Noticing his arrival, Grandma Coral sweetly smiled at him before she saw that a black-haired girl was following behind him.

As both Ozul and girl neared, Grandma Coral turned her teasing mode,

"Ara ara... Already bringing a girl home. Aren't you too young for it, young man? At least introduce her to your grandma."- Grandma Coral was certainly not complaining if Ozul could hang out with kids his age.

"She just followed me back."- Ozul did not mind any of her teasings. Looking back at the girl, Ozul could feel... expectations from the girl. Expectations for what?—He does not know and wouldn't bother to know either.

Ozul shook his head and just went towards his favourite tree before sitting under it and resting his back against it.

It was raining; there was no sunlight, what better time to enjoy himself than now?

Grandma Coral was left standing at the doorsteps. Every time it rains, Ozul will not listen to one bit of her ramblings and spend his day while sitting outside.

She then looked at the girl who just kept standing there looking here and there.

On closer inspection, Grandma Coral noticed that the girl was in bad condition! She had some cuts and sc.r.a.pes in different places.

Noticing how the girl kept stealing glances at Ozul, Grandma Coral smirked. She had her 72 years of wisdom working and could already guess the gist of the situation.

'Oho... my cold prince saved a girl in distress!'- Grandma Coral suddenly had a light s.h.i.+ning in her eyes as she started operating her mind gears.

Looking back at the girl, Grandma Coral asked her name.

"Hm. What is your name, lovely lady?" - Grandma Coral used a polite tone as not to scare the girl away.

"Eeek... M-my n-name is Raven."- Raven was startled as she kept stuttering after being addressed by the kind-looking old lady.

"Aww... no need to be afraid, little Raven. Why don't you come inside the house so we can do something about your condition?" - Grandma Coral.

"I... I am fine!"- Raven was reluctant to leave Ozul out of her sight. She was afraid that she might lose him if he went outside her vision.

Grandma Coral noticing that the girl was hesitant, came near the girl and said something in her ears.

Immediately afterwards, the girl quietly followed her inside while she kept blus.h.i.+ng while looking downwards. It was as if she was a thief caught in the act.

Noticing the act, Ozul was curious as to what Grandma Coral said in her ears, but then he just shook his head and closed his eyes. The waterdrops. .h.i.tting on the hat did not bother him.

- - - - - - - - -

Inside the house, Grandma Coral was helping Raven clean her injuries as she asked her questions.

"So little Raven, where do you live?" - Grandma Coral.

"... I... live on the streets." - Raven said in shaming, thinking that it may disgust the old lady.

"Ah, I am so sorry little Raven, Do you not have any relative?" - Grandma Coral was stunned, hearing that the fragile-looking girl lived on the streets!

"N-no. Everyone died when the Monsters attacked the village..." - Raven dejectedly explained that she lived in a village near the town.

Unfortunately, Beasts suddenly attacked the village, and everyone died except for a few who managed to run away. Raven herself was sent away by her parents when they noticed that there was no way out.

No one could figure out why the Beasts would suddenly attack a settlement.

Grandma Coral listened to her story as she cleared away her earlier doubts about her 'plan'.

"So... you have nowhere to go, huh. Why don't you live with us?" - Grandma Coral asked as she had decided to make her stay at all costs.

"Come on! Besides, there is no one else that my grandson spends his time with." - Grandma Coral urged her when she saw that Raven was hesitating in making a decision.

"Please take care of me!" - Raven shouted as she bowed. The last part that Grandma Coral said was the final hit on the nail for Raven to accept the invitation.

Looking at her still ragged clothes, Grandma Coral smiled kindly before,

"Wait... I only have Ozuls cloth that may fit you..." - Grandma Coral began her ramblings on what clothes to give to Raven.

"...Ano... He... he is still outside. Won't he catch a cold?"- Raven interrupted Grandma Coral as she was genuinely worried about the Big brother that saved her.

Hearing the concern in her sweet voice, Grandma Coral smirked in her mind.

'Hehe... I made the correct decision!' - Grandma Coral was happy that she might achieve her goal with this.

"Don't worry, that boy always remains outside whenever there is no light. Honestly, even I was surprised to find out that he would never get sick even in harsh weather!" - Grandma Coral explained to Raven as it might ease her worries.

