NOVEL WEB Chapter 103: Don’t Treat Me Like I’m Not Human!
Chapter 103: Don’t Treat Me Like I’m Not Human!
“Ailin, come here! Let me check if those scoundrels did anything to you.”
The Ice Dragon King looked at his daughter and called her over, wanting to thoroughly check her body for any foul play.
“Don’t worry, Father. I’m perfectly fine. Those scoundrels wouldn’t dare mess with me since I’m such an important sacrifice for them.”
In reality, during her time in captivity, Ailin felt more like she was on vacation. Her treatment was nothing like Carl’s, who was truly suffering—sometimes going an entire day without a meal.
On the other hand, she was treated quite respectfully. Every day, they would offer her tributes to eat and drink, afraid of mistreating her in any way. Still, even with such treatment, Ailin couldn’t shake her determination to return home.
Of course! Knowing she was destined to be a sacrifice, she thought it better to fight for a way home than to simply enjoy meals here and wait for her doom. Ailin knew the difference between two meals a day and a single meal.
“Ailin, welcome back! You have no idea how much Gaia suffered during your absence—he was mumbling your name all the time.”
Mios eagerly rushed over to hug Ailin, sharing the latest on Gaia’s condition.
“Wait! Mios, don’t say that! It’s so embarrassing!”
Gaia quickly stopped Mios from revealing his cringe-worthy state. If Ailin found out that he was a wreck while she was gone, he would be mortified.
“Huh? What’s embarrassing about that? What do you think, Ailin?”
“Not embarrassing at all! Knowing Gaia would fall apart without me makes it clear I can’t leave him behind!”
Ailin teased Gaia deliberately. It was surprising how someone who seemed so strong would turn into a mess without her. Should she be worried? This meant she could never leave him!
“Hey, stop talking! I just don’t want you to leave me. Is that a crime?”
Gaia reluctantly admitted he couldn’t live without Ailin, his wife. So what? Is that embarrassing? Not at all!
“I never said it was a no! But Gaia, to become such a crybaby without me? That’s concerning! How would you lead this country without me?”
Ailin grinned mischievously while saying this.
“Alright, alright. Ailin, please stop bullying me; it’s really no fun.”
Gaia understood that Ailin was just teasing him. Even under the worst circumstances, her mischievous side never vanished!
“I think bullying you is quite entertaining! Right, Mios?”
“Absolutely! Bullying Gaia is a blast; I’m totally in!”
“Enough already, you two! Can’t I just return without being picked on?”
Gaia looked at them both, utterly exasperated. Was it really this fun to tease him?
“Okay, okay. No more teasing. Thank you for storming their Base Camp to save me! I honestly didn’t expect that.”
“I promised you! If you got captured, I’d come save you. As a king and a husband, I must keep my promises.”
Gaia proudly patted his chest. He had made a vow, and he intended to uphold it.
“Thanks for keeping your promise.”
Ailin was surprised to see Gaia truly fulfilling his promise by rescuing her from the Adrian People’s Base Camp.
Honestly… didn’t this mean she was even more unable to leave him? It seems she was losing hope of ever returning to Earth.
“Alright, alright! If you two want to show off your love, you have plenty of time later. Can I take care of some things first? Or should I just let you dump more tasks on me?”
Just then, Ouxs walked in, noticing the love-fest happening in front of him.
“Ouxs?! What happened to your face? Did Gaia make you work the night shift or something? That would scare even the hardiest of mules!”
Seeing Ouxs’s face worse than she imagined, Ailin stepped closer to inspect it. Yep, he looked a lot worse for wear!
“What do you think? It’s all to save you! Gaia piled a mountain of tasks on me! So here I am, burning the midnight oil just to keep up. Otherwise, I’d be failing my title of Sage!”
Ouxs yawned as he spoke, clearly still not fully recovered.
“Ouxs, if you’re not feeling well, get some more rest. I’ll handle the upcoming work. With Ailin by my side, my efficiency will soar by 1000%! So go recharge; I promise to give you a bonus later!”
Gaia realized he had let Ouxs do way too much during this time. The only way to make it up to him now was with a generous bonus.
“You do know I don’t need money, right?”
Ouxs stared at Gaia; did he need that kind of reward? As the Sage of the Royal Palace, he was never short on cash.
“Then what do you want? I’ll do my best to make it up to you.”
“Just don’t pile these kinds of tasks on me again. Do you have any idea how painful it is to work for 36 hours straight without eating or drinking?”
From Ouxs’s expression, it was clear he was thoroughly dissatisfied with the recent work.
If this were Earth, it would be like your boss dumping a project on you with an unrealistic deadline, while they only had to give orders.
No wonder Ouxs was unhappy with Gaia’s demands. If they were on Earth, Ouxs might just fry Gaia’s squid for this!