Chapter 110. Thirst

As I glared at him with intense eyes, Johann cleared his throat a few times and began making excuses.

“Ahem. He was lurking around suspiciously.”

“How would you know who’s suspicious when it’s your first time in Ponitan? How did you know this was my house?!”

I questioned him excitedly.

If Jesuf were here, he would have been shocked at my impudence, but I didn’t care. Jesuf wasn’t here, and Johann, the person involved, kept averting his eyes with a guilty face like someone who had done something wrong.

“Well, wasn’t he trying to steal Sylphid and run away?”

He continued, sounding quite wronged.

“Luckily, Marseus caught him just as he was leaving the house.”

So that’s why Cyril was out of contact all day.

Johann knocked him out.

“He wasn’t trying to steal it, okay? He was going to bring it to me?”

I retorted sharply.

But it would have been better if I hadn’t said anything.

Johann, who had shown a bit of guilt for knocking out someone he knew, instantly changed his expression. He asked with a cold, hardened face.

“Why did you need the Sylphid?”

“…….”

“Were you planning to disappear again without a word?”

“…….”

I was at a loss for words again.

I had myself trapped.

Mihail and Claude, who had been watching the conversation between Johann and me with great interest, also began to look uneasy. Mihail gave a creepy grin like someone whose eyes had turned, and Claude frowned fiercely.

I shrank my neck like a turtle and breathed carefully.

Damn it.

If I’m not careful, I might be reduced to ashes.

I was once again reminded of the overwhelming pressure of being in the same space as the three heroes. I had forgotten it for six months, but it felt as if the path of hardship had reopened. Sob, sob.

“Uh… Sera…”

At that moment, a voice of salvation was heard.

Hearing Cyril’s groan, I quickly turned my head.

“Cyril, are you okay?”

“I’m in so much pain…”

“What should I do?”

I was genuinely worried and checked on Cyril. After giving him a lap pillow to make him lie down more comfortably, I tidied up his red hair scattered across his face.

“Where does it hurt? Where did His Majesty hit you?”

“My whole body…”

“Ugh, really.”

I glared at Johann in annoyance.

Even if I didn’t know, to others, Johann must have looked like a villain bullying the two of us, who were powerless.

Knowing how he might appear, Johann defended himself in an aggrieved tone.

“I didn’t really do anything.”

“But the person has been unconscious all day?”

“That’s because Marseus was precise, not because there was any beating or anything…”

“Ugh!”

“Cyril! Don’t get up! Stay still.”

Seeing Cyril trying to get up and complaining of pain, I felt like I was going crazy with worry.

Damn it.

How could he do this to my Cyril, when we’ve just reunited!

This time, I glared at Johann quite fiercely. He pointed a finger and raised his voice.

“Th-that…! Can’t you see that fox-like guy is faking it? Look at that expression even now!”

At Johann’s intense pointing, I lowered my head to look at Cyril. He was unmistakably the weak one. Pointing at someone who is groaning without sense.

Disappointing.

I was so disappointed in Johann.

I looked him straight in the eye and said.

“Your Majesty, Cyril and I are like family, having grown up together in an orphanage. If you mistreat Cyril again, I will forever hate Your Majesty.”

“…….”

Johann’s blue eyes wavered.

I knew too.

How hurtful it was to say such things to a man who had just whispered sweet confessions.

But I was that angry.

Although I knew in my head that Johann didn’t know about our deep connection when he knocked Cyril out, I couldn’t react rationally.

Johann struggled to control his violently swirling emotions, breathing heavily as if fighting a difficult battle. His gaze became sharp as he looked down at Cyril, whose head was on my lap.

Noticing this, I cupped Cyril’s face with both hands. As if to protect him from Johann’s gaze.

“You had an interesting connection with the guild master. No wonder.”

At that moment, Mihail, who had been watching with his arms crossed, spoke in a casual tone. I shifted my gaze slightly to look at him.

“If you’ve been beaten all over, you’ll need treatment.”

“Marseus didn’t beat anyone.”

Johann interjected through gritted teeth. But Mihail, unfazed, continued speaking to me, ignoring Johann.

“If you need holy power since there’s no healer, I can help you.”

“That would be greatly appreciated, Sir Andantino.”

It was like a ray of light breaking through a cloudy sky. I sincerely thanked him.

But Mihail wasn’t a kind person either.

“If you give me a room first.”

“What?”

“Where should I sleep?”

