Outside of that, she placed the healer huts and the communal kitchens. And beyond that, the residents’ homes would be built in a circle, making it easy for everyone to move toward the center when needed.

"It looks good," Zeir said, narrowing his eyes. "The settlement doesn’t look messy anymore. But how about we place our home facing the council hut?"

Roxanna nodded right away. "That sounds great."

It would fit well. After all, their home represented the leader’s family.

She continued, "As for the food storage and the shrine, we’ll place them near the farming area, because that is the most private place for us."

Zeir studied the layout quietly. His eyes moved slowly across the hologram, as if he was memorizing every line, every detail, every measurement.

After a while, he spoke. "I think I can copy this onto the drafting paper."

Roxanna blinked. "Really? Do you want me to place the hologram right under the paper so you can trace it?"

To her surprise, Zeir shook his head. "I don’t need to."

She tilted her head, becoming even more confused.

How could he trace the drawing if he didn’t want to place the hologram panel under the paper? More than that, he had never even drawn a layout before.

[Does he have a photographic memory?] Roxanna wondered.

Even though Zeir didn’t know what she meant by a photographic memory, one thing he knew for sure was that once he saw something, he would never forget it.

In that way, he was the complete opposite of Azul and his fish-like memory.

"I just need a little time to draw it, since this is new for me," Zeir said.

Roxanna nodded right away. "Of course. Take as much time as you need. If it gets late, you can always continue tomorrow morning."

But to her surprise, Zeir didn’t need that long at all. He didn’t wait until tomorrow. He didn’t even wait until the sun fully set.

Actually, this was the first time in her life she had seen someone draw a technical layout as fast as Zeir.

He only used the tools for a short while, yet he handled them so smoothly, as if he had been doing this for years. And somehow, Roxanna couldn’t help but notice how attractive he looked while working.

"What do you think?" Zeir asked, his voice a little hesitant, as if he was worried she wouldn’t like it.

"Zeir... this... this is perfect!" Roxanna said, her voice full of excitement.

She covered her mouth with her hand and stared at the drafting paper for a long time. [Oh God... how can someone learn something this fast? Is he really human—wait, no... he’s really not.]

[I still can’t get over how attractive he looked while his hands were moving as he drew.] Roxanna let out a soft breath and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down as her thoughts started to drift. [I need to calm down. I need to calm down. I can’t keep thinking so lewdly all the time.]

But before she could fully settle herself, Zeir suddenly leaned closer. His breath brushed lightly against her ear as he spoke in a low voice, "So... did I do a good job?"

Roxanna swallowed and nodded softly. "You did... a really good job."

Zeir stayed silent for a moment, but his hand slowly brushed along her arm a few times. "In my old tribe, whenever someone does a good job, they receive a reward. Do you think... I deserve a gift from you?"

Roxanna blinked in surprise. [What? I didn’t expect Zeir to ask for something like this... I thought he was the calm, indifferent type.]

Zeir was indeed indifferent and a bit cold, but when it came to his wife, he could never fully control himself.

There were times when he had to hold himself back, afraid that he might do something that would make his wife feel uncomfortable or even disgusted by him.

But how could Roxanna ever feel disgusted with him? He was always so patient and understanding. If Zeir showed more colors of himself in front of her, she would definitely feel happy instead of disgusted.

"What kind of gift do you want?" Roxanna asked.

Instead of answering right away, Zeir slowly placed his hand over her small bump, his touch careful and warm. "Are you still feeling nauseous?" he asked softly. "Or do you have a headache? Or... are you just not feeling well?"

Roxanna paused for a moment, trying to understand her body better. After a while, she finally said, "I think I’m fine. Just a bit tired, but it’s not that bad."

"Tired?" Zeir narrowed his eyes slightly. "How tired?"

She tilted her head. "I’m not sure. But... I can still walk back to our hut by myself."

To be honest, she didn’t really understand what Zeir was trying to say. His questions felt strange, almost like a riddle. But when he spoke again, everything finally made sense.

"As a gift... can you let me prolong your lifespan too?" he whispered beside her ear. "Like what Azul did for you."

Roxanna froze. Her body tensed, and she bit her lower lip. "B-But... doesn’t that sound like you’re the one giving me a gift instead?"

The corner of his lips lifted slightly. "Since you’ve also done a good job," he said in a calm voice, "you deserve a reward too."

His gaze softened as he looked at her. "That’s why... will you let me reward you as well?"

Roxanna’s fingers curled slightly against her palm. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

Her heart was beating a little too fast, and not just because of his words, but because of the way he was looking at her.

"Zeir..." she called softly, her voice almost hesitant.

[Actually, I kind of miss his touch too,] Roxanna thought to herself. [It feels like I rarely get time alone with Zeir.]

"But where are we going to do it?" Roxanna asked, her expression serious.