Nina's eyes opened to an unfamiliar domed ceiling.
Her entire body was full of pain, and the moment her eyes opened and she became aware of it, dull aches rushed through her entire body.
"Ow," she winced, squeezing her eyes shut. I almost died. Again. And I've never come this close to death before. What are the chances I'll even survive till a goal change?
Her thoughts turned bleak. And all she could see in the future was more bleakness.
"Cutie, are you awake?" A soft, musical voice asked beside her.
She turned her head and spotted Mako. The shark beastman laid curled up beside her, beautiful eyes watching her with predatory sharpness, it was then she noticed his hand resting on her hip.
Yet she didn't feel threatened.
She nodded. Slowly. Even the movement hurt her a lot.
Mako moved closer to her. He smiled, showing jagged teeth.
"You saved me," Nina whispered. Her throat felt dry and she swallowed hard.
"I smelt your blood," he replied.
Ah, sharks. Right. Biology class did say they can smell three drops of blood in an Olympic sized pool.
"Your highness, you're awake." An elderly voice called.
A tall beastman dressed in a doctor's attire walked up to her bedside. Nina was stunned for a few seconds, apparently doctors hadn't gone extinct:
The doctor bowed, his eyes flashing worriedly to Mako. Everyone in the palace knew how problematic the Princess' shark husband was. There's a good reason why he was always locked up. The doctor, seeing that monster let loose like this, felt worried. Mako had already hurt one of the nurses by biting off her finger when she tried to move him away from the Princess.
Even now, Mako inched closer to The Princess, throwing a smug look at the doctor.
I'm supposed to be neutral, thought the doctor. Her highness has advanced our science by hundreds of years. But maybe if her husband bites her to death, that was her fate.
So the doctor gave up trying to remove Mako from her side.
Meanwhile, Nina found that she didn't hate Mako's presence beside her. She could feel his cool skin, and she liked it. It felt warm, having someone stay by her side while she was passed out for so long. And his touch on her hip felt comforting rather than creepy. It reminded her of a clingy dog trying to make sure its owner doesn't vanish.
I'm sorry Mako, you're not a dog. She thought with a sigh.
"What…where is Lev?" She asked the doctor.
The man stiffened. "Your highness, you should be worried about yourself right now. You lost a great deal of blood, and the wounds were so deep we thought you wouldn't make it. It's a sheer miracle the surgery was successful, your highness. Please, rest. And worry about getting better."
Nina swallowed hard. "I asked a question, Doctor."
"He's on trial," Mako said. He rubbed circles into her hip with his thumb. "He tried to kill you twice, cutie. Your parents are furious."
"What?" Nina gasped. She tried to sit up, accidentally putting tension on her shoulders. Pain wracked through her and she screamed. Immediately, Mako was at her side.
His hands were gentle as he propped her up, surrounding her with fluffy pillows. He worked fast, almost like it was muscle memory. Once he was done, he flashed her a smile, sitting back on his knees and watching her expectantly.
Does he want a head pat? Does he do this often for Princess Orchid?
Nina was perplexed. Still she managed a smile and said, "thank you,"
He seemed satisfied with that and laid his head on the pillow closest to her.
The doctor watched this exchange and thought monsters do attract other monsters. Anyone who sees them like this won't know the evil they've committed.
"Tell me about this trial," Nina said, her voice carrying a sharp, authoritative quality. "What's going to happen to Lev?
"He could be executed for treason, or stripped of his rank and title."
"Why?! That's terrible!"
"He tried to kill you, cutie," Mako sang.
Nina bit her lip. The first time with her spores was just the system's task. And the second time…
She looked up at the doctor. "He was glitching, therefore he was having a Corruption flare! He wasn't in his right mind! He didn't —"
"And whose fault is that?!" The doctor suddenly yelled.
Nina gasped, shivering at his tone.
Mako's gentle touch vanished as he sat up straighter, his eyes sharpening. He sensed a threat to his cutie and his killer instincts activated.
The doctor noticed this and stepped back, his hands clasped behind him. Then he bowed. "My apologies, your highness. I shall accept any punishment you deem—"
"What do you mean by this is my fault?" Nina snapped.
She was feeling fed up with being in the dark about the very body she possessed. Part of her anger was at herself, and the rest was directed at whoever was unfortunate in that moment. Right now, that was the doctor.
"I wouldn't dare,"
"I don't recall asking you, doctor."
