Outer Regions.
The Insectoid Prison.
The perfectly cut walls of black starlight stone glead with a tallic sheen beneath the cold blue illumination.
Aren’s tall figure lounged casually against the corner of the cell. His long black hair cascaded like a waterfall down his back, a few unruly strands falling across the sharply defined lines of his face.
Thick lashes cast faint shadows over his eyes, concealing those dark pupils capable of ensnaring souls.
"Have you found what I asked for?"
At the prison door, a transparent silhouette slowly materialized into a kneeling figure.
"Reporting to Master—no, not yet."
"Then why did you co back?"
Aren tilted his head slightly to look at him.
His voice was lazy, unhurried, the final note lifting faintly—soft as a feather brushing against the ear, stirring the most sensitive of nerves.
The man kneeling on the ground swallowed nervously.
Serving at their master’s side truly honed one’s willpower.
Especially after he had broken through to Rank Eleven—his ability had beco even more monstrous. Not only could he charm females, he could charm males as well.
A single lapse in concentration, and one might fall under his spell.
Of course, their master had no interest in males. It was simply an unfortunate side effect.
"I’ve received so news," the subordinate said cautiously.
"What news could possibly be more important than the thousand-plus brand-new warships I’ve set my sights on?"
Everyone claid he scavenged scrap in the Outer Regions.
But scavenging was slow profit.
Seizing a thousand new-model warships and selling them to the Imperial military? That would earn more than ten years of picking through wreckage.
"Unless my rebellious little brother has stirred up trouble again?"
"No."
The subordinate leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"Master... I’ve just learned that you have a Female Master."
Aren’s gaze darkened. "A Female Master? Don’t tell the clan arranged one for ."
The subordinate shook his head rapidly.
"No, no. It was the Beast God System. You were matched over a month ago. But we’ve been operating in Insectoid territory and didn’t receive the notice."
Aren shot to his feet.
"Inform everyone. Forget the warships. We return to Central District imdiately."
Damn it. To think he was only learning this now.
He could only hope Aris hadn’t discovered it.
If that lunatic got involved, he wouldn’t just try to undermine him—he might do sothing reckless enough to harm the Female Master.
And that... would not be forgiven.
(Don’t forget that Aren and Aris are twins! Right now, Aris is pretending to be Aren!)
***
Inside the manor.
Aren—brought back from the hospital by Jasper—now sat calmly on the sofa.
Across from him stood Vincent, Yuel, and Xarion.
He offered them a polite smile.
"Hello. I’m very pleased to beco the Female Master’s matched partner alongside you."
Yuel finished sizing Aris up from head to toe, then turned to Jasper beside him.
"What did the doctor say? Is he badly injured?"
Jasper shook his head. "Your leaf already healed most of his wounds. The doctor said the reason he’s still weak is exhaustion. He’s been traveling nonstop for half a month and didn’t get proper rest."
"Useless." Xarion spoke at last, his languid, half-dead tone carrying undisguised disdain.
Aris’s fingers curled slightly into his palm.
He had only just arrived. He knew better than to openly offend Rory’s matched partners. If she developed even the slightest dislike for him, forming a bond later would beco far more difficult.
"Cough... cough..."
Leaning weakly against the sofa, Aris coughed twice and spoke slowly.
"I’m sorry. I really am useless. It was only half a month of travel, and I’ve exhausted myself like this. I even made the Female Master worry about ... I—I truly deserve to die."
The tone. The posture.
Utterly delicate. Utterly pitiful.
Yuel and Vincent exchanged a glance.
They both knew Aren. They had purchased warships through him before—so secondhand, so brand new. Of course, such transactions had been handled by subordinates. They had only t him once or twice and never dealt with him closely.
Neither of them had expected him to be this... theatrically fragile.
"If you deserve to die, then why not go die?" Xarion drawled lazily, his sickly voice sharp as frostbite. "Can’t bear to? With how useless you are, what exactly are you clinging to?"
Aris’s fists tightened again.
He very much wanted to poison this perpetually half-dead wolf.
