Chapter 57: 57 | S-so Warm!
Dexter let out a quiet breath of relief.
Although the shadow corruption warning was terrifying, the solution was much more manageable than Selene’s crisis. It simply required him to keep doing what he was already doing: cooking highly refined, pure arcane food for her every single day.
With his new ’Great Grandmaster (Middle Stage)’ cooking skills and the 1,000 kilograms of premium ’Diamond Rice’ he had just received as a reward, he could easily keep her corruption level under tight control while slowly working to eliminate it completely.
He turned his focus to the final panel.
[Name: Mira Vane]
[Age: 21]
[Relationship: Wife]
[Affection: 39%]
[Talent: Spectral Arm (Amber Flames, D-Rank / Spectral Arms D, Rank)]
[Cultivation Status]
- Previous Realm: Ultra Realm (Peak)
- Current Realm: Superhuman Realm (First Stage)
- Current Mana Level: 15% (Sealed)
- Activated Star Nodes: 5 [500% mana]
[Body Condition]
- Meridian Damage: 80% (Improved: 15% healed and stabilizing)
- Physical State: Full paralysis, severe nerve damage and spinal trauma.
[Mental State]
- Deeply frustrated by her physical limitations
- Highly competitive
- Suspicious of outsiders
- Faintly pleased by the warm feeling in her spine (the nerve damage is beginning to show early signs of minor recovery)
’’’
Dexter closed the status screens and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
All three of them were carrying incredibly heavy, painful burdens. It was a miracle they had managed to survive this long.
He looked at the clock hanging on the kitchen wall. It was already past eight in the morning.
"Dexter," Mira’s voice was unusually soft.
Whjch meant she needed him to do something embarrassing to her.
Dexter shook off his serious thoughts and smile. "I’m coming, Mira. Give me a second."
He walked into the living room. Mira was sitting in her wheelchair, glaring at the blank plastic frame of the television set.
Even though her entire body was paralyzed, her posture was still remarkably straight, a habit drilled into her from her days as a wealthy, proud young lady.
"You know," Dexter said as he walked over and unlocked the wheels of her chair, "you should learn how to say please wine of these days."
"If pleas truly works, wouldn’t this world be a better place?" She sneered in response.
"Hm... you are right but you’re also wrong." Dexter replied easily.
He pushed her wheelchair toward the bathroom at the end of the hallway.
The daily routine of helping Mira wash up was always a slow, careful process. Because of her pride, she hated every single second of her dependency. She would glare at him through the mirror, her eyes sharp and dark, as he carefully held her up to the sink, wetted a soft towel, and gently wiped her face.
"Your hands are too warm today," she muttered, her eyes narrowing as he wiped her forehead. "It feels like you’ve been standing too close to a furnace."
"It’s just my circulation," Dexter lied smoothly, carefully adjusting the warmth of his ’Emperor Void Flame’ so it would not accidentally scorch her skin. "A good night’s sleep does wonders for your health."
"Hmph. Lies," she whispered, but she did not pull away.
Next came the most difficult part of the morning: brushing her teeth.
For some reason, this specific task always seemed to offend her pride the most.
Dexter prepared her pink toothbrush with a small dab of mint toothpaste. He held it up in front of her.
"Alright, Mira. Say Ah."
Mira’s jaw tightened, and she glared at him with intense, silent fury through the bathroom mirror. Her pale cheeks flushed a faint, embarrassed pink.
"I am twenty-one years old, Dexter," she hissed, her voice low. "I am not a toddler. Stop saying ’Ah’ to me."
"And I am your husband, which means I have to make sure you don’t get cavities," Dexter replied, his voice completely calm and even. "Now, open up."
Mira glared at him for another ten seconds, trying to see if he would back down. But Dexter simply stood there, holding the toothbrush with a patient, steady hand. He had learned early on that the only way to handle Mira’s sharp tongue was to remain completely unaffected by it.
Eventually, seeing that her death glare had no effect, she let out a sharp, annoyed huff and reluctantly opened her mouth.
’"Ah."’
Dexter smiled victoriously and began to brush her teeth with gently. He was incredibly careful not to hurt her sensitive gums, moving the brush in slow, steady circles.
If looks could kill, Dexter would have been turned into ash a hundred times over by now. But he simply kept brushing, ignoring the intense, fiery gaze she directed at him through the glass.
Once she was clean, rinsed, and dry, Dexter carefully lifted her in his arms to transfer her back to the wheelchair.
Despite her paralysis, she felt remarkably light. He made sure her feet were positioned comfortably on the footrests before pushing her back into the living room, setting her wheelchair near her favorite spot by the window where the morning sun was starting to stream in.
He then walked back to the dining room. Selene was sitting perfectly still, her hands resting flat on the cold wooden table, her head tilted toward the kitchen sink.
"I will help you wash your hands, Selene," Dexter said softly as he walked over.
She did not move, but her head turned slightly toward the sound of his voice. "No."
"I know," Dexter said, his voice gentle. "But the floor is a bit wet near the sink, and I don’t want you to slip."
Selene remained silent for a moment. Then, she slowly stood up, using the edge of the table to balance herself.
Dexter did not try to hold her arm. Instead, he simply walked half a step ahead of her, letting the warm, comfortable air of his evolved bloodline guide her like a silent heat beacon.
She didn’t do as he expected but grabbed his arm instead and then squeezed it against her chest and unconsciously muttered.
"S-so warm!"
Dexter was stunned by the sudden half hug. She was practically hogging his arm fiercely.
Her teo beautiful breasts pressed tightly against his arm and he felt the softness of them like heavenly cloud right bound against his flesh.
His face flushed red as blood rushed to his brain and lower body.
He quickly cleared his throat and guided her till she reached the sink, Dexter turned on the tap, adjusting the water until it was lukewarm, and placed a clean bar of soap in her palm.
"You can let go now, you’re already before the sink."
Deeply reluctantly she eventually released his arm from her embrace and she washed her hand.
While she washed her hands, Dexter managed to calm his boiling blood and then leaned against the counter and looked at her.
"Do you think we should hire a professional nanny or a medical caretaker to help around the house?" he asked with the most casual tone he could offer. "With the money I received from the association, we can easily afford to hire someone reliable from the hero association. It would make things much easier for you girls when I am out running errands or visiting the dungeons."
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