Chapter 9: Digging her own grave
In any case, the essence transferred to her by the beast was peculiar, bearing a striking resemblance to her own mana.
However, unlike the draining effect she associated with divine powers, this energy is nestled within her core, inside her Origin Pearl and is existing as a separate, independent source.
It was an oddity, devoid of the invasive and controlling nature of mana, which could wreak havoc when combined with godly powers.
Could such a phenomenon truly be possible?
She found herself questioning the reality of her situation, a part of her relieved that she couldn't recall the details.
Perhaps her ancestors had intervened, shielding her from memories too painful to bear.
I mean how would she even picture a girl and a snake doing the nasty?!!
Once again, Aella's face turned beet red and sour, blown away by an inconceivable traumatic experience, bugging her every being.
Argh, forget it!
Then and there, she was left with another puzzling work. All this time, was she unjustly accusing her savior?
Treating him with unwarranted suspicion? Well, he—no they were undoubtably suspicious!
Entertaining such thoughts may have made her feel ungrateful. Yet, the situation was undeniably strange, almost too good to be true.
"No," she murmured, her voice barely a whisper, "the truth isn't what matters now."
Even if she were to refuse, would he accept her decision? He just struck her as someone unreasonable without a doubt.
Would they harm her if she angered them? The possibility of it isn't slim at all.
'Especially Fang, he doesn't look forgiving at all,' the girl concluded.
Was there any escape from this predicament?
Despite being fifty years old, Aella felt too young to be someone's wife.
In the Witch society, she had only just come of age, her adult life just beginning.
So, the sheer thought of motherhood—of nurturing baby snakes and bear cubs—would have filled her with dread!
She wasn't ready for such responsibilities. Not with any baby most especially not for some beasts' babies!
If anything, she would even admit to still being her Mother and Father's baby in a heartbeat without feeling ashamed!
Wait, perhaps she could feign unconsciousness and claim a loss of memory?
Uhm… Would it be too late to pretend that she didn't able to understand them?
'This is so hard!'
As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Aella found herself yearning for the simplicity of her life within the walls of the witches' terramare, a life that was rapidly slipping away.
Aella groaned, her mind swirling with thoughts. Her fingers kept tapping inside her palms.
Her mother had given birth to her brother only after becoming a Grand Witch and then had her well over a century old.
She had always believed that if she were to pass on a powerful and vast mana reserve to her child, she would need to follow the same path!
It's just that, now that she was aware of what happened, though it was not something she would want, it was quite bothering.
From a young age, she had been taught to reciprocate kindness with goodwill. Not everyone was willing to make sacrifices for others, and those who did deserve to be repaid with grace.
But now, she found herself questioning this principle.
"Do I... Do I really have to become the wife of a massive, wild snake?" she pondered, her heart heavy with uncertainty.
He was no gentleman, his manners far from refined. Not even a little! He didn't speak to her with the gentle affection her father used when addressing her mother nor did he try even a bit.
"Hmph!"
He didn't even seem to like her at all!
What if he decided to eat her in a fit of rage?!
Aella took a swift glance and fluttered the curls of her long eyelashes nervously.
'H-He wouldn't, would he?'
The more she listened to his absurd claims, the stronger her urge to strangle him became. But she wasn't sure if she had the strength to enact it.
She knew that if she attacked him and failed to finish him off in one swift move, it would be the end of her.
Moreover, even if she did manage to take him down, there was still the bear, who seemed to be eyeing her with interest.
She couldn't remember how she had ended up in this situation.
Every time she tried to recall, a throbbing pain would erupt in her head, so intense that she would rather give up than endure it.
Aella bit her lower lip, feeling wronged and slightly resentful. But soon, she decided to voice her thoughts.
Ignoring the black snake's words, she stared at him defiantly.
"I-I don't want to be your mate. Even if we've shared intimate moments, I refuse to be the companion of a snobbish and rude snake! Since I can't remember what happened while I was unconscious, let's just forget it all. Let's pretend nothing happened!" she declared, her voice echoing in the silence.
Turning to the quiet red bear, she felt a chill run down her spine under the snake's icy glare.
"A-And you as well!" she pointed at the bear, who had been observing their exchange silently.
"I'm really sorry but..." Oh will you please stop glaring?! Fine, ugh! I will bend my words a little so tone it down!
Stop being so scary!
"Umh, perhaps if you grow into another form similar to mine I would have considered—one with two feet and two hands. Y-You know, he should have gentle fingers, not bloody claws so it can't be a bear either!"
Damn, who would've known she had a talent for rapping? Phew!
Although she tried to speak firmly, her lips wouldn't just stop quivering and she was almost out of breath!
Cold beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, she could hardly explain what she had in mind worried that he would be offended and strike her neck in anger.
"O-Oh the... that's right… a handsome man too!" she added on an impulse, stalking a quick glimpse of the two beasts.
'G-Good call Aella!' she exclaimed inside her head.
As if relieve just washed her exhausted being after successfully adding that condition without them taking offense.
Forget about having great looks!
Around this time, the least of her worries was them transforming into humans. She had seen spirits taking human forms, but she had never encountered a beast like them morph!
She couldn't sense energy from them likened to spiritual beings and for that reason, she had risked everything in this gamble.
I mean how can a beast transform into a human, right?
RIGHT?!
It's just that, instead of getting angry, the two beasts exchange glances and break into grins, causing Aella to feel ominous with a pounding heartbeat.
Suddenly, the crimson bear leans in. "Is that your only requirement?" he asks confidently.
"O-Of course...?"
Ah! Why does he look so confident and sure about this?
Woah! Why doesn't this sound right at all?
For a moment she felt something wasn't right but brushed it off, not knowing she just shot her feet and dug her own grave.
"You... you can't negotiate with me about it! I will only marry a handsome bipedal male!" exclaimed the girl full of conviction without knowing how she just struck her foot and dug her grave.