"You’re right," Aris said faintly. "I do deserve to die. Being able to rush back and see the Female Master once—I have no regrets left. I’ll go die now."
He struggled to his feet as if every movent cost him strength, and began walking toward the door.
Just wait.
Once he had completely secured the Female Master’s trust, the first one he would deal with would be this wolf.
Xarion was Rank Eleven. In a direct confrontation, Aris might not win.
But he had poison.
And not the ordinary kind.
He had expected Vincent or Yuel to stop him.
Instead, the two simply folded their arms and watched, as if enjoying a performance.
It was Nix—coming out of the kitchen with a glass of water—who reacted first. Seeing Aren stagger weakly toward the exit, he hurriedly set the glass down and rushed over to support him.
"Aren, your injuries aren’t healed yet! Where are you going? You need to sit back down. If sothing happens to you, Riri—"
He caught himself. "—Rory will worry."
Aris’s eyes reddened instantly. "She... would worry about ? I’m so useless. I don’t even have the face to stay by her side."
Simple and straightforward as ever, Nix failed completely to see through the act. To him, Aren’s teary, barely-holding-it-together expression looked genuinely pitiful.
"You just saved the Female Master. How could you be useless?"
Nix helped him sit back down on the sofa. "I poured you so water. Drink first. You need to recover."
Rory had gone upstairs to change her clothes.
Vincent judged that the timing was right before finally speaking to Aren.
"Since you’re already here, and since Rory—" Vincent paused, then corrected himself naturally. "—since our Female Master has agreed to let you stay, find yourself a room on the first floor and settle in for now."
Aris held the glass of water in both hands and looked at Vincent with apparent gratitude.
"Thank you, Your Highness Prince Vincent. We’ve worked together often in the Outer Regions. I never imagined we would end up matched to the sa Female Master."
"I arrived the latest. I’ll be relying on all of you to take care of from now on."
Yuel cast him a faintly amused look, one corner of his lips lifting. "Don’t worry. We’re all brothers here. Of course we’ll take good care of you."
Xarion and Jasper said nothing.
Only Nix, bright and earnest as ever, stepped forward and clapped Aris on the shoulder. "I’ll take care of you too."
Aris smiled at him.
This one is simple, he thought. Easy to handle.
Just then, Rory ca downstairs after changing her clothes. Seeing Vincent and the others gathered around Aren, she walked over, concern written plainly on her face.
"Aren, are you feeling better?"
They said the succubi were dangerously alluring. But looking at Aren now, Rory felt... it was just so-so.
Yes, he was handso.
But she honestly didn’t think he was more seductive than her Yuel.
"Female Master."
The mont he saw her, Aris imdiately rose from the sofa. His entire posture radiated humility and quiet sorrow.
"I’m sorry, Female Master. Xarion was right. I really am useless. Just from traveling nonstop for half a month, I exhausted myself like this... and even made you worry."
Rory glanced at Xarion.
The white-haired wolf tilted his head weakly, eting her gaze with an innocent blink.
"He admitted it himself," he said languidly. "I didn’t say anything wrong."
Rory knew Xarion treated everyone the sa way. She didn’t bla him.
Smiling gently, she turned back to Aren. "Don’t mind him. I know the journey here must have been hard. I won’t bla you for arriving late."
"I’ll have Vincent arrange a room for you. Go and get so proper rest first. We can talk about everything else after you’ve recovered."
Aris had no intention of resting.
He looked at her, his eyes faintly glistening, as though holding back emotion. "But I want to stay with the Female Master."
Not only was he playing delicate—he was already trying to secure her ti on his very first night here.
Bold.
Yuel’s expression turned subtly dangerous. He reached out and took Rory’s hand.
"Female Master—" he paused with a soft smile, "Rory, you promised this morning that you’d make it up to tonight."
He had originally planned to attend the Firebird Clan’s birthday banquet for the Empress Matriarch.
But a sudden assignnt had forced him to leave for work instead.
Rory had promised that after finishing her training tonight, she would spend ti with him.
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