𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 || Sinbad

TWO

CHAPTER 2 | OUTLANDISH WORDS
━༻❁༺━

           THE DAYS went by, tranquil as the rustling leaves and the gentle rain that spread over the forests in an earthly perfume. Sin recovered well, he rested for two more days in bed and eventually got bored of "lounging," deciding to follow Lucy around the village.

At first, everybody was wary of him. His robes were gilded, so luxurious that gossip was inevitable. Lucy had never touched silk that fine before. He didn't mind the villagers' stares or whispers, leaning into Lucy's ear to make a remark about how exotic and attractive they must find him. Lucy simply shook her head in reply, a smile on her face anyway.

That was until his clothes needed another wash because he tripped and fell into a lotus pond. Lucy was stunned, he was normally very graceful but she broke into laughter, finding the lotus pad covering his face absolutely adorable. Her friend, Aidan, was very reluctant to lend his clothes to the "frog" but he relented, glaring at Sin who tried to smooth-talk him.

Aidan immediately decided that he wasn't fond of the mysterious man, prodding into him with all sorts of questions. Sin always had a suave reply but Lucy noticed that he never gave a straightforward answer, which only frustrated Aidan more. She was worried that the blonde would actually punch Sin in the face, his amber eyes glowing like flames while Sin's amused but hard golden eyes stared back, silently challenging him. Luckily she was always there as a buffer, though she had to wonder: was Sin instigating him on purpose?

Perhaps it was Aidan's outfit but the villagers now seemed to tolerate her houseguest. Most of the elders continued to eye him with suspicion but the children warmed up to Sin, gathering as a large group to hear the remarkable stories he had to say. Sin would sit on the rock near the baker's, animatedly recounting one of his adventures while the kids sat around him on the ground and sometimes, one or two sat on his lap.

The ice broke when he immediately stopped to help Granny carry her groceries all the way up to the temple. The genuine concern in his eyes was obvious when he took the bag from her back, without a word, when Granny had just yelled at another boy for helping her. With a playful smile, he offered to carry her princess style because 'a wilful, lovely woman' like her 'should take advantage' of her apparent charm and 'allow the lads to give a hand.'

Granny's boisterous laugh and rough pat on his back meant one thing to everyone: she liked Sin. If the priestess of the temple trusted him with helping her, then that meant the rest of them could as well.

∘₊✧───────────────✧₊∘

At night, whenever Lucy had to change his bandages, Sin would always rest on her shoulder, murmuring something flirty just to fluster her. He'd laugh heartily at her blushing face or irritated scowl, yelling in pain soon after when she increased her force on the wound.

Many girls offered to patch him up, practically throwing themselves at him. Lucy swore that they melted into puddles when he flashed that roguish smile, casting a spell on each and every one of them. He'd joke, flirt around and even kiss their cheek but every night, he'd come to her so that she'd check up on him. Lucy rolled her eyes at his frivolous behaviour but every time she found him sitting by the engawa, with his playful smirk and twinkling eyes, a kind of warmth flooded her heart.

The brunette was very curious about who he was. Sin did tell her that he was simply a merchant but she found that so hard to believe; the man walked like a god, commanding respect from everyone even if he intimidated them. She wanted to dig deeper but she knew it wasn't right, Sin didn't seem to pose a threat to their little village. Plus it wasn't her business. If he wanted to say something, he'd do it when he felt comfortable.

What she did know was that he was a kindhearted, jovial man who brightened the day of those around him. (Like the sun...) Except Aidan.

Sin was a good, generous man who always knew how to make someone feel better. Yes, he teased her and took sadistic enjoyment in her flustered expressions but he seemed to like her. And perhaps, trust her.

Admittedly, she did trust him. A little. It was just the air about him: reliable and genuine.

Yet, in spite of that carefree smile and those silly remarks, he appeared ethereal; the fire cast a golden glow to his features as he played the lyre with such skill, enchanting those around him.

It was his idea to set up a campfire and have a sort of festival: with food, dancing and music. Everybody was having a good time. Sin, in particular, had a crowd gathered around him to hear his outlandish ballads, entranced by his lovely voice.

His song soon ended, met with a throng of applause and loud cheers. What a shame.

A flick to her cheek snapped her out of her reverie and she rubbed it quickly. Lucy blinked, before glaring at Sin.

"What was that for?!"

"Hey now, don't sleep with your eyes open. It was your turn." Sin narrowed his eyes mockingly, giving her a little shove.

"Oh... Sorry, I didn't hear you." She mumbled, massaging her cheek with her index finger. "My turn?"

"It was your turn to ask any of us a question." Rena filled in, raising her eyebrows.

"You didn't ask one yet." Sin smiled, observing her casually like a cat.

Oh, right. One of the girls suggested that game.

They'd played a lot of games that night, the first being 'Never Have I Ever.' Sin drank like a fish for that one. Another was where everyone tried to guess his history and the kind of life he's led and he did the same for the ladies.

Now, they were playing a sort of question game where they asked anyone about something in particular and if they didn't wish to answer, they'd take a swig. Someone had asked Sin about his age and that was when he took his first sip, causing a ruckus of laughter, a chorus of oooh's and this was immediately followed by more salacious questions.

Lucy wasn't asked a question yet and considering how there were so many interruptions after a question was answered, it was natural she'd lose interest. Not to mention, most of them were already drunk.

But when Sin sought her attention, the ladies turned to her otherwise invisible presence, waiting curiously. What a way to throw the spotlight onto her.

Clearing her throat, she straightened her dress. "Well... I do have a question. For Sin."

At the sound of his name, he raised an amused eyebrow. She glanced at her mostly full glass before sighing.

"How did you get so badly injured?"

∘₊✧───────────────✧₊∘