My (Monster?) Hero Life

Chapter 238: Lilly

Kace felt incredibly weak when he came around. His vision was blurry, so he was unable to make anything out. He could faintly feel his body being jostled around, but there was nothing that he could do about it right now. His mouth felt as dry as a desert as if every bit of moisture had been sucked straight out of it.

"What's happening?" He croaked.

"We're almost. Back to. Stonefall. Just rest for. Now." Grugda's rough voice tried to soothe him. As a dark shadowy figure moved across Kace's line of sight.

"The Hydra. Did we get it?"

"Don't worry. They're carrying. Its carcass along. Behind you. Right now."

Kace slowly nodded his head. He was ecstatic that they recovered the body, but this simple movement caused a great deal of pain. It felt like the muscles in his neck were completely incapable of performing such an everyday gesture. He soon realised that the same applied for the rest of his body. The slightest movement anywhere brought on a sharp pain.

'I'm never using that again unless my life depends on it.' Kace thought solemnly. The drawbacks to such a skill were completely evident. He doubted that he would be in a fit state to immediately accompany Sophia to the Northern lines any time soon. This caused a feeling of regret to well up inside him. After all, he had given her his word that he would provide her with his aid.

Instead, his selfish quest for power put their friendship at risk. 'She'll understand once I explain. Right?' He could only hope so, the truth was he would not know for sure until he saw her in person. Kace passed in and out of consciousness for the next few days. Until one day, he woke up feeling a bit fresher than all the times before. 

The blurriness in his vision was no longer as prominent, and his aching body no longer felt like it had been run over by a train. There was still a fair bit of pain, just not as much as before. A stone ceiling came into view above him, and it felt like a comfortable bed was rubbing against his skin. Some green lines were coming out of his arms, but right now, he could not tell what they really were. 

A few footsteps caught his attention. Someone was moving around nearby. When he tried and failed to sit up, a peculiar smell invaded his nostrils. It made him feel relaxed, both mentally and physically. 'Is it some kind of sedative?' Kace felt that this guess was quite close to the mark.

"Oh, you're awake? How are you feeling?" A feminine voice that conjured the image of a beauty in Kace's wind suddenly asked.

"Ok? I guess?" Kace felt embarrassed that he could not think of anything better to say. He felt his cheeks becoming hot as he wondered what the woman was thinking about him.

"That's good. You're lucky, your friends got you back here in time. I don't know what you did out there, but I would advise against anything that could affect you like this. "

Kace felt like the woman was chastising him for his own stupidity. However, he did not feel angry at the imagined slight. Instead, he felt like the woman's voice harmonised with the smell so well that he was drifting back to sleep.

"Oh, right. What's your name?" Kace managed to stifle a yawn to ask this unimportant question.

"You can call me Lilly. I'll be looking after you until you make a full recovery. For now, why don't you get some more rest? My grandfather will pay you a visit later." The feminine voice chuckled softly.

"Sounds nice. Is he someone I know?" At this point, Kace could feel certain that the aroma was having some kind of mind-altering effect ion his body. 

"I should hope so! If you don't, then I'm sure he'll be very disappointed." Lilly had to hold herself back from bursting into laughter. 

"Ok, I'll see him soon." Kace was no longer in a state of mind to care. His mind quickly took him by the hand and led him off to dreamland yet again.

As Kace lay there snoring in a strangely serene way, Lilly chuckled once again. She reached out with a small, dainty hand to brush the hair away from Kace's face. 'You're quite handsome, aren't you? Now I know why grandfather said to make sure I was assigned to you. You're just my type!'

A bit of excitement rose in her ample chest as she stared at his naked chest. She ran her finger over his hairless chest, tracing intricate patterns. A ticklish moan escaped from Kace's mouth, making her excitement rise by another few levels. She was severely tempted to take a look below the covers, but she felt a powerful presence approaching the building.

With a gentle nudge, the window by Kace's bed was pushed open. The creature outside the window stared at Kace's form with a concerned gaze. It was almost warm as if it cared about what happened to him.

"How long will it take him to recover Lilly?" Elderbeard asked in his ancient voice as he tried to figure out how serious the damage was.

"A few days at the very least, grandfather." Lilly's petite figure bowed to the ancient giant standing in the garden of the mansion.

"Hm, keep an eye on him. Let me know if you need anything else for his treatment."

"Of course, grandfather. I'll let you know right away." Lilly let a warm smile spread on her face due to their conversation. However, it soon turned to a panicked expression with Elderbeard's next words.

"You should keep those Dryad urges to yourself, Lilly. I could smell your intentions before I even crossed the gate. Don't do anything stupid right now. I've already arranged for you to follow him to the north. You have to win him over to our side. Never lose sight of that."

"Of course, grandfather. I am at your command."

Elderbeard studied the youth carefully. The scent seemed to be receding, which meant that she was getting herself under control. He was pleased that she was able to do so. 'I was right to trust this matter to her. What becomes of it all depends on them now'