Chapter 171: You Called Me Here Just for This?
Chapter 171: You Called Me Here Just for This?
Getting up, Steven walked to the little white-furred fox girlâs side, stroking his chin as he looked at her exposed, smooth shoulder.Â
He couldn't help but wonderâwas her style of dressing influenced by a certain green-haired cat?Â
Why did she like exposing this kind of area?
Of course, Steven wasnât just admiring the view. He was merely trying to check on the spot where the Originium crystals had previously appeared on her body.
From what he could see now, she had recovered well.Â
Previously, the Originium on her skin had been quite visible, but now, all he could see was smooth, unblemished skin.
The girl, feeling a little self-conscious under Stevenâs gaze, instinctively shrank her neck. However, she didnât say anything and simply let him examine her.
She was very aware that there was no inappropriate desire in Stevenâs eyes.
âGood, looks like you're recovering well. If you take care of yourself, you should be able to maintain this condition for quite a while. Just remember to use your Originium Arts less often.â
After confirming that her condition was stable, Steven clapped his hands and returned to his seat.
Since he had been the one to perform the surgery, it was only right that he provided some aftercare.
From her condition, he deduced that she was in a similar situation to Yelenaâboth had suffered further Originium erosion due to overusing their abilities.
However, Yelena clearly had a better constitution and could endure it more, whereas this girl in front of him would have likely died if he hadnât intervened.
âHuh? Dr. Steve, is there really nothing you want me to do? Youâre my saviorâIâm willing to do anything for you!â
Frostleaf, not expecting him to say such a word and leave it at that, blurts out some words that are easily misinterpreted.
âIâm guessing you donât interact with people much, do you? How old are you?â
Steven chuckled at her reaction before asking a casual question.
She was obviously still a minor, which was one thing, but saying something like that without thinking about the implications? Either she had no idea what âanythingâ could mean, or she simply spoke without considering it.
Judging from the scars and calluses he had seen on her body during the surgery, she was at least at the level of a veteran soldier. And after ruling out the possibility that she was some old relic disguised as a young girl, Steven could tell she had very little experience communicating with others.
âAh? Iâm seventeen.â
Her ears twitched slightly, showing her confusion as to why Steven was asking this.
âFor a soldier, some luxurious things like friends are unnecessary.â
âSee? I knew it. That explains everything. Anyway, I donât need you to do anything for meâjust focus on living well. Kal'tsit has already paid me, and Iâve received your gratitude. Now, can I go lie down on my bed?â
After saying this to her, Steven didnât ask anything more. He simply waved his hand dismissively, signaling that their conversation was over, and prepared to head back to his bed.
âThis isnât logical⌠I need to repay you. What does that have to do with whether I have friends or not?â
To Stevenâs surprise, the girl stubbornly stood her ground, looking at him with determination, as if she wouldnât budge until she got a proper explanation.
She sincerely wanted to repay his kindnessâotherwise, she wouldnât have waited in his room. However, Stevenâs reaction was completely unexpected to her.
Was there something wrong with what she was doing?
The girl, who had always upheld the simple principle that interactions were fundamentally based on mutual benefit, furrowed her brows.Â
Sheâs baffled by Stevenâs reaction.
âItâs not that it has anything to do with each other. Iâm just saying, there are some things you donât need to say so lightly. Saying youâre willing to do anything isnât something that should be thrown around so casually.â
âBut I mean it. This isnât just an empty promise.â
A flicker of determination flashed through Frostleafâs crimson eyes.Â
No one understood better than her how fortunate it was for her to still be alive. Stevenâs kindness was not something she could simply let go unpaid.
At least, not in her eyes.
âTch. So even if I asked you to sleep with me, youâd agree?â
Steven rolled his eyes.Â
She was supposed to be a little fox, so why was she more stubborn than an ox?
â...If thatâs what you truly want, then I wouldnât refuse.â
To Stevenâs surprise, the girl actually unfastened her coat and sat back down on his bed.Â
Curling herself into a small bundle, she gazed straight at him with those dazzling, gem-like eyes.
âThis is my first time... If you donât mind, Dr. Steve, please be gentleââ
âAlright, alright! Thatâs enough! Any further and I would be thrown to jail!â
Steven covered his face and immediately motioned for her to get up and put her clothes back on.
She was only seventeen. Seventeen! Did she even realize what that meant? If this world were a novel, the moment he laid a finger on her, the story would be forcefully censored on the spot.
