Chapter 101: The Truth Behind His Care
Meanwhile, Nuan’s shoes crunched aggressively against the dirt as she marched toward the river, still thoroughly annoyed.
The absolute nerve of that wolf. He literally gatekept my torso from the elders just so he could do the sponge bath himself!
Behind her, Lyra and Tala jogged slightly to catch up, falling into step on either side of her.
"What happened, Witch?" Lyra asked, peering into her face.
Tala nodded quickly. "Yes, you look furious!"
"It’s nothing!!" Nuan hissed through her teeth, not breaking her fast pace.
"We... we heard you are angry with the Alpha," Tala said hesitantly, folding her ears back.
"Tsk! That brother of yours!!!" Nuan snapped, throwing her hands in the air. "He has zero boundaries!"
"But Witch, it is not true... what you think is not the truth," Lyra said earnestly, trying to keep up with Nuan’s long strides. "The Alpha was genuinely just hoping for you to wake up. He kept wiping you clean with the cloth because he thought you would hate waking up dirty."
"Yeah, but why did he do the wiping when all the actual dirty cleaning was already done by the elders?!" Nuan argued angrily, crossing her arms as she walked. "He only did the part that was convenient!"
"That is not true!" Tala defended quickly.
"Mother strictly instructed the elders to handle the waste cleaning and the bleeding... but what the Alpha was doing was real, exhausting care too!"
"He always used to put a cold, wet cloth on your forehead, under your armpits, and around your neck whenever your fever spiked in the middle of the night," Lyra added. "He stayed awake for entire nights just to keep you warm, and... since you couldn’t chew, the Alpha literally learned how to make that soup thing for you."
"Yes!" Tala chimed in. "The Alpha kept feeding you slowly, slowly, after every few moments of a break. He would sit there for hours feeding you water, soup, and tiny, cut-up pieces of freshly roasted liver."
Lyra nodded vigorously. "Yes! The Alpha completely refused to eat his own food unless you finished your bowl first! He would literally skip his entire meal if you left even a few pieces of meat or a little bit of soup!"
Nuan froze in her tracks, blinking. "Hm? Wait... how exactly did he feed me soup? I haven’t even made a spoon yet. You know, a tool you eat with?"
"He dipped a broad leaf into the soup and waited patiently for it to drip slowly into your mouth as you swallowed," Tala explained. "And he used your special tool... ah, the knife! He used it to cut the roasted meat into very thin, tiny pieces, as small as grains of sand!"
"What???" Nuan’s jaw dropped. She stared at the two wolf sisters, her brain trying to process the image. "He... what is he, a saint? Are you guys sure you are talking about Kael?! He fed me a whole bowl at the speed of a snail until I finished?! And wait, he used my knife that precisely? How on earth...? And seriously, soup?! He learned how to use the Red Evil just to boil water?"
"Yes, Koda taught the Alpha how to make it by dropping hot stones into the wooden bowl," Lyra added softly.
"Oh... I see," Nuan murmured, her anger suddenly losing all of its fuel.
They finally reached the edge of the river, the cool water rushing beautifully over the rocks.
Nuan stood by the bank, her mind a total chaotic mess. But what Kael did... ugh, she thought, still feeling a bit conflicted about whether she should stay mad or let it go.
Ding!
[ Playing recorded moments from while you were unconscious, Host. ]
Hm? Moments?
Suddenly, the neon-blue system screen played right before Nuan’s eyes. She stared at the digital display, completely captivated.
The screen showed a montage of Kael. First, it was a video of him sitting right beside her face in the dead of night, silent tears rolling down his cheeks as he whispered, "Open your eyes..." over and over.
Then, it showed him sitting cross-legged for three hours, meticulously holding a leaf, waiting for a single drop of soup to fall past her lips.
It showed him gently patting her armpits with cold water to break her fever, his touch incredibly careful, precise, and profoundly respectful.
Even while wiping beneath her arm or adjusting the blanket, his gaze never wandered. Every few seconds, it returned to her face... watching for the faint rise and fall of her breathing.
The video changed, showing him tightly cuddling her under the elephant blanket to block out the midnight chill, his large frame acting as a literal shield.
Well... Nuan thought, her heart softening a dangerous amount. He looks less like a creep and more like a highly professional, dedicated private caretaker.
Then, the video quickly cut to Kael leaning down and kissing her cheeks every single minute while her face was covered in soup residue.
Well, never mind that part, Nuan thought, her eyebrow twitching.
The system screen quickly closed the video player with a digital swipe.
[ So, Host... are you still mad at Mate Kael? ]
Well... Nuan sighed internally, rubbing her temples. He is just so completely different from what I expected. Now I feel like a total jerk for accusing him of taking advantage of me...I’m still mad about the kisses though.
[ See? He is entirely caring, patient, and gentle—just like your specific preferences require. ]
Yeah, yeah, I saw that.
[ Then... are you finally accepting Mate Kael as your actual mate? ]
Hm?? Well, after everything I just saw... I guess I will accept Kael—
"PRAHHHHHHHH!!!!"
The thunderous, booming trumpet of the two elephant sisters exploded from the other side of the river, instantly causing Nuan to clutch her ears in pure agony. Oh God, my eardrums are literally about to file a lawsuit!
"Witch Aestra!!" both sisters rumbled in unison, their massive frames shaking the trees as they walked straight toward the water.
Without a single second of hesitation, they dived right into the rushing river, their colossal bodies creating a massive tidal wave as they began to swim directly toward her bank.
Nuan blinked, wiping the stray river spray from her face as she stared across the water in complete, unhinged confusion.
Hold on... what are those two doing on the other side of the river? That’s Bramor’s abandoned territory.