Chapter 278: She Used My Trick On Me!

"Cecilia!"

Fauna called out excitedly towards Cecilia in the distance, waving her hands as she half-ran toward the rows of recovery tents.

"Cecilia! Guess what! Mika just told me he’s coming home with me tonight! Somehow he agreed!"

She stopped beside her, practically bouncing in place.

"So, is it okay if I leave now, or do I still need to stay? Everyone looks fine to me, but you’re the doctor here!"

"Oh—Lady Fauna!"

Cecilia looked up from the patient she was tending, startled by the sudden burst of energy before fondly saying,

"It’s alright, you can go home. The rest of the team has already arrived, and everyone’s in stable condition." She gave a small smile. "And you’ve done more than enough for today, so home, relax, and get all the rest you need with Mika."

Fauna clapped her hands together happily.

"Good, good! My daughter will be so happy to see Mika again." She said, almost glowing with excitement. "She’s been working herself half to death lately, and this will cheer her up so much!"

Cecilia smiled warmly at that, but as she looked over at Mika, something about her expression changed.

There was a hesitation in her eyes, as though she was wrestling with a decision. She opened her mouth once, stopped, then looked again at his easy smile—and that seemed to settle her resolve.

"Before you go, Mika." She said quietly. "Can I tell you something? In secret?"

That instantly caught his attention.

"Something in secret?" He repeated, leaning forward curiously. "What is it?"

She gestured for him to come closer and thinking it was another question about medical procedures—or maybe something related to the research papers he’d shared—he bent down obligingly.

But before he could speak, Cecilia rose on her toes and—pressed her lips to his.

Kiss!

The kiss was brief, soft, utterly unexpected and Mika froze on the spot.

Meanwhile, from the side, Fauna gasped loudly, both hands flying to her mouth like she was watching a romance drama unfold in real life.

"Wha—Cecilia!?" She squeaked.

When Cecilia finally pulled back, her face was crimson, her breathing quick. She looked up at him timidly and said,

"T-The people you helped today...they all wanted me to convey their thanks. To show their gratitude somehow."

Her voice trembled, but her eyes were sincere.

"So...this is my way of saying it. I hope you could feel all the love they wanted to give you."

Then, before Mika could respond, she gave him one last shy glance and bolted toward the medical tents.

The moment she disappeared, her colleagues and a few nearby doctors erupted into cheers and teasing whistles.

"Go, Cecilia!"

"Finally, our prodigy doctor shows some passion!"

"Quiet! Everyone be quiet!" Cecilia’s voice could be heard from inside her tent, muffled but mortified.

Mika on the other hand stood there, blinking, then slowly broke into a wide grin.

"Unbelievable." He muttered to himself. "I used the same trick on Nadia just a few minutes ago...told her how easy she fell for it...and now Cecilia pulls it right back on me." He chuckled quietly. "She might act shy and studious most of the time, but she’s got a mischievous streak. But...I don’t mind it at all."

Next to him, Fauna was fanning her face furiously, her cheeks flushed pink.

"Oh my goodness." She murmured, half-in shock, half-in delight. "Who would’ve thought that same Cecilia—the one who used to bury herself in books and refused to even look at men—would do something like that? I can’t believe it!"

Then she let out a half-nervous laugh, half-sigh, shaking her head in wonder.

"You really are a playboy, Mika. I don’t even know how to feel about this. My baby boy’s all grown up...and already a womanizer."

Mika turned to her with an amused smirk.

"You sound like a mother watching her son misbehave."

"Well, can you blame me?" Fauna said dramatically, puffing her cheeks.

"But..." She suddenly grabbed onto his sleeve with both hands, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "...now I need to know more! Tell me—what exactly happened between you two? How did it even start?"

"You two only met today, right? Or wait—don’t tell me this was actually a fateful reunion, like in those romance dramas?"

"A fateful reunion?" Mika raised a brow.

"Yeah!" She said excitedly. "Like you met years ago, and destiny brought you together again today! Is that what happened?"

Mika laughed, placing a hand on her shoulder as they began floating upward toward the skies.

"Nothing as dramatic as that." He said lightly. "We’re just...friends with benefits, or something along those lines."

Fauna blinked, her wings fluttering slightly midair.

"Friends with...benefits?" She repeated slowly. "I’ve heard the nurses talk about that before, but I don’t actually know what it means."

Her curiosity grew as she looked up at him with wide eyes.

"So what does it mean, Mika? Tell me."

"Nope. I’m not explaining that to you." Mika smirked faintly but shook his head. "You’re too innocent for it."

"Hey!" Fauna protested, pouting and puffing out her cheeks. "I’m a grown woman! I’m older than you, you know! You’d better tell me right now, or I’ll get really angry!"

Mika chuckled, reaching over to ruffle her hair gently.

