Skadi, My Wife

He rattled all that off in one breath, then enthusiastically invited—more like dragged—Lappland into his home.

For Lappland, whom people had always feared and even Texas kept at a respectful distance from, Chen An's enthusiasm was downright bizarre.

She had not reacted at first. By the time she processed Chen An's long speech and realized what had happened, he had already pulled her into the apartment.

Sitting on the apartment sofa, Lappland turned to look at Chen An bustling around the kitchen, pouring her water and bringing her fruit. She was completely dumbfounded.

What was wrong with this guy? Was he insane???

Miss Lappland was skilled at handling all kinds of situations.

Ambushes, assassination attempts, encirclement, pursuit, wanted notices, hostility... As long as the world remained the same—reality cruel and hostile toward her, forcing her to survive through endless killing—she could face even the most dangerous circumstances without fear and remain composed.

Lappland had always crazily believed that she could maintain a calm, unhurried, teasing attitude toward life no matter what happened. Sometimes, she had even been proud of it. But that pride was shattered today when she met Chen An.

She had never encountered anyone who, upon seeing her dressed like a dangerous criminal, would still treat her warmly. Wariness, distance, fear—those were the emotions normal people should have when they saw her.

Nor had she ever seen someone discover the Originium crystals on her leg, learn that she had Oripathy, and not only show no negative reaction, but instead ask with concern how she was feeling. Then he had even solemnly promised that he was a doctor and could examine her...

But today, she had met one. Chen An.

More importantly, this was their first meeting. Their first meeting!

If Chen An had not been so enthusiastic and so good at talking that he had accidentally coaxed her into giving him her name, she had not even intended to tell him that much.

Yet even so, he had remained endlessly enthusiastic.

Unreasonable! Impossible to understand!

How could there be someone so naive in this world? Had reality never beaten him down?

Convinced that Chen An had something wrong with his head for treating her so warmly and kindly, perhaps that he was an even bigger lunatic than she was, Lappland finished half a glass of water. Chen An tried to trick her into holding out her hand so he could examine her, but failed. Then he began sweet-talking her into staying as a guest until Texas and the others came back. Lappland immediately used the excuse that she had something to do, rose to her feet, and left.

She looked as though some terrifying flood or beast were chasing her, as if she could not flee fast enough.

Chen An panicked and hurried after her. "Wait, Lappland! I really do know medicine, and I really have a special drug that can stabilize Oripathy. Even if you don't want me to examine you and insist on leaving, at least take the medicine with you!"

He forcibly stuffed the medicine bottle in his hand into Lappland's hand. Just as Chen An was about to say something else, Lappland leaped up and cleanly jumped down from the building.

"Huh!?"

Startled by Lappland's actions, Chen An rushed to the corridor railing and looked down. Once he saw that she had landed safely, he could not help scratching his head.

"I wasn't even done talking. That girl is way too shy, isn't she?"

"...Naive idiot."

Beneath a tree by the roadside, Lappland looked up through the gaps in the branches at Chen An, who was still peering around from the upstairs corridor as though looking for someone. After a moment of silence, she sneered. "So completely lacking in vigilance and caution... One day, reality will devour him without even leaving scraps behind. Texas has really grown softer and softer, becoming friends with an idiot like that."

"And this thing..."

She weighed the bottle Chen An had forced into her hand—the so-called special drug that could stabilize Oripathy—and curled her lip disdainfully.

"How could Oripathy be so easy to treat? He actually claimed this thing could treat Oripathy. Does he take me for an idiot?"

She wanted to casually toss the medicine away, but after hesitating for no apparent reason, Lappland somehow ended up slipping it into her pocket.

"Naive idiot."

She cursed again, then turned and left.

Lappland Is a Shy, Good Girl

Exusiai and Texas had returned to Lungmen.

In fact, they could have returned to Lungmen two days ago. But Exusiai had deliberately dawdled along the way, delaying them until today.

After finding a parking space beneath the apartment building and parking the car, Exusiai looked up at the floor where their apartment was, then continued to dawdle without going inside.

Texas waited for her for quite a while. Seeing that she was still acting like this, she grew a little impatient. "What exactly are you dragging your feet over? If you don't get moving, I'm going back by myself."

Exusiai hemmed and hawed for a while before carefully saying, "How about we don't go back yet? We could call Emperor and ask if there are any other jobs, then go do another one?"

Texas raised a brow, studied Exusiai seriously for a moment, and said, "You feel guilty?"

