Chapter 54
The next day and the day after that Alnazir lay down in Fay’s bed as if it were only natural.
“Why are you just standing there? Hurry up and lie down.”
He said, patting the space beside him, telling her to slip into his arm.
Everything about it felt far too natural, as though this were his bed. Fay felt like she’d turned into a pillow he hugged while sleeping. It wasn’t pleasant.
Last night, he’d told her to sleep early yet kept kneading her hips and chest whenever she tried. How was she supposed to sleep peacefully like that?
Is he going to do it again? What if she falls asleep and he suddenly yanks her underwear down and thrusts inside her without warning?
She stayed tense for a long time, watching his every move. But all he did was squeeze and touch, he never once took anything out.
“It’s unfair… I’m the only one worrying about this…”
“What are you muttering to yourself?”
Alnazir asked. If she had something to say, she should come over and say it properly.
When she didn’t approach and stayed far from the bed, he clicked his tongue and reached out. Even with his arm fully stretched, she was still out of reach. Unless, of course, he used tentacles.
“Walk over here yourself before I drag you.”
The tip of a tentacle tore through the skin of his palm and writhed. Fay sucked in a breath and hurriedly called out.
“Wait! I have a good idea!”
Before the tentacle could shoot toward her, she rushed to the kitchen and came back with something she’d prepared earlier. A large hot-water bag filled with steaming water.
“From now on, you can hug this instead of me when you sleep.”
It was nice and warm, she insisted, holding it out for him to try.
The tentacle moved toward it slowly—then suddenly sped up and pop, pierced straight through the bag.
It slid back out just as calmly, leaving a hole behind. The water Fay had painstakingly boiled and poured spilled out.
“Eeeek! You’re spilling water all over the floor!”
She realized too late, shouting as water flooded out, soaking the floor and splashing onto her legs with painful heat.
She rushed the ruined bag into the kitchen and tossed it away, then grabbed a dry rag to mop up the mess, hissing angrily under her breath.
What kind of rude invoked puts holes in something she carefully made for him? If he didn’t like it, he could’ve just said so!
Grumbling, she came back out of the kitchen, only to find Alnazir blocking her path.
“I won’t let this slide today.”
His expression was just as displeased as hers. The argument began.
“What do you mean you won’t let it slide?! You’re the one who turned the floor into a lake!”
Fay grabbed at her hair, insisting she was the one with every right to be angry. Alnazir crossed his arms and lifted his chin.
“A lake? That’s an exaggeration. It’s not even a stream.”
“That’s not what I meant! I mean it’s a total mess!”
As if things weren’t bad enough, rumors about her had spread in the strangest way. Now the entire city thought she was a foolish witch who’d been tricked by some foreign man.
Bilter had blabbed about it in a tavern, and once gossip spread, there was no taking it back. By today, even kids living near the carpentry shop were mocking her as a pitiful witch.
It was all that awful octopus—jellyfish—whatever he was, it’s his fault!
If only he’d shown his tentacles just once back then, things might have gone differently. He could poke holes in a hot-water bag just fine, but never showed them in front of others.
“I’m so mad! I went to all that trouble to make you something, and you don’t even appreciate it! I hate you!”
Fay shoved him aside with her shoulder, snapping at him to move so the floor wouldn’t rot.
Fueled by anger, she was surprisingly strong. Even though he’d been caught off guard, Alnazir was pushed back a step.
Amused despite himself, he let out a short laugh.
“I said I won’t let this go.”
Before she could react, he bent slightly, scooped Fay up onto his shoulder, and stood straight.
Then he strode toward the bed.
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