Soul Bonded [Claude De Alger Obelia x reader ]

37. Tender Feeling

The Imperial library was a peaceful, mellow place. The rows and rows of shelves lined up in straight, diligent line and filled to brim with books added to that sophisticated aura. The air filled with aroma of old pages and fresh book filled the place with tranquility.

But the mellow, serenity peace was broken by you who grunted as you did what Claude instructed.

"I said to focus on the core. Just how hard that can be?" Claude mercilessly criticized you, as leaned back on the chair nonchalantly. A thick book was placed infront of him as he leaned his cheek on his palm eyeing you in disapproval.

He had threw away his stuffy expensive dress coat at some point. Now he sat just relaxing in his shirt and black pants. Looking all the more handsome wearing causal clothes. When he's well dressed he looked like a true royalty but when he relax in casual look, he looked so effortlessly otherworldly handsome. So not fair!

You grumbled. "It's not that easy as you say! You never told me forming mana portal was going to be this hard. I'm dying here!!"

Claude rolled his eyes and flicked his wrist, the book flew through the air and back to the shelf and perfectly putting itself among the other books.

You felt jealous at his magic skills. How come he made it look so easy while you were struggling to even lift a feather.

"Show off."

You groaned throwing yourself on the floor. You'd going at it for hours, trying to link you and Ether but dammit it was so hard.

Claude sighed at your sulking figure. "We are doing this for months and you're still stuck on stage one. I didn't expect you to be this lacking even when I imagined the worst case scenario. You truly suck at this."

You made more grumpy incoherent noises while Ether swayed his twin tails looking highly amused at his master's antics.

You've been doing for past months. He would show his disappointed and in return you'd grumble in sulky manner. It always start like this. But during the time spent training together the distance between both of you shrank little by little. What started as banter and playful bickering would end up with heart to heart conversation with you rambling on and on about your day with a dose of insults to Roman and other rookies healers who looked down on you and you passionately insulting every nobles you encountered and vowing to yourself to run away from such entitled bastards.

He always looked disinterested, even bored but you knew he was listening, hanging on every word you uttered and inputting his own sarcastic, snide remarks which again end up putting you in sulky mood and him offering sweets to appease you afterwards.

Let's say it took a lot of efforts from your part to melt the steel walls and knock on his heart. Eventually he did up warmed up to you. Defense lowered, he trusted you. At least that's what you hoped. Because for the past few weeks he became less cold and more tolerant towards you. Not shying away from your causal hugs, not resisting when you drag him around. Yeah, you made lot of progress but dammit he wasn't lenient with you when it came to training! He was a strict mentor. One that made you cry tears of blood. That saying something when you've Roman.

"Please can I take a freaking break? I'm exhausted to my bone here." You whined as you sprawled on the marbled floor.

Claude's eye's flickered to you, blue eyes sweeping over your features in suspicion. "You don't look all that exhausted."

"I'm soul deep exhausted! A exhaustion that goes beyond physical! You wouldn't understand it." You huffed, curling into fetal position and pitifully looking at Claude with big teary eyes.