After speaking, Xarion stepped even closer to Rory.
They were nearly pressed together now.
Rory could clearly feel his cool palm against her own. That faint chill seeped into her skin without warning, his fingers slipping slowly between hers. The pressure shifted—sotis light, sotis firm. Every so often, he gave a asured squeeze at her knuckles, sending a faint tingling sensation racing up her spine.
Instinctively, Rory tried to curl her fingers away.
He tightened his hold instead. His thumb brushed slowly across the back of her hand, stroking in unhurried circles.
It felt like comfort. It also felt suspiciously like a quiet claim of possession.
Sothing was off about him today.
Rory glanced sideways at Xarion, who was almost flush against her, and frowned slightly.
"Are you feeling unwell?" she asked.
Why was he standing this close? And why was he kneading her fingers like that?
"I’m not unwell," Xarion answered seriously. "Female Master... are you uncomfortable?"
Was his technique wrong? Had he squeezed too hard?
He hesitated, wondering if he should release her hand—only to hear her reply:
"I’m not uncomfortable. Since you’re fine, let’s go find Lola first."
She didn’t say she was uncomfortable. That ant she was comfortable.
Right?
Xarion decided not to let go. Instead, he interlaced their fingers fully and walked with her to find Lola Brandon.
***
Inside the rest cabin, Nix was ssaging Yuel.
Nix: Yuel, I finished the books you sent yesterday. Do you have anything else? I’d like to study more.
Yuel had just signed off on a stack of docunts brought by his subordinates. Seeing Nix’s ssage, he raised an eyebrow slightly.
This guy’s learning ability was that strong?
Yuel: Have you gone through both books already?
Nix: Mm-hmm, understood them. I have photographic mory—I rember everything in them.
That part was true. He had morized it all.
So sections were still a little unclear—but that was fine. He could experint carefully when the ti ca.
Yuel sent several more links.
Yuel: Since you’re such a diligent student, learn a bit more. This ti—video tutorials.
Nix received the videos but didn’t even open them.
Nix: Yuel, you’re amazing. Don’t worry, I won’t take your books for free. When we get back, I’ll send you the equipnt.
After all, Xarion had given him two Rank Ten insect cores.
Nix felt like he’d made a huge profit.
On the sofa beside him, Aren stared at the newly arrived links. His tiny pink paws moved swiftly across Nix’s light-brain screen.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
"Cotton Candy—stop that!" Nix jumped when he saw what had happened.
Those random paw taps had forwarded Yuel’s links. Not just forwarded—they’d been sent into the "Rory’s Matched Partners Contact Group" he had created earlier.
Worse, it had been sent as a one-click private group broadcast—to every single mber.
That group had been created after Nix learned who Rory’s matched partners were. Since he already had everyone’s contact information, he gathered them into one group for easier communication in the future.
At that ti, Paros had not yet dissolved his match with Rory.
So he was still in the group.
And now... Every single one of them had just received Yuel’s highly educational video links.
At the ti, Dax and Sylas had already dissolved their matches, so they had never been added to the group.
After it was created, no one had ever spoken in it. Nix had completely forgotten the group even existed.
Who would have thought a rabbit would dig it up and send sothing that couldn’t even be recalled?
"Cotton Candy, do you realize the trouble you just caused ?" Nix looked like he was about to stew the rabbit on the spot.
Sending it to Xarion was one thing—he had asked for it.
As for Aren, well... he was as good as dead in everyone’s records, so it didn’t matter.
Jasper was unconscious; that could be explained away, too.
With Vincent, he could just claim it was sent by mistake.
But Paros... How was he supposed to deal with Paros?
***
Outside, Xarion stood quietly beside Rory and Lola, watching them talk.
When he saw the links Nix had forwarded, he nodded in satisfaction.
He was reliable indeed. Five links in total.
He didn’t have ti to review them now, but he still replied politely.
Xarion: [Thank you.]
