Don't Touch My Thorn (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14
While swinging his sword, Idrish stopped abruptly upon seeing me. His white shirt and hair were completely soaked with sweat.
I kept running forward. Seeing me approach at a terrifying speed, Idrish hesitated and stepped back.
I barely managed to stop in front of him. My body came to a halt, and I bent over, gasping for breath.
“Ha, haa, huff. Idrish, huff.”
“What is it?”
“Rodrio, gasp, he’s awake! They say he opened his eyes!”
At my words, Idrish grabbed my shoulders and pulled me up. The world was all blurry, so I couldn’t tell what expression he was making.
“Is that true?”
“Of course it’s true!”
I grinned widely. Then, tears rolled down from my eyes.
“Let’s go quickly.”
I tightly grabbed Idrish’s hand. Then I ran back to Rodrio’s room.
When Idrish and I appeared again, Rodrio tried to sit up.
“No way! Lie back down. You can’t push yourself yet. Your wounds haven’t healed at all.”
At my words, Rodrio lay back down but glanced cautiously at Idrish. Idrish stood upright, quietly looking down at Rodrio. His reaction was completely different from mine just moments ago.
“You really woke up. Do you remember anything from that day?”
He spoke indifferently, as if it were someone else’s business. At Idrish’s question, Rodrio bit his lip hard.
“Yeah, Idrish. I’m sorry for not listening and going out to the forest at night.”
“No need to apologize. The life you almost lost was yours, not mine.”
Goodness, does he have to talk like that!
“Yeah…”
See? Does he really have to make a kid who just woke up feel so drained?
“So, what do you remember?”
“I don’t know. I saw some strange lights flickering in the garden, so I just wanted to check what they were…”
“And then?”
Rodrio clasped his hands tightly, his face paling. He seemed scared to recall that moment.
“As I stepped outside the mansion, someone suddenly covered my mouth and eyes. I was dragged along…”
Though clearly frightened, Rodrio stammered out what he could remember. But there was nothing specific enough to identify the culprit.
“And then my waist felt like it was burning. Everything went white…”
“That’s enough. Not a single piece of useful information.”
Rodrio hung his head low.
It wasn’t going to work, but I shot Idrish a glare. Does he really have to be so harsh to a kid who just barely survived?
“Still, you woke up well despite such deep wounds. You’re an Artigrado, after all.”
Even at Idrish’s cold, unfeeling words, Rodrio looked happy.
“Yeah, I’m Rodrio Artigrado… A wound like this is nothing.”
“But from now on, behave so this kind of thing doesn’t happen again.”
“Uh, yeah…!”
Rodrio nodded quickly but winced as if in pain. Then his gaze landed on me. It didn’t take long for the fear on his face to turn into curiosity.
“But are you really the Thorn King?”
He seemed unable to believe that I was that hedgehog. Honestly, has this kid been fooled his whole life?
“Yeah, it’s true. Want me to show you the transformation?”
I quickly shifted into my beast form. Rodrio’s lifeless eyes sparkled for that moment. I rubbed my pointy nose against his hand.
I could show you my hedgehog form every day, so don’t get hurt, little one.
“Wow, it’s true! Like Idrish said, the Thorn King is a beastman! But the Thorn King is a girl?”
Looking at me after I turned back into a human, Rodrio exclaimed in awe.
“You thought I was a guy all this time?”
“Of course… The Thorn King has such cool skills.”
“Girls can have cool skills too.”
“Oh, I see…”
Rodrio’s voice trailed off. Still tired, he blinked slowly.
I smiled faintly and brushed back his sweat-soaked hair.
“Sleep some more. When you wake up later, I’ll show you even cooler tricks.”
“Yeah… Cooler tricks.”
After watching the now-quiet Rodrio for a while, I turned my head and locked eyes with Idrish.
I couldn’t tell how long he’d been looking at me like that.
“W-Why are you… looking at me like that?”
Feeling awkward, I tilted my head.
“I wasn’t looking.”
Idrish abruptly left the room.
“Tch, you were looking. And Rodrio almost died—couldn’t you at least pat him once and say he did well? Poor Rodrio.”
Instead of Idrish, I kept stroking his soft cheeks.
* * *
Rodrio gradually regained his strength. With the urgent issue resolved, I finally felt the change in my position.
“Oh, this is so nice.”
I rolled around on the wide bed. My own bed, without Idrish, and my own room.
It took quite a long argument with Idrish to get this room, but I finally won it!
Idrish still wanted to keep me locked in his room.
“Stay in my room from now on.”
“No way, I’m not going to run away anymore.”
“Does anyone announce they’re going to run away in advance?”
“Ugh, have you been fooled your whole life? Anyway, Idrish, if you keep acting like this, I’ll have no choice but to be half-hearted about breaking the curse. If that’s what you want, I can’t help it.”
