Netori Harem: New life as a hunter and gatherer-Chapter 92: Caught?

Monica was sitting in the dining hall with Ginna, the two women carefully picking edible sgarpa leaves for dinner.

The leaves were deep red. If one wasn’t edible, it would either ooze a foul odor or feel soft near the base. Even a single bad leaf could ruin the entire dish, which explained the care they were taking.

"But seriously, with you here, it doesn’t feel like I’m working at all these days," Monica said with a smile.

Ginna might have been older, but she was still incredibly active. She woke up earlier than Monica, cooked with ease, and even gathered firewood from the forest. In many ways, she handled household work better than Monica herself.

Ginna chuckled and shook her head. "I feel like I’m not doing enough, actually. You’re always the one cooking and washing clothes. If you keep doing everything alone, I’ll feel guilty taking payment from your son."

Monica smiled helplessly.

Just then, a familiar voice called out, "Monica."

She turned and hummed, "Do you need something?"

Gustav looked slightly uneasy as he spoke. "Come with me. We need to talk."

Monica blinked, surprised. There was something intense in his tone.

Then, suddenly, her heart sank.

Last night... could it be?

Turning to Ginna, she said, "I’ll be back in a bit."

Ginna nodded without a word, giving Gustav a brief glance. Despite her curiosity, she didn’t follow them and stayed where she was.

Gustav led Monica to their room and motioned for her to sit.

A faint unease crept into her chest. Was he awake last night? Did he see anything?

She had already discussed this with Luke... what they would do if Gustav ever found out. Even so, the tension coiled tightly inside her.

Gustav paced the room for a few moments before finally stopping in front of her. "Monica... when you sleep in Luke’s room, what do the two of you usually do at night?"

There it was. She had always known this question would come, just not today... and not when Luke wasn’t around.

Still, she steadied herself and answered without hesitation. "We sleep, naturally. Luke likes being close to me when we rest."

Gustav narrowed his eyes. "And what about the noises you make? I’m sure people fall silent when they sleep, not cry and plead."

The walls of the house weren’t thick enough to hide her voice. If he had heard her, others likely had too.

Monica let out a slow breath. "Luke gives me massages to help me relax after all the work I do every day."

The lie came smoothly, without a flicker of hesitation in her eyes.

Gustav chewed on his lower lip. He knew Luke had been giving similar massages to Dalia as well. He had heard her make similar sounds during those sessions.

Yet something about it didn’t sit right with him.

He couldn’t shake off what Caleb had recently said.

That one day, Luke would take his mate away from him.

That was why he said, "Maintain some distance from him, Monica. He’s a growing boy. He’ll have his mate soon. The closer you stay to him, the harder it will be for you later."

"I can’t do that."

The response came instantly, making Gustav’s brows lift in surprise.

She continued, steady and resolute. "Setting aside the fact that I can’t bring myself to hurt him, Luke is the main earner of this house. Keeping him pleased and satisfied is my responsibility. If I fail... our future will be at risk."

Gustav frowned. "Is this because I can’t earn anymore?"

She nodded. "Yes. In the near future, when Dalia and Laila have children, we’ll need to support them in the beginning. And as we grow older, we’ll need medicine, caregivers, and much more."

Her voice remained calm, but every word landed with weight.

"Because you insisted on building this house in a prime location, we spent all the toras we had saved. So what other choice do I have... other than fulfilling Luke’s demands?"

Gustav fell silent at those words.

Monica rose from the bed and told him, "Please never mention this conversation to my son. He would be upset."

And with that, she left.

^^^^^^^^

It was close to sunset. Using the same discreet path, Luke led her back to her house.

They had been mostly silent until now. Luke only spoke when needed, warning her about sharp stones or guiding her along the safer path toward her destination.

From what he could tell, Roxanne seemed distant. Lost in thought. It unsettled him more than he expected.

As they neared the residence, he finally spoke, unable to hold it back any longer. "Did you hate it... what we did back then?"

Roxanne slowly turned toward him, her gaze still lowered, as if she had been expecting the question.

For all the mischief he carried, she knew he was different. More considerate than most men she had met. So his concern didn’t surprise her.

She let out a quiet sigh. "I won’t say it was against my will. If I had been forcing myself to be there... letting you touch me, I would have known. But no..."

"Then what’s the problem?" Luke asked, his voice firm but not harsh. "Roxanne, everyone has the right to be happy. You’ve been neglected by your mate. Just treat what happened between us as an escape. Nothing more."

Her eyes lifted to meet his, uncertain. "Can... I really do that?"

Luke sighed and stepped closer. Resting his hands on her shoulders, he said, "If you need to blame someone, blame me. Just don’t add to the burden you’re already carrying."

Roxanne exhaled slowly. He was gentle... too gentle. And somehow, she couldn’t stop herself from envying the woman who would one day become his mate.

Just then,

"What are the two of you doing?"

Both of them froze at the voice.

Roxanne turned sharply. Her mate sat atop a horse, a few guards stationed behind him.

Luke frowned slightly, his hands falling away from her shoulders.

[Host, the chances of winning against the foe are less than ten percent.]

The system’s warning rang clear. If a conflict broke out now, the outcome was obvious. Still, that wouldn’t stop him from striking back if the man chose to act.

Before things could escalate, Roxanne spoke, her voice calm. "I was returning home when he saw me stumbling. I think I’ve caught a cold."

Her tone was so convincing that, if Luke hadn’t known the truth, he might have reached out to check her temperature himself.

The chief hummed, mildly surprised, before dismounting. He extended a hand toward her. "Come. I’ll take you home."

Roxanne glanced at Luke for a brief moment before replying, "It’s alright. The house is just around the corner, so..."

"Roxanne."

His voice cut through her words, like a command. His gaze turned cold. "I said, come here."

She fell silent. She didn’t resist. Didn’t even dare look back at Luke.

Step by step, she moved toward her mate. He took her hand and helped her onto the horse.

Before leaving, the chief cast Luke one last glance, heavy with meaning, before riding off with Roxanne in his arms.

Luke sneered.

Was that supposed to assert dominance?

Pathetic.

.....

A/N:- Are those Monica’s true feelings? Well, comment your thoughts.