Why do I keep attracting Villainesses?

Chapter 28.

I did exactly as they asked. I stayed huddled up in the nest of sea plants they provided for me.

I slept a lot, and when I wasn’t sleeping, I was eating the fresh food they brought me.

Truthfully, I found out later that this room wasn’t just a vacant space for guests.

It was actually Artria’s own home.

As for why she was willing to share her personal space with a shark-man she barely knew, I had no idea.

It was a level of trust I hadn’t expected from her, especially since she spent most of our first meeting trying to get underneath my skin.

Fortunately, she wasn’t at home very often during the day. Which was great for me since I very much enjoyed the silence of having a room to myself again.

Artria was mostly busy with village chores or out hunting with Garin. She usually only came back late into the evening when it was time to sleep. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

At first, she seemed a bit awkward about sharing a nest with me.

She would hover near the entrance for a few seconds before coming in, and she kept her distance when she finally lay down to rest. I, for one, wasn’t awkward at all.

On account of having been forced to share a floor, and a "spooning" session, with my mistress back in the cave, I was pretty much used to sharing space with someone else.

Compared to a crazy sea witch who might kill me in her sleep, Artria was a much better roommate by far, that was for sure.

Having her bring me food every day was nice, and the meals were much better than the raw, blood-soaked shark I had been eating before.

While it wasn’t actually cooked on account that we were literally beneath the ocean itself. The meal was more like sushi if anything.

Sometimes they brought me prepped sea vegetables and small, cleaned fish that tasted fresh and light.

But eventually, as the days went by, I started to feel guilty, why wouldn’t I when they were doing so much for me and yet I couldn’t do the same for them.

I was a big, strong guy just sitting around while she worked.

One evening, when she brought me a bowl of sea-fruit, I offered to help her with her chores.

****

"I’m feeling much better, Artria," I said. "Let me go out tomorrow and help you gather some of this. Or I can help clean up around the village. I hate just sitting here while you do everything."

She quickly turned down my idea, crossing her arms and giving me a sharp look.

"Absolutely not. Do you want to get me in trouble? If the village elders see me forcing an injured person to work, they’ll have my head. You’re staying right here until the healers say you’re done."

"But I’m really not that hurt anymore—"

"I said no!" she snapped, though there was a bit of a smile hiding in her eyes. "Stop being so stubborn and eat your food. You’re a guest, not a servant. Get that through your thick head."

Facing her refusal over and over again, I finally decided to quit asking and just wait until I was officially better. I didn’t want to make her life harder by causing a scene in the village.

A few more days passed by in a blur of rest and quiet conversations. And then, one morning, the moment I woke up, my eyes shimmered like stars.

I stretched my arms out wide and realized something amazing, I didn’t feel any more pain whatsoever. The stinging in my ribs was now completely gone.

The soreness in my muscles had vanished.

Even the deep claw mark on my cheek felt like nothing more than a faint line.

’I’m finally healed!’ I screamed happily in my mind.

I sat up quickly, twisting my torso from side to side. There was no clicking, no sharp pains, nothing.

This body of mine was really something special.

Back when I was just a regular human on the surface, an injury like the one I had taken would’ve taken months or even years of physical therapy to fix.

To think I recovered from a near-death beating in just a few days with nothing but rest and good food was unbelievable.

The shark blood in my veins was a curse in many ways, but in this moment, I couldn’t help but be thankful for it.

It had saved my life and mended my bones in record time. I felt strong again. I felt like I could actually do something to help these people.

I looked around Artria’s home, feeling a surge of energy I hadn’t felt in a long time. I wanted to swim.

I wanted to see the village properly.

I wanted to prove to everyone that I wasn’t just a broken shark-man they had to pity.

I stood up from the bed of sea plants, my tail feeling powerful and ready for action.

I did a quick lap around the small room, enjoying the way my muscles moved without hurting.

I was back.

And this time, I hoped things would stay just like this. I hadn’t noticed it before but now I really hated to part with this village.

They were just too good to me, who knew when I’d experience the same level of kindness again.

And besides, it wasn’t really guaranteed my life would turn of for the better if I fled to the surface, who knew what that crazy author was planning next.

I waited for Artria to come back so I could show her. I could almost imagine the look on her face when she saw me standing up and moving around like nothing had ever happened.

She’d probably tell me to sit back down and stop being an idiot, but I didn’t care.

For the first time in a long time, I was healthy, I was safe, and I was ready to start my new life in the village.

AN: From now on I’ll be uploading 1 Chapter a day of at least 1,500 words. I’m sorry but it’s been hard coming up with ideas without derailing the story by rushing. But it’s not all bad, bonus Chapters can now be claimed. All you need to do is gather 20 Powerstones for 1 bonus Chapter, 30 Powerstones for 2 bonus Chapters and 50 Powerstones for 3 bonus Chapters.