"Where are we?" I asked, shifting my attention toward the wary noodle in the corner and then back to Nivi, "And for how long was I out?"
"We are inside Hale’s house. Your lack of rest led you to sleep for a full two days," Nivi looked at me, barely holding back the urge to slap some sense into me as she unleashed her inner demon, "Do you have a death wish?! Why did you let Kurus hurt you so badly?! If his mere touch is leaving bruises on you, you need to speak up right away!"
"And let him know how to hurt me better?" Looking down at my body, my clothes were different. Instead of pants, I was wearing a long tight skirt, "I might as well wrap up my weaknesses into a gift and hand it to him with a bouquet of flowers."
"..." Nivi’s frustration boiled over, "Kurus didn’t have a clue about the force he was applying to you! He’s never been that close to a woman before, or he would’ve known to be gentler!"
I pretended to have understanding dawn on me, and nodded. "Oh, so that’s why it always felt like he was trying to pick a fight with me," I gave Kurus a raised eyebrow, "If I asked you to be gentler next time, would you actually listen?"
Kurus appeared as though he might fling me out of the room using his tail, which made me grin.
"I’m going to put a facial on you so stay put," Nivi shot me another fierce look as she grabbed the bowl next to the mattress, smearing a thick mixture onto my face. "Yaya, if it weren’t for Kurus giving you a miracle core, you would have died."
Miracle cores were the most precious type of cores, extremely difficult to obtain.
Nivi continued, "Kurus really likes you but struggles with showing it, and he’s been coming to me for advice. He saw how you wouldn’t release me in the ocean no matter what currents came your way, choosing not to save yourself even though you had the chance. That’s when he began to grow fond of you."
"Fond of me? You should have seen him when you were unconscious," I began, inhaling the fragrance of the clear, cooling concoction that reminded me of aloe vera.
"He was curious about what you were so fiercely guarding. He recognized my beauty that could cause a fall of a city, and began to view me as his love rival."
"Right, then he went and declared his love for you, again, then again, and again."
"Yeah, he had to compensate me for all my flirting tips somehow. I mean, keeping on turning down a stud like that? Totally boosted my self-esteem."
"He said I’m ugly."
"Yaya, you bit off his tongue for god’s sake!" Nivi exclaimed, making me wonder how she was still holding back from slapping me, "The words ’ugly’ and ’arrogant’ are basically the only curse words he knows!"
"He bit my lips...and drew out my blood," I tried to defend myself, gaining as much pity as I could, but Nivi’s next words made me sound like a monster instead.
"It seemed to be the only way to get your attention," Nivi admitted with a sigh of resignation, "I’ll never understand how you manage to do it, being rescued by a man whose neck you’ve literally sliced."
"Did the miracle core at least recover some of my beauty?" I asked.
To see if it was worth gambling my life?
I recalled Hale’s last words and didn’t have high hopes, but at least I could use my body to its full potential again.
Permanent scars, open wounds, broken ribs, infection, fever, sleep deprivation...these were not companions I wished for in the heart of a jungle.
I doubted Kurus would have presented me with a miracle core unless I had been on my deathbed. My assumption was that Nivi would sacrifice herself to Kurus, possibly offering to become his mate, to convince him to help me.
The idea of him volunteering his help freely occurred to me, but as I mentioned before: I was not good with men. Kurus would only continue to suffer if he stayed by my side (which I was sure Nivi didn’t want to see).
Nivi’s gaze softened as I continued to ignore her attempts at matchmaking me with Kurus, "Yaya, the miracle core worked its magic, yes, but your face still has a few scratches and bruises. It isn’t all bad though. Your bones are fully mended. There’s no sign of poison in your bloodstream, and the severe fever you had is now gone."
She then handed me a mirror.
"It’s time to properly thank your savior." Gently, she tilted my chin to face the reflection, opening my mouth to reveal the snake tattoo that now spiraled around my tongue, "Or should I start calling him your mate now?"
The red snake mark started with its tail at the tip, curling around my tongue in the direction of my throat.
"Do you not find this place to your liking?" I asked the snake man after Nivi had left us for our privacy.
"It reeks of another male," Kurus responded with a hiss. His face was blank, though his forked tongue kept flickering out.
Hale’s spare room was used as a storage room filled with shelves, fur, and various materials.
I shifted to sit up on the mattress, turning to face him as I wiped my face with a wet towel. "Then why are you staying here?"
There was a distance of at least three meters between us. Kurus remained in his corner, his tail coiled around him.
"I want to be near you," he finally said, "Even if it means enduring the scent of that inferior being."