The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe-Chapter 249: I’m sorry for scolding you

I reached for Damar’s hair, and while it looked like I was going to stroke him softly, I took a fistful and pulled his hair.

"What do you mean you want to treasure a scar? Get it treated right away. You’ll get sick if the wounds get infected, you know that." I argued but he didn’t want to.

This was the first time Damar refused my words. He was so adamant about leaving the scratches be to form a scar.

I was left speechless... It was as if he were obsessed with me.

Well, I mean, there’s no surprise there. I already knew that from the start. But...

"Damar, do you... Really want to go through all of that just to keep a mark of me on your body?" I asked and he nodded.

He held my hand and then pressed it to his lips.

"I want the world to know I belong to you and you alone." He said, his eyes fixed on mine and I gulped.

Now that Damar has legs, he no longer looks like a snake beastman, so he’s bound to get a lot of attention.

If a handsome beastman like this, looking ethereal on his two legs, walked around, there were bound to be flies swarming around him.

As much as I don’t like it, I don’t want him to go through a hard time just to keep the scars.

I hated it.

He just woke up, he suffered from a high fever and went through a hard time... Never again.

"Damar," I called, snatching my hand from him and looking at him with a dead serious gaze. "Get rid of the scars," I said, my voice cold.

Fenric and Noah turned to look in our direction, stopping what they were doing.

They never expected me to turn so cold and serious when talking to Damar.

"Ari..." He looked at me with his eyes squinting in sadness.

"There are other ways," I said. "We can find a way for me to leave a natural mark on you, but not this... If you fall sick," my hand trembled and I bit my lip. "I won’t forgive myself, so don’t do this to me. Don’t let yourself get sick and treat it... All of it."

Damar lowered his head, and then, slowly, he nodded.

"Sorry, Ari," he whispered. "I was being selfish again,"

No, I’m the one being selfish. I’m sorry, but I’m not sure I can handle it if you fall sick...

I threw my face away and then opened my mouth to speak but instead sighed.

"I’m sorry for scolding you," I said. "I’m just worried for you."

"Yes, Ari is the only one who worries about me the most." He raised his head and smiled at me, a sad smile.

It dropped a stone on my heart and I also forced a smile.

"Yeah, I do. So don’t make me worry, okay?"

He got up and then headed outside, not even bothering to wear his tunic. Even if winter was over, the winds outside were still cold. He didn’t care and just left like that.

I felt responsible for that. I felt like I was too harsh on him.

I raised my head and looked at the two who had stopped what they were doing and were looking at me.

I couldn’t say anything and just dropped my head.

"It’s not your fault, Arinya," Fenric said, trying to comfort me.

"Yeah, even I know it’ll be dangerous if he leaves the wounds like that without treating them," Noah added.

"I’m the one who left those wounds," I murmured.

"Well, it was what he was doing that made you leave those marks in the first place, you know." He said and though I knew it was his way of trying to cheer me up, it didn’t work out as well as he planned.

I closed my eyes, my conscience pricking at me.

I shouldn’t have told him off so harshly.

I should apologize to him, and make him understand with simple and soft words.

"Fenric," I called. "Please help me out."

He helped me place the cubs one at a time in their basket and then I stood up, sliding my hand through my coat.

"You’re going after him?" Noah asked and I nodded.

"Yeah," I said and walked out.

They didn’t say anything else and simply watched me as I left.

I walked out and looked both ways but couldn’t find him.

Which way did he go?

I looked at the floor, the wet soil having his footprint as clear as day.

I followed his footsteps until I got to the forest and then lost track of the direction he went.

I looked around and tried to track him with my nose.

I walked and walked until I got lost and tired.

To think a beast would get lost tracking their mate’s scent. Some beast I was.

Maybe I was that bad at tracking... Or maybe Damar was purposely getting further away from me because he didn’t want to face me yet.

I bit my lip, my fist pressed to my chest.

I was indeed too harsh on him.

"Damar," I called out, my voice echoing in the forest. "Hey, where are you?" Once again, my voice echoed but I didn’t get a response.

Then, I heard rustling from the bush to my left.

I parted the bush,

"Damar?"

But it wasn’t Damar.

It was one of the squirrel beastmen that shared the cave with us. You know, the Japanese squirrel.

"Oh, hello, there." I greeted with a warm smile. "I didn’t know when you left. Did you already move out?"

It was a female squirrel and though she was sure we posed no threat to them, she still felt a little anxious in my presence.

"Yes, it was around the end of winter." She said, her voice soft and somewhat dreamy. It was my first time talking to her.

It was always the male that did the talking if they wanted to leave the cave and then come in while they stayed cooped up in there.

"Well then, help me with something," I said and she flinched. "Ah, I’m not asking for anything dangerous. Just... Did you see a tall handsome male with pale skin and white hair around here?"