Chapter Twenty-One

But in the next few moments, Arianna remained petrified. She could hear Ruel's worried voice calling her name, but she couldn't react.

“Arianna? Arianna? What happened to you?”

Her eyes finally focused on his worried face. She tried to smile but failed.

“I seem to be right about Mt. Olympus, huh?”

She tried to smile again as she moved her numbed limbs, but she cringed when he placed the bills in her hand.

“Go home,” he told her gently. “That's where he'll get your goods.”

Goods.

She cringed more, her insides trembling because, to her, goods meant something more than her vegetables. But she managed to reply. “Y-Yeah.”

“Arianna? Are you okay? You're very pale.”

She looked at him. “I'm going to be fine. I'm going home, anyway, so I can take a rest.”

“What's wrong? You don't look good. I'd like to take you home,” he said, looking in the direction of the guards at the gates.

“I'm okay. I'm feeling better. I guess I stayed up too late to sleep last night,” she lied. “'Bye, Ruel. Thanks for