Chapter 33 You're Supposed to Hate Me, Aren't You?
The busy day draws to a close as the sun sets in the west.
A group of hungry people waited for their meal.
Gabriel steps unsteadily with blurred eyes. He hasn't eaten and worked relentlessly in a day. Although he is an orc, he is on the brink of collapse.
But he must persevere for a pound of wheat; he must bring wheat to his companion, and Ellie was about to faint from hunger.
While others receive their share, Gabriel saves every bit of wheat for later.
The world around him blurs, his mind numb with following the crowd.
Finally, Gabriel collapsed, hearing the voice of the girl who captured his heart.
"Go get your wheat. I'll take care of him."
When Gabriel awakened, he tasted the lingering sweetness of wheat on his lips.
A sound came into his ears before he realized the situation.
"Are you awake?" The girl asked.
Gabriel suddenly froze for a while, turning to see the girl who helped him. He was familiar with her freckles.
A wave of unprecedented crisis washed over him. He was more nervous than facing with Tiger Orcs. His identity was exposed, the cloth he used to wrap his horns was on the table.
"Why so silent?" the girl tilted her head, staring at his horns.
Gabriel's throat tightened, saying in a hoarse voice. "What do you want? To sell me as a slave?"
The girl chuckled, "You can speak! Why would I sell you as a slave?"
Gabriel was speechless, staring at the girl in disbelief. "I'm an orc, and I have a pair of horns. Shouldn't you despise me?"
He remembered the human rumor that orcs were a punishment from the gods, and they were the hybrid race of humans and beasts.
The prevailing scarcity of sustenance among the human race was attributed to the existence of Orcs, who had consumed an inordinate amount of our provisions.
Gabriel pondered and found it plausible. If he indulged in his appetite unrestrictedly, he could consume a meal sufficient for two to three people.
The girl's laughter faded, "Why would I hate you? You're strange, Gabriel. Are all orcs like yours?"
Gabriel was lost in her words. "Why would I hate you?" Her words echoed in his mind.
She doesn't despise me? At that moment, the ordinary girl with freckles seems more beautiful than everyone he has ever known. He thought she was more beautiful than Ellie and Mila.
Perhaps beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Gabriel felt his heart speed up, which he never had experienced.
For the first time, a human didn't despise him. In other cities, he would be hunted if his identity was revealed.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" She asked.
"I am fine." Gabriel quickly shook his head, still feeling a bit dizzy.
"Are all orcs as peculiar as you?" the girl chuckled softly, "Everyone calls me Audrey, you can call me Audrey."
This was her second time to see an orc. The first was Miss Mila, who was with Henry. Orcs were rare in Eldoria, and she found them not much different from humans except for their horns.
Miss Mila, with her cat ears, was actually the most beautiful girl she had ever seen.
"Not peculiar, we're not peculiar," Gabriel quickly waved his hand. He was a clumsy boy and didn't want Audrey to think orcs are strange.
"Why didn't you eat today? You fainted from hunger," Audrey said with a serious face.
"Oh, where's my wheat?" Gabriel looked around in a panic.
"Here," Audrey pointed to a corner of the bed.
Gabriel grabbed the wheat and held it tightly. "Thank you."
Audrey shook her head, got up, and said with a smile, "I have to go; there are many things to arrange."
She was a steward, and her percentage was raised by twenty percent. This was what she thought was Henry's greatest decision.
After Audrey left, Gabriel sat there in a daze for a while, then quickly wrapped the cloth around his head to cover his horns, carefully carried the wheat, and walked out.
Outside, he discovered a row of shacks. He just slept in one of them.
Gabriel quickly spotted Audrey not far away. She was currently distributing the shacks, which were for the people who have moved out of the rebuilt houses to temporarily live in.
He gazed at Audrey's figure, then walked towards Eldoria in the sunset, his steps unusually light. He wanted to go back immediately and shared with Ellie that there was a human girl who didn't despise him.
And during today's work, he also learned the news he wanted, that Miss Mila was caught by Eldoria's nobleman, Henry. He had to hurry and tell Ellie.
