As we sat down, servants brought in a lot of food. There was plenty of meat brought by Terminus, and I had a lot of fruit and nut dishes from Skitas. Food kept coming endlessly, and the laughter of excited residents filled the surroundings. There was no room for worries or sadness.
“Take your time eating.”
Idrish, who naturally sat next to me, whispered quietly.
Was he worried that I might cough? Or is this… an action done because he likes me?
“Thank you.”
“Don’t make me nurse you all night again.”
Well, was it just me saying things because I didn’t want to touch the soup? But didn’t Idrish say he would personally do what could be left to others?
Hmm. What is Idrish’s mind, exactly? Thoughts did not clearly fall like warm corn porridge scattered all over the place in my head.
While glancing at Idrish, suddenly he turned his head towards me.
“Uh, um. Heron is okay, right?”
I quickly brought up a conversation topic, afraid that he might notice me stealing glances. Instead of answering, Idrish stared at me. As if he could read what I was thinking right now.
Uh, why do I feel like I’m committing a sin like this?
At that moment, Rodrigo, sitting across from us, answered instead of Idrish.
“Yeah! Heron is healthy too.”
“Huh? Oh, that’s really fortunate.”
Idrish turned his gaze away again and silently placed an apple on my plate.
Is he giving me an apple? Is this a proposal?
In the illusion of drinking my soup first, Rodrigo’s grumbling voice flowed into one ear. I grabbed the apple Idrish gave me and took a bite.
Is it more delicious because Idrish gave it to me? It tastes sweeter and better.
“…So Cecilia is really weak. She quickly got sick after shivering in the cold for a day… Well, it’s understandable since Cecilia doesn’t have lovely fur like us.”
Rodrigo chuckled. Only then could I respond to his words.
“What? Rodrigo, are you ignoring my spines right now?”
“I’m not ignoring them, but they aren’t warm at all.”
“Well, I can’t deny that. Hedgehogs are originally animals that hibernate in winter. But it’s okay because my spines are cool and stylish.”
Everyone burst into laughter at my words.
“Huh? Did everyone just laugh at me? Do you know how sharp and cool my spines are!”
I thumped my chest with my fist.
Even with this fearsome curse ability of mine!
It’s not a joke, but everyone seems to think it’s a joke. They are too busy laughing. I also laughed along with them.
“Heron is extremely busy restoring the destroyed village right now. I haven’t seen a single tail since yesterday. He probably couldn’t even eat… ”
“That’s right. Then later, Rodrigo, you should go and check on him.”
“Is it okay?”
“He should like it. Heron must be tired for sure, so he needs to eat well.”
Still, it was fortunate that neither Rodrigo nor Heron was hurt.
“Yeah! I’ll do that. But…”
Rodrigo looked at Idrish intently. Following him, everyone else also looked at Idrish.
What is happening now?
In the short moment I was distracted by the conversation, Idrish, like a crow asking for a jewel, moved a bunch of fruits from my plate to the center of the table.
Did he like that I ate the apple? There were various types of fruits like apples, blueberries, and dried apricots.
Ironically, he seemed as if he hadn’t taken a single bite.
A red berry rolled down from the fruit mountain on the plate and rolled to the center of the table.
“Idrish, how does Cecilia eat that?”
“No, eat it all. It’s not meat, but you need to eat this much to recover.”
Despite Rodrigo’s opposition, Idrish didn’t yield. Everyone looked at him strangely. Terminus tapped me on the shoulder. When I turned my head, he whispered.
“It seems Idrish doesn’t wish for Cecilia to shrink even a bit. It’s quite a sincere sentiment.”
My face blushed at his words.
Does it look that way to Terminus too? If so, that’s it! Yeah, this time it seems real. I’ve never seen Idrish take care of someone like this, not even when Rodrigo died and came back to life.
As I stared, Idrish speared a raspberry with his fork and put it in my mouth.
Feeding me.
This is something one does after having sons and daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Yeah. There’s no need to think about it anymore. Words, kisses, and his current actions all pointed in the same direction.
Idrish likes me. So… we are mutual.
Yes! That’s right! There can’t be anything more certain than this!
My heart swelled as if it would burst.
Idrish feels the same way as I do.
That means I don’t have to hide or suppress my feelings anymore.
“If you eat all that, Cecilia’s stomach will burst.”
Rodrigo timidly warned Idrish again.
“No, I usually eat a lot. It’s okay.”
As if to show off, I took a mouthful of dried apricots.
Hehe, if Idrish, who I like and who likes me, takes care of me, I could eat dozens of these.
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
