After Yuel stepped out, Vincent imdiately moved forward and pulled Rory into his arms, lowering his head to kiss her deeply.
He didn’t want to leave her. "Rory... I don’t want to go."
Rory felt the sa. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss just as eagerly.
"I don’t want you to leave either."
Vincent held her for a long mont before finally forcing himself to let her go. If it were possible, he would have made her his true partner right now.
"I wish I could secretly take you with ," he murmured, resting his forehead against hers. "Keep you by my side all the ti."
But the battlefield was far too dangerous. He couldn’t allow Rory to face even the slightest risk.
Rory smiled and nudged her forehead against his. "If Yuel and Xarion heard you say that, they’d probably beat you up."
Even being the first partner wouldn’t save him.
Vincent chuckled and gently nipped her lip. "Then I’ll just have to beco stronger... strong enough that they can’t beat ."
If they had objections, they could keep them to themselves.
But ti was short.
No matter how reluctant he was, Vincent couldn’t linger like this. He carefully reminded Rory of several things she should pay attention to—most of them concerning her safety.
And one more thing.
He repeated Yuel’s suggestion that she bond with Xarion first.
Rory knew they were worried about her, so she listened patiently to everything he said.
When the ti ca, Vincent finally released her.
"Rory... wait for ."
When I return, we’ll bond.
Standing on the wide lawn of the estate, Rory watched as Vincent and Yuel boarded the battleship.
She waved to them with all her strength.
Vincent and Yuel glanced back at her one last ti before striding aboard.
They were afraid that if they looked any longer, they wouldn’t be able to leave.
The battleship soon disappeared into the dark night sky.
Jasper stood beside Rory and gently comforted her.
"They’ll be back soon," he said softly. "And when the fighting ends, Nix, Xarion, and I can take you to see them."
Xarion, standing nearby, added calmly,
"Female Master, if you miss them, I can take you anyti. I can also show you the Snow Domain where I grew up. It’s very beautiful."
In truth, Xarion didn’t entirely lack the desire to return ho.
He simply suspected his clan might not welco him back as warmly as one might expect.
Rory quickly steadied her emotions.
She turned and flashed them a bright smile.
"Then I’ll use this ti to train harder. When the war ends and the Four Great Territories are safe—if they still haven’t returned, we’ll sneak over and surprise them."
She knew Vincent and Yuel didn’t want her anywhere near danger.
So until the war ended, she would stay ho and grow stronger rather than distract them with worry.
In truth, Rory’s Rank-six strength wasn’t weak by ordinary standards—she could even defeat higher-level beasts.
But compared with the powerful n around her, she still had a long way to go.
Seeing her spirits recover, Jasper relaxed visibly.
"You must be hungry," he said quickly. "I’ve already made dinner. Let’s eat first."
"Yes, food first."
Rory turned toward the house.
She needed energy if she planned to train.
For once, Xarion didn’t imdiately retreat to his room to lie down. Instead, he followed her to the dining room.
Even if he couldn’t taste the food, sitting with the Female Master might at least make her a little happier.
***
On the battleship...
Vincent stared in shock at the several Rank-eleven insect cores Yuel had taken out.
"Where did you get so many high-tier insect cores?"
"Xarion gave them to ."
Yuel pushed a few across the table toward Vincent.
"When I left your study earlier, he ca to see . After learning we were heading to the Four Great Territories, he asked us to take extra care of the Snow Domain."
For all his indifference, Xarion clearly still cared about his holand.
Vincent sighed.
"Even if he hadn’t given us these, we wouldn’t ignore the Snow Domain. Not with Rory involved."
Yuel shook his head.
"If we refused them, he wouldn’t feel at ease. We’ll hold onto them for now. If we use them, we use them. If not, we’ll return them later."
After a mont’s hesitation, Vincent finally accepted the cores.
"You beasts really are complicated."
Yuel glanced at him silently.
And he had the nerve to say that.
After dinner, Rory went to calm Xarion’s unstable energy.
Sitting on the bed in his room, she concentrated and guided her ntal energy through his consciousness.
When she finished, she noticed his expression looked more relaxed than before.
Her gaze drifted around the strange room again.
"Xarion... I’ve noticed you don’t sleep here anymore," she said slowly. "Do you dislike this room?"
She rembered that the night she bonded with Nix, he had ntioned Xarion asked him to decorate the room.
Because Xarion wanted a room she would like.
Not because Xarion liked it himself.
Xarion’s tail lazily curled around Rory’s waist. The sa chains she had once placed on him still rested around his wrists and neck.
"I don’t dislike it."
If the Female Master liked sothing, then he liked it too.
"Then why don’t you sleep here?" Rory asked, looking directly into his eyes. "Why sleep next door instead?"
She wasn’t fooled by his stubborn silence.
Xarion’s tail tightened slightly around her waist.
"I don’t dare sleep here," he admitted quietly. "If I fall asleep here... I dream."
Ever since the room had been redecorated, every ti he slept here, he had vivid dreams.
In those dreams, the Female Master lay beside him.
And in those dreams, he always lost control—wanting to do things to her he shouldn’t.
Xarion slowly sat up, leaning closer until their eyes were nearly level.
"I keep dreaming about you," he said slowly. "Dreaming that you lie beside ... kissing while removing my clothes... and then—"
Rory clapped a hand over his mouth.
"That’s enough. Don’t say another word."
Couldn’t this man have at least one pure dream?
She glared at him seriously.
"I don’t like this room. Not at all. I’m redecorating it in the next few days."
And Nix’s room, too.
Her reputation had been completely ruined by Yuel.
When he ca back, she was definitely settling that account.
After leaving Xarion’s room, Rory imdiately sent Nix a ssage saying she planned to redesign his room.
She also asked him to bring back so cool chas and warships when he returned.
His reply ca almost instantly.
Nix: "Rory, why do you want to redecorate my room? Don’t you like the current one?"
Nix: "But Yuel told you would definitely love it."
Rory resisted the urge to curse Yuel.
Rory: "Yuel was talking nonsense. None of you is allowed to listen to him again."
It was bad enough that Yuel was shaless himself.
But dragging Nix and Xarion down with him was unforgivable.
Her head itched with irritation.
She shut off her light-brain, went to shower quickly, and then headed to the training room to absorb beast cores.
By the ti Rory finished training and returned to her bedroom, Xarion was already there.
He lay on the floor beside the bed.
And next to him... was Cotton Candy.
The little rabbit had all four limbs tied up.
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