Carried into the bathroom by Xarion, Rory suddenly broke into another violent coughing fit.
She quickly took out one of Yuel’s leaves and swallowed it.
"Female Master, are you alright?" Xarion’s eyes were filled with worry as he watched her.
He knew Rory was putting on an act—but the coughing just now had sounded far too real to be fake.
"I’m fine," Rory said, waving a weak hand. "I just choked on so saliva."
Xarion had nothing to say.
Seeing that she imdiately recovered after taking Yuel’s leaf, the tight knot in his chest finally loosened a little.
Still, the anxiety in his gaze didn’t fade completely.
He carefully lowered her onto the edge of the bath, his movents gentle, as though she were made of fragile glass.
"Female Master, if you feel even a little uncomfortable, you must tell imdiately."
Rory nodded lightly. "I know."
Outside the bathroom, Aren paced restlessly on the floor, hopping back and forth in agitation.
The Female Master looked so pale just now.
And that coughing... It had sounded terrifying. Was she really okay?
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he beca.
At last, unable to contain himself any longer, the small pink rabbit hopped closer to the bathroom door, pressing his ear against it, trying to listen for any sound inside.
Inside, Xarion was carefully helping Rory settle into the warm bath.
Steam slowly filled the room, curling softly in the air.
The warm water gradually soaked through Rory’s tired body, easing the stiffness from her limbs.
Her pale complexion finally regained a faint hint of color. Xarion knelt beside the tub, watching her without blinking.
Even though he knew it was all part of the plan, seeing her look so fragile still made his heart ache.
Outside the door, Aren’s heart was in complete turmoil.
Female Master... What kind of illness could make her this weak? Why hadn’t anyone explained anything clearly?
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he beca. His small claws clenched unconsciously against the floor.
If anything happened to the Female Master... He didn’t dare imagine it.
Not at all.
***
Once Rory was back in the room, Aren looked at Rory’s face—so pale that not a trace of color remained.
A wave of heartache surged through him like a rising tide, nearly drowning him.
"Chi-chi!"
Female Master, how did you suddenly beco so seriously ill?
Not for a single mont did Aren suspect that Rory might be pretending.
After all, in Rory’s eyes, he was nothing more than an ordinary rabbit. There would be no reason for her to fake an illness just to deceive a harmless little pet.
"Cotton Candy, what’s wrong? You look so anxious... were you stressed?"
Seeing the rabbit staring at her without moving, Rory revealed a faint, gentle smile—one tinged with weakness.
She lifted the leaf in her hand and held it out toward him. "Go on, eat it. Once you do, you’ll feel a lot better."
Aren gazed at the leaf she offered to him.
At that mont, he desperately wished he could be like Xarion—able to pull her gently into his arms and hold her close.
But the thought had barely ford before he crushed it ruthlessly.
He didn’t dare.
Aren could not imagine what would happen if Rory discovered that he was not the harmless, adorable little rabbit she believed him to be—but soone who bore the sa face as the ruthless, selfish, and cruel Aris.
Would she see it as nothing more than a complete deception?
Would those eyes of hers—so full of warmth and kindness—fill instead with disappointnt, anger... or even hatred?
Especially now, when the Female Master was already so gravely ill.
"Female Master, you should rest." Seeing that it was getting late, Xarion unceremoniously lifted the rabbit from the bed.
Then he turned to Rory with a gentle expression.
"Female Master, the doctor said you need proper rest right now. You can’t overexert yourself."
Rory truly was feeling a little sleepy. She nodded weakly, maintaining the illusion.
Handing the leaf to Xarion, she said softly, "Then help feed Cotton Candy. And you’re not allowed to hit him anymore."
After saying that, she reached out and gently patted the rabbit’s head.
"Cotton Candy, I’m going to sleep now. You should go rest, too."
With that, Rory closed her eyes.
Nix remained in the room to keep watch over her, while Xarion carried the rabbit out together with Jasper.
Once they stepped out of Rory’s room, neither Jasper nor Xarion spoke.
The atmosphere was heavy and tense. Aren grew even more anxious.
He couldn’t let the Female Master remain sick like this. He had to find so way to cure her.
***
Inside the room, Rory watched the estate’s surveillance feed on her wrist device. Once she confird that Xarion had carried Cotton Candy downstairs, she turned to Nix beside her.
"Nix, how was my acting just now?"
"Rory, you were incredible," Nix said imdiately. "Even though I knew you were pretending, you almost fooled ."
Watching her look so frail earlier had nearly made him panic for real.
Rory nodded with satisfaction. "Good. If it fooled even you, then Cotton Candy must have been completely convinced."
Nix blinked, then asked happily, "Rory, does that an the plan is working? Rory... are you saying I’m smart?"
Rory nodded without hesitation. "Of course you are. My Nix can build so many incredible chs and warships—how could he not be smart?"
Rory had praised him.
Nix’s face imdiately lit up with delight. He pulled Rory gently into his arms, careful not to hold her too tightly.
"Rory, when I ca back this ti, I brought several chs for you."
He scratched his head slightly, looking a little regretful.
"But this room is too small—I can’t take them out here for you to see. Tomorrow I’ll bring you to the open field in the manor and release them there so you can try them out."
Now that he knew Rory was pregnant, Nix was extra careful with her.
Still, he gazed at her with shining eyes. "Rory... can I still kiss you?"
The mont he finished asking, Rory’s soft lips had already pressed against his.
Nix responded gently, his movents cautious and tender.
Outside the window, the night slowly deepened.
***
Downstairs.
After confirming that both Xarion and Jasper had gone to rest, Aren disappeared from the pet room Rory had arranged for him in the blink of an eye.
He moved so fast that even the manor’s surveillance systems failed to capture his movents.
Outside the estate, a shadowy figure stepped forward the mont he saw Aren appear and bowed respectfully.
"Master, it’s very late. Why have you summoned ?"
This was the first ti their master had called for them since returning to the Female Master’s side.
Aren’s voice was low and urgent. "Send word imdiately. Tell everyone to stop whatever they’re doing. I want them all searching for the Beast God Fruit."
Rory had been hospitalized for nearly four days. Any dicine the hospital possessed must have already been used on her.
And sacred dicines—Xarion and the Firebird Clan certainly had those as well. They must have tried those too. Yet Rory still hadn’t recovered.
That could only an one thing: even sacred dicine had no effect on her illness.
If sacred dicine didn’t work, then the only thing left that could save her... was the Beast God Fruit.
"The Beast God Fruit?" The subordinate stared at Aren in shock. "Master... are you the one who’s sick?"
What kind of illness would require such a legendary treasure?
The Beast God Fruit only grew on Beast God Mountain. According to legend, it grew beside the Beast God himself, producing fruit only once every hundred years—and each ti, there were only five.
Every five hundred years, the Beast God would bestow a single fruit upon the world.
Even in the Central District, finding one was nearly impossible—let alone in the entire interstellar empire.
"You don’t need to know that much." Aren’s tone was cold. "Just find the Beast God Fruit. I want news within three days."
After giving the order, Aren imdiately returned to the estate. He couldn’t stay away for too long. If Xarion noticed his absence, suspicion would arise.
For now, he would have his people search for the Beast God Fruit.
If there was no news within three days... Then he would personally make a trip to Beast God Mountain.
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