Raven went to change into the clothes provided by Grandma Coral.

- - - - - - - - -

Outside the house, Ozul was just lying resting his back against the trunk of the tree. He was not asleep, though.

When he heard the footsteps coming towards him, he opened his eyes to look at the person.

Grandma Coral came near Ozul and said,

"She will be living with us from today onwards."

"Why?" - Ozul asked as he was wondering why the girl would be staying with them.

"She lost her parents, and there is nowhere for her to return. Besides, She is your f.r.i.e.n.d, right?" - She said the last part while pressing each letter.

"No-... She is my friend, right." - Ozul corrected himself just as he was about to mess up. If Ozul told her that he wasn't friends with Raven, Grandma Coral would again start to force things on him.

Unknown to Ozul, Grandma Coral already knew that Ozul was not so friendly with Raven. But at the very least, he interacted with someone of his age!

'Well, whatever. As long the Raven girl is not annoying.' - Ozul thought as he really did not care. As long as she does not disturb him, it's okay with him.

After informing Ozul, Grandma Coral went back inside. Unlike Ozul, She had frail health; it could worsen at any time.

Walking back inside, Grandma Coral saw Raven was sniffing on the s.h.i.+rt that formerly belonged to Ozul.

Smirking, she coughed and said,

"Is it nice?"

"Yes... N-no!!! I don't like the smell at all!"- Startled, Raven slipped her tongue before her ears went red with shame.

"Hm? What are you talking about? I am asking if you like the clothes?" - Grandma Coral.

"O-oh! Yes! They are nice." - Raven said as she sighed in relief, thinking she was not caught.

"Is that so... Anyway, it's almost dark, so let's make dinner."

"Uhm... I don't know how to..."- Raven was only nine years old. She could not know how to cook.

"I am not telling you to make dinner; You will only help me."- Grandma Coral a.s.sured her. She had felt that her health these days was getting more serious.

Grandma Coral hoped that if something happened to her, someone would be there to accompany Ozul.

They both went to make dinner. After 30 minutes or so, dinner was ready.

"Go call Ozul, say that the dinner is ready."- Grandma Coral ordered Raven as the later dashed outside.

Walking out, Raven noticed that the rain had already stopped. But Ozul was lying in the same position as before.

Nearing Ozul, Raven did not know how to start the conversation.

"Hey... Uhm... dinner is ready, please come inside." - Raven nervously spoke to Ozul.

"Hm."- Ozul just hummed in response. He had already woken up hearing the footsteps.

He stood up and started to go inside.

Raven just followed him back while she was thinking about some things. Such as, she had seen that both of Ozuls arms were only prosthetics. She was wondering what had happened to him to cause such severe damage.

During the dinner, Grandma Coral kept making small talks with Raven while Ozul just quietly listened from the sidelines.

After finis.h.i.+ng the food, Ozul sat up and again left for his usual spot under the tree. Meanwhile, Raven was intensely watching Ozul as he went outside.

"Why is he going back outside? Isn't it almost night?" - Raven asked. She was curious about everything related to Ozul.

"Don't worry, that kid has never slept under a roof when it is nighttime."- No matter how much she tried, Ozul never once slept inside his room when the time came. Grandma Coral could do nothing to change his mind.

"You go to sleep in his room. It's not like he ever used it at night."

"Okay."- Raven sat up and went toward Ozul's room.

Closing the door, Raven saw that there was nothing special, just a regular bed and windows with curtains on it.

She went towards the window and slid the curtain to have a look outside. There Raven saw how Ozul was again lying in the same position but this time, watching the sky.

Even though Grandma Coral a.s.sured her that Ozul would be fine, Raven could not help but be concerned about him.

She picked up a blanket and went outside,

Walking near Ozul, She nervously stood beside him.

"Um. Yeah! Grandma told me to give this to you." - Raven quickly found an excuse, and before letting Ozul answer, She hurriedly covered him and ran back.

Just as Raven entered, she saw Grandma Coral smiling at her while she also held a blanket.

"Ara ara... You were worried about him? It's okay here, take this one." - Grandma Coral gave her the blanket that she was holding. She patted Raven's head before walking back to her room.

Raven, blus.h.i.+ng to the ears, walked back inside her room and went to sleep.