Chapter 323: The Pull (02)
Pink strands blurred my vision, and a weight pressed on my chest.
Taking a deep breath, I ran my fingers through Isa’s hair, moving the strands that had draped across my face as we slept.
Once my vision had cleared, I held her hand, gently trying to pull it away from me.
Isabella: "Hmn... No..."
With a sleepy, mellow voice, she began mumbling unreasonable complaints, gripping me even tighter.
I sought to relax her a little, placing a hand on the back of her head and caressing her hair, but it backfired.
Smiling to herself, she wrapped her other arm around my back, hugging me with all her strength.
Isabella: "Your empress demands..."
Even though I was stronger than Isa, trying to free myself would definitely wake her up.
Backed into a corner, I reluctantly surrendered.
However, she hooked her thumb around mine, keeping my hand pressed over hers.
Miwen: "You’re such a greedy girl."
Her acting was so good that I only then realized she was already awake.
Isabella: "Just fiv... fifty more minutes."
Sensing my resistance, Isa dropped the Umbral Duchess act in favor of playing the cute little sister.
I glanced toward the window; the sun had yet to rise, and the Kingdom was caught in complete darkness, broken only by the occasional lightning still cracking on the horizon.
Turning toward her, I slowly slid my hand from the back of her head to her waist, pulling her closer.
A soft gasp escaped her mouth, and she released my hand.
Even though warm blankets covered us, the warmth of her arms around my back was unmistakable.
We hugged each other so tightly that I could feel her heart beating faster.
Miwen: "You’re not going to the clinic today, Isa? We could watch a movie together."
Without saying a word, she refused, rubbing her face against my chest.
Left without a choice, I inched closer, whispering a bargain into her ear.
Miwen: "...How can I convince you, Isa?"
Despite lowering her head, I could still feel Isa’s unsteady breathing.
Isabella: "It’s been a while since we’ve kissed..."
Pressing her face against my chest, she ensured I could only see her pleading eyes.
I ran a finger across her chin, but she refused to lift her head.
Miwen: "You’ve already forgotten the taste?"
Isabella: "Nhm. It’s because I haven’t."
Her cheeks blushed and grew even warmer, yet her eyes remained fixed on mine.
Miwen: "Fine. I’ll give you two."
Suspicion over my surrender reflected all over her face, her green eyes carefully studying me.
She was slightly agitated, but after a few seconds of silence, her hands relaxed.
Unlike the first time she kissed me, Isa simply closed her eyes and waited.
Slightly tilting her head, she accompanied the sensation of my fingers tracing her puckered lips.
I planned to kiss her cheek, but as I inched closer, her scent drew me in more than I expected.
Lured by her sweetness, before I noticed it, all I could feel were her lips.
Isabella: "Haah... Mhm...!?"
We only tasted each other for a second as I slid my hand down her waist, touching a very sensitive spot.
Despite brushing against it through her pajamas, the fabric was too thin, and Isabella jolted in surprise, cutting our kiss short.
Half-dazed, Isabella rubbed her teary eyes, staring at me with her practiced innocence.
Isabella: "...Why are you so cruel to me?"
Her act was almost flawless.
Had I not known who taught her, and had I not noticed the lingering attention on my lips, I would’ve easily fallen for her tearless crying.
Miwen: "You can claim the second one at the clinic whenever you want."
Isabella: "...Are you sure?"
Once again, she adapted her strategy as soon as it lost effectiveness, smiling seductively at me while lying over my chest.
Miwen: "...I am."
I had already gone beyond what I wanted, and while I felt bad about it, I knew I’d regret going further even more.
Though, honestly...
Every time she surpassed my expectations, the image of the girl who would fall without me faded a little more, and I found her charm increasingly difficult to resist.
Isabella: "I don’t want to risk hurting them..."
Miwen: "Then don’t. You know... Licia and the others were pretty lonely without you."
Given her Gift, Isa had all the reasons to be afraid of visiting her friends in a hospital.
However, I didn’t raise her to forfeit her life due to fear.
My little sister had already had all the strength she needed to fix any problem her Gift might cause.
She still needed a push in the right direction every now and then, and perhaps that was what made me uncomfortable crossing that line with her, but...
Isabella had honed her patience more than any other girl.
As I held her tighter, she didn’t ask for do-overs, and she didn’t try to charm me anymore.
We just enjoyed each other’s company until it was time for me to go, and that made me confident in how much she had grown.
After one last hug, I whispered into her ear and left the bedroom.
Closing the door behind me, I let out a deep breath.
The Kingdom had grown so cold thanks to Elizabeth’s never-ending blizzard that I could see my own breath in the air.
It made me want to come back under Isa’s blankets; however, I had another little talk planned with someone else today.