Not that he was afraid of anythingâhe just didnât see the point. He was only joking earlier. If there was no emotional connection, what was the difference between this and playing with a blow-up doll?
Before Frostleaf could finish putting her clothes back on, the door behind Steven was pushed open at the worst possible moment.
A green-haired crocodile girl stood at the entrance, her expression turning very complicated as she took in the scene before her.
âYou told me to come here at night⌠You werenât planning to start some kind of shady orgy, were you? This joke isnât funny at all.â
âIf youâd shown up two minutes earlier, it probably wouldâve looked even more convincing. Right now, doesnât this just look like the aftermath? Like you came in to take over the next round?â
Steven kept a straight face as he joined Gavial in mocking the situation. Thankfully, he hadnât actually done anythingâotherwise, this mess would be even harder to explain.
âSo? Am I supposed to take over for round two?â
âCanât you tell this is just a misunderstanding?â
âOh, I can tell. If I couldnât, Iâd be smashing your face in with a hammer right now instead of standing here and throwing out these useless comments.â
Gavial gave him a deadpan stare.Â
She could clearly see that nothing had actually happened between them, but that didnât stop her from wanting to roast this absurd situation.
âAlright, go ahead and explain it to her yourself.â
Steven rolled his eyes and stepped aside, revealing Frostleafâwho was still in the middle of getting dressedâdirectly to Gavial.
Now that she had calmed down and pieced the situation together, Frostleaf stood up expressionlessly and looked toward the doorway.
âI came here to repay Dr. Steve.â
âStop bringing up the ârepaymentâ part! Get to the point!â
Stevenâs mouth twitched.
âUnderstood. Mr. Steve said that if I was willing to do anything, I should just sleep with him.â
The moment those words left her mouth, Steven felt a chill run down his spine. Thatâs technically true, but youâre really not emphasizing the right part here!
âYou actually said that?â
Gavial barely spared Frostleaf a glance before tilting her head toward Steven.Â
She knew exactly what kind of person this little fox wasâlying wasnât her strong suit. In fact, she wasnât even good at basic human interaction.
Which meant Steven had definitely said something along those lines.
âI didââ
Before he could even finish speaking, he felt a gust of wind rush straight toward his legs.Â
Luckily, the attack wasnât that fastâit was more of a warning shot than an actual attempt to break something.
Steven easily dodged the incoming strike and turned to look at Gavial, who was wielding her long-handled hammer-like âstaff.â
âYouâre actually going all out?!â
âWerenât you the one who went all out first? You damn perv, all you do is waste food and drive up grain prices! Let me rid the world of you today!â
Gavial swung her weapon with the determination of someone about to carry out divine judgment.
âAhem, calm down. This girl doesnât even understand the situation properlyâshe insisted on repaying me, so I just teased her a little. How was I supposed to know sheâd actually take it seriously?â
Steven sighed and caught Gavialâs staff mid-swing, stopping her next attack. Only then did he take the time to explain the full context to her.
After struggling unsuccessfully to pull her staff back, Gavial finally huffed in frustration.
Why does this guy keep getting stronger? She had been actively training her strength over the past month, yet she still couldnât even budge her weapon from his grip.
Of course, she knew Steven wasnât actually that kind of person. She had just gone along with the joke. After all, if he really had those kinds of intentions, he wouldnât need to go through such ridiculous theatrics.
âWhy were you two fighting?â
Frostleaf tilted her head in confusion.Â
Why had they suddenly started fighting, only to just as suddenly stop?
What was the point of all that?
She had almost stepped in to help Steven fend off Gavial, but judging by how things had ended, that no longer seemed necessary.
âThatâs exactly why you need to make some friends,â Steven sighed. âGet out there, talk to people, have some fun. If you do that, youâll start to understand.â
She was way too rigidâso much so that even teasing her felt dull.Â
Compared to her, Talulah was way more interesting to mess with.
Yeah, tsundere girls were definitely more fun.
âIâve told you already, Frostleaf, itâs fine to be grateful, but you donât need to go this far. He doesnât need anything from you. If you knew just how much Mon3tr sacrificed for you, you wouldnât be thinking this way.â
Gavial let out a deep sigh.Â
She had no idea what Steven had done to Mon3tr, but considering how even mentioning his name made the creature freeze up for a few seconds, it was definitely nothing pleasant.
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