Chapter 192 - My Overprotective Dragon Wife Is Scolding Me
"Don't ignore me!" Cylla snapped.
I was lying on my bed in the mansion, trying to relax after everything that had happened. Chloe had stopped by the academy to pick up Cylla, who had stayed behind since she was in that delicate period females usually go through. I knew it would be hard to hide what had happened from Cylla, but before she even saw me, she stormed into the room, probably sensing my condition with her super-sensitive nose. I had to recount the whole story to her more than once while enduring her scolding.
"Don't worry, Cylla. Everything worked out, and we managed to capture one of them," I said, trying to calm her down.
She jumped onto the bed, getting close to my face. She lifted one of her paws and gave me a soft smack on the cheek.
"My job is to protect you! You deceived me! You said you were just going to pick up the hair dye," she complained, clearly upset.
"Technically, that's exactly what I did..." I tried to argue, but she wasn't buying it.
"Liar! You planned to get kidnapped and set up an ambush with Martha, Katherine, and Chloe," Cylla huffed in my face.
"In the end, it all worked out, and I'm fine," I insisted.
"Fine!?" she yelled, her voice full of anger. "Look at yourself, you idiot!"
I quickly re-evaluated my condition, and perhaps she had a point. I wasn't in great shape. I was bandaged in multiple places, having been repeatedly hit by a massive stone armor. I had broken bones, burns from fire explosions, puncture wounds from spikes on a giant stone ball, and I had almost lost an arm to an axe. My hands were raw from holding back the fiery Soul Golem's jaws to avoid being devoured. I had also been poisoned, my left leg had torn ligaments from a stab wound by the female assassin, and my right leg was completely burnt. And, of course, one of my hands had been stabbed. Not to mention the tranquilizer and poison still in my system.
Maybe 'fine' wasn't the best word to describe my state.
I gently cupped the cat's face with both hands, squeezing her furry cheeks softly to try to calm her down.
"I'm here, and it's over. It would've been too complicated to bring you along. You'd have gotten angry and probably transformed into your dragon form. What if someone saw you? I couldn't risk that."
She looked at me with her bright, concerned eyes.
"But what if you were seriously hurt? I needed to be there."
I pulled Cylla into a tight hug, ignoring the pain that shot through my body.
"This hurts… you're crushing me," she complained.
"Now you know how I feel when you give me those bone-breaking hugs. Want me to stop?" I asked, still holding her close.
"No..." she admitted, reluctantly.
I embraced my soul companion, feeling how deeply she cared about me. It was comforting, but also a reminder of the burden I bore.
"My family was there," I tried to reassure her.
"So what? What if something unexpected happened?" she countered, still restless.
"You forgot I have the Celestial Eyes. I could save myself using the Aspect of Time… or the Aspect of Body," I explained, trying to sound reasonable.
In reality, I had used the Aspect of Time to retrieve my storage bracelet.
Before I could continue, Cylla cut me off.
"What you did was dangerous all the same. Your strongest spell drains you completely in a single use and leaves you practically dead afterward, your Soul Golem is a deranged monster that even wants to kill its own master, and if you overuse the Celestial Eyes, you'll also be drained of mana and physically vulnerable to death. In short, you're a weakling! A fragile, weak human!"
"Technically, I'm half-elf… which makes me a bit tougher than a human…" I tried to argue.
"You're still a weakling to me, and an idiot for putting yourself in danger," Cylla retorted.
I sighed, realizing that arguing was pointless.
"Fine… I promise I'll bring you along next time."
She glared at me, serious. "There won't be a next time! I'll personally handle this once I find out who ordered your kidnapping."
I took a deep breath, understanding the implications.
"I won't allow that. You'll just cause chaos."
"I don't need your permission. I am your wife and guardian," she said firmly.
"Soul wife…" I corrected, trying to soften the meaning.
"And does that make any difference to you?" she challenged, her tone defiant.
Better not touch on that sensitive topic while she's this mad...
"I will find whoever ordered the attack, burn them until their bones and skin turn to ash, destroy their house, their family, their children, and devour everything," she stated with chilling calm.
I scratched my head, reflecting on what I had just heard.
I let out a sigh as I watched the gray cat murmur sinister threats about how she planned to deal with our enemies.
I really need to improve her manners. Maybe she picked up some bad habits when she glimpsed parts of my former self in my soul.
"Cylla…" I called out, trying to get her attention.
"WHAT?!" she snapped.
Without wasting time, I quickly leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her feline cheek.
"Wh-why did you do that!?" she asked, blushing instantly.
"Did you not like it?" I teased.
Her face froze, clearly caught between anger and shyness.
"I-I didn't say that…" she muttered, now in a softer tone.
For a moment, I thought I had calmed her down, but then she paused, thinking about what just happened.
"Hey! Don't try to change the subject!" she shouted, her irritation returning.
I couldn't help but smile, seeing her so determined. Even when she was angry, there was something about her that filled me with immense affection.
I pulled her into a tighter hug, feeling her warmth as she let out a soft complaint, though she showed no signs of trying to escape.
"Let go of me…" she grumbled, but it was clear she had no real intention of wanting me to release her.
I laid on my side, holding her close, and started to pester her.
"Can you heal me?" I asked.
"Of course, idiot… but we should wait. Did Martha treat all your wounds?" she asked, more serious now.
"Yes," I replied. "She handled everything and even made me drink an entire healing potion. I have to rest for the weekend."
Cylla placed her paw on my chest, assessing the damage.
"From what I can feel, your injuries were treated well, and the potion is doing its job on your bones and internal wounds. I'll wait until it completes its effect before using my life aspect. The healing potion forces your body to regenerate flesh, ligaments, and bones, essentially restoring you from the inside out. I don't want to overwhelm your body by adding my power on top of it… Besides, in this form, I'm also somewhat limited."
My major wounds have been treated, and within a few hours, the visible injuries will disappear. However, the recovery time for the bones is much longer. I'll have to drink more healing potion tomorrow to continue the treatment or wait until Cylla heals me.