***
In the capital, Vincent was in the middle of a eting. His light-brain’s holographic interface was projected openly in the conference room.
When the forwarded links appeared, he frowned in mild confusion.
Then he casually tapped one open.
Based on his understanding of Nix, the man might be a bit simple-minded, but he was serious and dependable when it ca to work.
Vincent never imagined Nix would send sothing like this.
The mont the video opened, the screen filled with highly explicit visuals, accompanied by sounds that would make anyone blush.
The conference room fell into dead silence.
Vincent shut his light-brain with a loud bang, his ears burning red.
Had Nix lost his mind? Why on earth would he send sothing like that?
Below him, the subordinates all lowered their heads, not daring to look at their prince.
Who would’ve thought?
Their usually stern and dignified Prince... actually watched this kind of content?
They wouldn’t even dare look at material that bold.
Where did His Highness find such resources?
They wanted them too.
Vincent, who had seen every imaginable battlefield, calmly reopened his light-brain as if nothing had happened and continued the eting with a perfectly composed expression.
When he got back, he was going to beat Nix senseless.
And Yuel too. Nix would never have sought that out on his own. This had to be Yuel’s doing.
***
anwhile, in the Water Domain.
Paros had just finished a fierce battle against the Insectoids. After returning to the Dragon Palace, he saw the links Nix had sent.
He frowned in confusion.
Wasn’t Nix one of Rory’s matched partners? Why was he suddenly sending him links?
Paros had been leading the Four Domains in resisting the Insectoids and hadn’t had ti to seek Rory out.
Rory had deleted his contact. He couldn’t even reach her directly.
He had asked the Second Elder to ssage her several tis. She had replied politely—but never once ntioned him.
Could it be... Had Rory asked Nix to send this?
With that thought, Paros quickly opened one of the links. The mont he saw what was inside, he froze.
This was...
Why would Rory have Nix send him sothing like this?
Unless... Unless Rory intended to bond with him?
Paros pressed his lips together. He needed to defeat the Insectoids as soon as possible and go find her.
Without hesitation, he sent Nix a ssage.
Paros: [sssage received.]
***
Back in the rest cabin, Nix was racking his brain trying to figure out how to explain things when Paros’ reply appeared.
"ssage received?" Nix stared at the screen in confusion.
What ssage?
He imdiately replied.
Nix: [Hey, bro, what exactly do you an by that?]
Paros: [I understand everything. Don’t worry. I’ll make it happen soon.]
Nix felt his head throb. What could anyone possibly "understand" from watching that kind of video?
How to bond with Rory?!
This misunderstanding was catastrophic!
He hurried to clarify.
Nix: [Big Bro, I accidentally tapped the wrong thing just now. That link wasn’t ant for you.]
Paros: [Oh.]
Of course. Rory must have been too shy to send it herself, so she had asked Nix to do it. But afterward, she probably felt it was too forward—so Nix was pretending it was a mistake.
Paros understood completely.
Paros: [I see... You sent it by mistake.]
Seeing that ssage, Nix finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Nix: [Good. Just don’t overthink it.]
Paros: [Mm. I won’t overthink.]
With Paros seemingly settled, Nix felt entirely reassured. He quickly sent Vincent a private ssage.
Nix: [Your Highness, the ssage just now was sent by mistake. I’m really sorry.]
Vincent did not reply.
Nix grabbed Cotton Candy and rubbed him vigorously.
"This is all your fault. Sending that to so many people. I almost got completely misunderstood."
Fortunately, Paros’ side had been clarified.
As for Aren—no need to worry about a dead man.
Aren, his pink fur thoroughly ruffled, lay limp in Nix’s arms, not daring to move.
If he had only forwarded the links to himself, and Nix suddenly had a mont of brilliance, wouldn’t that raise suspicion?
Besides, he hadn’t sent them randomly.
Every recipient was one of the Female Master’s matched partners.
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