Tabitha's POV
I looked at the large pieces of meat on the plate and didn't know what to say.
Aiden and Noah just hit their growth spurt, so they gobbled the food while praising Julia's skills.
Lucian explained, "The food on the island was limited, so you had to make do with it."
Aiden bit his lip and, although reluctant, generously pushed the plate of roasted chicken towards me.
"You look so pale. You should eat a little more."
As I looked into his sincere eyes, my heart ached even more.
Even if others' kindness towards me was only as faint as the light of fireflies, it could still illuminate my entire life.
"Sorry, I'm not very hungry. You guys go ahead and eat."
I held Kyrian and left. The island at night appeared even lonelier under the quiet moonlight.
Before long, a person had already sat beside me, and it was the silent and reserved Lucian.
"No food available here if you got hungry at night."
"Well, I know. I'm not hungry."
Lucian handed me a small piece of mousse cake from behind, which had been slightly deformed due to the bumpy journey.
"You couldn't get used to the food in the mountains, but these should suit your taste."
I did not refuse. The sweet and sour strawberries tickled my taste buds.
"Are people here so enthusiastic about hostages?" I whispered.
"Not hostages, but guests."
Lucian supported himself with both hands on the ground, looking up at the moon and murmuring, "I know you look down on us. For your werewolves, we are nothing but despicable rogues. But even in this filthy state, we still struggle to survive."
"I did not look down on you, Lucian. We need to talk again."
He looked at me deeply. "Okay."
I picked up the yawning child and said, "I'll put him to sleep first."
As I entered the room, Aiden came in with some hot water and said, "Tabitha, Julia said that you city dwellers value cleanliness, so I specially heated the water."
I smiled and said, "Thank you."
"Don't mention it. We don't have delicious food here, but we have enough water."
Aiden secretly took out a piece of chocolate from his pocket and handed it to me, saying, "I took this secretly earlier. It's really delicious. You must be hungry since you haven't had dinner. Just eat it, but don't tell Noah."
Hearing footsteps, Aiden quickly stuffed it into my pocket.
The person who came was Noah, holding a thick blanket.
"It's cold at night. Julia asked me to add an extra blanket for you. Let me lay it for you."
Noting my silence, he hurriedly explained, "It's made of wild cotton, and Julia sewed it stitch by stitch. It's all been washed clean and quite warm."
"Well, I know, I'm just very grateful."
I patiently put Kyrian to sleep.
Without his parents, Kyrian behaved exceptionally well by my side.
He didn't cry or fuss at all throughout the day and quickly fell asleep.
I walked out of the room with a small lamp, only to find Lucian still waiting there.
He was dressed lightly but seemed to feel no cold at all.
I turned off the light and sat beside him, wrapping my clothes tightly around me.
After spending a day together, I really like your little island. Although it is small, everyone here is sincere. You are not bad guys.
Half of Lucian's face was hidden behind a mask.
A self-deprecating smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he said, "Kidnapping a child for ransom. Does that not make me a bad person?"
I firmly said, "I changed my mind."
Lucian looked at me in confusion, while I continued gazing into the distance, saying, "Actually, when I said I would help you at first, it wasn't from the bottom of my heart. Once you get involved with that person, there is simply no way to escape unscathed."
"When you received the ransom, you fell into his trap. At that moment, not only you, but even everyone on this island could not escape the disaster."
Upon hearing these words, Lucian instinctively reached for the hidden dagger at his side.
But I paid no attention and continued speaking, "But when I saw each of you had a positive outlook despite the poverty, I changed my mind."
"Maybe because Noah wanted to learn how to draw but couldn't bear to buy even a pencil; maybe because Julia cut up her softest piece of clothing into diapers for a stranger's child. I suddenly understand you a little bit. You must not be a native here."
"No," Lucian replied succinctly.
"You want to do your best to help them, and I feel the same way now. This place is beautiful and should not be tainted by worldly matters. They should also continue to maintain their positivity."
"What do you mean exactly?" Lucian was very patient.
On that day, he did not mention how to blackmail Derek. Instead, he treated me well, just like a guest.
It was precisely this kindness that made me change my initial intention of teaching them a lesson.
"What you want is money, and it doesn't matter who gives it. It doesn't necessarily have to be Derek."
I stared into his eyes and said word by word, "I have money, although not much, enough to help you all."
"How much do you have?"
"Fifty million."
Under his curious gaze, I chuckled lightly.
I said, "I know you must be wondering how someone could be too foolish to give money to a stranger. That's just half of the story. Do you want to hear the other half?"
"I'm all ears."
I recounted the events, my voice mixed with the sea breeze.
After hearing my words, Lucian said, "I'll kill him for you!"