Chapter 438: Fooled and Abandoned
Years passed and Ferdinand was finally good at writing and reading human language. However, he decided to continue living with Ara to observe the human way of life.
Thus, Arabella had to continue watching the two flirt with each other. Ferdinand looked innocent and clueless though even as he flirted with Ara.
Meanwhile, Ara interpreted Ferdinand’s decision as his way of saying that he also did not want to part with her just as she does.
Arabella noticed that the river nymph’s feelings grew deeper and deeper as the years passed. It rather irked her too when the nymph began acting like she was Ferdinand’s wife because they were living together.
But how else should it be interpreted? They were a man and a woman living together. If it was in the society Arabella was in now, the two would indeed be considered lovers and would be advised to get married as soon as possible since it was considered unsightly for a man and a woman to live together if they were not husband and wife or family.
Ara kept dropping subtle and not-so-subtle hints to Ferdinand about her feelings for him as a man. However, Ferdinand didn’t seem to notice any of it.
One day Ferdinand kept yawning consecutively. He said it was time for him to hibernate soon so he should go back home.
"What?! Can’t you hibernate here?" Ara asked in tears at the sudden news. It meant they would be parting soon.
"I can’t. My hibernation lasts for years so I have to be in my abode. If I stay here while I am asleep, your river and this entire forest would freeze. And the longer I sleep, the worst the cold will get. All the humans and animals you had been keeping alive will all freeze to death," Ferdinand explained, unaffected by Ara’s tears.