Hancock's cries lasted for a long ti. Chiga only knew that she cried until she ran out of strength and eventually fell asleep in his arms.
Once asleep, she curled up like a kitten. Chiga looked at her tear-streaked face and couldn't bring himself to wake her, so he simply held her and drifted off to sleep with her.
The next morning, Hancock woke up to see Chiga smiling at her.
The warmth in his gaze made her heart flutter. Then, mories of the night before rushed back—she'd cried herself to sleep in Chiga-sama's arms!
She'd spent the entire night in his embrace?!
Her face flushed red like a ripe apple. Steam all but rose from her head, making Chiga wonder if she was still recovering from her illness.
Though the sleeping arrangent had been sowhat awkward, Chiga didn't mind.
With his body steadily evolving toward sothing greater, he could go a year without sleep and remain unaffected. And with Hancock—his softest pillow—in his arms, he'd slept better than usual.
He reached out, gently poked her nose, and asked with a smile,
"Awake? Did you sleep well?"
Hancock quickly sat up, pulling herself from his embrace. She folded her hands on her knees and knelt formally before replying,
"This concubine slept soundly… I've troubled Chiga-sama."
Her tone and posture were like that of a devoted wife—gentle, humble, and reverent.
Chiga got out of bed, casually rolled his neck, and walked to the window. He pulled back the curtains, letting the warm morning sunlight flood the room.
He turned back and looked at Hancock, still kneeling blankly on the bed, and a trace of admiration flickered in his eyes.
Bathed in sunlight, Hancock looked even more radiant. Her dazed expression only made her beauty more striking.
Truly, the title of the world's most beautiful woman wasn't an exaggeration. Her elegance matched Chiga's tastes perfectly.
Under Chiga's gaze, Hancock fidgeted with the corner of the quilt, her voice soft,
"Chiga-sama… You must not have rested well. Would you like to lie down a little longer? This concubine will stay by your side."
Chiga shook his head with a small smile.
"I slept just fine. You cried for so long—did you have any nightmares?"
His words stirred mories of her painful past. Hancock's voice dropped.
"Will Chiga-sama… co to despise this concubine?"
Chiga didn't answer imdiately. He walked back to the bed, sat beside her, and gently brushed a few strands of hair from her face.
"Don't overthink it. I know what happened in your past. And I'll never let the ones in Mary Geoise off the hook."
As he spoke, a purple gleam shimred in Chiga's Rinnegan, and killing intent surged from him.
Before, destroying Mary Geoise had simply been part of his grand plan. But now, it had beco personal.
They had hurt soone important to him—and he'd make them pay. Even if it ant dragging gods down from their pedestals, he wouldn't hesitate.
Despite the cold, suffocating aura pouring from Chiga, Hancock felt no fear. She only saw his determination—for her.
To her, he wasn't terrifying. He was her sun—brighter and warr than the morning light.
Still, thinking of how dangerous the Celestial Dragons were, she panicked and grabbed his arm.
"Chiga-sama, I… I won't think about those things anymore. I just want to stay by your side."
Chiga didn't respond with sweet words. He asked calmly,
"Do you rember the na of the Celestial Dragon who bought you back then?"
He wasn't saying he would spare the others, but there was one na he planned to give special attention.
Hancock paused before whispering,
"She was the eldest daughter of the Charlmack family. I heard her subordinates call her Rizwell-gū."
"Rizwell?" Chiga nodded. "Good. I'll rember that."
In his heart, Rizwell's fate had already been sealed.
He also breathed a sigh of relief. Deep down, he had feared she might ntion Nerona. If that fool had been the one responsible, he truly wouldn't know what to do.
Luckily, it wasn't her.
Still, Chiga was slightly surprised. A female Celestial Dragon? He had always assud Hancock had been purchased by so twisted man.
This was preferable, though—it ant Hancock had likely been spared from certain abuses.
In truth, the woman had only handed young Hancock over to palace officials before Fisher Tiger later rescued her.
(Regardless of the manga's original events, this fanfic follows its own version of that history.)
Seeing Chiga deep in thought, Hancock grew anxious again, worried he might begin to see her differently.
But Chiga soon broke from his thoughts, looked her in the eyes, and said softly,
"Stop worrying. Just focus on resting. I'll take care of the rest."
His words were steady and full of confidence. Hancock's pupils instantly turned into heart shapes again—clearly swept up in her own fantasies.
Chiga, used to her reactions by now, patted her shoulder gently, guided her to lie down again, and pulled the covers over her.
He considered heading out for a walk, but when he saw the look she gave him—so unwilling, so hopeful—he couldn't bring himself to leave. So he stayed by her side and kept her company.
They talked until evening. Even when Hancock's sisters brought dinner, she didn't want to sleep.
She couldn't help it. Every second spent with Chiga was precious. Falling asleep felt like a waste.
On their second night on Amazon Lily, Chiga again shared a bed with Hancock. Compared to the first night, though, things had progressed more than just sleep.
The next morning, Chiga left. Hancock didn't leave the room—not because she was tired, but because Chiga had firmly "ordered" her to rest.
As soon as he was gone, Sandersonia and Marigold entered Hancock's room—only to be stunned by what they saw.
---
Thanks for the Powerstones, though we didn't reach the 200 stones, milestone.
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