Transmigrated Into a Cannon Fodder Phoenix, Stuck With the Ice Dragon-Chapter 116: Focus On Our Future

A week had passed since the incident. For the first time, I felt like I could breathe without constantly worrying that someone might invade my body again.

But even after everything that had happened, there were still too many questions hanging in my mind. And one of them... was Vivian.

So here I was, standing in front of the large mirror in the bathroom, staring at my own reflection, half-hoping that she would reach out to me again... just like she did the first time.

Nothing happened.

I leaned closer and closer.

"Hello?" I whispered at the glass.

Still nothing.

Frowning, I tilted my head left then to the right.

I crouched slightly to check the lower edge of the mirror like someone might be hiding there.

Nothing.

I stood on my toes to inspect the upper corner.

Still nothing.

I tapped the glass, one to two times. Then I knocked on it, softly at first then harder, expecting what I should be expecting.

"Vivian?" I muttered again. "If you’re in there, now would be a really good time to say something."

A sudden weight leaned against my shoulder from behind.

"What are you doing?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin and foot slipped on the tile, just for one terrifying second, I was certain my life was about to end embarrassingly... by the bathroom floor.

Before I could panic properly, a pair of arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me back.

"Careful," Lucian murmured, his forehead resting lightly against the side of my head. "I just got you back. Try not to break yourself again so soon."

My heart pounded violently as I grabbed onto his sleeve, still wide-eyed, "You scared me!"

He chuckled softly against my hair.

I turned halfway in his arms with a glare that had no real strength behind it, "You can’t just appear out of nowhere like that."

"And you can’t interrogate mirrors like they’ve committed a crime," he replied calmly, eyes flicking toward the glass. "So... want to tell me what offense it committed?"

I hesitated, then sighed.

"I thought Vivian might appear again," I admitted. "After a deep thought, I concluded... she used to come through mirrors and glass."

Lucian’s expression softened. "So..." he said gently, "would you care to tell me about this friend of yours?"

I hesitated, my fingers brushing lightly over the cool surface of the mirror again, as if it might answer for me.

"So... you remember when I told you about the other world I came from?" I said quietly. "And how I ended up here... right?"

Lucian nodded slowly. "The phoenix’s tears," he said. "Your friend gave them to you, didn’t she?"

I nodded right away. "For as long as I can remember, she was always there with me. Since we were babies, actually. We grew up in an orphanage together. Whenever one of us got adopted, we tried to stay in touch... by phone or e-mail..."

I paused when Lucian arched an eyebrow, clearly stuck on a word I’d used.

"I mean... not letters exactly," I corrected with a small chuckle. "In my world we use something like a crystal pad. A flat thing that lets you talk to someone far away."

Lucian’s eyes lit up with interest. "So your world calls it... a phone?"

"Hm... Phone," I repeated with a smile before continuing. "But no matter how many times I was supposed to be adopted... it never worked out. Every family changed their mind. Some after a week. Some after a day. One even brought me back the same afternoon."

My fingers curled lightly over the towel still in my hand.

"I used to think it was just bad luck," I confessed. "Like the universe had some kind of joke against me. But Vivian..." I swallowed. "She always told me it wasn’t me. That there was a reason. That... maybe I wasn’t meant to stay there forever."

Lucian’s hand tightened gently around mine.

"So you always trusted her?" he asked quietly. Then hesitated, rubbing his thumb over my knuckle before adding, "I don’t mean that you should doubt your friend. It’s just... sometimes things don’t add up. And it makes me wonder if there’s more she never told you."

He lifted his eyes to mine, careful.

"I’m not saying you don’t belong to the place you came from," he continued. "I just... when I look at you here... it feels like this world fits you too well to be a mistake."

"What do you mean...?" I frowned. "I know... I know things don’t add up right now. I’ve been thinking about that too."

I took a slow breath before adding quietly, "I want to ask her everything. Every confusion that’s been sitting in my head. But Lucian... I believe her."

My fingers tightened around his.