Besides, despite the harsh circumstances, I found one woman already waiting for me in the corridor leading to Isa’s room.
Plastered over her face was a smile so provocative that, ironically, it became more chilling than the air.
Cassandra: "Having a hard on?"
Miwen: "...You mean a hard time?"
While still making eye contact with me, she walked closer, placing a hand on my pants as if it were natural and expected.
Cassandra: "I meant what I said~"
Her face vanished from my sight as she kneeled on the ground.
I quickly put my hands inside my pants’ pockets, only for her to innocently tilt her head, dumbfounded that she couldn’t pull them down.
Miwen: "Actually, Cass... I could use your help with something."
Cassandra: "I can tell~"
Her raspy voice was like a needle prickling my skin, yet the sting felt oddly nice.
Licking her lips, Cass rose from the ground, reaching for my zipper.
Since her target was so obvious, I managed to block the area just in time.
Miwen: "I’m serious. I need you to help Elizabeth vent."
Cassandra: "...Sure? I have just the thing in my collection~"
She knew exactly what I meant
At the same time, I probably couldn’t ask for something more dangerous.
Yet, Cass was pretty much the only one who could pose a satisfying challenge to Liz, so that she could get her thoughts back in order.
The only problem was that, unlike Liz, Cassandra wasn’t interested in the challenges of might.
She’d usually be the easiest girl to handle. She liked both the carrot and the stick, as long as I was the one giving them to her, but...
Miwen: "I just finished with Isa, but Mia still needs me. I’ll probably be spending the night with her."
Cassandra: "I don’t mind sharing with wolfie~"
Unfortunately, that wasn’t a two-way street.
Besides, while it might turn into that, I wasn’t necessarily thinking of comforting her that way.
Miwen: "...You think Liz is too much for you to handle?"
Cassandra: "I wasn’t born yesterday, boy."
Even though Isabella had grown considerably, Cassandra still had the most difficult expression to read by far.
Regardless of what went on around her, she always wore the same smile.
It was almost as if she drifted through everything in a daze, but unlike Lily’s fluffy innocence, Cassandra’s sharp, focused eyes made her feel dangerous... unsettling.
Sex was the only thing I could offer in exchange for a favor, but with that out of the question...
I truly had nothing.
Miwen: "How about this... If you play with Liz until she’s satisfied today, I’ll play with you until you’re satisfied tonight. However, if you can’t finish today..."
Cassandra: "...Why are you so cruel to me?~"
I thought she might’ve overheard Isa and me, but I had grossly underestimated her.
She began rubbing her eyes, mimicking Isa’s earlier act.
If not for that sadistic smile, I’d give her passing marks, too.
Miwen: "Do we have a deal?"
Cassandra: "Oh, that depends. Are we going to play as much as I want, however I like?"
She easily blocked the same trick I had played on Isa.
The difference was like night and day.
Miwen: "Yes, Cass. As much as you can take~"
I reached for her chin, but she swiftly pulled my hand to her chest.
Cassandra: "I’ll see you tonight, boy~"
Watching her go down the mansion’s stairs, I breathed a sigh of relief.
I was lucky that she was satisfied with just a little rubbing.
It was a bumpy road to get there, but I was confident both Isa and Cass would pull through, so...
There was only one concern left on my mind, and looking through the mansion’s window, I saw that exact concern blitzing through the snow from Agatha’s clinic all the way to Olivia’s office.
I went downstairs and grabbed a coat before heading toward the clinic as well, but before I got far, the air around me suddenly exploded.
The wind pressure alone almost threw me off my feet.
Even though it took me a while to arrive, Agatha had noticed from a distance and kept the door open for me.
Before heading to the emergency yard, I asked her if I could check on the girls.
The sun was about to rise on the horizon, so I was careful not to make any noise when pulling their bed’s curtain.
My effort was rewarded by the quiet sight of the three sleeping together in a group hug, with Licia at the center. Their breathing was weak, but at least steady.
They were a mess. But a very cute mess.
Seeing Claire’s feet sticking out from the blankets, I carefully covered them before moving on to Lana’s bed.
The rain, lightning, and hail had made working in the fields almost impossible, so as expected, I found Lily with Lana.
Miwen: "Hm... Someone smells of oranges..."
Lily: "Eh? You can tell?"
Truth be told, I couldn’t.
However, the pockets of her overalls were suspiciously round and full, with a distinctive bright color and even a leaf peeking out.
Agatha: "You didn’t head outside to pick them, did you?"
While Agatha scolded her, I moved the blanket covering Lana’s leg.
The toyfying curse had regressed until her ankle, but since it wasn’t life-threatening and the Saints were busy treating the other girls, it would be some time before they’d fully heal her.