"Fine, fine." He said playfully. "Maybe I’ll explain later...after dinner."

"Promise?" She said, still pouting but with a hint of excitement.

"Promise." He replied.

And with that, their playful bickering continued as they drifted together across the pale evening sky, heading toward Fauna’s home.

Cecilia’s bickering faint in the distance, Nadia’s quake-shattered realm fading behind them, and Mika’s new determination quietly burning beneath his calm smile.

—

By the time the sun was setting across the horizon, painting the sky in streaks of amber and violet, Mika and Fauna finally reached her home.

...or rather, her fortress in the clouds.

The building before them wasn’t just any skyscraper.

It was a modern glass-and-steel marvel that caught the dying light and reflected the entire city beneath it.

The topmost suite, where Fauna lived, was practically a palace—an open expanse with a wide terrace garden, an infinity pool glowing under the golden sunset, a small greenhouse, and a rest area shaded with draping vines.

Unlike Yelena, who preferred peace and solitude in the outskirts of the city, Fauna thrived among people.

She liked to be near the hospital, near the pulse of life, so she’d bought this skyscraper outright, turning the entire building into her personal home.

From her balcony, she could look down at the hospital just a few blocks away, ready to rush there in case of emergencies.

And unlike ordinary residents, Mika and Fauna didn’t bother with elevators or security gates.

They simply floated down together to the rooftop area, landing softly beside the glowing pool. Fauna then tapped the biometric lock and the sliding glass doors opened with a quiet hiss, revealing her home’s warm light.

"Anya!" Fauna called immediately, her cheerful voice echoing across the spacious living room. "Mommy’s home! I brought someone special with me today! Where are you?"

She waited...But no reply.

She frowned slightly, stepping into the spacious living room...elegant yet filled with warmth.

Plush animal toys sat on the sofas, green plants hung from ceiling pots, and the scent of lavender drifted softly through the air.

Despite the luxury, the place felt lived-in, human.

"Anya?" She called again, glancing around the vast suite.

Still no answer.

"Maybe she’s in the bathroom just like Nadia probably is now." Mika followed behind.

"No, no...she must be in her study room." Fauna sighed fondly before going on to explain, "Recently, she’s been flooded with work from the Lawmaking Brach of the Parliament of Heroes."

"They’re drafting new constitutional laws for that newly opened realm, and she’s been working day and night on it." She smiled wistfully. "Poor girl barely sleeps anymore."

Then her eyes drifted to the kitchen, where a few covered dishes were waiting neatly on the counter.

"But even then..." She said with warmth in her voice. "...she still finds the time to cook dinner for me. Such a good, obedient daughter."

Mika chuckled, wandering over and lifting one of the lids.

"If you tell the academy students the same thing..." He said teasingly. "...they’ll start crying and call you a liar. Your daughter is known as quite the menace back there. Some are even scared to approach her when she’s in a mood."

Fauna winced, scratching her cheek with a sheepish grin.

"Well...you’re not wrong. She can be a little scary. Sometimes I think she’s the one running this house." She gave an embarrassed laugh. "She even scolds me, tells me I act too childish and that I should behave like a proper mother."

Mika smirked. "I can imagine."

Fauna sighed dramatically. "I can’t even deny her half the time. But still..." She paused, a softer smile replacing her exasperation. "...there’s a gentle soul inside her.The others may not see it, but she always shows that side to me."

Mika picked up a spoon, tasting a bit of the food.

"I’m not saying anything against that." He said with a small grin. "Just from this alone, I can tell how much love she put into it."

"See? I told you." Fauna’s face softened, clearly pleased.

But just as she was about to go on a rant about how her daughter bullies her own mother, Mika’s phone began to ring.

He looked down at the screen—and he winced.

"Oh boy." He muttered.

"Who is it?" Fauna leaned over his shoulder.

"Yelena." Mika said with a wry smile. "She’s probably worried. I haven’t replied to her messages for a while. She’s probably wondering why I haven’t come home yet."

The moment Fauna heard that, her expression shifted into pure mischief. Her green eyes sparkled like a child’s.

"Answer it!" She said eagerly. "Answer it right now!"

"What? Why?"

"I want to boast to her!" Fauna said, already bouncing with excitement. "I want to rub it right in her face that you’re here—with me—and not at her house!"

She clapped her hands together gleefully.

"Oh, her angry little pouty face is going to be priceless! Come on, come on, let’s do it together! Please?"

Mika groaned, shaking his head with a helpless smile.

"You really can be a gremlin sometimes, you know that?"

"I’ll take that as a compliment." She said proudly, tugging on his sleeve like an overexcited child.

"Now, hurry up before she hangs up!"

Mika chuckled under his breath, pressing the accept button.

"Alright, alright."

He said, exhaling lightly as the video call connected—already bracing himself for whatever chaos was about to follow.