The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 184 - That Jealous Heat Could Have Thawed Her Frozen Fingers

Chapter 184: Chapter 184 - That Jealous Heat Could Have Thawed Her Frozen Fingers

Qatrand found her wife deep in discussion with her father. Elua had moved around behind his chair and was gesturing at some sort of an illusory diagram floating above his scattered papers. Those mint eyes were lit with that look which meant she was fully engaged in explaining something complex.

Ondua noticed the Yecine ’first’.

"Ah, perfect timing."

The ’Projection’ fizzled away as the brunette man gave the raven-haired son-in-law an appraising look - one that felt different from his usual warm regard. It was much more like her family elders... or when a senior member of the Guild was briefing her on a mission.

"Perfect timing indeed. So, what do you think?"

The girl stepped and spun to face him, softly waving both her hands before raising a finger across her lips. It confused him for only a moment, before he realized that he was meant to keep their discussion quiet. At least until he’d looked more into it.

"I’ll see what I can do about your suggestion, daughter."

"That’s all I ask. Thank you for your time, father."

Her ’innocent’ smile did not quite hide the satisfaction of her schemes progressing. Elua stepped around the desk in a hurry, the fragment in the swordswoman’s chest pulsed with ’affection’ as she crossed to her husband-wife’s side.

She locked her arm once again around Qat’s before she waved goodbye to the Goltbred Patriarch. As the Yecine ’heir’ nodded her head at him before leaving, the cute girl furthered their display of closeness by also holding the hand of the arm she clung to.

On the way out of the Ironclad Order, the passing cultivators all got to see the young Yecine being ’indulgent’ with the Goltbred heiress. It surprised some of them, even having heard rumors. The heavy sword their family was known for would be slower to use... and the taller of them clearly had to take smaller steps to match the shorter’s stride.

’I know it’s more important that El feels my care, but letting others see that I cherish her is also nice.’

The reincarnator could tell that, despite the stoic expression on her face, Qatrand er Yecine felt ’pride’ every time glances in her line of sight lingered on them. That sort of adorable behavior made it hard not to ask to be carried through the city!

’Don’t take advantage of her love, be mature. Don’t take adv-’

"You mentioned wanting to show me something related to the competition preparations?"

The ’content’ brunette heard the question and couldn’t help but lean her cheek against the black blazer sleeve.

"Mm, I did. I thought we could stop by our little place. I haven’t been to my workshop in a while."

With the new Guild branch, the competition grounds, and the research camp... Elua had not had a lot of time for hobbies or disciples. She would have to deal with both soon, before things got even busier.

---

The walk to the workshop was peaceful as they discussed minor events from their time apart. At the little home, they found fresh leathers delivered by Nohre and Fusand stacked neatly by her worktable.

The artisan immediately released Qat’s arm to examine the materials, holding up different sections to study their grain with practiced eyes.

"Oh good, they remembered the thicker pieces I requested for them be on the lookout for."

Elua immediately began sorting through the materials, most of her focus shifting to her old craft.

"The quality is even better than I expected. My little workers are getting good at this."

Fingers traced the edges of a particularly promising cut of porcine hide for an idea she had - and Qat watched her cute wife become absorbed in her work. A fond smile tugged at the swordswoman’s lips as she finished repigmenting her hair to its natural blonde.

The way those mint eyes lit up over this reminded her of the Youth Guild days. Whenever she would read her letters, she imagined the ’medical fairy’ would get equally excited about helping injured students.

’I feel like she would deny it, after what she told me happened in her last life after her parents’ demise. But I also feel like she would be lying to herself. I’m sure there are lots of other things she could have picked to do to be popular - and she chose that.’

If Qat actually bothered to say it, the ancient cultivator would admit she was certainly a hypocrite... but defaulting to ’things you know’ didn’t mean you were always excited about them!

"I’m going to get us something to eat. You should take a break after all that traveling."

"Oh? I’ll come with-"

The small heiress started to offer, but a gentle hand was placed on her head. Fingers scratched through the brown strands while the low voice of the tall and muscular teenager spoke in a firm tone.

"Stay here and enjoy your new materials. I won’t be long."