“…….”

I was momentarily speechless, but meanwhile, Claude walked over to me. Then, he picked up Cyril, who was lying on my lap, groaning.

“Ugh.”

“Ah! Cyril!”

“Are you going to keep the patient on the floor? Let me move him.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Why are they suddenly so cooperative?

I was bewildered, but since taking care of Cyril was the priority, I didn’t think too deeply. These guys are humans too, so they must have some basic humanity.

Right.

No matter what anyone says, they are heroes who saved the world.

I gave Mihail and Claude a room each.

Cyril was laid on the living room sofa because Mihail, who offered conditional treatment, said he would check on him there. Claude, unusually obedient to Mihail’s words, gently placed Cyril on the sofa.

“There are spare rooms.”

And I also gave Johann a room.

His lonely, awkward figure standing there bothered me. Johann silently looked at me before quietly moving away.

* * *

“In exchange for showing me an entertaining farce, I won’t take the money you scammed.”

Mihail came out to the living room and channeled holy power into Cyril.

What.

He just needed to pretend.

Cyril wasn’t really in much pain.

Since Seraphina wasn’t around, there was no need to act tiresomely, so Cyril opened his eyes and let out a small chuckle.

“I never intended to return it anyway.”

“You two seem to have a deep connection.”

Mihail looked at the guild master with interest.

Previously, he thought of him as just a despicable money-crazed guy, but the recent incident made him feel a slight fondness for Cyril.

To think he was the top fox in the fox world, giving that fox-like Johann a hard time.

The way he smirked arrogantly and looked at Johann when Seraphina wasn’t watching was so amusing.

Both Mihail and Claude saw it all.

The point was this:

If you want to win Seraphina’s heart, you shouldn’t be on bad terms with Cyril. Well, you don’t actually have to treat him well, just do so when Seraphina is watching.

Mihail and Claude realized this.

“From an orphanage, huh.”

“A common background.”

“I see.”

Mihail left those bland words behind and stood up. Soon, Seraphina appeared from the direction he turned his head.

“Cyril, how’s your body? Seeing you up, I guess the holy power worked?”

“Uh, yeah.”

Cyril, who was sitting on the sofa, answered in a fluster. Then he gave Seraphina a warm smile, as if he was happy she was worried about him.

Watching this, Mihail turned back to Seraphina and spoke.

“Don’t worry, he’s all better.”

“Thank you, Sir Andantino.”

“You’re welcome.”

After speaking briefly, he stepped closer to Cyril and bent down, whispering softly enough for only Cyril to hear.

“Now that you’ve received holy power, why don’t you just leave?”

Cyril’s expression crumpled like a piece of paper.

Mihail cleverly blocked Seraphina’s view of him and straightened up, turning back to her.

“The guild master, now healthy, was just about to get up since it’s late.”

* * *

As a sensible homeowner, I was laying out bedding for the guests. I had already taken care of Johann and Claude’s rooms, and I had just come into Mihail’s room after checking on Cyril’s recovery.

With no suitable bedding, I layered several thick fabrics, and as I smoothed out the wrinkles, I asked Mihail.

“What did you say to Cyril earlier?”

Mihail raised an eyebrow at my question. He rolled his teal eyes as if debating whether to answer, then slowly opened his mouth.

“It was a conversation between men.”

“Oh, really?”

In that case.

I couldn’t pry further.

Not thinking much of it, I stood up.

“Lie down and see if it’s comfortable.”

Perhaps because he had just treated Cyril, I spoke and acted more kindly towards Mihail than I did with the other two.

Thinking I’d bring more bedding if it was uncomfortable, I looked at Mihail, who was leaning against the closed door.

He quietly looked at the floor before approaching me.

“Ah!”

But in the end, it wasn’t gentle at all.

“What are you doing?”

Mihail pulled my wrist, causing me to sit on the bedding, and I looked at him with wide eyes.

“I haven’t seen Miss Sera’s enchanting abilities in so long.”

Mihail was calm.

He brought his face close and spoke in a soft voice. Not just his face, but his body was close too.

I was sitting between his spread legs.

Ah…

Mihail’s lips touched my palm.

Startled by the hot and soft sensation, I involuntarily curled my fingers, and he took my fingers into his mouth.

I was too shocked to move, and Mihail, looking straight at me, played with my saliva-coated fingers, kissing them.

Mihail’s gaze was intense.

“I’m feeling parched.”