Chapter 713 He’s all I have
Agreeing with Jeniva’s instinct, they followed the girl into the dim interior of the restaurant. They found her meticulously gathering leftover vegetables, her small hands moving quickly to pack them into a bundle. She froze, spotting them in the doorway.
“What is your name?” Dominick asked.
“Hannah, sir,” the girl replied, her eyes darting between the two strangers.
“We will accompany you to your house, Hannah,” Jeniva said firmly.
Confusion clouded the girl’s face until Jeniva stepped forward, adding in a hushed but clear tone, “The man before you is the Second Alpha Prince.”
Dominick’s brows shot up; he hadn’t expected her to drop his title so readily in a remote village. Hannah’s eyes went wide, and she immediately dropped to her knees, pressing her forehead toward the floor in a deep, formal bow.
Dominick shot Jeniva a sharp look, silently gesturing for her to fix the situation. Jeniva hurried to the girl’s side, gently hoisting her back to her feet. “There’s no need for that,” she whispered. “Prince Dominick is on a private tour today, but you must keep his presence a secret. In exchange, he can certainly provide the help your grandfather needs.”
“I won’t say a word to anyone. I promise,” Hannah whispered back.
“That’s a good girl. Now, you were packing these vegetables, let me help,” Jeniva offered, reaching for a bunch of wilting greens. “Are these for your dinner?”
“Oh, no. They’ve gone soft,” Hannah explained, regained her composure. “We have two cows at home. Grandpa said we shouldn’t let the food go to waste, so I came to fetch these for them.”
“Understood. Let’s get moving then,” Jeniva said, expertly tying a knot in the cloth bag. Hannah offered a shy smile, stealing a glance at Dominick’s broad back as he stepped out into the cold to wait for them.
After Hannah securely locked the restaurant door, she led them down a winding trail toward the heart of the village. Unlike the silence of cities he had been to, the village was alive. Citizens were out in force, shoveling snow from their doorsteps and calling out to one another.
“Hannah! Who are these people you’ve brought along?” a neighbor called out, pausing with her shovel in hand.
Hannah didn’t miss a beat, glancing at Jeniva before weaving a quick cover story. “Just some travelers, Auntie! They’re here to see the sights!”
“Ah! But isn’t your grandpa sick? How are you going to keep guests in that small house?” the lady pressed, her eyes narrowed with curiosity.
“Ah… Um…” Hannah stammered, her quick wit momentarily failing her under the neighbor’s scrutiny.
“We will be returning to the city by evening, Madam,” Dominick interjected. He gave Hannah a subtle nod to keep moving.
As they walked away, the woman stayed rooted to her spot, her brow furrowed. “I’ve heard that voice somewhere,” she murmured to herself, “but I can’t for the life of me recall where.
They reached a modest, one-story cottage. Hannah hurried to the door, ushering them into a home.
“Grandpa! Grandpa!” Hannah called out, her voice echoing through the small rooms. She rounded the corner into the kitchen and let out a sharp, terrified gasp. Her grandfather lay sprawled and motionless on the floor.
“Grandpa!” The heavy bag of vegetables slipped from her numb fingers, spilling across the wooden planks. She scrambled to his side, her small hands trembling as she touched his weathered face. Jeniva and Dominick were right behind her. Dominick moved instantly, dropping to one knee to press two fingers against the old man’s carotid artery.
“His pulse is weak and thready. We have to take him to the hospital immediately,” he said, his Alpha authority snapping back into place.
“But the hospital is miles from here,” Hannah cried, tears finally spilling over. “I have to call for an ambulance… I’ll run and ask Auntie to use her phone…”
“There’s no time for an ambulance,” Dominick interrupted, his voice cutting through Hannah’s panic. “I’ll take him to the city hospital myself. Stay here with Jeniva.”
With Jeniva’s steady hands assisting, Dominick hoisted the unconscious man onto his back, adjusting his weight with ease. The second he stood upright, the air in the small kitchen rippled, and with a soft thrum, Dominick and the grandfather vanished into thin air.
Hannah froze, her mouth agape as she stared at the empty space where they had stood just a second before. “Where… where did they go?” she whispered, her voice trembling as she turned a wide-eyed gaze toward Jeniva. “How did they disappear?”
“Prince Dominick possesses great power, Hannah,” Jeniva explained gently. “He used his magic to get your grandfather to the doctors in the city instantly. He will be back as soon as he can. You have to be brave.”
Jeniva knelt on the floor, beginning to gather the scattered vegetables back into the cloth bag. When Hannah hurried forward to stop her, protesting that a guest shouldn’t be cleaning, Jeniva simply offered a reassuring smile.
“It’s alright, Hannah. Focus on yourself for a moment. Go on, drink some water and take a deep breath,” Jeniva urged. “Don’t fret. Your grandfather is in the best hands possible now.”
Hannah found it impossible to swallow even a drop of water. Still, the ingrained habits of a life built on hard work didn’t falter. She reached for the bag Jeniva had finished packing.
“I have to feed the cows,” she said, her voice small but determined. “Grandpa says they shouldn’t suffer just because he’s unwell. I’ll be back soon.”
Jeniva watched with a heavy heart as the young girl shouldered the burden and disappeared through the back door. Moved by Hannah’s resilience, Jeniva followed at a distance. She stood by the threshold of the wooden hut, watching as Hannah expertly distributed the greens to the two cows, who lowed softly at her touch. Even in her terror, the girl was careful and thorough.
A few minutes later, Hannah returned to the kitchen and scrubbed her hands at the basin. She dried them on her apron, her eyes immediately darting to the spot where Dominick had vanished.
“When will His Highness return?” Hannah asked, her voice trembling with fresh worry. “Do you think the doctors can help him? He’s all I have.”