaned up her house. But inside, almost nothing valuable remained.
Village Mayor Heguel stood outside the door, looking in and shaking his head.
"Poor girl… she was robbed more than anyone else in this village."
Cashew stepped outside and forced a smile at him.
"You can go home now, Mr. Heguel… everything is fine."
Heguel turned and left.
" Be careful, Cashew. I told you before… if possible, you should move away."
Another man approached, carrying a bag of flour and several eggs.
" Take these, Cashew. I heard your house was robbed."
Cashew quickly shook her head.
"Thank you, Mr. Odor… but I can't accept them."
Odor placed the flour and eggs in her hands.
"Just take them. You still need to bake bread to sell, right? My farm has plenty, this little bit is nothing."
But Cashew firmly refused.
" Please take them back… I'll earn things back myself. I don't want to rely on anyone."
Back to the present.
Cashew lowered her head as tears quietly fell.
" Maybe… I'll have to find another way to survive in the next few days."
Almond gently placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Among those soldiers… was there one named John right?"
Cashew nodded.
" Yes… he was the one who touched me… and he even tried to take me away."
As soon as she finished speaking, Cashew burst into tears. She dropped her basket and instinctively fell into Almond's arms.
But immediately afterward, she quickly pushed him away.
"I'm sorry… I leaned on you without asking."
Almond shook his head.
" It's okay. But… did that man do anything else to you?"
Cashew wiped her tears.
"He said… if they don't hand me over… this village won't be safe."
As she said that, tears fell again.
Cashew turned her face away, trying to hide them.
" I'm sorry… I keep crying in front of you, Almond."
Suddenly, a pink handkerchief was lifted to wipe her tears.
" Don't cry anymore."
Cashew turned to look.
Almond was using her own handkerchief to wipe the tears from her face.
"You have to be strong… so you can protect yourself."
Almond carefully placed the handkerchief back into Cashew's basket, then picked up his mace.
" Cashew… what exactly did they take from you?"
Cashew sniffed as she answered.
"Money… food… and my clothes."
Almond nodded slightly.
" I understand."
He looked directly at Cashew.
" Cashew… do you trust me?"
Cashew hesitated for a moment.
"A little…"
Almond tightened his grip on the mace.
" If you trust me… come to this stream tonight. Everything that was stolen from you… will be returned."
Cashew was startled when she heard that. She quickly shook her head.
" N-No! I'm a woman… coming here alone at night would be very dangerous…"
Hearing that, Almond said nothing more.
He simply turned around and prepared to leave.
But behind him, Cashew called out.
"Wait! How will Almond get those things back?"
Almond slowly turned his head.
"You don't need to know. Tonight… you just need to come here."
Cashew looked at him for a moment, then lowered her head.
"Almond… you won't do anything bad to me, right?"
Seeing her expression, Almond suddenly blushed.
He immediately pounded his chest.
"I swear! I'm not trash like those soldiers!"
Cashew lifted her head. Her eyes were still wet with tears.
She held out her little finger.
"Then Almond has to pinky promise. After that, Almond can't break your promise."
Almond also held out his little finger and hooked it with hers.
" I promise. Come here at midnight, everything that was stolen… will return."