Chapter 194 - Chloe Spends the Night Beside Nathan

I woke up with my body still aching, a constant reminder of what I had recently endured. My training as an assassin taught me to endure pain, but that didn’t make it any less excruciating. Anesthetics didn’t work on me, which made sleeping more a matter of survival than rest.

Cylla, my faithful companion, still couldn’t heal me, and she wasn’t yet advanced enough in the Aspect of Life to remove only my pain. Additionally, she was hiding the fact that she was exhausted. Staying in her form as a Moon Panther cub was likely draining her mana constantly to keep the Aspect of Body active. I felt guilty seeing her like this, knowing that this form demanded a lot from her. She pretended to be strong, but I knew she was tired and maybe even in pain.

It was obvious that remaining in her reduced form all the time was causing discomfort. As a phoenix, or even in her bestial dragon form, she needed to let loose every once in a while, but she maintained this smaller form to stay by my side. I had considered suggesting that she revert to her phoenix form, but deep down, I knew she probably couldn’t do so without first transforming into her dragon form. She was holding herself back, and I knew that sooner or later, I’d have to convince that stubborn dragon to return to the duchy.

At least there, she could transform freely inside the castle's cavern.

I slowly opened my eyes, expecting to see Cylla beside me, but she wasn’t there. Instead, by my bedside, on a chair, I saw a surprising sight. Chloe was sitting there, holding my hand while she slept.

I tried to sit up but couldn’t. It wasn’t because of the pain or the heaviness of my damaged muscles, but because her hand was holding mine tightly. Chloe gripped my hand as if, even in her sleep, she didn’t want to let go.

I let out a small smile, seeing her like this. Sometimes, I’m amazed by how much these people love me, just as much as I love them.

Chloe stretched and yawned. She slowly opened her eyes, still groggy.

“Good morning…” I said softly.

Good morning, Nate,” she replied, rubbing her eye.

She paused for a moment, surveying the room, then looked down at her hand still holding mine. Her gaze lifted to meet mine.

“Nate!” She jumped and gave me a tight hug.

“Wait! Easy!” I pleaded, feeling the pressure on my injured body. “My wounds…”

She quickly pulled back, realizing what she had done.

“Sorry…” she said, embarrassed.

I chuckled.

Sometimes, I forget that my cousin is a bit of a brute.

“I was so worried about you,” she confessed, holding my hand again.

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Chloe got up from the chair and, with the familiarity of someone who had always been by my side, climbed onto the bed and sat beside me. Her eyes examined my bandaged arms, and she gently ran her hand over them.

“You’re an idiot, you know that?” she scolded, though her voice was soft.

Chloe rested her head on my shoulder, and I felt the comforting weight of her presence.

“I’m in a bit of pain…” I tried to say, but she ignored me, wrapping me in a gentle embrace.

“I know you could handle everything, but I was really worried,” Chloe admitted, her voice muffled against my shirt. “I kept hoping you’d give the signal and let me help you.”

I nodded, knowing she was right. With effort, I reached up and began to stroke her hair.

“We spent years fighting against the Legacies in life-or-death situations as training. I know when to ask for help. And you all did the most important part for me,” I said, trying to reassure her.

“I know,” she replied, her voice softer. “We had to watch the area and look for other assassins. We couldn’t reveal ourselves… But I was worried. I don’t care if you’re my personal guard; I want to protect you too.”

This time, Chloe hugged me tighter, and even though it caused pain to my wounds, I didn’t mind. Because, in the end, the most important part wasn’t to support me in case of danger. The most important part was keeping them safe, because I value all of them more than anything.

I want to know as soon as possible what Martha managed to extract from that guy.

I stroked my cousin's head, feeling a silent relief knowing they hadn’t needed to face an enemy or a second team of assassins. A part of me was glad I managed to avoid that. That’s why I made sure to start the fight in a completely random location. If there was a second team, it would throw them off balance with any plan they had.

That was the reason I chose that spot for the battle. You can’t walk right into an assassin’s hands. You have to be unpredictable and act beyond expectations. Meanwhile, they were on standby. You might wonder why they didn’t act impulsively to help me, but know that even the slightest mistake can be fatal, and we are mentally prepared for that.

In my family, a battle is sacred. For them, a fight represents two conflicting concepts: life and death. This is the core of an assassin. It doesn’t matter if you eliminate your target stealthily or in a large-scale battle; it always comes down to a balance between life and death.

When I decided to face the assassins alone, my family respected my decision. However, they remained on standby, ready to intervene if things went wrong. From the start, it was clear that these mages were not ordinary. They were powerful assassins, above the usual level, which required extreme caution.

During the confrontation, they revealed their true power, which prompted us to analyze the situation carefully. We needed to gather as much information as possible. The first discovery was clear: I was the target, and they wouldn’t stop until I was dead. This alone indicated the severity of the situation. Additionally, they seemed prepared to face my thunder, suggesting that the contractor was someone from the nobility with access to privileged information.

As I fought, my family remained in the shadows, watching and searching for signs of other assassins. Just as they were hidden, there could be more enemies lurking. Revealing themselves before confirming this would give a dangerous advantage to any hidden opponents, ready to launch a surprise attack. My family only emerged after I eliminated one of the assassins, confirming that, at least at that moment, there was no nearby enemy with the intent to strike.

If a second team had been lying in ambush, they would certainly have acted to prevent me from killing the female assassin. After all, in a battle between high-level mages, numerical superiority can be the decisive factor for victory.

“Martha didn’t let me come to see you yesterday while she was treating your injuries. I was anxious, so I went to fetch Cylla, but when we arrived, I noticed she was angry, so I didn’t want to interfere. I came to see you after Aunt Katie left, but you were already asleep.”

“You stayed with me all night?” I asked, surprised.

“I did…” she admitted.

I wasn’t sure how to respond. It was such a simple gesture, yet it carried a tremendous weight of concern and affection.

“And I’ll stay the whole weekend too, until you’re better,” she added, determined.

I smiled at her, unsure of what to say, but knowing that her presence made everything feel a little less painful.

Though having her head resting on my shoulder does hurt a bit…