Chapter 25: Chapter Twenty-Four – Library Lovebird

“You should’ve woken me up!” Eurycelia pouted after she found me curled up in the library nibbling on a loaf of bread I’d braved the city to obtain. “It’s dangerous for you to wander outside the manor! Did you at least bring your undead?”

“I didn’t go far,” I sighed closing the book I’d been reading. “I noticed a bakery just outside the district when you were leading me here. It was an easy trip and I was starving. Ten days without food really sucks, even with magic helping me along.”

“So you didn’t bring the undead!” Eurycelia grumbled, stalking over to me. “I will have a talk with her about keeping a closer eye on you.”

“Do you really trust the city guard so little that you believe it is possible for me to be attacked in broad daylight?”

“Yes!” Eurycelia grabbed my shoulders, bringing her face close to mine. “You may not realize it but you’re easily one of the cutest most adorable women in the whole city. Honestly, I cannot imagine the thought process of someone who wouldn’t want to drag you home.”

“So you’re saying… you would attack me in broad daylight?”

Eurycelia’s cheeks began to turn red. “I’d at least invite you for dinner.”

“And if I said no?”

“Maybe… I’d follow you home so I could send you letters of admiration.”

Ah this councilwoman is a stalker.

“You know Eurycelia, I think you’re becoming more childish the more time we spend together.”

Releasing my shoulders Eurycelia sat in a nearby chair and gazed at me. “Would you prefer I keep up my public facade around you Lady Bernice?”

“Of course not. I’m just surprised your true self is… so youthful. In the world I came from a seventy-six year old woman would be seen as quite wise and venerable. Not that there weren’t exceptions even there.”

“Were there no long-lived species in your world?” Eurycelia tilted her head in confusion. “I have yet to reach my first century. Among Scaleborn there are even those who would say I am still a child. It is only humans that consider my age anything worthy of respect.”

“My world only had humans. There were legends of elves, orcs, and various things. But they existed only in our stories. If you were to come to earth with your horns and tiny hidden tail you’d be a legend come to life.”

As I mentioned her tail Eurycelia flinched and turned a deep shade of red. “You saw?” she mumbled, turning to gaze at a random bookshelf. Unable to make eye contact with me.

“If you sleep naked in my bed it is hard for me not to see.” I giggled. “It was cute.”

“Cute?!”

“Yeah, a tiny little green-scaled tail popping out from the base of your spine. Like the dragon version of a Boston Terrier!”

“Boston Terrier?”

“It is a breed of dog from my world. They have these adorable little scrunched noses, weird bat ears, and tiny little tails. They’re so cute, I begged Aun—Mommy Laura to let me have one when I was younger but she adamantly refused.”

“Why’d she refuse?”

“The reasons kept changing, so honestly I don’t know. All I can tell you is she was adamantly against it.”

“So in your world… is terrier the word for short tails? Am I a Scaleborn Terrier?”

For a second I sat there quietly staring at Eurycelia as my mind processed what she said. Honestly… I didn’t know what the word terrier meant. I knew there were several dog breeds with the word in their names. They were all small dogs too, perhaps the word just meant ‘small dog’. There was no way to find out now. So… when in doubt, go with the cutest answer!

“Yeah, I think you’d be a Scaleborn Terrier,” I replied doing my absolute best to keep from breaking out into a giggling fit.

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“Then in a way, I’m exactly what you’ve always wanted!” Eurycelia smiled, making a weird conclusion that I couldn’t even start to wrap my brain around.

Did something happen while I was out? She seems more infatuated with me now than she was before.

“On other topics, could you tell me what happened while I was unconscious? I feel kind of bad that we came all the way here to help the Council’s healers and the first thing I did was spend over a week in bed.”

“Well very little happened here at the manor. Kyra did gain permission from Otrea to use the gold stores here at the manor to hire attendants. We haven’t hired anyone yet though. I left your side only for biological needs and a single meeting of the council. So vetting possible attendants wasn’t possible. The council was surprised to hear you’d fallen ill, I decided to withhold the reason. Being the daughter of a primordial god is a really big deal, and even I realize it isn’t something to be shared openly.”

“Thank you for that. Also,” I chewed my lower lip. “Was there a reason you had me sleeping naked?”

Eurycelia turned red again, “I could feel your body heat more prominently without the sweater in the way.” She mumbled.

I found it hard to fault Eurycelia for what she’d done. The fact that she’d refused to leave my side for most of the time I spent unconscious was heartwarming. If the price I’d paid for her care was simply cuddles and a heat transfer, then I guessed it was a fair trade.

“So now that I’m awake what should we do?”

“I’ll send a message to the Council to let them know you’ve recovered, and that they can call on us when needed. While we wait for their summons I could teach you [Utility Magic]? Unless… you gained it after becoming a demigod.”

“I got nothing more than a minor stat boost. I’d still really appreciate you teaching me.”

The way she keeps smiling at me is really making my heart race. Seriously this councilwoman is dangerous.

“You can leave your education to me,” Eurycelia said hopping to her feet. “I only ask for one thing as payment.”

I have to pay her now?

“And that is?”

“A ki—”

“Master!” Kyra shouted stepping into the library.

“Yes?”

“Master Otrea would like to speak with you, now that you’re awake.” Kyra held out her hand with the little blue spider resting upon her palm.

“L-Lady Otrea.” I squeaked trying to keep my fear of the spider in check.

“I’m glad to hear your voice, Bernice.”

“I’m glad to hear yours as well, Lady Otrea.”

“Now perhaps you could tell me a bit more about how you became the child of a god.”

I turned and glared at Eurycelia who simply shrugged as if to say, ‘I couldn’t keep it secret from her!’

Stifling a sigh I began to regale Lady Otrea on the story of my divinity via the terrifying abomination held in Kyra’s hand. Hopeful that once I’d completed my tale she wouldn’t demand I return home for some kind of witch-y experiment.