Netori Harem: New life as a hunter and gatherer

Chapter 290: I am worried for you

"Didn’t the inspection take way too long?" Laila asked after Monica and Luke came out of the room, the former averting her gaze.

Luke coughed lightly. "We needed to do a bit of cleaning too. Otherwise, you’d have been surrounded by spiders later."

As he said, he turned towards Monica, silently urging her to say something

"Ah-yes. There was even a snake down there so it took us time to make that place safe." Monica hurriedly added to make it sounded believable.

Naturally, she couldn’t tell her daughter the actual reason behind their delay.

Laila narrowed her eyes, unconvinced by the transparent excuse. It wasn’t hard to guess what had truly kept the two of them occupied inside the room. Still, she chose not to tease them any further.

"Come on," she said instead. "Everyone’s waiting."

The two nodded and quietly followed her to the dining table, where Roxanne, Thea, and Mila were already seated.

Several steaming pots filled the table, their rich aroma filling the room.

There weren’t many dishes but right now, Luke could eat even just the bread.

Luke instinctively pulled out a chair for his mate before taking the seat beside her.

Monica smiled apologetically. "We showed up without any notice, and even made you cook for all of us."

Mila immediately shook her head. "Not at all. I’m actually glad you all came. Not only did I get to reunite with my sister, but I also had the chance to welcome so many guests after such a long time."

The warmth in her voice carried a hint of loneliness. It was clear that, ever since the former chief stepped down and passed away, few people had visited their home anymore.

Luke couldn’t help but feel that at least half the blame lay with that cruel woman who had spoken so harshly to Roxanne.

"Won’t your mother be eating with us?" Monica asked, genuine concern evident in her voice.

Luke let out a quiet sigh. Such an unfailingly kind woman.

The truth, however, was that he would rather never see Roxanne’s mother again.

As if determined to spite him, the door suddenly pushed open, and the very woman in question stepped into the hall.

The room instantly fell silent.

The older woman glanced between them with her eyes narrowed. Luke believed she would say something but she didn’t.

Roxanne was the first to react. Rising from her seat, she called out, "Mother... please join us."

Her plea was met with complete indifference. Without sparing anyone a glance, the woman walked straight past the table and disappeared into her room.

"Don’t worry about her, Roxxy," Mila said with a helpless smile. "She’ll come out to eat once she gets hungry."

Roxanne’s eyes lingered on the closed door, worry plain on her face. Luke understood how she felt, yet after a brief hesitation, she quietly returned to her seat.

Before long, everyone began eating.

The meal itself was simple but hearty. A pot of clear broth filled with chunks of meat and vegetables sat at the center of the table, accompanied by thick, coal-baked flatbread, its surface marked with dark, charred spots.

"Agh... this is so hard to tear," Thea complained, tugging at a piece of the bread with both hands.

Mila and Roxanne exchanged flustered glances. The two of them had prepared the meal together, so Thea’s complaint clearly embarrassed them.

Luke let out a quiet sigh, took the flatbread from Thea’s hands, and effortlessly tore it into bite-sized pieces before handing it back.

"Try not to make a fuss, at least while we’re eating."

Thea snickered, accepting the bread without another word.

Only then did Luke notice that she had changed into one of Roxanne’s outfits. It wasn’t particularly surprising. After all, she hadn’t exactly had many alternatives.

The meal continued in comfortable silence until Roxanne suddenly asked,

"Won’t Kirb be joining us?"

"Kirb?" Monica echoed, puzzled.

"Ah, yes." Mila’s cheeks flushed with a bashful smile. "He’s my mate."

The affection in her expression made it obvious how deeply she loved him.

"He said he’d eat in the room instead. Don’t worry, I’ll bring his meal to him later."

Lowering her gaze, she added softly, "He got a little injured during today’s hunt."

"He’s a hunter?" Laila asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mila nodded proudly.

"He has quite a reputation in the guild too."

Luke quietly hummed to himself.

So there was another person in the house, and a hunter at that.

Still, he didn’t pay it much mind. The man was almost certainly an ordinary human. Luke hadn’t sensed the slightest trace of magic anywhere inside the house.

They soon finished their meal.

Luke rose from his chair. "I’ll go set up a few traps around the house. Just for tonight, if you don’t mind." He looked toward Mila.

She gently shook her head. "Not at all... but I’ll let Kirb know first. He leaves early in the morning, so it’ll be better if he’s aware."

Luke nodded, making a mental note to wake up before dawn and remove every trap himself. The ones he intended to place would be nearly impossible for an ordinary person to notice.

"Need a hand?" Laila offered. "I could use a walk too."

She had eaten more than usual, and a little movement sounded appealing.

Luke shrugged. "If you want."

He didn’t really need the help, but an extra pair of hands certainly wouldn’t hurt.

Turning to his mate, he softened his voice.

"Go get some rest, okay? We’ve had a long day."

Roxanne smiled. "I’ll show her to the room. Don’t worry, it’s spacious enough if you’d like to accompany her as well."

Monica’s cheeks immediately turned crimson. She shot Luke a bashful glance before murmuring,

"Come back soon."

Luke’s lips curled into a warm grin as he nodded at his adorable mate.

Not long afterward, he and Laila stepped outside.

The night air was cool as Luke opened his storage and took out an electrical fence, an underground trap, and several other defensive devices.

Laila stared at the small pile of equipment before looking at him.

"Will you really be okay doing all this by yourself?"

"Hm? Yeah." Luke crouched down and began digging into the soil with his knife to bury the first trap. "Why do you ask?"

Laila watched him work for a moment before answering quietly.

"I mean... you’ve done more than any of us. You fought so many people and stayed vigilant this whole time... all to keep us safe."

Her eyes softened.

"I’m worried you’ll push yourself too hard and end up getting sick."

It has been gnawing at her for some time. Ever since they left their village, Luke hadn’t truly rested at all.

Luke paused mid-motion before glancing back over his shoulder.

"In that case..." A teasing smile spread across his face. "Why don’t you give me a massage tonight? I’m sure that’ll help."

Laila froze.

A second later, she clenched her fists and nodded with surprising determination.

"I promise."

Her expression was utterly sincere.

"I’ll help you relieve all your stress tonight."

~~~~

A/N:- I hope you liked the Chapter. Send a friend request to hayden_greyhart on discord if you want to join my server for more images and announcements.