"For twenty-five years, Vivian was the only constant in my life. While people came and left... she stayed. She protected me when no one else did. So even if things feel strange now, even if the past doesn’t line up perfectly..."

I lifted my eyes to his, searching his face. "I still believe she never meant to hurt me."

Lucian’s hands settled gently on my shoulders, warm and steady. "Okay," he said softly. "I’m sorry."

He pulled me a little closer, his forehead resting briefly against mine before he rubbed slow, comforting circles over my arms.

"Then we’ll find her," he murmured. "Together. We’ll find a way to reach her... and you’ll get your answers."

I slipped my arms around his waist and held him tightly, burying my face against his chest.

"Even so," I whispered, "I believe it too. That I came from here as much as I came from there."

Lucian pulled back slightly, searching my eyes.

"Do you want to read the ancient records about the true-blood phoenix? Maybe you’ll find something about yourself... about Vivian too."

I blinked, then slowly pouted before pulling him back into my embrace.

"As much as I want to learn about my past..." I murmured, my hands sliding around his back, "I think I should focus on our future instead."

His brow creased. "What future?"

I lifted my head, trying very hard to look serious and failing completely, "I need to work hard to get my babies back."

Lucian froze. Slowly, he pulled away, taking my hands from his shirt.

"You are not fully recovered," he said carefully. "That... can wait."

"No, it can’t," I protested immediately. Then, as if struck by something tragic, I clutched my head.

"Ah—ah! I suddenly feel... dizzy. Hot. Very, very hot."

He narrowed his eyes. "Seraphina."

I fanned myself dramatically. "I think I’m going into heat. You know, like your—what do you call it?"

"Draconis heat."

"Right! So mine must be... Phoenixnis heat."

Lucian bit his lip, clearly fighting a smile.

"And how long does this Phoenixnis heat usually last, hmm?"

I held my chin thoughtfully, pretending to calculate something very serious.

"Hmmm... according to my very reliable inner phoenix..." I leaned closer and whispered, "it only ends when a certain dragon takes responsibility."

His eyebrow lifted. "Is that so?"

I nodded earnestly. "Very dangerous conditions. Untreated cases may result in... excessive affection, unbearable clinginess, and chronic desire for cuddling."

"Cuddling," he repeated flatly.

"And possibly kissing," I added quickly. "Life-threatening, really."

Lucian finally lost the battle with his composure and let out a soft laugh, shaking his head.

"Alright," he said helplessly, "if it’s for the sake of my wife’s health... I suppose I’ll have to comply. All I need to do is cuddle, right?"

I rolled my eyes, already seeing through him. "Lucian..."

He pretended to look innocent. "What? I’m just trying to be a responsible husband."

I leaned in closer, lowering my voice like I was sharing a secret.

"You and I both know cuddling alone won’t cure such a serious phoenix condition."

His brows lifted slightly, amusement obvious in his eyes.

"Oh? Then I must’ve misread the medical scrolls."

"Clearly," I said, poking his chest. "The treatment requires more effort. And a much better commitment."

He smiled, slow and warm this time, slipping one arm around my waist and pulling me closer until there was no space left to doubt his answer.

"Then I suppose," he murmured, his breath brushing my cheek, "I’d better give this... treatment my full attention."

I looked up at him, already laughing softly, my arms sliding around his neck as I leaned closer.

"Hm... one full day?" I teased, hovering just close enough to steal his breath without giving him the kiss.

He shook his head lightly and then surprised me with a quick, gentle peck on my lips.

Before I could protest, he leaned in again, his mouth finding my ear this time, voice dropping low and soft.

"I guess you’re lucky," he whispered. "You’ll get the full service for three days... courtesy of my draconis heat."

My eyes widened. "No—no, wait! I only need one day—"

But before I could finish, my lips were captured in what could only be called a mochi-eating kiss—soft at first, then impossibly greedy, like he was savoring something sweet and refusing to let go. It wasn’t gentle, and it wasn’t fair. It was the kind of kiss that made me breathless and complaining useless.

When he finally pulled back, his forehead rested against mine, amusement glowing in his eyes.

"Too late," he murmured. "Deal accepted."