Amid the dangerous situation, none of them could sleep peacefully. They managed to get only a few hours of sleep before waking up and preparing to head to the Aquillian Palace.
"Be careful," Roxanna said to Azul. She gently brushed the loose strands of hair away from his face and tucked them behind his ear.
Since they would likely spend the day doing a lot of physical activities—especially fighting—they had tied their hair back.
"I will," Azul replied softly. He smiled at her before pulling her into a tight hug. "I’m sorry I haven’t been myself these past few days."
Roxanna couldn’t honestly say that nothing had changed because Azul really was different from the man she knew back in the Vixeria Tribe.
Everything about the Devourers and his homeland had taken a heavy toll on him. The bright spark that used to fill his eyes had faded, and she could hardly remember the last time she had seen him smile so freely.
However, none of it was his fault.
Anyone in his place would have been the same. Anyone who had suddenly remembered having a large family, only to learn they had lost almost everything, would struggle to smile like before.
"Don’t say that," Roxanna said gently. "To me, you’ll always be Azul. Whether you’re happy, sad, or angry, you’re still the man I love. As long as you’re you, I’ll never think you’re not my Azul."
After all, it would be impossible for someone to be happy all the time.
People aren’t made up of just one emotion. They laugh, cry, get angry, and feel afraid. That’s what makes them living beings. It wouldn’t be fair to judge someone based on only the moments when they’re smiling.
If Roxanna couldn’t accept her husbands when they were at their lowest, then she wouldn’t deserve them.
Roxanna reached for his hand and intertwined their fingers. "A marriage isn’t just about sharing the happy moments," she continued softly. "It’s about staying together through the painful ones too. So don’t ever apologize for feeling sad, exhausted, or lost."
She squeezed his hand lightly. "You’ve always been there for me when I was struggling. So now it’s my turn to be there for you."
Azul felt something tighten in his chest. For days, he had been carrying the weight of his past alone. The memories of his family, the guilt of surviving, and the uncertainty of what awaited them at the palace had all been crushing him from the inside.
Yet with just a few simple words, Roxanna made that burden feel a little lighter.
He leaned down and rested his forehead against hers. "Thank you," he whispered.
Roxanna smiled. "You don’t have to thank me." Then her expression turned serious. "Just make sure Calen doesn’t get captured by them. He’ll die if he’s caught and locked away in the deep sea for too long."
"Nothing will happen to him," Azul said with confidence. "Don’t worry. I chose him because I know I can rely on him as well."
Calen might be a land beast, but he was still a mythical beast. As long as Azul made sure he could breathe underwater, his strength would easily surpass that of any ordinary soldier.
"I can only pray that both of you return safely," Roxanna said softly.
After giving Azul one last hug, she walked over to Calen and wrapped her arms around him as well. This time, she held him a little longer.
She couldn’t help feeling guilty because over the past few days, all of her attention had been on Azul. She hadn’t spent much time with Calen, even though he had been quietly staying by their side the entire time.
Calen gently returned the hug and softly patted her back. "We’ll come back," he promised.
Not long after that, they left the buried village, leaving Roxanna behind in Zeir’s care.
She let out a heavy sigh as the soldiers sealed the entrance to the buried village once again. The moment the heavy stone slid back into place, the outside world was completely cut off.
After that, Maristella went to check on Azura again. She planned to use her energy to help the little girl breathe more comfortably. Roxanna, on the other hand, quietly swam over and sat near the village entrance.
"Why are you sitting here?" Zeir asked as he stopped in front of her, looking confused.
Roxanna looked up and gave him a small smile. "I just... want to wait for them to come back," she said softly. "Besides, Helga promised to take care of Azura for me for a while."
She quickly added, "But do you think I should go back to Azura now? She probably needs me, ri—"
Before she could even get off the boulder, Zeir gently placed his hands on her shoulders, stopping her.
"It’s alright," he said softly. "Let Helga take care of Azura for a while. Besides, I think it’s good for Azura to spend some time with her grandmother."
He then sat down beside her. "After all, she doesn’t have any other grandparents."
Roxanna fell silent for a moment as she thought about his words. The more she thought about them, the more she realized he was right.
Calen’s parents had passed away long ago. Luan’s entire family had been killed by another tribe. Cyrus had lost his family as well.
But what about Zeir?
"What about your family?" Roxanna asked gently. "Do you mind if I ask about them?"
Zeir leaned back against the stone wall, his gaze drifting toward the quiet surroundings ahead.
Just by looking at his expression, Roxanna could tell he didn’t really want to talk about it.
[Am I being too nosy?] she wondered.
[But we’re husband and wife. Isn’t it normal for me to want to know about his past?]
Her thoughts paused for a moment. [But... what if his past is too painful to talk about?]
[Ding! Ding!]
[Side Mission Activated: Crack the Mysterious Husband!]
[Goal: Learn a part of Zeir’s past and let him know that he can trust you.]
[Reward:
- 30,000 SP
- 1x Heart Mending Elixir — Effect: Slowly heals emotional trauma and removes the fear caused by painful memories. Note: Can only be used on Zeir.]
Roxanna blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected the system to suddenly push her to uncover Zeir’s past.
[But a Heart Mending Elixir?] Roxanna wondered. [If Zeir actually needs something like this, doesn’t that mean his past really was that painful?]
She hesitated. [Should I just let him keep it buried? I mean, if it hurts that much, he probably doesn’t want to talk about it right now.]
"I can tell you," Zeir suddenly said, startling Roxanna.
"Ah!"
She let out a small yelp before lightly smacking her forehead.
[Right...]
She had almost forgotten that her husbands could hear her thoughts. Worse yet, she had always believed they could only hear her when she was practically shouting in her mind.
[If they can hear every little thing I’m thinking... then I really don’t have any privacy left!]
"We can give you some privacy if you want," Zeir said, as if reading her worries.
He looked at her with his usual calm expression. "We can even build a house just for you once we return to the Vixeria Settlement."
Roxanna stared at him for a moment before letting out a helpless laugh. "That’s... not exactly what I meant."
Roxanna shook her head. "You don’t have to build me a separate house," she said quietly. "I want some privacy, but I don’t want to be lonely."
After all, she had grown used to being surrounded by so many people. The thought of living by herself for a long time felt strangely empty.
"It’s not like you’ll be alone all the time," Zeir said. "You can go there whenever you want, and come back whenever you feel ready to be with everyone again."
Roxanna looked at him for a moment before giving a small nod. "That actually doesn’t sound too bad."
A small smile appeared on her lips, but it quickly faded as she remembered their earlier conversation.
She gently shook her head. "You said you wanted to tell me something."
Zeir blinked before letting out a quiet chuckle. "Oh? I thought you’d already forgotten."
[I knew it...]
Roxanna lowered her gaze because she knew that Zeir didn’t really want to talk about his past. He had probably only offered because he knew the system had given her a mission about it.
For a brief moment, she wondered if she should stop him. If talking about those memories would only reopen old wounds, maybe it was better to leave them buried.
After a long silence, Zeir finally spoke. "There is only me."
Roxanna frowned, not quite understanding what he meant. "There is only... you?"
Zeir gave a small nod. "From the very beginning, there was only me." He paused for a moment before continuing. "My kind has been extinct for a very long time."
A faint, bitter smile appeared on his lips. "I’m the only one left."