"Fine. Not only are you trying to steal my Female Master, now you want to beat me to death too. I’m going to tell her right now."

Inside the room, Xarion was lying on the bed. Hearing that Aren was about to go complain to Rory, he let out a cold laugh.

"Go ahead. You think I’m afraid of you?"

If anything, he wanted Aren to hurry up and bring her over.

She had promised him earlier—tonight, she would make it up to him.

"Then I will!"

Aren spun around, only to run straight into Rory, who had just returned.

He immediately pointed a finger and complained, "Female Master, Dad is shameless! He dressed like that just to seduce you. Come to my room instead, don’t pay attention to him."

"And he’s being unfaithful to my mother. The Beast God will definitely punish him!"

Inside the room, the moment Xarion heard Aren trying to take Rory away, he shot up and strode out.

"Female Master, don’t listen to his nonsense."

He walked straight to her side, grabbing her hand as he spoke, "I think he’s pretending. He’s just trying to trick you into going to his room."

"I’m not!" Aren protested. "Female Master already agreed to keep me. What’s wrong with me asking her to come to my room?"

Xarion let out a scornful laugh. "She already promised me earlier today that she’d make it up to me tonight."

"And besides, we take turns by drawing lots. If you want to compete with me, wait until you actually get a turn."

"Dad, how can you do this?" Aren was so frustrated he looked like he was about to cry.

But Rory wasn’t focused on their argument at all.

Her eyes were fixed on Xarion.

He had come out in such a hurry—or perhaps not—that he was wearing nothing but a tight, extremely short pair of black undergarments.

There was very little left to the imagination.

On his wrists were two thin golden chains, adding an almost deliberate edge to the whole look.

Rory fell silent.

Xarion noticed her staring and felt the tips of his ears heat up ever so slightly.

He tightened his grip on her hand and shot Aren a smug glance.

"Calling me ’Dad’ won’t help you. Tonight, I’m the one staying with Female Master."

Then he lowered his head and looked at Rory, his voice softening.

"Female Master, go back to your room first. I’ll send him away, then I’ll come to you."

Rory had no words.

Was he really going to "escort" Aren back to his room like that?

...Better not.

Rory looked at Xarion and said, "I’ll talk to him. You go back to your room and wait for me."

If Xarion walked around dressed like that and Vincent or Jasper saw him, they might get the wrong idea—what if they thought she liked that kind of thing?

The mere thought of Vincent and Jasper dressed the same way made Rory’s inner voice immediately shake its head.

No. Absolutely not.

There were already too many dangerously charming men around her. She could not handle that.

"...Alright."

Xarion nodded obediently and returned to the room first.

Seeing him go back inside Rory’s room, Aren grew anxious. "Female Master, Dad—"

"Aren."

Rory took his hand and led him toward the stairs, speaking gently as they walked.

"Xarion is my partner, not your father. Your mind is just a little confused right now, so you mistook him for your dad."

That medicine from the Firebird Clan doctor clearly wasn’t working at all.

Aren had taken it, but there was no effect whatsoever.

"Is that so?"

Aren frowned, trying hard to recall something—but his mind was blank.

All he knew was that the person in front of him was his Female Master... and that Xarion was his father.

But if she said otherwise, then she must be right.

"If Female Master says so, then I must have been mistaken."

He looked at her, and suddenly his expression turned a little aggrieved.

"Female Master... Dad said earlier that we’re not bonded yet. That I don’t have the right to sleep beside you. Is that true?"

Rory nodded. "Yes, that’s true. We haven’t formed a bond yet."

So it was true.

For once, "Dad" hadn’t lied.

Aren suddenly pressed a hand to his chest, looking at her with wounded eyes.

"Then why won’t Female Master bond with me? Is it because you don’t like me?"

Seeing him look so heartbroken, Rory quickly shook her head.

"No, no. You’re so lovable. How could I not like you?"

"Then why won’t you bond with me?" he asked.

Rory fell silent.

Was he really confused... or pretending?

That question was far too clear, far too logical.

"Female Master... you’re not answering. Does that mean... you never intended to bond with me?"

"You don’t like me at all, do you?"

The moment he finished speaking, tears began to fall uncontrollably.

Drop by drop, they landed on the back of her hand.

Rory hadn’t expected him to cry.

Looking at him now—so pitiful, like an abandoned puppy—her chest tightened slightly.

Rory felt a flicker of sympathy at the sight of him.

"Aren, it’s not that I don’t like you," she said gently. "The reason I’m not bonding with you is that the doctor said your condition isn’t stable yet. It’s not suitable right now."

"Take your medicine properly. Once you recover, I’ll bond with you, alright?"

She wasn’t lying.

Vincent had asked the doctor about it earlier, and the answer had been clear—Aren’s current state was unstable. Bonding now wasn’t an option.

Hearing that it wasn’t because she disliked him, Aren visibly relaxed.

He suddenly stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.

"Female Master, I’ll listen to you. I’ll take my medicine like a good boy."

Then he hesitated, his voice softening.

"But... can you promise me something too?"

"What is it?" Rory asked, cautious not to agree too quickly.

Aren thought his request was simple.

"I want to join the drawing too. Female Master, can you include me next time? I don’t need to bond yet... I just want to be with you, like the others."

"That arrangement is mine. Asking her won’t help—you should ask me."

Vincent’s voice came from nearby. No one knew how long he had been listening before stepping forward.

He gently pulled Rory out of Aren’s arms.

"Rory, it’s getting late. Go rest. I’ll talk to him."

Rory nodded. This was Vincent’s arrangement, and she didn’t want to interfere unfairly.

She turned to Aren. "He’s the one handling this. Let him explain, okay?"

Aren glanced at Vincent, then nodded obediently.

"I’ll listen to Female Master."

Only then did Rory leave, reassured.

***

Back in her room, she stopped in her tracks.

Xarion was lying on the bed.

The last piece of clothing he had on earlier had disappeared somewhere entirely. The thin golden chains around his wrists were now fastened to the bed.

"Female Master... you’re finally back."

He lifted his wrist slightly, the chain giving a soft, crisp chime.

Rory walked over, glanced at him once, then quickly pulled a blanket over his waist.

She reached out, lifted his chin, and narrowed her eyes.

"Who taught you to dress like this?" 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

No... this didn’t even count as dressing.

Xarion’s lips curved into a dangerously alluring smile.

"I saw the outfits Yuel picked for Nix. Those had very little fabric. But I think those are too troublesome."

He leaned slightly closer, his voice low.

"This way is simpler... and I thought you’d like it more."