I crossed my arms as if I had nothing to lose.
That’s right! Things were different now. Idrish needed me, but I didn’t need him!
Of course, Idrish could forcibly lock me up and find a way, but that would be inconvenient and inefficient in many ways.
So what could he do? I was the one in charge now. And if I’m in charge, I might as well flex a bit. Heh.
Idrish seemed deep in thought.
Think hard, Mr. Idrish. No matter how much you think, agreeing to my demands is the best option.
“Fine. I’ll give you your room and your freedom. But I have conditions.”
“What are they? Just say it.”
I smiled magnanimously, as if showing great generosity.
“First, you’ll stay with the maid I assign to you all day.”
A maid? That’s actually great! Someone to bring me water when I’m too lazy to get it, or brush my hair when I don’t feel like it?
“Second, as you said yourself, you’ll actively work to break the curse, no matter the method.”
No matter the method?
He’s not planning to kill me, is he?
For a moment, I imagined Idrish making medicine from a dead hedgehog and rubbing it on his chest. I shook my head to dispel the horrific image.
No way. That’s like cutting open the golden goose. At the very least, he’d try every other method first.
Though I felt vague fear, it wasn’t a bad deal. I’d gain both safety and freedom, which was better than wandering outside in danger and poverty.
Of course, I was a bit worried about the war Idrish might start…
But think about it. If Idrish is the one starting it, that means if he changes his mind, nothing will happen, right? That’s the power of reverse thinking!
“If you break these two conditions, all your freedom and rights will be taken away. Do you agree?”
“Yeah, sounds good!”
I nodded brightly.
And so, I got my own room.
It was, of course, smaller and cozier compared to Idrish’s room.
But it had the mirror and vanity I wanted, and the bed was comfortable. The window wasn’t too big, letting in just the right amount of sunlight in the morning.
“Yeah, Idrish’s room was too hot. Lazy tiger.”
The unusual thing was that there was a door in the entrance passage leading to the maid Mirai’s room. I couldn’t come or go without passing through Mirai’s view.
“Cecilia, you’re awake?”
Mirai entered my room with silent steps, carrying a basin of water. I rubbed my eyes and sat up. Mirai soaked a soft cloth in warm water and gently wiped my face.
What kind of luxury is this?
Since Mirai, the new servant, arrived, I didn’t have to do anything myself.
She washed my face, dressed me, and brushed my hair. Even though it was the same face and hair, after her touch, I looked like a refined noblewoman.
“Thank you, Mirai.”
“It’s my job.”
While brushing my hair, Mirai smiled, showing her cute snaggletooth. Not only was she skillful, but she was also very kind. It felt like I’d gained a reliable older sister.
“I should thank Idrish.”
“Why?”
“For hiring you. Mirai, do you get paid a lot? Should I ask Idrish to double it?”
There was no guarantee Idrish would agree, but I puffed up with affection, pretending to boast. Well, I’ll just say I’ll work twice as hard to break the curse.
Mirai smiled, her eyes crinkling.
“I’m already paid enough. All done. You need to go to Idrish now.”
“Oh… Is Idrish waiting?”
“Yes, he said to come as soon as you’re up.”
“I don’t want to go…”
I dawdled, standing up slowly.
“Come on.”
Mirai urged me with a smile.
How can I say no when she’s smiling like that? Tch.
Mirai ushered me into Idrish’s room.
She seems in a good mood, doesn’t she, Mirai?
The time I spend with Idrish is her only free time, so it makes sense.
I closed the door and stepped inside. Even though I’d lived here as a hedgehog for days, it felt unfamiliar and tense.
“You’re late.”
Startled by Idrish’s voice from behind, I turned around. He looked like he’d just come from the bath, his hair wet.
“I overslept.”
“Who was it that said they’d actively work on breaking the curse?”
“But I didn’t run away, and I came, didn’t I?”
When I furrowed my brows, the corner of Idrish’s mouth quirked up.
He was teasing me again.
“Then let’s get started.”
“Uh, yeah.”
With my reply, Idrish unceremoniously pulled off his shirt. I turned my head away. Even though I saw his bare body every day now, it was still embarrassing.
No, actually, strangely, the embarrassment and awkwardness seemed to grow with time.
That’s why I’d been reluctant to come to Idrish’s room.
Idrish sat calmly on the bed, waiting for me.
“But I haven’t eaten anything since waking up.”
“Eat after we’re done. Come here.”
“Okay…”
Accepting that there was no escape, I stood beside Idrish. Our eye levels were almost the same, with him sitting and me standing. I secretly swallowed hard.
Idrish raised an eyebrow, as if saying, “What are you waiting for?”
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
_____
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