The tendrils of spirit holding tight to her cute wife’s arms caught the flutter of happiness at being simultaneously indulged and *instructed*. With dulled mint eyes, the brunette nodded into the hand showing affection.

---

Qatrand noticed the temperature first when she walked in - a subtle coolness in the surroundings that hadn’t been there outside the door. Her pigeon-blue eyes caught her wife’s fingers flexing behind the chair while reading something at her desk.

The Yecine quickly moved to close the distance and reached down to capture those restless hands. While she knew her spouse had returned, a small gasp still escaped the brunette’s throat at the warm contact.

"El. Your hands are really cold."

The reincarnator tried vainly to pull away, but the gentle grip of the blonde had no intention of letting her. The swordswoman’s larger hands pulled Elua’s smaller ones back around the front toward the table. Qat enveloped them completely, sharing their warmth in a much more literal way than usual.

The schemer was kind of disappointed in herself.

’I could have planned this! Why didn’t I think of this?!’

"It was just a little practice with... something new."

Dull mint eyes fixed on their joined hands as Qat began meticulously rubbing heat back into each finger. The tender attention made the ancient spirit balloon with a nourishing nectar... and the fits it was having did not slip past her fortress.

"Okay. You’ll tell me about it later?"

"I’ll tell you anything right now, if you want me to. Though..."

A familiar spark of ’mischief’ lit around the core of her spirit. Bright mint eyes stared into Qat’s after she wiggled around to face her. The facade that had melted away when she left was back in full force!

"This does present quite the predicament. If my hands get cold while practicing this technique, you might have to hold them more often. Much more often. Once a day. For safety reasons, naturally."

The brunette’s ’innocent’ smile didn’t match the possessive intent radiating through the fragment. Qatrand felt her ears warm even as her lips fought the smile her cute wife’s words brought.

"Naturally."

"Watching the Frozen Duskblade during her setup gave me some ideas about manipulating air temperature, so I’ve been working to eventually mimic the Frost effects I’d witnessed."

Elua easily pivoted to admit this, while her fingers pushed back at and curled contentedly in Qat’s warm grip. Her spouse chuckled, recalling a written and voiced complaint from her El.

"Oh? I thought you were tired of those two in your house fawning over her."

"Well, I am. However, It’s hardly surprising she has admirers. She is quite striking. The woman has beauty and mastery with a blade - it’s no wonder she draws attention."

The illusionist’s intent remained thoughtfully academic as she spoke, yet the fragment in her caught Qat’s spike of emotion. The heiress noticed her wife’s stiffening posture before the hands that were holding hers pulled gradually away.

"Interesting praise. From someone who once said my own blade work needed refinement."

’Hnng~’

The brunette tilted her head and poked at her own cheek, one side of her mouth curving into a knowing grin.

"Ah, is my fortress feeling a bit jealous?"

"I simply find it curious that you’d admire another swordswoman so openly."

Elua stood on her knees in the chair. She leaned up and closer while her voice dropped to a slightly lower register.

"Mmm, but while impressive, she lacks something essential. The reason she fights is different."

She placed her hands on the top of the chair and got to her feet, leaning even more up toward her husband-wife’s ear to whisper more truth.

"Most importantly, you have a more lovely musculature that makes my heart race. Especially when combined with that protective gleam in your spirit."

A light blush colored Qat’s cheeks as she pulled back, but she maintained her stern expression.

"You’re trying to distract me."

"Is it not working?"

The expected and desired calloused hand immediately gripped her forehead.

"I rather enjoy seeing this side of you, my love. Though I do hope you know that while I can appreciate other cultivators’ technical abilities, there’s only one swordswoman who would ever hold my heart."

The fragment pulsed with that dense ’love’ always swirling inside her wife, making Qat’s lingering tension soften despite herself. But she didn’t let go of her little punishment, no matter how much she understood the girl never saw the act as such.

"Just... try not to sound so impressed by her next time."

"If you think that sounded like admiration, then you should really listen to how I talk about you to others when you aren’t around. Still... it will be as you wish, my so-very-wronged beloved."

Elua tilted her face and pressed a quick kiss to the girl’s wrist.