The following day.

After breakfast, Graven returned to his headquarter to check the situation there. So far, his men were very good in providing the survivors' daily needs for food, medicine, and everything, he doesn't have to worry a thing. ​​

Grandpa Terros was doing his rounds in the tent, talking and listening to the survivors about their woes, discomfort and just plainly lending them listening ears. He becomes everyone's grandpa, the survivor's most favorite person during their tragic ordeal.

Terros went to the table and placed his medicine toolbox above it. He sat on the chair looking heavenward trying to guess if there will be rain in the coming days.

Graven went to his side. "Old man, hows it's going?" he asked.

"So far so good. The survivors' morale is going up right now and they're excited to go back to the land of the living and start working again!" Terros replied.

"Great!" Graven said and settled on the chair facing him. "Health-wise, how long do you think they can be ready to work again?" he inquired.

"Give them one month, enough for their bodies and wound to heal. After that, assigned them to lighter jobs... then after two months... their bodies are already healing well and able to handle heavier works. It's up to you if you will assign them to much heavier works..." Terros answered.

"Ah, okay. I got it!" Graven said.

"I better go back to my place now and starts preparing the concoctions for the herbal medicine," Terros said.

"Okay, I'll go with you. I might as well help you in preparing the medicine so that you can start your voyage in finding the missing Veronica quickly," Graven offered.

"Alright, that would be much better. I can use an extra hand to help speed up my work and finish in no time," Terros said delighted by the offer.

"What are we waiting for?" Graven said.

"Let's go!" Terros replied.

Graven grabbed the wooden medicine box. The men initiated the teleportation process in their minds and vanished from the headquarter in split second.

They appeared in Terros place a moment later.

They were about to climb the stairs but Terros notice a disturbance outside the invisible shield. He looked at his companion. "Son, just proceed to the balcony and make yourself comfortable. I'll join you in a while... something comes up... " he said.

"Why? What's wrong?" Graven asked.

"I think a rabbit is trying to enter my private kingdom and causing havoc to my protective shield," Terros joked.

"Was it my twin brother again?" Graven asked.

"Maybe... or there could be others..." he answered.

Graven shrugged and continue upstairs.

Terros exited the protective shield in his invisible form. He found Luke outside, playing ping pong with the barrier. He was shaking his head in amusement. This stubborn twin won't give up, eh? But it's no use talking to Luke he won't listen. He might as well go back to his place and prepare the herbal medicine so that he will finish early today.

As for Luke... well... since he has lots of free time to waste playing ping pong with the protective shield then let him have his fun. He smiled and teleported back to his place.

Graven watched Terros climbing the stairs and heading in his direction. "So, who is it?"

Terros lowered himself on the chair. "Take a guess..."

"My twin brother?" Graven said.

Terros smiled and gave him a thumb up. "You guessed correctly, son! Your brother is outside playing ping pong with my shield," he said.

Graven brows furrowed. "What do you mean by playing ping pong?"

"Your brother throws flames to my shield and the shield will throw the flames back to him. So, they're playing ping pong right now," Terros said with a grin.

Graven chuckled. "I guess my brother enjoyed playing with your shield, is that alright?" he asked.

"You mean, the effects on my shield?"

"Yeah... If my brother keeps throwing flames to your invisible shield it might start to weaken. That's what I'm afraid of," Graven stated.

Terros laughed and shook his head. "Ah, no need to worry about the shield. It can repair itself and regenerate itself. It's your brother that I'm worried about..." he said.

"Why?" Graven asked in alarm.

"Because if the shield will get annoyed, it will wield cow and horse manure from afar and throw it all to your brother's face," Terros cackled.

Graven erupted into peals of laughter.

The men shared a good laugh for a few minutes.

After the laughter subsided, they're ready to begin their task.

Terros stood up and grabbed the basket nearby and placed it on the table.

The men start sorting and preparing herbal medicine in the basket.

Noontime comes.

Luke finally leaves the place, super annoyed.

While Graven and Terros stopped for a lunch break.

