Jasper smiled faintly.
"The Beast God doesn’t concern himself with things like this," he said lightly. "I was simply lucky."
Xarion rolled his eyes.
Nix, however, looked thoroughly dissatisfied.
"You definitely prayed to the Beast God beforehand," he grumbled. "Next ti we draw lots again, I’m going to pray first too."
Next ti, he was absolutely going to draw the first slot.
Jasper glanced at Nix’s indignant expression and replied calmly, "As long as Xarion agrees, I have no objection."
Nix imdiately turned toward Xarion.
"Xarion, you’ll agree to redraw next ti, right?"
Xarion nodded. "Sure."
If it made him happy, that was fine.
Seeing Xarion agree so readily, Nix looked deeply moved. "Xarion, I knew you were a loyal brother."
Xarion lifted a curious brow. Who was he talking about?
Him?
"Anyway, I’m going back," Nix said suddenly. "I want to watch Rory carving."
With that, he bolted out of the room.
Jasper stood up as well. "I’m going to make dinner for Rory."
"Wait." Xarion stopped him with a quiet voice. "I want the first turn next ti. If you don’t agree," he added lazily, "I’ll tell the Female Master and Nix that you cheated."
Even though he didn’t know exactly how Jasper had done it, Xarion was absolutely certain he had.
In this house, aside from Nix, not a single one of them was easy to deal with.
"...Fine," Jasper said at last. "I agree."
***
In the Bedroom
The piece of wood in Rory’s hands had begun to take shape.
Watching her work, Nix frowned slightly.
"Rory... is that a little person?"
From the rough outline, it looked like two small figures.
Rory nodded. "Yep."
"Then why are there two?" Nix asked, puzzled. "Isn’t the gift for Yuel? There’s only one Yuel."
Rory smiled and explained, "This one is , and this one is Yuel."
Nix’s eyes widened. "You can do it like that?"
Then he imdiately added, "Then mine has to include you too."
"Alright," Rory agreed easily. She had already thought of how she would carve Nix’s piece.
Soon, Jasper arrived carrying dinner.
The mont he entered, Nix very consciously stood up and left Rory’s room.
"Rory, eat dinner first," Jasper said gently.
He placed the dishes neatly on the table before walking over and glancing at the wooden figurine Rory was carving.
"Rory, this figurine is really beautiful."
Rory had just picked up her fork when she heard Jasper’s comnt. She looked up at him in astonishnt. "You think it looks beautiful... already?"
The piece of wood in her hands was still only a rough outline. At most, one could barely make out a head and a body. How could that possibly be considered beautiful?
Jasper nodded seriously. "It does." Anything Rory made was beautiful.
She understood imdiately. "Jasper, do you want one too?"
Nix must have told him that she was carving a figurine for Yuel.
"May I?" Jasper asked, his eyes full of quiet anticipation.
"Of course." Rory nodded readily. She had already promised one to Nix—if she didn’t give one to Jasper as well, he would surely feel hurt.
If she were making gifts, she might as well make one for everyone.
"Though I don’t have extra wood right now," she added. "I’ll need to buy more materials when we return before I can carve yours."
"That’s fine, Rory. I can wait. I’m not in a hurry."
Which, of course, was a lie. In truth, he was very eager.
But since he had said he wasn’t in a rush, Rory naturally took him at his word.
Besides, being impatient wouldn’t change anything now.
After Rory finished eating, Jasper quickly cleared the table.
Then he washed up carefully and returned to her side.
"Rory," he said, "Xarion, Nix, and I have already discussed everything. Tonight I’ll stay with you. Tomorrow night will be Xarion’s turn, and the night after that, Nix’s."
Surely this way, they wouldn’t end up simply lying quietly on the bed again.
Rory had no objections to their arrangent.
She suffered from terrible decision paralysis anyway—if they left the choice to her, she truly wouldn’t know who to pick.
"As long as you’ve agreed on that, that’s fine," she said. "I’ll go take a shower first."
