“Irene.”
“Mi, Michael!”
Irene, who was coming out through the lush branches, blinked as if surprised at the sight of Michael who came to find her. Fresh leaves were attached to her luscious blonde hair, which seemed to flow like honey.
“Where are you going like that?”
“That, that’s… Oh, the water ran out, so I went to the river to fetch some water!”
Naturally, Michael’s gaze, who was taking the leaves off Irene’s hair, slowly turned to the wooden bucket she was holding. There was not even a single leaf in the large wooden bucket that she was holding, let alone water. After checking the empty water bucket, his gaze met her as if asking why.
Irene quickly hid her empty water bucket behind her back at the quickly discovered lie before opening her mouth.
“I, I think I’ll get some water later!”
“You said you went to the river to get water, but now you’re saying you’re getting water later?”
“….”
“Are you aware that what you are saying doesn’t match?”
Despite his question, which stabbed her in the face, Irene kept her mouth shut and turned her gaze away. Rolling her eyes here and there, she raised her voice as she saw Michael shining his eyes sharply as if piercing her heart.
“…What, what do you mean it doesn’t make sense?”
“Do you know that your voice rises when you lie?”
“….”
“Even your face is red, your hands are shaking, and you’re avoiding my gaze.”
“….”
“Like someone who saw something that they shouldn’t see.”
At Michael’s words, she visibly flinched.
As if Irene’s appearance was suspicious, he went closer to her. As she blinked in surprise at his face, which got close enough to brush her nose, her face turned red as though she was about to explode when she suddenly remembered the scene she had seen at the stream a while ago as she got closer to Michael.
“What, what do you mean, shouldn’t see!”
“It’s suspicious.”
“It’s, it’s not suspicious at all…?”
“Can’t you stop stuttering?”
His playfulness made Irene raise her eyes and glare at him. Michael opened his mouth again as he took the water bucket that Irene had hidden behind her back.
