"The hue of this gemstone is exactly the sa as Jasper’s ophidian tail," Rory said softly, her fingers brushing the pendant at her throat. Her eyes curved into a gentle smile. "When I wear it, it feels like he’s right here with . I truly love it."
Dax froze.
For a heartbeat, his mind went utterly blank.
Wait—what?
She had just been given a necklace that wasn’t even worth two star coins. By all logic, she should have flown into a rage, accused Jasper of insulting her, and demanded the bond be dissolved on the spot. That was how females usually reacted. That was how any reasonable female would react.
And yet here she was—smiling.
***
That evening, for the first ti in many days, Paros wasn’t sprawled lazily across his bed. Instead, he sat upright on the couch beside the floor-to-ceiling window, city lights of Veridan City glittering beyond the glass as he reviewed docunts on his light-brain. When Rory entered the room, his sharp gaze imdiately locked onto the necklace resting against her collarbone.
His expression darkened, disdain evident in his tone. "You’re actually wearing sothing that cheap?"
The thought irritated him more than he cared to admit. Were all of her other matches truly so incompetent? How could they allow a fourth-rank female to walk around adorned with sothing so laughably inferior?
Without another word, Paros reached into his personal storage and withdrew a black gemstone nearly the size of his palm. Its surface was smooth and glossy, absorbing light rather than reflecting it. Rory didn’t recognize the material, but she knew instinctively that anything Paros produced was never ordinary.
"Take this," Paros said flatly. "Have a proper necklace made from it."
It was one of the rarest black crystals in the Interstellar Empire, saturated with imnse energy. Not only could it amplify abilities, but in monts of mortal danger, it could even serve as a lifeline. Though Paros had no intention of ever forming a bond with Rory, he wasn’t so miserly as to let her wear what he considered trash.
Rory t his gaze calmly and shook her head. "Thank you for the offer," she said politely, "but I can’t accept it."
The crystal was undeniably precious, but Rory understood the unspoken rules better than anyone. Accepting favors ant accruing debts. She could negotiate with Paros, trade with him, even manipulate him—but she would never accept sothing for free.
Paros frowned. He genuinely didn’t understand her.
"You’d rather keep wearing that worthless trinket than accept the black crystal I’m offering you?"
Rory straightened slightly, her voice firm.
"This necklace was given to by my match. It carries his feelings for . How could it possibly be worthless?"
She touched the pendant again, her expression resolute. "You judge things by their price. I judge them by sincerity."
She knew full well that Jasper had no idea Dax had delivered such a cheap item in his na. Even so, the gesture was still Jasper’s. Wearing the necklace was the only way to honor that intention—and, perhaps, the only way Jasper would eventually realize he had been deceived.
The image of Jasper during their video call the night before resurfaced in her mind: earnest, gentle, far too trusting for his own good.
He really needs to learn how dangerous others can be, she thought. Especially foxes.
Paros couldn’t make sense of her reasoning. In his world, females were delicate, proud creatures. Their food had to be exquisite, their clothing flawless, their jewelry priceless. Anything less would provoke displeasure or outright fury.
"Suit yourself," he said at last, dropping the subject entirely.
Rory stepped closer and pressed her cool fingertips lightly against the center of Paros’s forehead. The soothing energy flowed instantly, washing over his consciousness like a calming tide. His dragon tail loosened and coiled around her waist almost unconsciously.
How can her waist be this soft? he thought dimly.
This ti, Rory broke through another limit. She sustained the ntal comfort for a full twenty minutes. Through careful observation, she had discovered that when she poured out her ntal power without restraint, it returned to her the next day at nearly double its strength.
Within Paros’s ntal space, the dense black mist that had once roiled chaotically had begun to thin. Under her repeated comfort over the past few days, it was fading toward white—so areas even turning translucent. Once every trace of darkness vanished completely, his ntal power would be fully restored.
When the session ended, Rory quietly left his room and walked down the corridor to Dax’s door. She knocked once.
The door opened almost imdiately.
Inside, Dax reclined on his bed in a silk robe patterned with flowing ink-wash designs, the fabric loose enough to reveal his collarbones and part of his chest. His half-lidded eyes lingered on Rory with lazy allure.
"Female Master," he drawled, smiling faintly. "Why stand at the door? Co in."
Rory didn’t move an inch.
Her expression remained composed as she said, "I just ca to remind you—we’re leaving at seven sharp tomorrow morning. Don’t oversleep."
With that, she reached out, closed the door for him, and turned away without another glance.
Back in her own room, Rory exhaled slowly and patted her chest.
Foxes really are natural-born seducers, she thought. Good thing my willpower is stronger than most.
Downstairs, Dax stared at the closed door in complete disbelief.
Since moving into Rory’s residence, he had lost count of how many tis he’d questioned the fundantals of his existence. Was she even a female?
Here he was—draped in silk, radiating charm, every inch the picture of temptation—and she hadn’t even blinked. No heat in her gaze. No flicker of desire.
Not a single crack in her composure.
Oblivious to Dax’s wounded pride, Rory lay sprawled comfortably across her bed, engaged in a video call with Jasper. On the screen, the striking man lounged in the Starrail Lounge. Rory tilted the cara slightly, pointing at the necklace around her neck, her smile bright and unguarded.
"Jasper, what do you think?" she asked cheerfully. "It looks good on , right?"
Jasper nodded without hesitation. "It looks perfect."
If Rory liked it, then it was beautiful—regardless of how cheap it might appear to others. Still, a faint worry crept into his thoughts.
Why is she wearing sothing like that?
Was she tricked by another beast?
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