"W-What nonsense!"

Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Exusiai sprang up at once. Her face reddened as she became wildly agitated. The Halo above her head flared brightly, and even the wings she always kept hidden suddenly popped out behind her.

"What do I have to feel guilty about!? What could I possibly feel guilty about!? Do you think I care about what Croissant said? Let me tell you, I don't care at all! I just don't have any money in my pocket and want to do a few more jobs to earn some spending money!"

"I never mentioned Croissant. You did."

Exusiai froze completely.

Texas added blandly, "We just got back from a job, and you're not like Croissant, always wanting to buy fancy equipment. It's only everyday expenses. Even if you spend recklessly and never save money, the job payment should still be enough to last you a while. How could you be out of money?"

Exusiai argued stubbornly, "I have money now, but what about later? Haven't you noticed that we've gotten lazier lately and have been taking fewer and fewer jobs? If we don't hurry up and work hard to make more money now, what if we see something we like later and can't afford it?"

Texas looked at Exusiai in surprise, somewhat impressed. "Looks like that saying was wrong. Love can make people stupid, but sometimes it can also make them smarter. You actually learned to think on your feet and came up with an excuse like that. Exusiai, you've really made me see you in a new light."

Exusiai's expression stiffened, and she flew into a rage. "Who's in love!? I don't like Chen An! What nonsense are you spouting, you idiot Lupo!? And what do you mean by that? Was I really that stupid before!?"

"Not stupid. Just easily impulsive."

Texas turned away, her tone still calm and detached. "Think whatever you want. We finally made it home, so I need to go back and take a bath first. After that, I need to let Chen An and Skadi know we're back. I don't want to eat takeout."

Exusiai panicked. "Hey, don't leave me behind... Huh, Lappland?"

Seeing Lappland suddenly appear, Texas stopped walking. She frowned, her expression turning wary. "Lappland, why are you here?"

"Of course, I missed you after not seeing you for so long, Texas, so I came especially to see you. And while I was at it, I came to meet your new friend."

Lappland grinned, her smile playful and dangerous. "Your new friend named Chen An actually dared invite me into his home as a guest and said he wanted to treat me. He really is hopelessly naive."

"!?"

Texas's pupils shrank. Her hand instinctively went to the sword at her waist, and her gaze turned fierce. "What did you do to him!?"

Exusiai's face changed, her expression becoming extremely ugly. She had the urge to rush upstairs immediately and see whether Chen An was all right.

"I only had a glass of water, ate a little something, and chatted about you, Texas."

Lappland shrugged carelessly. "I may be a madwoman, but I'm not a murderer. That man did nothing to hinder me, and he is your friend, Texas. Naturally, I wouldn't do anything to him."

Lappland was lying here.

When Chen An invited her into his home as a guest, she had only drunk half a glass of water. Aside from that, she had not eaten anything, nor had she talked with Chen An about Texas.

It was not that she did not want to talk. It was simply that Chen An had completely controlled the rhythm of the conversation. If she had not slipped away so quickly later, he might have sweet-talked her into taking off even her clothes—her coat, specifically, for a physical examination!

But could she tell Texas and the others about that?

What a joke! Did she not care about her pride!?

She had been frightened into running away because an ordinary person had been too enthusiastic toward her. If word of that got out, how was she supposed to keep showing her face afterward!?

Exusiai sighed in relief at her words, but she was still worried. No longer bothering to agonize over things as she had before, she hurried into the building.

Though her expression remained wary, Texas lowered the hand resting on her sword hilt.

After a moment of silence, she said, "Chen An is my friend. Don't drag him into our affairs."

"Are you trying to protect him?"

Lappland's tone was frivolous, clearly not accusatory. "Indeed. Someone with such a naive personality, someone who dares show kindness even to a madwoman like me, is a rare breed. Even I find him interesting. But Texas, who can you protect in your current state?"

Her voice gradually softened, and the wildness in her eyes deepened. "You've become increasingly cowardly. But you should know that some things cannot be escaped. One day, your past will catch up with you."

"I'm not running away. I simply like my life as it is now."

Texas said, "You're right. One day, my past will catch up with me. But there's nothing to fear in that. I've already found my future. What about you, Lappland? You want me to return to who I used to be, but are you still who you used to be?"

She was unusually talkative, and seemed somewhat sad. "You weren't like this before. Was it Oripathy that changed you? You know that nothing from the past can ever be restored. Yet you still gave up on your future."

