Chapter 227: Chapter 227: Fauna Lumirielle Necrosia

Inside the quiet elevator, the soft hum of the machinery filled the silence. Mika leaned casually against the glass panel, hands in his pockets, while the receptionist stood beside him, glancing at the glowing numbers above the door.

But every few seconds, Mika noticed her stealing a glance at him. Once. Twice. Again. Each time, she’d quickly avert her eyes the moment he looked her way, pretending to check her watch or adjust her badge.

He waited for a while until finally he said, "If you have any questions or doubts, you can ask, you know. I don’t bite."

The receptionist’s eyes widened in alarm.

"Ah! I—I’m sorry!" She stammered, cheeks flushing. "I didn’t mean to make it so obvious." She bit her lip, then gave a nervous little laugh. "It’s just...you seem like a really nice person. Easy to talk to, I mean so I couldn’t help but want to ask a question."

"Is that so? I’ll take that as a compliment." Mika chuckled softly.

She hesitated, looking around to make sure they were alone before leaning in slightly.

"It’s a bit personal, but...may I ask something?"

"Go ahead." He said with a nod.

Her voice lowered to a whisper as she asked,

"What exactly is your relationship with Lady Fauna?"

"My relationship with her?" That made Mika raise an eyebrow.

"Yes." She said quickly, blushing again. "It’s just that...the note attached to your name wasn’t something a normal acquaintance would receive."

"What note are you talking about?"

The receptionist blinked in surprise.

"You don’t know? Well...usually, when someone books an appointment with Lady Fauna, their name is added to a formal list, plain and orderly, you know?...But your name wasn’t just listed."

She paused, before continuing,

"There was a handwritten note from Lady Fauna herself attached to it."

Mika smiled faintly. "And what exactly did it say?"

"It was..." She began, voice dropping to a whisper again. "It was something like, ’When my dear baby boy, m-my beautiful, darling, cute, adorable little bunny Mika arrives, please send him to me immediately. I’ll be waiting for my darling boy to come up.’"

The poor woman’s voice cracked halfway through, and by the time she finished, her entire face was glowing red.

She fidgeted awkwardly.

"She even drew these tiny hearts and little illustrations of bunnies around the note. It was really cute, but also...a little, um, personal." She looked up at him shyly. "So I couldn’t help wondering what kind of relationship you two have."

Mika sighed softly, dragging a hand down his face.

"She hasn’t changed one bit." He muttered under his breath. "I haven’t even met her yet, and she’s already showing off her overwhelming love..."

"Eh?" the receptionist blinked. "Sorry, what was that?"

"Nothing." Mika said quickly, forcing a smile. "As for our relationship...well, she’s basically family, I suppose."

"Family?" the receptionist repeated, surprised. Her brows furrowed slightly. "But...I’ve only ever heard of Lady Fauna’s sisters and their daughters being part of her family. I didn’t know she had any male relatives."

"Let’s just say it’s not common knowledge, but it’s not really a secret either. A few people know. It’s fine." Mika chuckled softly at her confusion.

Still, the receptionist placed a hand over her chest.

"Even so, I’ll keep it to myself." She said quickly. "You don’t have to worry. I won’t tell anyone else."

"There’s really no need...especially since she’s going to be someone that’s closer then the family we were sooner or later." Mika said with a calm smile.

The woman blinked again, clearly puzzled.

The old Mika, the cautious one, would never have admitted such a thing so easily.

He would’ve downplayed it, hidden it, maybe even denied the connection altogether.

But now? He didn’t care. Let them speculate. Let them whisper.

"Closer than family? How can anyone be closer than that?" The receptionist tilted her head.

"You’d be surprised." Mika only chuckled softly, his gaze turning distant.

Before she could ask more, the elevator chimed softly, the sound of the bell echoing through the narrow space. The doors slid open with a gentle hiss.

Without another word, Mika stepped out first, leaving the receptionist momentarily stunned and full of unanswered questions before she hurried after him.

The moment they stepped out of the lift, Mika was met with a breathtaking sight.

The rooftop terrace wasn’t just a garden, it was an entire world in itself.

