Chapter 5: I May Not Dare to Look at Her Directly (Part 2)

... ...

Is it considered an offense to glance at this beautiful girl and meet her gaze? This situation has never been mentioned by the old madman, and the drunken father would certainly not tell him. It shouldn't be considered an offense; after all, she is the one looking at me! — Amon thought to himself, simultaneously feeling that his heart's flustered reaction was quite embarrassing. How could he be so weak?

This made Amon feel somewhat uneasy, and she instinctively lowered her head. Her features were beautiful, as enchanting as a hazy dream, especially her eyes. With her head bowed, Amon couldn't help but blush a little, thinking to herself: "There has never been a girl like this in Doke Town; why does she always look into my eyes? In fact, she is a girl about my age; I might not be afraid to look her in the eye."

"Are you the miner who welcomes the descent of the tears of the gods? I thank the goddess Isis for her blessings, and I must also thank you!" As Maria spoke, she maintained a steady gaze into Amon's eyes, her expression calm and gentle, striving to remain composed and serene, yet unable to conceal a hint of curiosity.

Amon was not aware that Maria did not actually have this habit before; she is now acting according to Gabriel's instructions. While imparting divine techniques, Gabriel also reminded her.

Gabriel: "Amon, you may stay. Later, follow the maid to change your clothes. Your task is quite simple; you are responsible for organizing Lady Maria's daily necessities... Well, you are a child, but you must also be careful. When delivering items, you must not touch Lady Maria. When Lady Maria is washing up or resting, you must avoid her and not make any noise... Furthermore, everything you hear and see here, you must not say a word to anyone! ... Well, you are a child, but you must also be careful. When delivering items, you must not touch Lady Maria. When Lady Maria is washing up or resting, you must avoid her and not make any noise... Furthermore, everything you hear and see here, you must not say a word to anyone! Otherwise, you will be punished."

During meals, Amon spent the longest time with Maria. Having grown up in Dook Town, Amon had never seen anyone so clean in both appearance and clothing. To describe Maria as merely clean might not be entirely appropriate; she exuded a sense of purity. Maria did not ask him questions, as Amon was unable to speak, but during the pauses in their meals, after taking a sip of water or goat's milk, Maria often posed questions to him, such as inquiries about the situation in Dook Town and the process by which the miners extracted the divine stones. She was quite curious about these matters.

Maria hardly made any noise while eating, and even her utensils rarely clinked together, creating a very quiet atmosphere that reflected her refinement. Meanwhile, Amon stood by with a bow, waiting for her to finish before clearing the table. He then brought water for her to wash her face and rinse her mouth, stepping outside to avoid intruding. Once Maria had completed her washing, he would return to take away the vessel containing the water and then stand on the stairs, awaiting her summons

At that time, Amon had already fallen asleep on the wooden board beneath the stairs, immersed in a hazy dream. In the dream, Maria was looking at him, and he was looking at Maria, sharing the same gaze. This feeling was peculiar, as if he had just bathed in the cold spring of the dark jungle and was now resting by the pool.

However, there is hardly anyone around Maria with whom she can "practice" like this; the only suitable candidate is Amon. Poor Amon, how could he possibly understand all this? He is quite at a loss under Maria's gaze. Amon is unaware of Maria's identity; even if someone had told him, he would not know what the Guardian Saintess of the Temple of Isis is. He only knows that Maria is a noblewoman of high status, and he must address her as "My Lady" to avoid offending her

Aristotle replied with a smile: "He is still an underage child, meeting your requirements. This gentleman, as you can see, it is truly difficult to find someone in this town who has no dust in their hair and no dirt under their nails; I have only found him. Moreover, there is one more thing I must tell you: this child is the miner who extracted the tears of the gods. Without a pure heart and the favor of the goddess Isis, could one truly welcome the arrival of the tears of the gods?"

Amon looked up at Gabriel and noticed that the warrior was staring at his face, her gaze possessing a sharp penetrating quality. Upon making eye contact, he instinctively lowered his head. This lady was beautiful, the most beautiful woman Amon had ever seen, yet he felt that her upright posture exuded a surging tension, as if there were an invisible force that could push people away. The first impression she gave was not of her beauty, but of her authority. This lady was beautiful, the most beautiful woman Amon had ever seen, yet he felt that her upright posture exuded a surging tension, as if there were an invisible force that could push people away. The first impression she gave was not of her beauty, but of her authority.