The man shivered. "I…General Lev has been showing signs of Corruption for years now. And… you, your highness, were supposed to soothe his Corruption with your spores. But you refused to do so. Even when he became your husband, you still refused to soothe him."
Nina bristled. Oh. That's why none of the soldiers moved to help.
"And?" Nina asked.
"He has been managing it, but now he has advanced to stage two. Stage two is often called….one foot in the grave."
The world tilted and Nina grasped the sheets hard. One foot in the grave. She didn't want to think about the implications of that statement. But it was all she could think about.
"Can he be cured?" She asked, her breath held in anticipation.
"It would have been better to start years ago." The doctor replied bitterly. "It's not impossible. But it's best for him not to have reached the second stage at all."
"How many stages of corruption exist?"
"Three, your highness."
It didn't take a super brain to understand what stage three meant.
Tears sprang to Nina's eyes. "And how long does General Lev have till stage three?"
The doctor looked up from his bow and met his eyes. "Given his conditions and the expeditions he takes into the Ruins, he has six months till stage three. Stage three is…irreversible, your highness."
Nina made a choked sound. One that startled both the doctor and Mako. "I need to go to the trial!"
"Your Highness! You can't do that! If you move too much you'll reopen your stitches!"
Nina turned to Mako. "Can you help me get there?"
Mako grinned. "As you wish, cutie~"
Mako jumped out of the bed, an ecstatic smile on his face. Ignoring the protests of the doctor, he scooped Nina up in a princess carry.
Nina squealed, surprised. She looked up at him with worry for himself, even though she experienced discomfort herself.
"You don't need to carry me," she whispered.
"You can't walk."
"My shoulders were injured, not my legs."
"Same thing."
Nina flushed. "I'm quite heavy…" and you don't look very strong. Her heart snagged again. She could feel his body, how frail it felt, the bones jutting out of his skin. Did Princess Orchid starve him? If so, why is he so nice to me now?
Panic flared in her gut for a second. Does he know I'm not the real Orchid?!
Mako laughed. "You're not heavy at all, cutie. Why? You think my arms would snap in half?"
Nina pursed her lips, the color of her cheeks darkening.
"You're not even a little bit heavy. I'm a shark. We're strong. You should know this well, cutie."
Oh. Damn. I need to get this woman's memories fast! But first, Lev!
"Let's go," she said firmly.
The doctor watched them leave, caught between calling for help and letting things play out. But a question tugged at his mind.
He'd heard the rumors throughout the palace that the Princess hit her head and since then has been acting strange. Now he believed them. Normally, if anyone raised their voice against her, they would lose their tongue immediately.
But then again, the doctor knew how manipulative the Princess was, and how she played people to get what she wanted.
So he didn't think too much about it and went back to work.
Nina's head throbbed as Mako carried her out of the clinic. All she truly wanted to do was chug down three cups of black coffee and lay in bed all day, maybe with her favorite novel and more snacks.
But that was a time ago.
She suddenly felt sad and nostalgic for her old life. Back then she hated every day . She hated her work, she hated dragging herself out of bed and facing her predatory manager and terrible coworkers.
But now, she misses that simple life. At least then she didn't have to plot villainess schemes or tango with death twice in less than 48 hours.
Her original life was far from rosy. But she would still prefer it to this.
"We're here," Mako called, his voice interrupting her thoughts.
She blinked and looked up. In front of them was a massive set of double doors, laid with gold and carved with intricate battle scenes. Two Ox beastmen guarded the door.
Mako set her down on her feet, watching her closely as she wobbled.
"This is as far as I take you, cutie," he said, stepping back reluctantly. "I don't like that big kitty, but I guess you do."
Nina didn't like Lev in that sense. She just felt bad for all the shit Princess Orchid did to him.
Still, she nodded. "Thank you, Mako. You're very kind."
"I'm not kind." He said, and wouldn't elaborate further.
Nina nodded. She turned to the doors, inhaling deeply and clenching her fists. Her ears twitched with nervousness. Her vision swayed slightly, and she felt a sticky warmth under the bandages wrapped around her shoulders.
She turned to the guards and nodded.
Just as the doors started to open, a ding sounded in her head.
[New task hostie~ defend your husband Lev and save him from death. However you must do so in a manipulative and cunning way that proves you have no good intentions for him!]
[Reward: 50,000 villain points! Penalty: minus 150,000 villain points! Good luck, hostie~]
That System! It hates me.
Nina turned over the task in her head. The massive penalty. The not so massive reward.
Save Lev from death but do it in an evil way.
She had the feeling she was about to fail before she had even begun.