Chapter 19. Wedding preparations?

  'This will make this catgirl think twice before deciding to play pranks in front of me, hmph!', Rina thought, feeling a sense of satisfaction, while she involuntarily licked her lips, which had become moist from biting and chewing on Lucy's ear, who was standing before her with red, reproachful eyes, occasionally shedding a tear.

  Unfortunately for Rina, her sense of satisfaction didn't last long because when she looked around proudly as if she had returned victorious from a great battle, she only noticed disapproving glances from the lionkins around her, as if she had just committed a grave crime.

  "Huh, what happened?" Rina asked one of the older lionkin men who were closer to where she and Lucy were.

  "Rina, ...um..., how should I put it,... what you just did, you can't do it to anyone; you can only do it to the person you want to mark as your future partner..." the lionkin replied to Rina, somewhat perplexed that he had to explain these things that almost all demihumans with feline traits knew.

  "Huh, ...what kind of partner?" Rina asked, not quite understanding what the lionkin in front of her meant.

  "....Your future spouse, Rina... or in this case, your future wife... I can't believe you don't know anything about this. Besides, what you did is not something you can do in the middle of the road, in front of everyone. Although this catgirl is a real troublemaker, you still have to consider that a young woman's honor cannot be treated so casually....", the lionkin replied, this time unable to refrain from scolding Rina.

  Hearing all of this, Rina was completely shocked, as she had no idea about the significance of biting someone's ear, because every time her grandmother began the discussion about marriage or a future partner, she would get upset and head to the training ground, not giving her grandmother a chance to explain even the basics.

  'Damn it, how did I end up in this situation?' Rina wondered in her mind, not knowing what to do next. 'Why did I have to bite her ear? Couldn't I have just used my hand to pull her ear, like I always do with Nalani when she does something stupid?? What was I even thinking before doing this? ...All I remember is feeling a strong desire to put this catgirl, who had teased me so many times, in her place, to show her that I'm not someone to be provoked... If I think about it more carefully, it's her fault for all of this. Her playful look, the way she touched me while holding me down, the kiss she planted on my nose..., yes, all of that is to blame for my reaction. You can't play with fire without risking getting burned...', Rina continued to think, trying to convince herself that it wasn't her fault for what had happened.

  Unfortunately for Rina, she didn't have the necessary time to find a way out of this situation, as Lucy, who also heard the lionkin's words, couldn't resist taking advantage of the situation to get back at her for nearly taking off half of her ear.

  "What are you still thinking? Don't tell me that after everything you've done, you don't intend to take responsibility? Who will marry me if you don't want me?", Lucy said to Rina, her voice filled with reproach.

  "I... no, that wasn't my intention...", Rina replied, all the courage she had mustered disappearing when her gaze met Lucy's accusatory eyes.

  "Oh, so you mean I'm not good enough for you? What am I lacking? Am I not pretty enough? Is my tail not silky enough? Or are you saying that you didn't like the taste of my ear?" Lucy continued to ask loudly, as if she wanted to draw everyone's attention to show what kind of person this young lionkin woman was, one who enjoyed playing with the feelings of innocent girls.

  "No, it's not like that... You have a good taste... um, I mean, you look good...", Rina stammered, not knowing how to calm down the catgirl in front of her, who seemed to have forgotten all about shame.

  "Ohh, so you just like taking advantage of beautiful girls without intending to enter into a serious relationship with them... Hmph, shameless woman!" Lucy concluded, her words receiving the approval of most of the lionkins present, who watched the scene as if it were a theater performance.

  "Yes, Rina! You need to take responsibility!" one of the lionkins present said.

  "This catgirl is both beautiful and very strong. What more could you ask for?" came the words of another lionkin from the opposite direction.

  'Have they all gone mad? What do they want from me? Do they want me to marry this catgirl right now, whose name and identity I don't even know? Have they forgotten that this catgirl is the one who beat them to the point where they couldn't walk less than a quarter of an hour ago, and now they're all on her side?' Rina thought as she looked around at the increasingly agitated lionkin.

  Although the lion, often referred to as the king of the animals in Lucy's previous world, is known for its aggressiveness and determination, when faced with a situation it couldn't explain, it would also succumb to the basic instinct of self-preservation and retreat like a frightened rabbit. The same happened with Rina, who, not understanding what was happening and not knowing what to say, decided to withdraw as quickly as possible from that place to ensure that the madness of the lionkins around her wouldn't affect her as well. So, in less than 5 seconds, Rina picked up the catgirl, who was the source of all these problems, in a princess carry, and ran with her towards her home, where she lived alone, hoping that in a familiar and peaceful environment, she would be able to figure out what to do.

  "Well done, Rina! That's how a true lionkin behaves..." one of the lionkins said, believing that Rina's gesture meant that she had decided to take Lucy home to make Lucy her wife and forgetting that they had initially gathered there to capture the catgirl.

  "Uh, is it okay for that catgirl to enter our village? Weren't we here to capture her?" asked a lionkin who had just recovered from fainting and was watching the events around him in bewilderment.

  "Why wouldn't it be okay? Can't you see that Rina has chosen her to be her wife? She will be part of the village from now on..." replied one of the lionkins who had been conscious before the moment in which Rina met Lucy.

  "Although that catgirl is quite tough, the fact that she didn't kill anyone, even though I believe she was capable of eliminating all of us here, is clear evidence that it was all just a big misunderstanding. Moreover, the fact that such a powerful warrior is joining our village is incredible news... Ouch! Come on now! Let's go tell everyone to prepare for the wedding!" added another lionkin, who, although still limping from the blows received from Lucy, was very excited about the outcome of the situation.

  "Yes... I think you're right...", said the lionkin who had just risen from the ground. "Let's hurry and spread the good news to everyone! Ouch! I'm sure everyone will be thrilled that Rina has finally decided to accept a partner, as we will finally be rid of her grandfather's complaints about not knowing how to convince her to get married..." he continued to say, and then, like the other lionkins present, headed towards his home, not letting the pain that made him limp diminish his happiness in the least.