Lappland said nothing, her expression dark.

"You're dying. Go to Chernobog or Rhodes Island. Those two places can save your life. No matter what you think, staying alive is what matters most."

Texas knew that Chen An could also treat Oripathy, because he had treated many Oripathy patients in the Lower District. Though he apparently could only ease the suffering caused by Oripathy and could not truly cure it, that was still treatment.

But she did not tell Lappland any of this, because she did not want Lappland getting too close to Chen An.

"Leave. I don't want to see you anymore."

After saying that, Texas left Lappland behind and walked away.

Watching Texas's departing figure, Lappland's eyes were dark and distant, like a lone wolf.

"Chen An! Chen An! Hurry up and open the door!"

"Why are you yelling so loud—whoa! What are you doing? Sexual harassment!?"

"Quit talking nonsense and let me check."

While Chen An was at home watching television with Skadi, he suddenly heard a familiar voice calling at the door, and it sounded extremely urgent.

Not only that, the knocking was heavy—bang, bang, bang—as if someone wanted to smash the door apart.

Worried that something might have happened, Chen An hurried to the door and opened it. But the moment it opened, Exusiai, who had been calling for him outside, pounced on him and began feeling around behind him.

She anxiously looked Chen An over and found nothing wrong. Then she noticed his strange expression, as well as Skadi sitting on the living room sofa and watching her curiously. Exusiai's face reddened, and she hurriedly pulled back her hands.

She coughed dryly and put on an act. "It's good that you're fine. I was worried Lappland might have bullied you."

"Lappland?"

Chen An was surprised and could not help asking, "You mean that Lappland? The white-haired one, the cute and shy Lappland?"

Exusiai: "???"

Question marks practically appeared over her head. Miss Exusiai wore an expression as though she had seen a ghost. "Cute and shy? Are we talking about the same Lappland? Do you have some kind of misunderstanding about her?"

"She is pretty cute."

Recalling how he had met Lappland yesterday, Chen An nodded with deep conviction. "The scar over her left eye does make her seem like she's not to be messed with, but considering she became embarrassed and quickly left after I invited her inside, I think my impression was correct."

"And you have the nerve to say that!"

Exusiai suddenly got angry. With her hands on her hips, she shouted fiercely, "Sneaking off to the Lower District by yourself all the time is bad enough. No matter how dangerous it is there, it has its limits, and the people in the Lower District all treat you like one of their own. But is Lappland someone you can mess with? One look at her and anyone should know she's not a good person! Yet you actually invited her into your home. Aren't you afraid she might suddenly go crazy and chop you to death, leaving Skadi a widow!?"

Skadi: "...?"

Huh? Why had she been brought up for no reason?

Confused orca.jpg

Chen An was somewhat speechless. "Aren't you exaggerating Lappland a little too much? Aren't she, you, and Texas friends? And besides..."

He raised a hand and flicked Exusiai on the forehead, putting on a stern face. "Have I always been too easygoing with you, giving you some kind of misunderstanding? Do you think I'm some kind of good person? You're looking down on me!"

Exusiai: "..."

She gave him a sidelong glance, her eyes full of contempt.

Anyone could say they were not a good person, but him... Hah, was he trying to make her laugh herself to death?

As long-standing partners, Exusiai and Texas had different personalities but excellent mutual understanding. Often, just one look was enough for them to know what the other was thinking.

Chen An was the same, especially with Exusiai. After all, Exusiai had an outgoing personality and was always straightforward. Whatever was on her mind was usually written all over her face.

Chen An could tell that Exusiai was looking down on him. He could even read her exact thoughts from her eyes, and it made him quite unhappy.

But considering how worried she had been that something might have happened to him, he could not be bothered to argue with her.

A chop of his hand landed on Exusiai's head, making her cry out in pain and crouch down while clutching her head. The magnanimous Chen An, who was never petty, then leaned out to look down both sides of the corridor.

He was puzzled. "Why are you alone? Where's Texas?"

Exusiai said nothing. She rose angrily, clenched her fists, and glared at Chen An, as though flames were burning in her eyes.

He actually dared sneak-attack her. That stupid blockhead was dead!

"Is she behind you... Ah, forget it. Whatever it is, we can talk later."

The crafty Chen An gave Exusiai no chance to explode. He pressed a hand to her shoulder, turned her around, then unceremoniously kicked her out the door.

"Go take a bath and change your clothes. Otherwise you'll be covered in sweat stink. It reeks."