Before turning my attention to Agatha and Lily, I covered her again.
Lily: "S-Sorry... B-But! These are from home..."
Her ears dropped at Agatha’s very first word; just the tone alone made her wagging tail stop.
Agatha most definitely only worried about her getting sick or bruised, and yet, upon hearing her sigh, Lily’s eyes darted around everywhere. Just not toward her own pockets, so taking advantage of her panic, I stole one of her oranges.
Lily: "Ah! Those were meant for-"
Miwen: "Shhh. Look into your pockets when she’s not watching."
Despite being all secretive about it, I spoke loud enough for Agatha to hear.
I even pointed at her, making her serious expression crack for a second.
Though seeing Lily enthusiastically nod her head might also have helped, as that cutie could melt anyone’s heart.
Agatha: "...What did you give her?"
She played it cool, right until we turned our backs.
The doctor just couldn’t help but worry.
Miwen: "Lollipops. Do you want one?"
Agatha: "I guess..."
Our last stop was at Marin and Celly’s bed.
Aside from Lily and Agatha, I expected only one more person to be awake at this hour, and it definitely wasn’t Celly...
However, the half-empty bottle by her bedside and the groggy, irritated Nissa gave me a good idea of what might’ve transpired last night.
Miwen: "You let them do a drinking competition?"
Agatha: "Are you kidding? Of course not..."
Huh...
She was so confident, but I had no idea what else would explain-
Nissa: "We... One bottle... Guh... They agreed to only bottle, so I joined them..."
Even though her voice was too wobbly by the end for me to understand, I got the gist of it.
Like a good nurse, she wanted to make sure their patients would drink as little as possible.
Though it made me worried what they could’ve gotten that only one bottle would have such a devastating effect, I had just the thing to help Nissa out.
Miwen: "I see. Well, I brought you guys a gift."
Nissa furiously furrowed her eyebrows the moment she saw me take a bottle out of my bag.
Celly: "Eh... Is that the good stuff?"
Miwen: "I hear it’s the best."
Celly joyfully put it inside her cabinet, while Nissa rose from her chair, staring me down.
Unfortunately, I had already dealt with a much sharper stare from Cassandra today, so I easily held my ground.
Nissa: "And you’re oghay... With... Uh...? With that?"
Agatha: "Let’s talk outside."
The two women, the doctor and her evil nurse, pressed me against a wall.
One had an intense stare, while the other placed a hand near my face, ready to act despite barely managing to stand still.
It was hard to imagine Nissa had protested working as a Nurse when she took her job so seriously, even when drunk.
It was also surprisingly reassuring, even though I should be concerned about them surrounding me.
Agatha: "So? Care to explain?"
Nissa: "W-Why... Give him the... benefit... doubt? Ugh."
Nissa’s hand slipped, but I grabbed her before she could kiss the wall.
Miwen: "It’s non-alcoholic. But it tastes like it."
Agatha: "Oh, I see."
Immediately, Agatha loosened her shoulders.
Nissa: "You trust... him?"
Said the girl currently being held by me...
Agatha: "Yeah. That seems like something he’d done. Though I don’t like betraying patient trust..."
Her defense of me turned warning midway through, but given her nurse’s condition, she seemed to accept that it was for the best.
If not necessary...
Still, after leaving Nissa to deal with the Kingdom’s navy women, we reached the emergency yard on the upper floor.
I visited Anna, Bea, and Ellie, but there were no signs of their condition improving.
If anything, Agatha told me that Anna in particular had a rough night.
She began coughing uncontrollably, and the Saint’s healing wasn’t helping.
It took them a while to figure out that blood had gotten into her lungs, but thankfully, Agatha got it under control in time.
For better or worse, the other two had a relatively quiet night...
Mia: "I’ve brought you everything you asked for from Olivia. Tell me if there’s anything else..."
Even though she had been waiting for Agatha, Mia waited until we had finished before speaking a single word.
After pointing to where she had left the bags that Olivia gave her, Mia returned to the spot at the end of the corridor, watching the stairs.
Agatha: "I haven’t seen her drink anything since she got here."
Raella: "She didn’t blink an eye the entire night, either..."
Since Raella didn’t need sleep, there was little point in remaining awake, but...
Mia wasn’t exactly acting on logic.
Miwen: "Don’t worry. I’ll talk with her."
The noise outside had begun to fade, making the clinic slightly quieter.
Looking through the wind, I could see that Elizabeth’s blizzard had receded to the center of the forest, but it seemed like it’d take a while before it fully stopped.
Or at least, that was what I was counting on.
Mia: "...I don’t need help, Miwen."
The thin curtains around the girls’ beds would never be enough for Mia not to hear us.
