Chapter 32: The Next Morning, A Miracle
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Although Riven wanted to leave the little Abyssal Wolf taking care of his wife, the truth was that this pup was not only too young but also far too weak for such an important duty.
"Hmm, F Rank is still too weak though," he sighed while looking down at the small creature resting on his shoulder. "Right, Fenrir?"
"Why would I know or care?!" Fenrir asked sharply. He clearly did not seem interested in the topic at all.
"You’re such a boring guy. Be happy you’ve got a son now," Riven sighed again and shook his head. "You have to pay children support at least."
"SHUT UP!!!"
"Well, whatever the case, I’ll have to bring him into a Gate and help him grow stronger... a multi-floor gate, I guess. I’ll hit the Dark Caves one last time and clean the entire place out," Riven shrugged before walking back toward the house.
After a long and exhausting day, Riven finally returned to his room and fell into a deep sleep. The young Abyssal Wolf pup stayed in the living room, curled up and sleeping peacefully on a soft couch. Fenrir’s shadowy form disappeared for the time being. Riven had given him the privilege of appearing and disappearing whenever he wished, but only under a few strict conditions.
By the morning of the next day, Riven slowly woke up to the sharp sound of the doorbell ringing. He lazily climbed out of bed and walked toward the front door, still half-asleep. Standing outside was a young green-haired girl with clear brown skin, waiting nervously and shifting from foot to foot.
"Huh? Daniela?"
He had given her his address earlier, but he had not expected her to come over so quickly. Perhaps she was nervous about the money and everything else that still needed to be discussed. It was understandable.
He opened the door and greeted her with a tired but friendly smile.
"Daniela, sorry for not coming earlier. I was still sleeping."
"Eh? Ah! H-Hi! S-Sorry for coming so early, but I was so nervous..."
"It’s fine, come in. Have you had breakfast yet?"
"I ate a little bit, but I decided to drop by after dropping my brother off at school... I could have a bite... if you don’t mind."
"Of course. I’ll feed you a proper meal. You’re nothing but skin and bones right now."
"Am I that skinny?!"
Daniela nervously worried about her appearance as Riven stepped aside and let her into the house.
Elisa did not take long to wake up once she heard unfamiliar noises coming from outside. She immediately grew nervous that someone other than Riven had entered their home.
"R-Riven! Riven!"
She called out urgently, and he quickly ran back to the bedroom to check on her.
When he entered the room, he found her with a clear look of anger and worry on her face.
"Riven, who is it?!"
"It’s Daniela. Calm down. She came over, probably to talk about the money, the earnings we still need to distribute, and everything else."
"Uuh... The girl?"
"Yeah, the child."
"..."
Elisa nodded slowly, then noticed someone peeking at her from behind the bedroom door.
"Daniela, that’s rude," Riven sighed. "Fine, come greet her properly. She’s my wife, Elisa."
"E-Eh? Ah! S-Sorry!" Daniela worriedly stepped inside. "I-I thought she was... in danger... the way she was screaming— Ahem! Um... nice to meet you— Ah... you’re so pretty— I mean...!"
"..." Elisa sighed and raised one eyebrow. "She’s cute at least... but her lack of manners is staggering. Also, to come see a lady when she has only just woken up... I must look terrible this morning."
"That’s not true...!" Daniela quickly said. "Ahem, so you’re Mister Riven’s wife? You’re as beautiful as he said you were..."
Elisa turned her eyes toward Riven. "He said that... about me?"
Riven felt a wave of embarrassment. "Um, how about we have breakfast? Elisa? Do you need to go to the bathroom first?"
"I’m fine," Elisa said while waving her hand dismissively. "I can have a— Huh?"
"?!"
"...?"
Everyone fell silent. Daniela stayed quiet mostly because she was confused about why the other two had suddenly gone completely still. Both Riven and Elisa were staring at Elisa’s hands, which she could now move freely.
Elisa slowly moved her hand, her fingers carefully touching each other, then her face, her neck, and her legs. She could move her hands... and even a little bit of her arms, though she could not lift them very high yet. It was still too tiring. She would need to slowly exercise and improve over time.
Nevertheless...
Tears began streaming freely from her eyes.
"R-Riven... my hands...! I can move my hands...?!"
"Y-You can...! You can!"
Riven cried as well and pulled her into a tight hug. Elisa started sobbing desperately against his shoulders, unable to fully believe what was happening.
Although no other power had returned and she remained paralyzed from her chest downward, with only her hands and a small portion of her arms able to move, it still meant so much to her. So incredibly much!
Daniela, still a little confused by the sudden emotion, smiled warmly and began to clap.
"I can finally move my hands! Ugh, my arms feel so heavy but... but I can... do this now... Haha..."
Elisa laughed through her tears, grabbing nearby objects and even pulling herself across the bed by using only the strength of her hands. She rolled over a few times just for the joy of being able to move again.
"C-Careful, don’t overexert yourself," Riven said gently. "This is a miracle... but we still have to take it easy, okay?"
"Y-Yeah!" Elisa nodded with bright eyes. "I... um... can you put me in my wheelchair?"
"...Sure."
Once she was settled in her wheelchair...
"Ohohohoh! Royalty passing through, move aside peasants~!"
She was moving her own wheelchair with her newly recovered hands, and in that moment Elisa regained a large part of her old pride and confidence.
Daniela looked on in pure disbelief while Riven simply smiled and crossed his arms.
"That’s my wife."
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