Watching Rory disappear into the bathroom, Jasper imdiately took out the clothes he had brought and changed.
By the ti Rory stepped out again, dressed in a soft nightgown and still faintly scented from her bath, Jasper was already waiting.
He lay across the bed, half-man and half-serpent, a sheer violet gauze draped loosely over his body. Beneath the translucent fabric, his dark purple serpent tail curved languidly, its scales glinting faintly in the soft light.
The mont he saw her, Jasper lifted himself slightly and slid across the bed. His tail moved with a gentle sway, drawing Rory into his arms and guiding her onto the mattress.
"Rory," he murmured softly, "I’ve learned how to dance. Would you like to dance for you tonight?"
He had learned long ago—he simply hadn’t found the right mont to show her.
Rory leaned back against the headboard. Her gaze fell to Jasper’s dark violet tail, barely visible beneath the gauzy veil.
Unable to resist, she reached out and brushed her fingers lightly over it.
Then she nodded eagerly. "Alright!"
The mont Jasper released her, the violet gauze rippled like spring water stirred by a midnight breeze.
Jasper’s serpent tail swayed slowly, the thin gauze rising and falling with its motion. Beneath the translucent veil, dark violet scales appeared and vanished in the shifting folds of fabric.
As the soft light spilled across them, each scale seed to hold a fragnt of starlight, reflecting deep, mysterious hues like a miniature galaxy rippling across his body.
Rory watched without blinking.
For a mont, she felt as though she had been enchanted.
Jasper’s deep eyes remained fixed on her, unwavering.
The cool tip of his scaled tail slid gently against her calf.
Slowly—so slowly it was almost torturous—it traced the curve of her leg, inch by inch, gliding upward along her skin.
The sensation was cool and smooth, a striking contrast to the warmth of her body. Everywhere the tail brushed, a fine shiver rippled through her nerves.
Jasper leaned closer, lowering himself beside her. When he spoke near her ear, his voice was low and husky, laced with a teasing warmth. His breath brushed softly against the sensitive edge of her ear.
"Rory... do you like it?"
"I like it. I like it very much." Rory lifted her arms and looped them around his neck. Just as her lips were about to et his—
A sudden wave of overwhelming drowsiness crashed over her.
Jasper had already been stirred by her reaction, waiting for the kiss.
But just as Rory leaned close enough to touch him, she suddenly went still.
His voice turned slightly rough with confusion.
"Rory? What’s wrong?"
"Jasper... I suddenly feel so sleepy. I’m afraid I can’t..."
Before she could finish the sentence, her head tilted to the side, and she fell asleep.
Jasper was speechless.
Outside, the star rail streaked through the endless expanse of space.
Day and night beca indistinguishable in the silent rush between the stars.
***
anwhile, on the Warship
After four days without rest, Yuel finally exhaled in relief as the battle at last ca to an end.
Calculating the ti, Rory should be arriving soon.
With the war concluding at this mont, he would finally be able to stay by her side without distraction.
After arranging the final cleanup operations on the battlefield, Yuel didn’t even take the ti to change his clothes before heading to find Vincent.
Vincent was in the dical bay.
During the final battle, the insect forces had suddenly deployed three Rank Eleven male insects.
Vincent and Paros had led the armies of the Four Domains into combat, but the victory had not co easily.
Both Vincent and Paros had been injured.
By the ti Yuel arrived, Vincent had just stepped out of the healing chamber.
"How are your injuries?" Yuel asked.
He handed Vincent a small packet of his leaves along with three blossoms.
"I’m alright."
Vincent had already taken so of Yuel’s leaves and flowers earlier, and the treatnt chamber had further accelerated his recovery. His injuries had improved significantly.
"Paros was hurt worse than I was," Vincent said. "Give him a few of your flowers as well."
"I’ve already had soone deliver them." Yuel answered calmly. He would have arranged that even without Vincent asking.
Then he continued, "I ca to tell you sothing. Rory will be arriving very soon. I’m planning to take her to the Snow Domain."
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