Kael
When I looked into Seraphina’s slightly worried eyes, I couldn’t deny it-I was ecstatic.
This had to mean something, didn’t it? That Seraphina still cared about me, even if just a little. She was still worried about me.
To be honest, I had said what I did on purpose, deliberately showing weakness in front of her.
I wasn’t truly concerned about Briar. He was, without question, a formidable opponent, one worthy of respect. He was powerful-there was no denying that. I admitted his strength.
But it ended there.
If he were to defeat me, I would smile and congratulate him. After all, isn’t it remarkable to meet a worthy rival?
Lately, I’ve been plagued by a certain loneliness, the kind that comes with being undefeated. I longed for someone like Briar to challenge me, to break my streak.
However, these thoughts stayed buried deep inside me. I couldn’t let them show. If I ever admitted I didn’t care about the outcome of my fight with Briar, I knew Seraphina would lose all interest in me.
Today was her first day back at work, and it was only because I had forced her to return.
When she saw me, there wasn’t a single trace of happiness on her face.
I knew she was angry. After all, I had threatened her using Magnus.
And yes, that infuriated me too. In her heart, Magnus clearly held far more weight than I ever did.
But what could I do? I liked her. No, I loved her. And because of that, I was willing to endure it. I had made up my mind-I would treat Seraphina well, no matter what.
If she was mad at me, then I would do everything in my power to make her forgive me.
So, in that moment, I decided to play the weak card, to appear pitiful.
Sure enough, when I said I might not be able to beat Briar, she looked genuinely concerned. Her eyes lingered on the wounds on my face, and she seemed truly worried.
Seeing Seraphina like this stirred something deep inside me. My heart raced.
To be honest, with her looking at me with such care, I felt like all my pain vanished in an instant.
She even tried to comfort me, telling me to believe in myself.
Oh, how adorable she was.
This proved that, deep down, Seraphina still cared about me.
I couldn’t help but feel a bit smug, like a peacock proudly displaying its feathers.
“Kael, what are you going to do about your injuries?” Seraphina suddenly leaned closer, her eyes fixed on mine.
Even if she wanted to pretend she didn’t care, her concern was written all over her face.
I forced myself to suppress a smile and glanced at my wounds. “Even though we can heal quickly, I can’t do that now. It would raise suspicion.”
“So, you’re just going to let the wounds heal naturally, like a regular human?”
I nodded.
“I think you need to go to the infirmary,” she insisted.
I wanted to refuse. I didn’t want to see Magnus, and I definitely didn’t want to watch Seraphina talking to him.
Jealousy would consume me like a raging fire.
“I don’t want to go,” I said firmly.
“You have to,” she replied. “The competition is in just a few days. If these wounds don’t heal properly, you’ll be at a disadvantage against Briar right from the start.”
Her words left me no room to argue.
Fine. If Seraphina wasn’t mad at me anymore and even cared enough to insist I get treated, then perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to let Magnus see how close we were.
So, I let Seraphina take me to the infirmary.
When Magnus saw us walk in, a flicker of surprise crossed his face.
“What happened?” he asked.
“Magnus, Kael got injured during training. Can you take a look at him?” Seraphina said.
“Of course,” Magnus replied, stepping forward to examine my wounds.
This was probably the first time he had treated me since I realized he was interfering in my relationship with Seraphina.
Before all this, I had thought he was a good doctor. He always gave excellent advice and had a pleasant demeanor.
He was kind to everyone-too kind, in fact.
From a professional standpoint, Magnus was undoubtedly a skilled doctor.
But morally? He was a problem. He liked to meddle in other people’s relationships.
As he checked my wounds, I glared at him, wishing I could kill him right then and there.
In the boxing club, everyone feared my gaze. No one dared to meet my eyes.
But Magnus was different.
He acted as if he didn’t notice my hostility, remaining calm and composed.
He finished examining me, applied disinfectant to my wounds, and then added a layer of healing ointment.
“These are minor injuries,” he said. “You’ll be fine in a couple of days.”
“Thank you, Magnus,” Seraphina said to him.
Magnus smiled at her. “It’s my job, Seraphina. No need to thank me.”
They exchanged smiles, their interaction so natural and harmonious that it made me feel like an outsider.
I clenched my teeth in frustration, letting out a sharp breath. “It hurts,” I muttered.
“What’s wrong?” Seraphina’s attention immediately shifted back to me.
I turned my back to her and shot Magnus a cold, mocking smile.
Magnus, however, was far more composed than I had anticipated. His expression didn’t change at all.
This man was better at hiding his emotions than I had thought.
But I swore to myself-he would never take Seraphina from me.
If he tried, I wouldn’t hesitate to break the rules of our tribe and kill him.
For now, though, I kept up my act. “I feel a bit unwell,” I said. “Maybe I overtrained. Seraphina, could you take me to get some food?”
I wished I had a physique like Magnus’s. My tall, muscular frame made it hard to appear weak.
Thankfully, Seraphina seemed to believe me.
“Why don’t you take better care of your body?” she grumbled before turning to Magnus to say goodbye.
She called me to follow her, leaving the infirmary.
As she walked ahead, I glanced back at Magnus and flashed him a smug smile.
I thought he’d be furious, but to my surprise, his expression didn’t change.
It was as if he wore a permanent mask of calmness, even when I provoked him.
Clearly, I had underestimated him.
But Seraphina wasn’t willing to leave the club with me.
“You go eat,” she said. “I need to get back to work.”
“Stay with me,” I said, grabbing her arm. “That’s part of your job too.”
I didn’t want her to leave. This was a rare chance for us to spend time together, and I wanted to clear up the misunderstanding between us. I wanted her to be with me, no matter the cost.
“Kael, this isn’t what I want,” she said coldly. “My job doesn’t include this. And stop pretending to be pitiful in front of me. We’re done.”
Her words stunned me.
I hadn’t expected her to see through my act.