Lush green stretched as far as the eye could see, blanketing the entire upper level of the hospital. The air was cool and carried the scent of wildflowers, water, and sunlight.

Small ponds glittered under the bright sky, surrounded by colorful blooms, benches, and stone pathways that curved like rivers through the grass.

Everywhere he looked, life thrived.

Patients walked with ease, nurses sat chatting on benches, and children—some still wearing hospital wristbands, laughed and ran after each other. Birds sang from the treetops, butterflies drifted lazily through the air, and a soft breeze carried the sound of laughter and joy.

There were even animals as well.

Rabbits hopped through patches of clover. A few fluffy white foxes chased butterflies near the shrubs. Even a small family of hedgehogs waddled by, completely unbothered by the crowd.

It was paradise suspended above the city, a sanctuary of life and joy.

The receptionist smiled as they began walking.

"This is the terrace garden Lady Fauna implemented when she first built the hospital." She explained proudly. "She said she wanted a place where patients could forget about their treatments and pain for a while. Somewhere they could sit under the sun, breathe freely, and just...feel alive again."

She laughed softly.

"It’s worked a little too well, though. Half the patients refuse to leave! Sometimes it’s a whole ordeal just to get them to go back down for checkups."

Mika smiled faintly at that.

"Yeah." He said, glancing around at the laughter and color surrounding them. "I know. I was the one who told her to do it."

The receptionist blinked, stopping mid-step.

"Wait—you what?"

He turned toward her, his tone light.

"I suggested it to her a long time ago. I mean, her name is Fauna, right, like Flora and Fauna? It only made sense that her hospital should have animals and open garden space. I told her it would help keep patients calm, and she listened. Next day, she started implementing it."

The receptionist’s mouth fell slightly open as she stared at him, caught between disbelief and awe.

"So...this entire terrace, this garden, all of this, it was your idea?"

Mika simply smiled. "You could say that."

For a moment, she just stood there, unable to find words.

She had known Lady Fauna adored him from the note, but hearing that one of the most beloved parts of the hospital had been born from his suggestion made her realize their bond ran much deeper than she had imagined.

By the time she snapped out of it, Mika was already walking ahead, his gaze scanning the bright expanse of the garden. She quickly hurried after him.

"So, um, where exactly is Fauna right now?" Mika asked.

The receptionist looked around, shading her eyes with a hand.

"She should be around here somewhere...Oh!"

She pointed across the terrace.

"There she is! Over there, by the pond!"

Mika followed her gesture and saw what she meant.

Near a clear patch of green, a large group of patients, children, adults, and elderly alike, stood neatly in rows, moving their arms and legs in rhythm.

They were doing aerobics, talking, moving to a cheerful tune playing from a nearby speaker. And in front of all of them, leading the group with bright energy and perfect rhythm, was her.

Fauna.

The sight of her made even the sun seem gentler.

She stood barefoot on the grass, the hem of her soft green one-piece dress brushing her knees as she moved.

Her long fluffy golden hair flowed freely down her back, shimmering like liquid light in the wind. Each step she took made it bounce and sway, wild and free, and yet somehow perfectly graceful.

Her eyes, bright, deep green, radiated warmth and kindness, filled with the kind of gentle affection that could melt away fear itself.

There was an almost divine quality to her smile, so pure and soft it made even the hardest hearts ease.

But beyond that angelic grace—there was something else, something impossible to ignore.

Her figure, though petite and short, was curvaceous in a way that defied logic.

Her dress clung to her body like silk, outlining every curve. Her breasts were full and heavy enough to strain against the fabric, and her waist was impossibly small in contrast to the generous swell of her hips and the roundness of her rear.

It was a shape that combined innocence and temptation so perfectly that it almost didn’t seem real, like an angel sculpted with the touch of a devil.

She moved with effortless charm, her body swaying slightly with every turn and stretch, her hair catching the light like threads of gold.

And as Mika watched her, his usual calm expression softened, a faint, knowing smile tugging at his lips.

This was her.

Fauna Lumirielle Necrosia

Plague Maiden of Eternal Life and Rotting Death

And the next target Mika had set his eyes on.

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Illustration for Fauna is on the character description page and the discord...Check them out!