As a saint, if necessary, one can have numerous servants in the Temple of Isis; however, in the town of Dook, Maria currently has only Amon as the sole servant responsible for her daily needs and belongings

Various silver utensils are placed on the small table. Amon needs to wash them thoroughly by hand, and then cut the food properly. The knife and soup spoon should be placed in their designated positions. The silver jug containing sheep's milk, the cup for drinking water, and the small dishes for salt and spices should be placed on the left and right sides of the table, facing Maria's dining position. The table must be set down steadily without making any noise, and it is imperative not to spill the sheep's milk or soup on the table. The silver jug containing sheep's milk, the cup for drinking water, and the small dishes for salt and spices should be placed on the left and right sides of the table, facing Maria's dining position. The table must be set down steadily without making any noise, and it is imperative not to spill the sheep's milk or soup on the table

Aristotle nodded and said, "Yes... then, can this child stay?"

Before meeting Maria, Gabriel was the most beautiful woman Ammon had ever seen. However, upon seeing Maria, Ammon sincerely marveled that she must be the most beautiful woman in the world. In that instant of seeing Maria, he was even somewhat distracted and instinctively bowed, saying: "Greetings, esteemed Lady Maria, I am Ammon, the servant sent to serve you."

However, Amon could no longer pay attention to these matters. He dashed down the stairs, grasped the wooden railing, and vaulted over it. He took two steps at a time as he rushed upstairs, passing through the living room to arrive at the doorway of Maria's bedroom

At that moment, Amon suddenly heard a scream. The sound was not loud, deliberately suppressed to avoid being too shrill, but it was clearly filled with fear. It was Maria's voice, coming from a room on the second floor. Amon immediately jumped up; still somewhat dazed from sleep, he momentarily forgot that he was not at home, and his head struck painfully against the wooden board at the bottom of the stairs.

Fortunately, there were no other unsettling matters aside from this. The job, which pays one gold coin per day, seems quite easy, but an unexpected incident occurred on the first night.

This dining table, when combined with other items, is quite heavy. To steadily carry such a table up to the second floor without making a sound is not something an ordinary fourteen-year-old boy can easily accomplish. However, Amon has already mastered the control of heavy mining hammers to extract divine stones, making this task quite effortless for him

He is a man. Gabriel looked at Amon, his tone slightly dissatisfied as he spoke to Aristotle

Your gaze should be serene, yet devoid of any hint of retreat or evasion, much like a goddess gazing upon her subjects. Whether addressing nobles or commoners, you must look into their eyes in this manner while questioning them; this is the mark of a true saint. No one dares to underestimate you; under your gaze, they will feel the benevolence of the great goddess Isis.

Gabriel frightened Amon for a moment, then instructed a maid to take him to change his clothes, as Amon's attire, though clean, was quite worn. Gabriel intended to find someone from the town to serve as a servant to Mary, and there was another reason: she did not wish for anyone to know that Mary was studying divine arts. The ignorant residents of Doke Town would naturally not be able to spread such matters, but it was uncertain about the attendants of Rod-Dick.

Amon's job is quite simple; it involves preparing the items needed for Maria's daily meals and activities, delivering them to the living room on the second floor, and then collecting and handing them over to other servants after Maria has finished using them. For instance, Amon is responsible for bringing Maria her three meals a day. Although Maria does not eat much—her portion is less than one-third of Amon's—there are still quite a few items that need to be prepared.

Maria is about the same age as Amon, at most only two years older than him, and her height is also similar to his. However, Ah and Tu must address her as Lady Maria. Her hair is light brown with a soft amber sheen, cascading over her shoulders with a slight curl. Her eyes are also light brown with a hint of blue, resembling the stars in the night sky and the clear waters of a pond.

It was her first time meeting Amon, yet she called out his name. Her demands were even stricter than the regulations of the temple. Although Amon was still an underage boy, she reminded him not to touch Maria, or he would face punishment, though she did not specify what that punishment would be. Meanwhile, Maria could hear everything from upstairs

Amon answered very carefully. He noticed that Maria seemed to have a habit of naturally looking directly into his eyes while speaking, her lips slightly curling up, displaying a hint of gentle smile. This made Amon feel a bit uneasy, his heart racing somewhat chaotically, and he even didn't know where to place his hands.

Lady Maria, you are very pure, which is precisely the quality of a saint. However, you are still too young and appear overly submissive. As a qualified saint, you must uphold the dignity of the goddess Isis and cannot show any signs of timidity to anyone. From now on, you must pay attention to one thing: when speaking to anyone, you must look them directly in the eyes

Gabriel let out a sound, his tone softening considerably: "I heard the discussions from the other end of the town, and I also know who you brought. It turns out that the divine stone mined by this boy is indeed the Tears of the Gods, yet he nearly faced punishment from the priests here"

She is beautiful, and I really want to look at her, but why am I afraid? Her gaze is not frightening at all; why do I feel scared? Ameng muttered to himself, even feeling a hint of indescribable frustration.