Rory carefully replanted the tiny wildflower that Burnt Dumpling had so ruthlessly dug out earlier, settling it into a clean, new pot filled with fresh soil. She adjusted the roots with gentle fingers, making sure the fragile stem sat upright before stepping back in satisfaction. Afterward, she programd the household smart robot to tend to it—watering on schedule, adding nutrients at precise intervals, and loosening the soil whenever needed.
Only then did she turn around and hand Burnt Dumpling and the charred, bent stick to Jasper before returning to her packing.
Jasper lingered a short distance away, his presence marked by restlessness. He watched Rory move about the room, her hands efficient and practiced as she packed, each motion deliberate.
Several tis, he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, as though bracing himself. His fingers twitched at his side. He clearly wanted to help, yet uncertainty rooted him in place, leaving him hovering uselessly in her wake.
Every so often, he opened his mouth, drawing in a breath as if to speak—only to let it out again, the words dying before they ever reached his lips. The unspoken tension thickened with each passing second, coiling tighter in his chest, until it beca impossible to contain.
"Rory," he said at last, breaking the silence. His hesitation was pouring out, anxiety threading through his voice despite his attempt at steadiness. "About the Blood Moon... Dax and I made those decisions on our own." He swallowed. "Are you really not angry?"
He had already steeled himself for her reaction. He expected disappointnt at best—or her fury at worst. After all, they had crossed a line they never should have approached. They should have gone to her first, laid everything out plainly, listened to her thoughts, and followed her lead instead of acting behind her back.
Rory paused mid-motion, one hand resting on the edge of an open case. Slowly, she turned to face him. Her expression was calm, composed, yet unmistakably serious, the kind of quiet that demanded to be taken seriously.
"I wouldn’t say I’m angry," she replied after a mont, choosing her words with care. "You were trying to protect . I understand that." Her gaze didn’t waver. "But I can’t say I’m happy about it either. Still..." She exhaled softly. "I don’t truly bla you."
She t his eyes fully now, her stare steady and resolute.
"Jasper, if anything like this happens again, I need you to tell first," she said firmly. "This is my life. I have the right to know what’s happening around ." Her voice softened slightly, but the conviction remained. "And whatever choices co after that—I want us to make them together."
Caring for her didn’t grant anyone the right to conceal the truth or make decisions in her na. Even the purest intentions could lead to outcos she would never have chosen for herself.
"I understand," Jasper replied without hesitation, relief rushing into his voice alongside absolute sincerity. He straightened, as if a weight had finally lifted from his shoulders. "From now on, no matter what happens, I’ll tell you everything imdiately. I’ll follow your wishes." He paused, then added quietly but firmly, "I won’t act on my own again."
Rory smiled at that. She stepped closer, rose onto her toes, and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.
"Good," she said lightly. "Admitting your mistake and fixing it—that’s my Jasper. I’ll be watching."
His lips curved upward on their own, warmth spreading through his chest. He nodded eagerly. "I won’t let you down."
She kissed him again—quick, gentle, affectionate.
She’s so good to , he thought, dazed and grateful all at once.
Rory finished packing in record ti. There wasn’t much she needed to bring, and within half an hour, everything was ready. She and Jasper stepped outside together, anticipation humming in the air as they prepared to leave.
Not far away, Dax had already intercepted Sylas Ruan, who had just returned from the forest.
"Mr. Ruan," Dax greeted casually, reclining in the Gravicar’s resting pod with an easy, almost lazy smile. "Long ti no see."
Sylas knew exactly who Dax was—one of Rory’s matches, and one who had remained close to her. Seeing him now sent a jolt of excitent through Sylas’s veins.
"Did Rory send you?" he asked eagerly.
Had she seen his statent? Did she finally understand that he had tried to clear things up for her? Had she deliberately sent Dax to find him?
The more he thought about it, the more his imagination spiraled out of control. Maybe Rory wasn’t angry about the dissolution after all. Maybe this was her way of reaching out.
In the span of seconds, his thoughts raced ahead—so far ahead that he was already picking nas for children that didn’t exist.
Dax had no idea Sylas was busy naming imaginary babies.
He only watched him with thinly veiled amusent before speaking.
"In your dreams," Dax said coolly. "The Female Master wants you dead right now."
The words hit like ice water.
"She... wants dead?" Sylas repeated blankly. "Why?"
"Because of the disaster you caused," Dax replied, tossing Sylas’s public statent straight at him. "Jasper and I worked hard to pull the Female Master out of this ss. And you—brilliant you—dragged her right back into it. Sylas, are you completely out of your mind?"
"I—I didn’t—" Sylas stamred, panic flashing across his face. He rushed to explain. "I did it for Rory! Mindy Lane is lying. The Divine Fla of Blood Moon clearly saved Rory. If Mindy gets away with this, she’ll steal Rory’s chance to go to the Central District—she’ll take all the top-tier resources ant for her!"
"A chance at the Central District? Top-tier resources?" Dax snorted. "Save it."
He pointed sharply at Sylas. "You and I both grew up there. We’ve seen what life is really like at the top. Are you seriously pretending you don’t know what happens to females taken there after being ’saved’ by the Divine Fla?"
Sylas pressed his lips together. Of course he knew.
But Rory was different.
Straightening his back, he said firmly, "I’ll protect Rory. I won’t let her end up like that."
Dax burst out laughing—sharp, incredulous, and utterly unimpressed.
"Sylas," he said coldly, "try using that walnut-sized brain of yours for once. You think you can protect the Female Master? With what, exactly? You only ended up in Veridan City because your precious brother set you up, didn’t he?"
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