Chapter 281
Owen smiled gently. “I know stone carving–need a hand?”
Aria froze for a second before replying, “Sure.”
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Having only recently started learning stone carving, her pieces always turned out rough. With an expert like Owen offering to help, she had no reason to
refuse.
Owen got up, only to hear Aria’s voice from behind. “Just carve it to match that seal.”
Owen’s expression shifted as he recognized the seal. “Wait. Is this Todd School’s National Doctor’s Seal?”
Aria said, “Yeah, that’s exactly what Culver has been looking for.”
Owen looked astonished. “You’re really just telling me about something this important, just like that?”
Aria retorted, “Do I need to keep it a secret?”
Owen chuckled. “For others, you do.”
As Aria ate, it suddenly hit her that she’d instinctively started treating Owen as one of her own.
Friends were practically like family, so she guessed it was fine after all.
After Aria finished eating, Owen said gently, “Go get some rest. I’ll carve the stone a while longer before I head out.”
Feeling genuinely tired, Aria nodded without a second thought. “Yeah, you should head back early.”
Having gone to bed early, Aria was up by six the next morning.
She opened the door and saw Owen still sitting in the chair. Her eyes flew wide open in surprise as she blurted out, “Owen?”
Owen turned his head toward her, lips curving into a light smile as he picked up the two seals from the table. “Done.”
Owen rose to his feet and approached her, placing the two seals–indistinguishable to the naked eye–in front of her. With a hint of pride, he said, “Take a look. What do you think?”
Aria’s eyes scanned the two seals. For a moment, she couldn’t spot a single difference.
Aria was visibly moved. She reached out to take the seal, then looked up–only to finally notice the dark circles under Owen’s eyes. Staring at him in surprise, she blurted out, “You pulled an all–nighter?”
Owen looked relaxed, not the least bit tired from staying up all night. With a casual tone, he said, “I just lost track of time. No worries. I can still catch up on sleep now.”
He looked full of energy, his eyes sparkling with vitality.
It reminded her of that cute, eager little look Vanessa would get when fishing for compliments.
Aria arched an eyebrow, the thought making her blurt out, “You did an amazing job with the carving.”
Owen grinned. “Thanks for the compliment.”
Aria blinked. “Huh?”
‘Wait, shouldn’t be the one saying thank you?‘
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Chapter 281
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Before she could even voice her thanks, Owen was already heading for the door. Over his shoulder, he called, “I’ll head out now. Don’t forget to get
breakfast at the cafeteria.”
Since things got busy, many kind–hearted women in the village banded together to help out with cooking.
Just before closing the door, Owen’s gaze lingered for a moment on Aria’s slightly tousled hair.
It was the first time he’d seen her just waking up.
Owen thought, ‘Her sleep–tousled hair looks unexpectedly cute.‘
The door slammed shut.
Owen turned and descended the steps.
In the dim light of dawn, he spotted at first glance a figure sitting on a rock not far away.
All around was silent and dark. The sudden, jarring scene would have made a timid soul cry out in terror.
Even someone as unflappable as Owen felt his heart skip a beat.
Caleb sat up straight, his entire being radiating an intangible aura of authority.
At that moment, Caleb fixed him with a look that was both complex and questioning.
Despite having done nothing wrong, Owen gulped nervously.
Owen greeted, “Morning.”
Steeling himself, he walked over at a deliberately measured pace.
The air grew a bit awkward.
Caleb broke the silence first, his voice low and unreadable. “Did you stay here all night?”
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