After resting, the men resumed their work.

Hours went by.

It was already 5:30 in the afternoon when the men call it a day.

"Tomorrow again, old man!" Graven said.

"Thanks for your help, son," Terros said.

"Don't mention it! I'm glad to be your assistant even for a few days," Graven spoke thoughtfully.

"Give my regards to your wife and her family," Terros said.

"Okay, I will! Gotta go!" Graven said and disappeared from the balcony.

Terros put the basket on the wooden shelf. He left the balcony going to the kitchen to prepare his food for supper.

~~~0~~~

Moraderry Town.

At 6:30 in the evening, Graven and the Helman family gathered around the table to eat dinner together.

They ate dinner in comfortable silence.

Half an hour later, they finished eating and retired to their respective rooms upstairs.

"Wife, how's your parent's condition right now?" Graven inquired.

"They're slowly recovering as of this moment. My mother plans to resume growing plants in the garden, and I bet my father is going to start raising animals the likes of hens and roosters in the backyard to pass his idle times," she replied.

"That's good! The back yard is wide enough to accommodate their hobbies, they can cultivate the free space there," Graven spoke.

"Hubby, thank you always for being supportive of my parent's hobbies!" Laura said.

"Don't mention it. Whatever makes your family happy, they can also make you happy, so it's a win-win situation for both of us," he grinned.

The couple cuddled lovingly in the bed.

Graven closed his eyes in a relaxed mood.

Laura was studying her husband's handsome face for a while. His eyes were closed right now. She noticed something about her husband though. Ever since they're back together, they never had sex even once. She sometimes felt that her husband was trying hard to avoid accidentally touching the intimate parts of her body.

His sudden change of attitude got her worried.

Did he consider her dirty because she and Luke have sex before?

That must be it! That is the sole reason why he no longer desires her sexually. She felt saddened by it. It's not that she wanted to have sex with him right now, that would be hard because her tummy is already big.

She just can't help but notice that change in him!

Maybe she should just ask him directly about it. But at the same time, she was also afraid that it might lead to a quarrel between them. Nah, she should just forget asking him that question.

She rested her head on his chest.

Graven opened his eyes. "Is there something bothering you, wife?" he inquired.

Laura's eyes flew to his face, it's now the perfect time to ask him the question that has been bothering her mind for a while. "Um... I just noticed that we never had sex since we're back together," she told him directly.

Graven sighed. "Why? Do you like to do it right now?" he asked. Honestly, he was afraid of touching his wife intimately, they might end up having sex and he was afraid that the black liquid lurking inside his body will transfer to Laura and kill her and their baby inside her womb. It's his greatest fear! It doesn't matter if he will die, just not his wife and their unborn child! He can't bear it if something bad will happen to them!

Laura pouted. "I'm just afraid that... you think I'm dirty 'coz of what happened to me and your brother during my captivity. I thought that is the reason why you no longer desire to have intimate moments with me," she said sadly.

Graven was shaking his head. "No, not that. I thought that you might have a hard time doing it with me because your tummy is already big. So, I no longer ask for it. Don't worry, that's not the reason why. Please, stop thinking about negative things, okay? Just focus on your health so that our baby will grow healthy," he said. "Don't worry, after you give birth to our child we will resume our active sex life again, okay?"

"Alright, I believe you," Laura said and smiled sweetly at her husband.

"I love you so much, wife!" he said and planted a kiss on her lips.

"I love you too, husband!" Laura replied.

"Now that we already settled this issue, let's sleep early, okay?" he said.

"Ok," Laura replied and shut her eyes to sleep.

Graven's eyes were closed but his mind was wide awake. Right now, he's worried about the black liquid inside his body, it might attack again anytime soon. He doesn't want his wife to see his scary condition during that time. He doesn't want her to worry and get frightened by the depressing situation that she is going to witness if he will have the misfortune to suffer another attack inside the manor.

His wife was just recovering due to what happened to their farm. He doesn't want her to witness another tragedy again.

He sighed inwardly.