Chapter 228: Chapter 228: She’s An Angel!

Seeing Fauna again after so long, Mika couldn’t help but smile.

It wasn’t just nostalgia, it was the kind of warmth that crept in naturally, like sunlight after a storm.

But then, as he glanced around, he realized he wasn’t the only one smiling.

To his right, the receptionist was beaming too, her eyes soft and sparkling with adoration as she watched Fauna move across the field.

And to his left, the children, the patients, the elderly, everyone around seemed caught in the same trance.

And when Mika turned his gaze back to the group doing aerobics, men, women, and children alike, they all wore the same expression: wide, glowing smiles, their eyes following Fauna as though she was the center of their world.

It was like watching people fall under a spell.

He sighed softly.

"Out of all the Battle Angels..." He muttered. "...she’s probably the most different."

And it was true.

When it came to Yelena or Nadia, their beauty was one that commanded silence.

They carried themselves with the authority of goddesses, graceful, intimidating, and almost otherworldly.

Just meeting their eyes was enough to make most people freeze, their throats tighten, their hearts race.

Being in their presence too long could make your palms sweat. They were elegance and danger intertwined.

But Fauna...Fauna was the complete opposite.

When people looked at her, they didn’t tremble—they melted.

She was too cute, too sweet, too utterly disarming to fear.

Even those who knew exactly what she was capable of—knew she could end thousands of lives in an instant, could never bring themselves to see her as anything but lovable.

Even if she scolded them with the harshest words, cursed like a soldier, or yelled until her voice cracked, they would only nod and smile, completely unfazed.

Because Fauna was, in every sense of the word, a golden retriever in human form.

A soft, bright, cuddly thing that radiated warmth rather than power.

Even her height didn’t help her intimidation factor—she was adorably short, barely reaching most people’s shoulders. It only made her even more impossible to take seriously in a threatening way.

Yet beneath all that sweetness...Mika knew.

If she truly wished, she could slaughter every person in this hospital, and the district around it, in seconds. Every soul, every breath, snuffed out in the most horrifying, agonizing way imaginable.

But no one cared about that.

Because when they saw her, all they could think of was how adorable she looked.

"She’s so cute!" The receptionist suddenly blurted out, pressing her hands to her cheeks. "I just want to hug her and pull on those cheeks!"

Mika blinked at her, caught off guard.

"It’s like she’s just a little kid trying her best to act like an adult." The receptionist gushed, practically bouncing with excitement. "It’s impossible not to want to give her a big hug! She’s like a walking teddy bear!"

Mika’s lips twitched into an amused smirk as he followed her gaze.

"And not just her looks." The receptionist added quickly. "But her personality too. Look at her!"

She pointed toward Fauna, who was still instructing her crowd.

"Come on, everyone! Follow me! You can do it!" Fauna cheered, bouncing on her toes, her voice bright and full of energy. "Legs out, arms up, yes, that’s it! Stretch, stretch! Feel the sunshine! You’re all doing great!"

Her enthusiasm was infectious. Even the oldest patients were giggling as they tried to mimic her movements.

But Fauna wasn’t letting anyone slack off.

"You there!" She said suddenly, pointing at an old man in the back. "Yes, you! Arms up! Higher! Stretch them out! Otherwise you won’t feel the full relief of the exercise!"

The old man nearly choked in shock but quickly raised his arms as high as he could, grinning from ear to ear.

"Perfect!" Fauna said brightly. "That’s the spirit!"

’If he died right then...’ Mika thought dryly. ’...the old man would’ve gone with a smile.’

Then Fauna’s eyes landed on another patient, a middle-aged woman who was trying to fake her movements while pretending to participate.

"You! No cheating!" Fauna puffed up her cheeks and stomped adorably. "Come on, jump, jump! You have to move or it won’t work!"

The woman blushed so hard she nearly tripped.

But she obeyed immediately, jumping in place, her heart hammering not from exercise but from sheer embarrassment at being noticed by Fauna herself.

And then, perhaps the sweetest scene was when Fauna turned toward a small group of children.

"You guys aren’t doing your best either!" She scolded, folding her arms with an exaggerated pout. "If you want to get better soon, you have to give it your all! Or else you’ll never get strong enough to leave the hospital!"

The children all looked at her with wide, sparkling eyes, and then promptly didn’t move at all.

If anything, they seemed even more determined to stay.

Mika could only sigh again, watching the scene unfold.

"Yeah." He murmured under his breath. "They’re never leaving."

The receptionist giggled beside him, completely entranced by Fauna’s every gesture.

"Honestly..." She whispered. "If Lady Fauna told me to do squats until I passed out, I’d still do it with a smile."

She wasn’t finished.

"Not to mention, even getting to exercise with her is like winning a lottery ticket! People literally have auctions for those spots."

