“Eh?”

Avril thought she had misheard and stared at Banning in astonishment.

Banning couldn’t help but laugh at Avril’s adorable expression. Then, he corrected himself, “Just kidding. Avril, your house is the most organized I’ve seen among all the girls I know.”

In just a few seconds, Avril’s emotions went on a little roller coaster ride, and it was the first time she had been praised by Banning. Her face instantly flushed red again. Embarrassed, Avril turned her face away and stammered quietly, “It’s… it’s not that great… Come on, let’s… let’s go inside…”

Avril and Banning were still standing at the door. If the villagers saw them entering the house together, Avril would be too ashamed to show her face.

Stuped Nissen, who enjoyed the VIP view of the whole interaction, was completely amazed by Tyler’s skillful tactics. A seemingly simple conversation showcased the essence of push-and-pull techniques and the principle of “praise after criticism,” making the praise much more effective than ordinary polite compliments.

(Stupid Nissen: Tyler, you’re really wicked…)

(Tyler: Thank you for the compliment.)

·

Upon entering Avril’s home, she asked Banning to take a seat while she went into her room to fetch needle and thread. After temporarily parting from Banning, Avril breathed a sigh of relief. If she continued to be alone with him, her fragile heart might explode.

Avril repeatedly reminded herself that Banning was merely there to mend his clothes; there was no need for her to be anxious. After all, hadn’t she repaired clothes for numerous young men and uncles from the village before? This was a routine task!

(Yes, that’s right, don’t be nervous, there’s nothing to worry about!)

(I must converse with Banning confidently and naturally, and stop staring at the floor!)

(He isn’t nervous at all; if I keep behaving like this, won’t it appear that I’m hopelessly enamored with him…?!)

Avril took a deep breath and, armed with her sewing kit and a bag of scrap fabric, stepped out of her room, feeling much better.

However, the naive and innocent Avril had no idea what kind of opponent she was facing.

Upon entering the living room, she caught sight of Banning undressing.

Yes, it was the perfect moment when his clothes were halfway off, revealing his toned waist and a portion of his well-defined back muscles.

The sight of his muscular contours and fair skin overwhelmed Avril, nearly making her faint on the spot.

“Ahhhhhhh—!” she shrieked, dropping everything she was holding. Disregarding the scattered items, she hastily turned away from Banning, unsure of what to do next but instinctively opting to apologize.

“I-I-I’m sorry! I didn’t know you were undressing…”

“Uh, what’s wrong, Avril? Aren’t we mending my clothes?”

Fortunately, Banning’s calm and slightly puzzled tone helped to cool Avril’s overheated brain.

(Right, how can we mend the clothes if they’re not taken off?)

(And, haven’t I grown accustomed to seeing men’s bodies in the village, as they often work shirtless? Why am I so flustered now?)

Although she tried to reassure herself, Avril still found it difficult to look directly at Banning’s physique, sensing that he was different from the others. At that moment, Banning approached her, bare-chested, and picked up the needle and thread from the floor, handing them to her. Already struggling to calm down, Avril found herself faced with another close-range stimulus. Panicking, she snatched the tools and Banning’s clothes and sprinted into a corner of the living room, squatting with her back to Banning. Gasping for breath, her mind went blank.

“Avril, are you… alright?”

“I-I’m fine! I’m doing great! Just, um, have a seat! Yes, take a seat, th-that’ll do!”

Avril’s excitement nearly caused her voice to crack. Had she known that mending Banning’s clothes would be such a stimulating experience, she wouldn’t have invited him to her home.

“Haha, alright, take your time.”

Amused by Avril’s adorable reaction, Banning obediently sat down by the table, occasionally glancing at the scenery outside the window, and then at Avril as she mended his clothes from afar.

Having put some distance between them, Avril finally managed to relax a bit. Otherwise, her fragile heart would have leapt right out of her chest.

Once immersed in her work, Avril’s emotions stabilized considerably. She began by thoroughly inspecting Banning’s clothes, noticing not just the tears but also the bloodstains. Gently touching these stains, she envisioned Banning’s struggle with the bandits.

Unconsciously, her heart tightened at the thought, a feeling of compassion she hadn’t experienced in a long time. The last time was when she wandered with her sister. Now that her sister was gone, she had no one else to care about until she met Banning.

(Why do I care so much about Banning? We’ve only known each other for less than three days…)

As she continued to sew, Avril’s gaze inadvertently drifted towards Banning’s body. His skin was fair, and under the sunlight, it emitted a gentle, warm glow, far more pleasing than the rough, dark skin of the village men. Banning’s muscles weren’t as bulky as the village men’s, but they were well-defined and exuded a sense of agile strength.

Following the contours of his waist and back, Avril’s gaze settled on Banning’s profile. The injuries near his ear hadn’t healed, leaving scars and scabs, but these marks only made the young man appear more mature.

As she admired Banning’s features, Avril accidentally became entranced. When Banning turned to look at her, she couldn’t avoid his gaze in time, and their eyes met.

The air seemed to freeze in that moment.

Avril could feel her heartbeat accelerating. 𝗈𝒱𝗅xt.𝗰𝐎𝓂

Her face grew hotter and hotter, as though it was about to emit smoke.

“Um, um, um, if you don’t mind! Y-you can look around the house! …Although, there isn’t much to see… anyway…”

Avril didn’t know what she was saying in her excitement, but fortunately, Banning was easygoing and took her suggestion graciously.

“Alright, I’ll take a look around.”

“Y-yeah, feel free to… Oh, just remember, don’t go into the locked room at the end of the hallway.”

“Understood.”

Although he didn’t mention it, Banning found Avril’s last reminder a bit odd. Since the room was already locked, why bother giving an extra warning? This made him even more curious.

Using the power of the Transcendent Divine Eye, Banning peeked into Avril’s thoughts:

(Ah, I’m so nosy. Banning is so polite; he wouldn’t break into a locked room…)

(But… I wonder what’s inside the room my sister locked? I’ll take a look if I ever find the key.)

Banning was surprised that even Avril, the owner of the house, didn’t know what was in the locked room. There must be some reason for it. However, from Avril’s thoughts, it seemed that the room only contained some of her sister’s personal belongings. Banning figured it had nothing to do with him and didn’t think further about it.