Violetta’s cry brought me back to my senses. This is not the time to be quarreling. We shouldn’t be doing this in the first place. If he had just given the Yggdrasil sap from the start, things won’t escalate onto this.

I retract my weapon and break my fighting stance. The dragon guy did the same thing and glares at me while voluntarily handing the sap to Violetta.

Inside of my head, I felt relieved that he still gave the sap for Asagao...

“Asagao, please... drink up."

“…”

“…”

“Violetta, what’s wrong?!”

“No good, she won’t be able to drink it like this.”

As Violetta mutters as she holds Asagao’s head onto her lap, she promptly drinks the Yggdrasil sap herself. Rather, she plans to transfer it through a mouth to mouth.

As the small clear of bottle empties, she immediately proceeds on transferring it to Asagao’s mouth. Their lips land on each other and Violetta hold Asagao’s head tightly against her.

Asagao’s throat made a motion of swallowing which means the sap was able to enter her body. Violetta’s kiss is so tight that she won’t let a single drip escape from their mouths. Violetta made sure she pushed the sap onto Asagao's throat and kept the mouth to mouth to prevent Asagao from puking the sap on a gag reflex.

As Violetta finished the transferring of the sap, she immediately gestured at her lover and they simultaneously cast something to Asagao.

“Violetta… that…”

“Mrothgir, by magic, is altering the speed of the Yggdrasil sap inside Asagao’s body to hasten its effect while I use my arcana magic to slow down the process of Asagao’s health decline. We should be able to cleanse the poison from her body and close all the wounds for about a minute.”

“I see…”

After a while, Violetta and the dragon guy stops. With relief, they both sigh. It may not be apparent but Asagao's breathing slightly becomes better.

“Now, to tend to her wounds--!”

As Violetta was about to cast recovery magic, Asagao’s wounds close all by itself, excluding the major one such as the long wound that goes down from her chest to the abdomen which looks like a straight line with cracks around it.

It was really grotesque that anyone would feel bad for seeing something like that in a child’s body.

“Fon… it seems… the wounds healed by itself…this is a phenomenon I think It shouldn't happen unless one is gifted with immense regenerative ability.”

“More importantly, how is she?!”

Violetta did another check up on Asagao with magic scanning all over her body. With a soft smile, she responds to me.

“She will be okay now. Although her breathing and pulse are still a bit weak, she is far from any danger now.”

“Thank you…thank goodness…”

“… We better head back now and have her rest on more comfortable bedding.”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Violetta carried Asagao by herself and opens up a warp back to the castle.

I am honestly relief that we were able to save her.

But…

.

.

.

We brought Asagao to her new room.

After completely tidying her up, she was laid in the bed and Violetta proceeds to monitor her. She plans to do this day in day out to assure that she is safe.

Her lover is not here...that dragon guy.

I approach them and look over at Asagao.

I am really glad that she is safe.

“Violetta, did you find out about something?”

“Fon… Asagao’s limbs are full of scars. Her weight has decreased drastically. It seems she had been consuming magical beasts meat which we know, is full of harmful poison to the living that slowly kills them and has horrifying side effects such as blindness…. Which… Asagao has.”

“You are saying that she got blinded by poison?!”

“Yes… although it is not permanent. It will be temporary until the effect of the poison wears off.”

“But didn’t you gave her the sap?!”

“…It is not an omnipotent cure… it may have removed the poison but not its effect. Also, I am going to nurse her so she can regain her strength back. Then, I also examined her body if there are some spells that were used on her to alter memories and such. I found nothing. She is safe from brainwashing.”

“As long as she is fine, I can’t wish for more."

"I will leave the matter of her regenerative powers aside for now. I'd like to be more in-depth about how it occurred."

Violetta gave me space and I seat on the side of the bed and strokes Asagao’s hair. I missed this smooth silky sensation her hair gives. The faint small breathing in each exhales she makes.

She squirms in the bed as my finger tries to touch her cheeks. She is mumbling something in her sleep.

“Nggnnnh….”

“Asagao?”

“Disgusting…”

“?”

“I… disgusting… a liar… nnnhhhggnnn….”

