CHAPTER 167: CHAPTER 167: WATER SPIRIT

Mr. Crow paced anxiously, feathers ruffled so high he looked twice his usual size. Every time Lana swayed, he nearly lunged to steady her, but he held back.

He couldn’t touch her. No one could.

He might cause a catastrophic backlash.

By nightfall, the final wave of pain had finally ebbed.

Lana’s strength snapped.

She collapsed onto the cold floor, her breath a faint whisper, her body limp like a doll.

She looked like a corpse.

Lucian felt something in his chest twist violently, as if someone had reached in and ripped at his heart.

He dashed forward, but before he could reach her, Mr. Crow burst forward in a blur of feathers and fury, flaring his wings wide and blocking Lucian’s path.

The tiny bird even lashed out with its wing, slapping Lucian’s hand.

"Caw! Caw!" You can’t touch her!

Lucian froze. Only then did realization crash into him.

If he had touched her impulsively, even a single accidental surge of his spirit energy could have killed her instantly.

He forced himself to stand still, jaw tight, fists trembling.

He could only watch her lie there, pale and unmoving, while his heart screamed at him to act.

They remained like that for an hour.

An hour of helplessness and fear, of counting each shallow rise of her chest.

Finally her eyelashes fluttered.

Then her eyes opened.

The moment she inhaled a rough breath, Mr. Crow launched toward her to check on her condition... but Lucian moved faster.

He scooped her into his arms in a princess carry, his movements urgent but controlled.

Her body felt frighteningly light, like lifting a fragile bundle of feathers.

"Follow me. Heal her. Now," Lucian barked to the healers.

He carried her into her bedroom, where her sheets smelled of faint lavender and warm linen, and placed her tenderly upon the mattress.

His maid rushed forward with warm water, but Lucian waved her away with a sharp motion.

"I’ll do it."

He dipped a soft cloth into the warm water and began wiping Lana’s sweat-soaked skin with slow, precise movements, careful not to apply too much pressure. Every touch was deliberate, controlled, and almost reverent.

As he worked, he snapped his fingers.

A ripple in the air appeared, like a drop falling into a still pond.

A water spirit materialized in the room.

A creature with chubby limbs made of shimmering translucent water, a round face with a goofy, rippling smile, and hollow impressions where eyes should be. Droplets slid off its body like dew sliding from a crystal.

A collective gasp echoed through the room.

The maids froze. Healers stared with wide eyes. One healer even dropped his towel.

Seeing a spirit was a once-in-a-lifetime fortune. Even powerful nations often went centuries without producing a spirit summoner.

And here one stood... calmly floating beside Lucian, awaiting instructions.

Then everything stopped. The entire room fell motionless.

Lucian noticed immediately. He turned his head slowly, his gaze razor-sharp.

"Why have all of you stopped moving?"

His voice wasn’t loud.

But it slithered into their ears like a demon’s whisper, tightening around their throats.

Each maid trembled while the healer felt a crushing weight on their chest. Their breaths stuttered.

They dropped to their knees almost reflexively.

"W-We were stunned... w-we apologize!"

"W-We won’t falter again!"

Their voices shook with genuine fear.

Lucian gave a curt nod.

The healers immediately pressed their palms toward Lana’s weakened body, golden-yellow healing energy blooming from their hands. It washed over her like gentle sunlight, slowly restoring color to her pale cheeks.

The maids hurried to fetch fresh clothing.

Lucian gestured to the water spirit.

"Check her internal water levels. Make sure she isn’t dehydrated."

The water spirit bobbed cutely, then drifted toward Lana. It hovered over her, tilting its round head thoughtfully.

Then... it descended.

Its soft, water-shaped lips gently pressed against Lana’s lips.

An instantaneous reaction exploded through the room.

Mr. Crow: (0_o?) You bitch! I will kill you!

Lucian’s eyes sharpened to slits. He grabbed the spirit by the neck in a swift, terrifying motion, pulling it away.

His voice dropped to a dark, growling rumble.

"What do you think you are doing?"

The water spirit blinked at him with its hollow eyeholes, frowning like a scolded toddler made of liquid light. Its mouth moved in silent explanation...

"Squee! Squee~"

Only Lucian could hear the water spirit’s childish bubbling voice. Though the others only heard cute squeals, to Lucian the meaning was painfully clear.

"She’s so beautiful... so angelic... I want to be near her forever..."

The watery creature’s voice sounded like soft droplets falling into a pond, impossibly innocent.

Lucian’s fist tightened, a pulse of cold jealousy slashing through his calm expression.

"Then tell me," he growled, "why were you kissing her?"

The water spirit puffed up its cheeks, if water could puff, its tiny hands waving dramatically as squeal-like sounds filled the room.

"Squee–squee! I couldn’t help it! She has irresistible charm! She’s warm! Pretty! Glowy!"

Though the spirit’s voice was adorable, the maids and healers felt their hearts being struck mercilessly.

How can something be so cute? How can a creature made of water make us want to cry from sweetness?

The little spirit completely ignored Lucian’s darkening face, its hollow eyes fixed dreamily on Lana as if entranced.

Lucian leaned forward slowly, the temperature in the room dropping.

"If you dare put your lips anywhere near hers again," he whispered, each word dipped in ice, "I will terminate our contract."

The water spirit froze.

Then it shook its chubby head so hard droplets splashed everywhere. Its thoughts spilled out in panicked squeals.

"No, no, no! I apologize!"

Lucian rolled his eyes. Now it knows fear, huh? But the next second he almost felt like recalling it back.

"If the contract breaks, I can’t see her anymore!"

Lucian’s expression darkened even further.

From the side, Mr. Crow crackled with wicked laughter, nearly rolling off a cushion in delight.

’Serves you right,’ he thought gleefully. ’Who told you to act like a holy saint on the surface while hoarding all your impure thoughts for Lana on the inside? If you won’t confess, others surely will. Even water spirits.’

Lucian’s jaw twitched, and he hissed,

"You little puddle has a death wish."