However, even if she hadn’t, she knew incredibly well.
Miwen: "I like your hair. Did Agatha do it for you?"
A few strands still hung loose, but her hair was tied into two buns on either side of her head.
Mia: "It was better yesterday..."
She didn’t turn to me a single time. Her eyes remained fixed on the stairs before her.
Miwen: "You won’t have to move an inch for me to fix it. Sounds good?"
Mia: "Yes..."
Even though she was completely focused on any possible threat, she easily allowed me to sit behind her.
Aside from the bottle for Celly and Marin and the lollipops for Lana and Lily, I had brought a bunch of things that I could use to disarm Mia, including a hairbrush.
I placed it beside her and carefully removed her little nurse cap, loosening her hair.
Mia: "...I will take a bath later."
Even though I hadn’t said anything, she seemed slightly worried about her smell.
Miwen: "When’s later?"
Mia: "Some time in the future."
Miwen: "Great definition. But I was looking for an example."
Once her buns were undone, I separated her hair into sections and gently brushed through each one.
Miwen: "...If you let me in with you, we can get it over with pretty fast."
Mia: "...You’re not gonna try to do it?"
Miwen: "If you don’t want to, you can just tell me."
Her lips curled into a slightly somber smile.
She also lowered her head a little, causing me to be slightly rougher than I wanted.
Mia: "I’m sorry."
She was the second one to say that to me.
Just like with Isa, I didn’t like it one bit.
Still, I had to be patient.
I understood why they felt this way.
After all, I felt it too.
Miwen: "Sorry for what?"
Mia: "...They are like this, because I wasn’t strong enough!"
Isabella told me that she hated herself for thinking that it was her Gift’s fault that no one could communicate or retreat when she was in charge of communications and the Kingdom as an escape route.
She knew it probably wasn’t true, but she couldn’t help that feeling from swelling inside her.
Even though she wasn’t there, Isabella felt like it was all her fault.
Mia, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.
Even though she was there, she couldn’t do anything.
Miwen: "...Did you do your best?"
Mia: "I did!"
Miwen: "Then it’s not your fault, is it?"
The tears were flowing uncontrollably, but since they blurred her vision, Mia kept brushing them off.
Again and again.
Mia: "I know you’re worried about me, but I’m fine. This is the only thing I can do, so please..."
Miwen: "I don’t mind you watching over them. But if there was a threat inside the Kingdom, I’d be the first one to know, right?"
Mia: "Hmh..."
After finishing her buns, I changed positions, blocking the stairs by sitting right in front of her.
Miwen: "You’re looking good. Want to show off to Claire?"
After fixing her bangs, I began wiping away her tears.
Mia: "He was strong, Miwen. More than anyone I’ve ever seen... I thought my Gift would counter his, but... It ended up like this."
I also thought Mia’s ability to reduce stats could potentially overwhelm him, but...
Erik had too many contracts; even a 99% reduction in every one of his stats would still make him a monster.
Miwen: "Yesterday, Licia told me that they could only survive a hit because of you, and that by far, you were the one who gave him the most trouble."
I held the hand she used to hide her face, pulling it down.
Then, I landed a hand on her knee, hoping to relax it.
Miwen: "She also told me that my sister arrived moments before disaster, so... If it were not for you, there wouldn’t be anyone left to protect."
I inched closer, letting my forehead touch hers.
Miwen: "Thank you for saving the people I love, Mia."
Finally, her resistance crumbled.
She avoided my head, only to hug me tight.
The tears I had just wiped began flowing again as I patted her head.
We consoled each other for a few minutes, and slowly, I calmed her down.
Truth be told, her feelings wouldn’t go away until Erik was dealt with.
But her protectiveness wasn’t a problem.
Only her self-destructive tendency worried me.
Mia: "Sorry... I really should take a bath... Can you... Get someone to cover for us?"
Awkwardly, she made me an invitation I couldn’t refuse.
There weren’t many girls I trusted enough to substitute for Mia, for one reason or another.
However, I heard a couple of careful steps coming from the stairs, and when I turned my back...
I saw Isa.
Isabella: "I... I don’t think I should stay here for too long, but... You don’t mind if I take a quick turn, do you?"
Mia: "...Not at all."
They had completely different smiles and completely different feelings behind them.
As Isa sat on a bed, Mia held my hand, pulling me with her.
Miwen: "Thanks, Isa."
Isabella: "Mhm... I think I’m the one who should be thanking you, but if that’s how you feel... You still owe me one kiss."
Before Mia could drag me down, Isa reached us and kissed me on the cheek.
Isabella: "Thanks, Miwen."
It only lasted a second before she pushed me away, cutting our kiss short.