I immediately pull out my finger from touching her cheeks. I immediately stand up and head to the door to get out of this room.

“Fon!”

Violetta tries to call out to me but I ignore her. I walk away from there, from where Asagao is. 

Anywhere is fine. As long as nowhere near Asagao. I don’t know where my feet are taking me but I know that I am escaping from something.

I head outside. I walk towards the empty training grounds and drop on my knees.

Pathetic…So pathetic…

Why…

Why am I ridden with this strong distrust?!

I want to accept her wholeheartedly. I don’t want to show a superficial emotion towards her. But as of now, that’s what I am doing!

My fake resolve, my high pride that tears me apart. My obligation to my people and subjects. The obligation that I have taken and my oath to her.

All of this… I don’t understand anymore…

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

“Oh, what are you doing here all alone, human king?”

“YOU!”

“What?”

“…”

With the way I am, I am just bound to push her away and hurt her needlessly with this creeping trauma in my heart.

I don’t want that. I don’t want her to hate me. I don't want this disgusting feeling that tears me apart. I just want to hold her but if by doing that, I'll cause her more pain...

“…Please…”

“?”

“Will you… take care of Asagao?”

“…”

“…”

“B-BASTARD!!!”

He charges at me and punches me in the face. I fell on my back and he got over me. He then punches me over and over in the face. His countenance shows rage towards me.

SMACK

SMACK

SMACK

He punches me so many times that there was blood splattering all over that place.

The blood was not mine by the way.

“MOTHERFUCKING! HOW HARD YOUR FACE IS?!”

His knuckles which repeatedly lands on my face, are bleeding. He grips his knuckles from the pain.

“Where’s your pride from earlier?! Were you messing around with me about your resolve from earlier?! I usually don't act childish like this...but because of you...”

“I…”

“Now you are implying that you are giving up on her?!”

“I don’t want to hurt her… I know that I will just do it again. I cannot trust myself anymore.”

“Is it because of your distrust to people?! Is it because of your traumatic past?!”

There is only one simple answer.

“Yeah! It’s because I still distrust her that I am scared! I still have doubts in my heart! I can’t put my trust to her! But I still want her! Is it that bad?!”

I shouted at his face with the tension my head boiling. I'm so mad right now in many ways.

“Well now, that’s an honest answer.”

“?!”

“People can’t instantly change how they treat a person overnight.”

“You…”

“People… build bonds with each other to fully trust each other. Not just a simple bond, a bond that tests their faith to each other.”

“…”

“Let her redeem herself or you try to build up your trust with her again, little by little.”

“…”

“We don’t know, this might be your first step in breaking the chains that bound you from the past.”

“What the hell are you trying to pull...lecturing me like this…”

“Asagao… by nature… is a frail…mentally… and physically… but… she is kind and gentle enough to people she cares. If she doesn’t care about you anymore, she would have just outright told us that you hated her that time back in the demon capital. Her feeling of love and care is deep that she would lie to others for their sake and to not ruin one’s name. In your case, she gave importance to your reputation.”

“…”

“Well, if you really can’t make up your mind, I might as well take her away.”

“…”

That’s right. We are still both people with emotions.

He gives another good point. I want to talk to Asagao more. Know more about her. Build up trust with her. I want her to open up to me.

And that won’t happen if I don’t give her a chance to redeem herself or if I don’t start trying to break free of my past.

“You imbecile dragon... I will show you. I am going to be someone who can be a king and an elder brother to her! I am going to be the best elder Brother out there! I am going to show how my bonds with Asagao will overpower doubts and distrusts!”

“Un. That’s better. Although you sound like you are into incest, so please don’t shout that.”

“I’m going to start over!”

“Good, good! I actually find it hassle to keep Asagao around, you know.”

He nods happily. He walks away like a pompous bastard. He does give me valuable lessons. I still hate him. At the entrance door of the castle, Violetta is standing there with a huge grin on her countenance that it kind of pisses me.

I approach her cautiously as at times like this, she has something in her mind that I can't figure out.

“What’s wrong Violetta?”

“Fufufu… you got played at…”

She mumbled something. I wasn’t able to hear it.

What?