"Auctions?" Mika repeated, genuinely confused.

"Oh, you don’t know?" She said, looking genuinely surprised. "Usually, these little...impromptu aerobics sessions are only for selected patients. It’s supposed to be completely random—the staff just pick a group of members every morning."

"But because everyone knows there’s a chance she might personally lead the session, things can get...crazy."

"Crazy how?"

"Well..." The receptionist glanced around, as if afraid someone might overhear. "People trade spots. Sell them. Bribe each other. I’m serious! The first time she did this, the patients started offering valuables just for a seat near her."

"Jewelry, cash, heirlooms, one guy even offered his land deed just to be in her group for ten minutes."

Mika blinked. "...You’re joking."

"I wish I was." She giggled nervously. "And it wasn’t just patients. Outsiders started trying to sneak in, pretending to be visitors just to get into the sessions."

"It turned into this massive underground auction system until the hospital had to shut the whole thing down and make new rules, only officially selected patients can participate, and they’re monitored so no one can trade spots. Otherwise, it would’ve become a gambling ring overnight."

"Honestly though...I get it." She sighed dramatically, clasping her hands together.

"You do?"

"Of course!" She said without hesitation, her cheeks pinking slightly. "If I had the chance to join one of these sessions, I’d probably give up my whole monthly paycheck for it. Just to have Lady Fauna scold me like that, ’Come on, you can do better!’, ohh, that would be amazing."

Mika gave her a sideways look, one brow raised.

"You seem pretty down bad for Fauna."

"Of course I am!" The receptionist laughed, completely unashamed. "Who isn’t? Everyone here loves her, patients, staff, even the doctors. She’s basically our hospital mascot."

"That much?" Mika asked.

"It’s true!" She nodded eagerly. "Some people even come to work early on purpose just hoping to see her smile or say good morning. It doesn’t matter how bad your day is—if you see Lady Fauna once, the rest of it feels lighter. She’s like sunshine in human form."

He couldn’t argue with that.

As absurd as it all sounded, he understood perfectly. It was impossible not to like Fauna.

Just her presence, her smile, the way she spoke, everything about her felt...healing.

Even now, as she hopped around with her patients, cheerfully calling out,

"Come on, stretch your arms! Higher! Don’t be lazy, you guys!"

She radiated so much joy that it was contagious.

Cameras and phones popped up here and there; people were already recording her, and Mika was certain that within an hour, clips of her session would be all over the net.

She was adored, by everyone. The most popular of all the Battle Angels. The one even commoners felt they could reach, the one who symbolized hope.

It was ironic, though, because Mika knew she hated that image.

She didn’t like being treated like a mascot or a cute little pet. She wanted people to take her seriously, to see the warrior beneath the softness.

But how could they?

When she looked like that, when she was that, an angelic ball of light who couldn’t intimidate even a mouse.

Still, while most of the crowd admired her with childlike affection, Mika noticed a few pairs of eyes that didn’t.

Some of the men standing nearby were grinning in a way that made his eyes twitch.

They weren’t looking at her innocence, they were staring at the way her chest bounced and her hips swayed as she moved. Fauna’s curves, soft and impossibly full for someone her size, drew attention she never asked for.

And though Mika knew that was inevitable...it still irritated him.

He muttered something under his breath, a short, quiet phrase laced with a pulse of mana.

And a second later—a dozen men suddenly shouted, clutching their faces.

"Ah, my eyes! What the hell—!"

"Shit, it burns!"

"It’s like someone flashed a torch in my skull!"

Their outbursts drew a few startled glances.

Even Fauna paused mid-step, blinking at the sudden commotion. But when she saw no real harm, she simply smiled and continued her routine, dismissing it as a random coincidence.

Mika, meanwhile, turned to the receptionist, his expression calm and polite as ever.

"I don’t want to disturb her right now." He said quietly. "I’ll wait for her in her office. When she’s finished here, could you let her know I’m waiting?"

The receptionist nodded quickly, still recovering from the chaos around them. "Of course, Master Mika. I’ll inform her the moment she’s done."

"Thanks."

He started to walk away but then paused mid-step, turning back slightly.

"Oh, and one more thing." He said. "Could you ask someone to bring an oxygen tank and a mask to her office for me?"

She blinked, confused. "An oxygen tank? Are you...alright, sir?"

"I’m fine. Just a precaution." He smiled faintly.

"O-Okay." She said, still puzzled but obedient. "I’ll have it sent right away."

Mika smiled faintly. "Good. I’ll be waiting."

As he walked away, disappearing into the corridor that led deeper into the terrace building, the receptionist stood frozen for a moment, brow furrowed in confusion.

"Why would someone like him need an oxygen tank...?" She muttered softly.