The Taming of a Beast

Chapter 5

The next couple days were the most peaceful in Adrian's life. He hadn't realized how unaccustomed he was to a life outside of the battlefield where he didn't need to watch out for his life every moment.

It was a simple life living in the cottage. The cottage was small with just three rooms: a bedroom, the kitchen/dining room, and a bathroom.

In the process, he learned more about Evelina and her likes and dislikes. In passing conversation, she revealed that she had lived here for a decade and was twenty-six years of age, just a year younger than him. She had lived with another witch as her mentor before her mentor passed away. Evelina also liked research and experimenting with new medicines, disliked washing dishes, but had a fear of the dark and small spaces.

He had accidentally found out about her phobia. Adrian had gotten up in the middle of the night in a fever and headed towards the kitchen for a drink of water. But the kitchen was well-lit with candles while Evelina slept curled up underneath a blanket on the couch.

She was mumbling something as her eyebrows were furrowed. Because of the candles, he could tell that she was having a nightmare as she frowned.

"Evelina?"

Adrian carefully woke her up by gently tapping her shoulder. Though he had seen that Evelina was not affected by his uncontrollable ability, he couldn't help but be cautious.

"W-what?"

With a start, Evelina opened her eyes.

"Are you all right? I think you were having a nightmare." Adrian said.

Eclipse had also woken up, and meowed concernedly.

"Oh, a nightmare..."

Evelina's eyes were still a little dazed. But she pulled herself up. In the end, both of them ended up getting a cup of water.

Adrian looked around at the small but cozy living room and noted the candles as well as the couch where Evelina had been sleeping on.

"I don't like the dark," Evelina said simply at Adrian's questioning glance.

Her tone made it obvious that she didn't like talking about why, and Adrian wasn't inconsiderate to push more on the topic. Who didn't have a few demons here and there?

Looking at the couch surrounded by lit candles, Adrian realized that he was occupying the only bed in the cottage. He insisted that Evelina take the bed back, but Evelina refuted, saying that he was still a patient. Besides, with his height, he certainly would be even more uncomfortable than Evelina felt sleeping on the couch.

It only made Adrian's resolve to get healed faster. Every morning he would get up and practice his swordsmanship much to Evelina's chagrin that his wounds would be opened again. Some routines he could not just shake. But at Evelina's insistence, Adrian kept the practices shorter and lighter than usual.

They often chatted about various topics, such as the different ways mages and witches use mana and their favorite foods, though Adrian noted both of them only lightly touched about their childhoods and family. What Adrian was curious about was why Evelina was not affected by his uncontrollable ice ability. Both perused through the books Evelina's mentor had left behind in the cottage, but had yet to come up with an answer.

She remained the only breathing person that he could touch without freezing, as evidenced when he once tried to catch a chicken for her. The hapless chicken squawked in fear as frost spread from Adrian's palms as soon as they touched its feathers. Evelina sent Adrian to do some weeding tasks after that.

Talking to Evelina, Adrian realized how refreshing it was to have a companion who wasn't afraid of him as most people were. He wasn't a chatty person by nature, but Evelina's cheerful disposition dispelled any awkwardness. Perhaps it was because he sensed there was a loneliness inside the witch that was similar to his.