( Please make it a habit to reread previous chapter for the bonus words)

"Almost," Darryl replied limitedly. Xhemin didn't told her husband about her plans of going to the Devil's sure because she was certain he will not approve. The Devil's lure was a place dreaded by every tribesman and for sure Darryl will see it as an unsafe place for her. However, Xhemin's was already determined to give the place a visit and to avoid any inconvenience, she chose not to tell it to Darryl.

​​

For how would her husband approve if it was the place where the devil hides?

"How was you rope making lessons going?" She inquired when she noticed that Darryl suddenly became quiet. She noticed Darryl was charging his focus on deboning a fish and it seemed that he hadn't heard her.

"It's going well," He replied in his usual tone and Xhemin felt relieved that nothing was wrong. She had this notion that when the beast becomes quiet it means something bad was happening within him. "In due time, I can trade the ropes in the village for additional income,"

"What do you need the income for?" Xhemin wondered. Since they were still in the wedding season, the Chieftain's treasury provides for them and so Xhemin wondered why Darryl needed to trade. "I mean aside from the provisions we received from the palace, we are loaded here with fishes from your traps and the vegetables from the garden,"

Although Xhemin and Darryl lived a simple life, the Pearl haven was naturally rich on resources and so Xhemin had never once felt that they were in need.

"You wanted a horse, remember?" Darryl said and only did Xhemin realized that her husband was going to trade just for her. "It would be a shame if I use the wedding season's provisions to buy such,"

Darryl was right. Charging the cost of a horse from their provision was so not right. A horse was not a basic need for them. Besides, horses were expensive in the Manggan Island as so only royal bloods have them and normal people, especially people from Somer lands cannot afford it. Although Xhemin was a princess, the hero of Somer Isles doesn't have much in the island—he has no golds and riches and their only asset is the Pearl Haven, so horses were completely a bit off for their current status.

"Its not an urgent want," Xhemin told him. She told Darryl she wanted a horse one night but didn't thought the Lagdameo heir would take it seriously. Well, she badly wanted a horse, but she didn't want to burden his husband with it. Imagine how many ropes he must make to be able to afford a horse. If there was only another easier alternative to buy a horse, "Besides, I don't really need it—"

"But you want it," Darryl cut her off and brushed away some loose hair strands from his wife's face. He looked at her with a sincere smile and continued "It's okay. You can ask me everything you want. I still intend to pamper you even if I'm just a poor man in this island,"

Xhemin smiled, touched and amused by her husband's words. She lavished herself with his beautiful hazel eyes and disagreed with his words "The Lagdameo heir can never be a poor man,"

"I'm not the Lagdameo heir round here," Darryl replied, "I'm just the Hero of Somer Isles,"

The couple finished their lunch and they cleaned up their lunch's mess together then washed the dishes. They were in the kitchen when Xhemin remembered something that delighted her.

"Didn't they say, pearls are abundant here?" Xhemin recalled something Handmaid Si once told her about their new place. "That's why it's called Pearl haven,"

"I already know what you are thinking," Darryl guessed. By the way Xhemin's eyes flutter with excitement, he could already tell "You want me to find some Pearls to trade"

Xhemin's smile widened as her eyes brightened with greed. Truth was she really don't mind living a simple life with Darryl, but she really wanted a horse and one Pearl could perhaps get them one easily "You are so brilliant!"

"Babba, Pearl hunting is a though job," Darryl dismiss the thought as he was cleaning their wooden sink "It takes a skillful dive to find some oysters,"

"But Tatta, one pearl cost a fortune! We can be rich in just few months!" Xhemin exclaimed excitedly. She was already counting the numbers in her head and was already planning to create a horse farm in the Pearl haven.

"I'm not an expert diver," Darryl confessed trying to discourage Xhemin's idea.

"You can learn. You are fast learner anyway," Xhemin concluded, forcing the thought. "I remember Huzey was such a skillful diver—"

Xhemin saw how Darryl's expression changed when she mentioned Huzey's name and she was forced to abandon her words right away. Together with the mention of the Diamond's prince name, the ambiance changed, and the room fell into silence.

"I'm sorry," Xhemin apologize because it was she who ruined the mood. Sadness consumed her eyes and Darryl saw it all.

"That's one of the reasons why I don't want to learn diving at all," Darryl said, his voice was low and sentimental. "It reminds you of him. It reminds you of your home. It reminds you of a place where you and I are an impossible proposition,"

Xhemin didn't reply. She only sighed deep and turned her back away from Darryl then proceeded to continue with her task, trying to forget what had been said and succumb into her sadness once again.

*

Darryl hated seeing her like that and so instead of helping her, he went out of the kitchen to give Xhemin some space—that's what she needed at the moment. He knew how she was trying so hard to hide her longing and Darryl was not a fool not to notice. And it pained Darryl to know that despite everything he did, he was not enough at all to make her completely happy. He was not what she needed although for him, she was everything he could ever asked for.

Just few steps away from the kitchen door and Darryl already heard Xhemin's sobs. His heart ached with it.