Joanna noticed that Ian would do strange things when she wasn't paying close attention.
For example, when he went to sleep, he would embrace her cloak and smell its fragrance. Throughout the day he would continue to hold the cloak like a treasure, even while he was poorly weaving together the bracelets.
In another instance, when the witch wasn't around, he would sneak into her room to lie in her bed. He slept on her pillow and even picked up her fallen hair. Although Joanna didn't feel disgusted towards him, she was still very worried. He was too obsessed with her, to the point that he may even place her importance above his own.
If this was a relationship between parent and child, or even between husband and wife, she would understand. But what was the relationship between them? She considered herself as a landlady who gave the poor man a peaceful place to stay temporarily. Once her tenant leaves, that was it. However, it seems that the "tenant" feels otherwise….She wondered how the man considered their relationship.
Joanna never believed the words, "I will sacrifice all for the master." Surely, the servants were only loyal because the master had given them conditions for their loyalty. But once those conditions were no longer in place, say if the master were to die, then the servants would no longer have any reason to be true to them. But if after the master's death, the servant continues to serve generation to generation….then this was no longer allegiance; it was "faith."
Once a person was bound by belief, he or she could unintentionally be manipulated by their master, especially if that master harbors ill will. The consequences of such a relationship would be dire. As Joanna pondered about Ian's affections, she couldn't think of any other explanation for his behavior than this. Why else would he be so persistent towards her? …Is it, because of love?
But when she thinks of this matter rationally, she was not the kind of woman any man would be attracted to. Not only because of her plain appearance, but also because of her strange fashion in wearing dark blue clothes during the day. Most people would look upon her in disgust, seeing that she was far from ordinary. Even her sleeping patterns were different from anyone else. To top it off, she was labeled as a notorious witch who trapped herself in her house with turtles, crows and lizards while avoiding the sun.
There were so many weird things about her, which caused the villagers to naturally avoid her. If even neighbors wouldn't dare be close with her, how could a man possibly fall in love with a strange girl like her? Her mother's last regret before passing away was being unable to cure her of her strange illness, causing her to avoid the sun for safety. Knowing the misery that would accompany her sickness, she believed her daughter would never find a partner, not to mention having children. So she counseled Joanna to find a child in the future to pass on her teachings as a Witch.
Joanna's illness was inherited from her great-grandmother, and from earlier ancestors. It wasn't a terrible disease, but it did cause her skin to be very sensitive to temperature. She could not endure the sunlight as it could easily burn her skin black instead of tanning it. That was why she had always envied tan skinned women who could stand under the sun for hours. She stared enviously at their healthy skin and bright smiles as they basked in sunlight.
Unlike her, who could only hide under the small black and blue parasol, living all her life in the dark. So how could Ian love her? She dismissed this idea, and was more inclined to believing that Ian had suffered too much trauma. She concluded that his actions were based on his faith or worship.
As long as his psychological well-being was attended to, and he was restored to normal, she would no longer be someone special to him.
By that time, he would be able to leave and return to his family. So what can she do now to be able to heal his heart and those unseen emotional wounds? Joanna began to feel tangled.
"Master?"
Hearing Ian's voice, Joanna snapped back into reality and saw the man kneeling next to her. His hands were placed obediently on her lap while his head was raised to stare at her. His gaze was filled with concern. "Is master feeling unwell?" Lately she seemed so absentminded. What could be bothering her?
"No, it's nothing." Joanna also found that he seemed particularly fond of kneeling in front of her. Instead of scolding him, she asked, "have the bracelets been prepared? Your craft needs more improvement, so until you're able to mend them, no one is allowed to see your work."
"Excuse me Master…"
"Why you can't finish it fast enough?" Joanna said with displeasure. "Don't let me find you going to the garden and carrying those heavy flowerpots. If you end up dropping them and destroying those flowers, we'll have no material to work with!"
Although she swore at him, Ian continued to smile happily, knowing that hidden in her harsh words were simply traces of her concern. "Yes, my Master."
Why is it that even when she tries to speak harshly, he can still laugh so openly?
T/N: I feel like Ian went through too much trauma to end up like this. I mean being abused (emotionally and physically?) for a month by the evil witch, and then being turned into a frog. Being kicked around by humans before he met Joanna, and then when he restored his human form, he's still a waste of a prince who can't fight. How can he not be so attached to Joanna who accepts him as he is?