Bound To The Ice Dragon King
Chapter 77: Consoling

Chapter 77: Consoling

Draven didn’t even have the strength to reply to Rhea, he just quietly closed his eyes and leaned against the headboard to regain his senses. He took almost half an hour before his complexion slowly started to get better.

Meanwhile, Rhea didn’t talk again and simply watched him the entire time. But the longer she looked at his state, the more she thought life hadn’t been fair to this fellow, it wasn’t really easy for him to live to this moment. One, he had to live with a corrupted heart that needed blood, second he was a fugitive, who would be killed on sight for a crime he hadn’t committed. Third, he had no powers to fight his enemy even though she was right in front of him awhile ago.

How cruel. Rhea thought. She watched him until he slowly opened his eyes again. When their eyes meet, Rhea subconsciously asked, "Are you still in pain?" Although, they shared each other’s pain, it wasn’t the same when Rhea was close to him. She rarely felt his pain, unless it was so strong. Thus, she couldn’t feel his current state.

Draven shook his head, "Not much, my system is just rejecting your aura, i will be fine before tommorow." He murmured.

Rhea nodded, then asked again. "What about you, are you alright?"

A slight frown settled between his brows at her question, but then he nod his head. "Yes..." He replied curtly as he thought she was asking about his condition again.

However, that wasn’t what Rhea was asking. She actually wanted to know if he was truly alright after meeting his former lover. Nevertheless, seeing his closed off expression, she held back from rephrasing her question, which was rare of her to do.

She stood silently beside the bed, witnessing as he was struggling to even breathe properly, his black hair cascading messily over his shoulder in waves, and his lips taking on a nearly corpse-like shade of purple. Witnessing his pitiful state, Rhea unconsciously reached out and tenderly stroked his disheveled hair, whispering softly,

"Do not worry, everything will be fine..."

Hearing her soft words and feeling her tender touch on his hair, Draven astonishingly glanced up, and when their eyes met, Rhea was taken aback by her own actions.

The light in the room seemed to flicker, as Rhea could see her reflection in Draven’s eyes. Slowly, her face started to heat up. Then without hesitation she cupped his cheeks in her palm and turned his head away to the other side, to avoid looking at his ridiculously gorgeous eyes.

Rhea cleared her throat, "Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t stroke your hair on purpose. You know I’m under the influence of some stupid potion, I have no control over my feelings and actions." She explained. In normal situation, even if a man was beaten near death, she still wouldn’t stroke their hair nor say such words to make them feel better. Thus, she concluded that her earlier actions was due to the potion.

Draven didn’t say anything and allow her to continue holding his face to the other side. Her palm on his cheeks were extremely cold in compare to his currently hot body due to her aura messing up his dragon system. Letting her palm remain on his cheeks, made him felt a soothing coolness. He subconsciously even closed his eyes to the soothing feeling. And at that same moment, his still heart skipped another beat.

Knowing that someone felt distressed for him, knowing that someone was making an attempt to console him, even if it was due to the potion’s effect...it truly moved his heart, that had been still and in a deep of darkness for so long.

Without even realizing it, Draven began to move his face more into her palms, but right at that moment, as if realizing she was still holding his face, Rhea quickly pulled away her palms from his heated face.

Draven didn’t know what came over him, but he suddenly grabbed her wrist before she could completely pull away. He didn’t want her to remove her soothing hand from him. He slightly looked down at her palm in his hand, then murmured softly. "Thank you..."

Rhea’s dazed state was abruptly interrupted by his words. "For what?" She withdrew her hand from his and hastily wiped her palm on her dress, as if hoping to erase the sensation of his touch that was causing her body to respond.

Draven didn’t immediately reply. To be honest, he wanted to thank her for everything she’d done for him, from the day she stood protectively in front of him and saved him from the shadow stalkers to this moment. But in the end, he could only say,

"For helping me back there, and for holding me back from attacking."

Rhea causally waved her hands. "There’s no need to thank me for that, I did that to save myself. If I let you charge at Alina in your current state, and you lose your life, I’d also die along with you. So there’s no need to thank me." She murmured.

Draven didn’t say anything and curtly nodded his head in understanding.

Rhea then said, "Speaking of Alina, she almost caught me back there, but the surprising facts is that she didn’t seem to recogniz you even though she glanced at you. She’s really heartless. If I were her, I wouldn’t be able to sleep after committing this much evil, my conscience would hunt me down. And after what she did to you, she still stood there calmly and unbothered. I wouldn’t be surprised if she turned out to be the descendant of the devil."

Draven remained silent, but he internally agreed with Rhea’s words. Alina did looked unbothered. Decades had passed since they’d parted ways, she almost couldn’t even recognize him for all the hundred years they’d been together as a couple.

However, for him, even if Alina changed her appearance, concealed her aura, changed her identity, he wouldn’t mistake her eyes even if another hundred years passed by. She had been imprinted in his heart and soul for her betrayal decades ago.

Draven let out a self-mocking laughter, "Yes, she didn’t even recognize my presence. But then, why would she recognize me when all the hundred of years we’d been together, she never saw me as a person but as a mere tool?" His eyes was cold, but his tone was filled with ridicule as he spoke, "To Alina, I’m just a creature with no feelings, and an item to achieve her own goals. How will she remember anything about the tool she used years ago? I am nothing to her."

He hated her so much to the extent it made him feel powerless. The most powerless thing in this world was hating someone with every fiber of your body, but that person had already decided to forget what you even look like.

It made him feel so powerless, hopeless, and utterly useless as a dragon king.

"Then make the bitch remember how powerful you used to be in the past." Rhea said, "let her know you are not an item to be used and forgotten. Let her know your are also living a soul with emotions, and powers to hate, make her suffer double times the pain you went through. Show the bitch right where she belongs, in hell!"

Draven was left speechless by Rhea’s words, infact he was stunned. He gazed at her silently for an extended period, while the moonlight from the window illuminated her face. In that moment, he had a sudden realization about what Rhea meant when she referred to him as the most beautiful thing in the world due to the potion in her body.

At that very moment, he also realized that Rhea herself was the epitome of beauty. It was as if he was encountering a completely new side of her. As he continued to fixate on her face, he observed her cheeks gradually turning red once again. Unconsciously, the corner of his mouth twitched, and without averting his gaze, he uttered,

"By saying those deeply touching words, does that imply that you are willing to remain by my side forever, assisting me in seeking revenge against Alina?"

Rhea was taken aback by his words, as if realizing what she’d said, she cleared her throat. "What? I...I didn’t mean it that way, and I’m not staying by your side forever. Why are we even talking about this," she quickly stood up from the edge of the bed, "We didn’t succeed in getting your powers nor releasing the dragons, we have to make another plan tommorow, but right now I’m hungry. I’ll go and look for food, you should rest and regain your strength."

After saying that, Rhea immediately hurried out of the room. Draven listened to her hurried footsteps down the stairs. Without realizing it, a smile graced his lips, revealing his set of front teeth.

Was she embarrassed? Her flushed face only made her look cuter like a bunny. Draven thought as he shook his head. But when he raised his eyes to the door, the smile on his face slowly faded as he realized the room felt empty.

When Rhea was here a moment ago, the room felt more alive. But now, he unexpectedly felt like the light in his life was taken away, everything around him turned grey and empty. The silence in the room seemed to eat away his soul and reminded him how lonely he was.

The loneliness was slightly penetrating his bones, it was so unbearable to him.