I Raised A Black Dragon

Noah’s hair, which cascaded below her chest, were slowly pulled towards the back, and before she knew it, Kyle had lowered his head, taking his hand to the chains fastened on her neck. It was a completely different touch from Adrian’s.

Kyle carefully lifted the restraint slightly, then checked the wound, sighing briefly. His faint breath brushed the skin between Noah’s earlobes and neck.

With utmost care, he began to apply the disinfectant across her reddened skin. Noah shuddered at the cold sensation, her shoulders straightening.

“Wait a minute.”

“Stay still.”

How am I supposed to eat this? 

Noah clutched a spoon in her hand but she was stiffened. Kyle continued to squeeze a small amount of ointment on his finger and then applied it to her wound. The feeling of the thick cream being spread across her neck made her body feel numb.

“Does it hurt?” Kyle asked. He must have mistaken Noah’s contorted face for pain. She shook her head unknowingly and this time, a groan escaped her lips. Kyle clicked his tongue. “What day of the week was your first class with Minister Rossinell? Tuesday?”

“Yes… Tuesday.”

“Then go and ask him to loosen the restraint. You’ll have a scar if it will keep grazing your neck.”

Noah couldn’t swallow her saliva, let alone eat the stew, while Kyle covered the wound with a gauze and bandaged it so her skin wouldn’t get scraped by the metal. Kyle was much better at treating wounds than Noah. Then, he finally took his hands off her after he had tied the bandage in moderation so that it was neither too tight nor too loose to slide down.

Noah managed to exhale a long breath upon realizing that she had been holding her breath for the entire moment. But her breath soon hitched again when Kyle lifted her left hand this time.

“Well, if you like…”

He seemed to mutter something like a curse, but Noah couldn’t hear him well. Noah then put the spoon down, thinking she would have an upset stomach if she consumed more in her current condition.

“I still have a conscience.” Kyle muttered as he neatly padded her wrist with a bandage and carefully placed her hand back on the table afterwards. Only then did Noah notice his eyes, staring at her.

“……?” Her eyes met with his violet eyes which were filled with wonder.

“Are you finished?” asked Kyle. 

“…Yes.”

“You haven’t finished.”

“I’m full.”

Kyle’s eyebrows rose at her surprising answer, and he shook his head stubbornly. Kyle was a keen man who seemed to be a hundred steps ahead of everyone else, but now he seemed to have no idea what Noah was thinking. 

As he rose to hide his agitated expression, a suspecting voice followed. “Miss Noah, I don’t think your stomach was easily full before…”

“I’ve had enough. Thank you for the meal!” Noah squeaked. She must have been really exhausted today. Well, it was understandable as she dealt with a stalker who had the talent to piss a woman on her first trial. Noah attempted to run to the bedroom, but was quickly caught by Kyle.

“Brush your teeth.”

“Oh, okay!”

When Kyle’s hand touched her shoulder, Noah flinched again, and then ran into the bathroom without looking straight into his eyes.

Upon entering the bathroom, she glanced at the mirror while taking a quick breath, and there she saw a beautiful woman in her pajamas with slightly flushed ears. Her face was full of embarrassment that she couldn’t hide it.

Why am I suddenly so nervous? Didn’t he treat your wound only? In fact, you’ve even treated the wound on his cheek just a few days ago!

Yet strangely, Noah felt nauseous. It felt completely different from her chest pounding as a response to Muell’s mana, but she wasn’t an idiot enough to wonder why her heart was suddenly racing.

Noah let out a dry laugh. “..I guess there weren’t too many men in her life.”

Otherwise, a little skinship wouldn’t affect her to such extent. Noah tapped the faucet to get the water running and stuck her head in as a desperate attempt to freeze her thoughts.

Kyle, who saw her head in the sink, nagged that the bandage he had wrapped at his best would get soaked along, and that if she slept without drying her hair, she would catch a cold. 

Noah then concluded to herself that her psychological state was indeed unstable and stayed in her room until she fell asleep, exhausted by her own thoughts.

The promised eight o’clock had long passed.