Warriors will die if they charge.

Chapter 99 Love is an art

"I'm back!"

Having just left the jail cell, Marcus returned to the beer yard. He had a great time yesterday and hoped that Eileen was alright.

Although she warned herself along the way that acting impulsively would make Moraz aware that she was still alive, Marcus didn't care.

The plan must be meticulously crafted. Once Moraz reveals his true colors, he'll begin to do some despicable things.

If you know someone has bad intentions but never act on them or cause any real impact, like a virgin who's always fantasizing, you can't conclude that he's committed a crime just because his fantasies are unbelievably strange.

Of course, Moraz's act of offering his sister to the snake people undoubtedly deserves some punishment, and Marcus is prepared to first hear Eileen's opinion and see what pretty plan the beautiful girl from the city has in store.

The living room was empty in the early morning; the guest room doors were closed, and even the early riser, Trish, wasn't tending to her flower garden.

Marcus yawned, washed up, and continued the work he hadn't finished before the adventure, repairing the old fence.

He began a new round of busyness. Playing cards was life, and working was life. Marcus found this process of working hard for his family quite enjoyable.

As the sun approached noon, the guest room was finally opened first. Eileen, dressed in a simple white dress, stood gracefully in the bright doorway of the living room, watching Marcus repairing the fence with a hammer and nails.

He gave her many surprises: a lifestyle she had never imagined, the excitement and splendor of his adventures, the carefree joy of playing cards in the tavern upon his return, his straightforwardness in getting into fights at the drop of a hat, and—his steadiness when working alone in silence.

"You like him?" Zhuo Er's sudden appearance and ghostly voice startled Eileen. She instinctively turned to the side, her face showing undisguised panic.

"Miss Trissy, you can't greet people like that on the surface, it'll scare them to death."

Today, Trish wasn't wearing a cloak. An unstarched linen shirt covered her pale, silky skin, and a dark strip of fabric wrapped around her slender waist, outlining her infuriatingly perfect curves. Beneath her straight thighs, encased in black trousers, were a pair of open-toed sandals.

Judging from the size, these ill-fitting sandals must belong to Marcus.

"You haven't answered my question yet, human females who like to peek at foolish warriors." Trissy stood at the entrance of the living room, looking at Marcus who was busy at work. Compared to the strange light that occasionally flashed in Eileen's eyes, Drow seemed much colder.

In fact, apart from her bedroom, which she considers her absolute private space, Zhuoer doesn't easily reveal any emotions.

Eileen glanced cautiously at Trish. The rumors about the drow were terrible. This half-drow, who had just left the Underdark, exuded a colder aura than most of the professionals she had ever met.

And serving her father—what does that mean? Is Marcus someone who serves her, someone who takes on the duties of a father?

"Hmm—for a 28-year-old woman, boldly admitting her feelings is a result of being tormented by time."

As a result, I don't deny that I have feelings for Marcus, but—" Eileen frowned her slender eyebrows, her heart suddenly racing: "It's more like a fantasy love. I like the knight who lives in the past in my imagination. He is handsome, witty and steady, carrying an important mission, and has respect for women."

"But Marcus doesn't fit any of your descriptions. He's as simple-minded as a wild boar. The first thing he thinks about when he wakes up is where to play cards. Look at the way he works; he has no knightly charm whatsoever."

Eileen chuckled, covered her mouth, and whispered, "We always have to adapt to some things. I'm used to being disappointed by all sorts of things—and love is a skill, not something that young lovers think can stay together forever just by having passion and making promises to each other. I've heard an interesting theory called the love triangle."

Intimacy, passion, and commitment. Closeness, mutual understanding, trust, and sharing one's inner world; maintaining sexual attraction and romance; and most importantly, loyalty and responsibility.

Most people believe love is simple, focusing more on how to make others love them more, and are unwilling to actively love others. They believe in not loving an abstract person, as that person will become empty and meaningless under their gaze.

Triss nodded thoughtfully. She didn't understand the so-called concept of love on the surface. In the society of the Drow, love meant possession and control.

Did she possess and dominate Marcus? Well, Trish thought it was more of a joke, a joke that would allow the two of them to maintain their current relationship.

Undeniably, she didn't want Marcus to get hurt or have his interests harmed, but this seemed quite different from the love that Eileen spoke of.

"You seem quite experienced. How many people have you loved before?"

Zhuo'er asked earnestly, as if seeking advice from a teacher. Eileen hesitated for a moment, and if she said there was none, then her previous words would have no credibility.

But if I said yes, that would be too awkward.

"Yes, that knight always appears in my dreams. He taught me a lot."

"So, the reason you're interested in Marcus is because he resembles the knight you dreamed about—hmm—a hard-to-understand idea."

Eileen gave an awkward laugh and asked stiffly, "Miss Trish, aren't you and Marcus a couple?"

"No, we were just brought together by some damn guy, and I've never seen a knight in my dreams."

After pondering for a while, Trish thought it would take a long time to understand the various habits of the earth's surface, so she turned and went into the kitchen to prepare lunch.

Eileen was left alone, staring strangely at Marcus working in the yard and Trish as she turned and went into the kitchen. This lifestyle of men doing chores and women cooking—were they really not a couple?

Forget it, don't overthink it, Eileen. You're not short of men who like you. Once this is over, start preparing for your big day—hopefully it will be over.

well----

Marcus finished fixing the fence, wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead, sighed at how scorching the weather was, put away his tools, and went back to the living room to have a drink of water and catch his breath.

He saw Eileen sitting on the bench and greeted her politely, "Victor brought you back yesterday, right? He got a little carried away in the fight and didn't take good care of you. I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, Pastor Victor is very reliable, except for being a little too strict at times—" Eileen looked Marcus up and down and found him more and more pleasing to the eye.

With short, dark brown hair and strong features full of youthful vigor, the tropical climate gives him a free and active temperament. The feathered serpent tattoo on his right arm adds a touch of wildness, making him completely different from the pretentious young people in the city.

What should I do? I'm starting to feel something for you. In another month, you'll be eighteen and eleven years old, Eileen!