Inside the castle.
Rory had just stepped out of Terry’s room after watching him fall asleep. Turning around, she saw Vangar walking toward her.
"You’re back," Rory said naturally, walking over to Vangar’s side and looking up at him. "Is everything taken care of?"
Vangar looked down at her, his usually harsh and rigid features softening instantly. He reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear and nodded. "It’s taken care of."
Vangar paused, hesitating for a brief second before continuing. "Rory, there’s something I need to confess to you."
He remembered Jasper telling him that Rory despised it when they kept things from her, especially things regarding herself.
"What is it?" Rory asked, matching his serious expression.
"Let’s go to my room and talk."
"Alright."
Vangar nodded, accompanying Rory to the top-floor room. Once inside, Rory took Vangar’s hand and they sat down together on the sofa by the window.
"Go ahead, what is it you want to confess to me?"
Vangar pulled Rory into his arms and softly explained the situation regarding the agreement. He held nothing back, telling her the entire story about the spiritual imprint contract.
Rory frowned after listening. "So what you’re saying is, Dax basically sold himself to you?"
Vangar nodded. "You could put it that way."
"And you agreed?" Rory asked.
"Yes," Vangar nodded again.
Rory instantly fell silent. She wasn’t foolish; she quickly figured out Dax’s underlying motive for doing this.
"Rory, you don’t need to carry any emotional burden over this." Vangar knew Rory tended to be soft-hearted. He held her hand and explained earnestly, "Dax didn’t do this entirely for you; he did it for himself, too. He wanted to maintain a thread of a connection with you to give himself a reason to keep living."
Rory’s brow furrowed tightly. "What do you mean by that?"
What did he mean by a reason to keep living? Did Dax not want to live anymore?
Vangar leaned down and kissed Rory’s forehead, explaining, "Some males develop suicidal thoughts after their match with their female master is severed."
"Dax told me today that he has been having those thoughts." Vangar sighed at this point. "Looking at the state he was in, if I hadn’t signed that document, he likely would have done something drastic. In a way, I saved his life."
He looked deeply into Rory’s eyes. "So, Rory, don’t feel burdened by this. Dax and I are both just getting what we want out of the deal. And you don’t have to worry about any awkward encounters; I won’t give him the chance to appear in front of you."
No one had ever told Rory that males could become suicidal after a match was dissolved. There was absolutely no mention of such information on the network terminals.
"Female Master, time for some fruit."
Xarion walked in carrying a neatly arranged platter of sliced fruit. He placed it down on the coffee table in front of Rory, then glanced at Vangar sitting beside her.
"Are you finished talking? If you’re finished, you can leave now."
Yuel and Vincent had just gone straight to headquarters the moment they got back. As a Marshal, why was this guy still hanging around the house? Was he really that idle?
Vangar cast an exasperated look at Xarion, then turned and spoke gently to Rory. "Rory, get some good rest. Don’t overthink things. I’ll go tend to my duties now."
He really did need to head back to military headquarters.
"Okay," Rory nodded, watching Vangar leave.
Once Vangar was gone, Xarion sat down, picked up a piece of fruit, and offered it to Rory’s lips.
"Female Master, have something to eat first. You’ve been traveling on the star-rail for so long and spent half the day playing with Terry; you must be exhausted."
"Jasper and the others are already preparing lunch. I’ll carry you downstairs to eat in a little while."
Rory ate the piece of fruit Xarion offered, then asked him, "Xarion, do matched males really develop suicidal thoughts after their match is severed?"
Why is Female Master suddenly asking about such a heavy topic when everything was going so well?
Xarion was bewildered, but he didn’t let any of his confusion show on his face. He thought it over seriously before answering her.
"Female Master, most males don’t. Only a very small minority would ever do something like that."
As he spoke, he skewered another translucent piece of honeydew melon, considerately holding it to Rory’s lips. He then asked, "What made you bring this up all of a sudden?"
Rory retold everything Vangar had just shared about Dax. "I didn’t expect that dissolving the match would leave him with those kinds of thoughts."
Should she have a talk with Dax?
Hearing this, Xarion was so annoyed he nearly laughed. That damn fox really had too many tricks up his sleeve. And Vangar was an idiot—he should have just mentioned the agreement. Why on earth did he have to tell Female Master about that fox wanting to die?
If Dax wanted to die, why not just let him? Now, because that fox hadn’t died, his Female Master was left sitting here feeling conflicted and upset.
Xarion took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to curse at Vangar, and smiled warmly at Rory.
"Female Master, I don’t think you need to trouble yourself over this matter. Dax is a fully grown beastman and the head of Starlight Prime Tech; his mind runs incredibly deep."
"He knows exactly what he wants. Even if he really did have suicidal thoughts, he didn’t actually want to die. Otherwise, why would he go to Vangar?"
Rory looked at Xarion, finding a grain of truth in his words.
Xarion continued, "Dax telling Vangar those things is just a tactic. First, he lowers his status, willingly sells himself to Vangar, and humbles himself to the absolute core. Then, he ensures you find out that he can’t survive without you. It’s nothing more than an attempt to play on your sympathies, make you pity him, and get you to give him another chance."
It wasn’t a particularly sophisticated tactic, but it was exactly the kind of thing that would make a female feel protective and compassionate. That Dax was certainly no innocent fox.
Fearing that continuing to talk about Dax would keep Rory in a bad mood, Xarion immediately shifted the topic after making his point.
"I have a gift for you. Do you want it?"
"What gift?" Rory asked, following his lead.
Xarion took Rory’s hand, spreading her soft palm open. His fingertips lightly brushed against her palm lines, leaving a trace of a cool sensation.
"Female Master, watch closely."
A gentle smile tugged at the corners of Xarion’s lips, and his silver-white eyes seemed to hold swirling galaxies. Wisps of silver-white frost seeped from his fingertips like living sprites. Under his guidance, they began to swirl, gather, and condense right above Rory’s palm.
The temperature in the air seemed to drop a few degrees, but only within the tiny space of Rory’s hand, creating a dazzling miniature domain.
Very quickly, a lifelike little wolf materialized in her palm. Next, ice crystals gathered on the wolf’s back, meticulously carving out the silhouette of a young girl.
The girl wore a beautiful dress, its hem frozen into a fluid, flowing stance. Her arms affectionately hugged the wolf’s neck as she tilted her head with a peaceful, sweet smile, looking as though she were whispering secrets to the wolf beneath her.
The girl’s strands of hair, the folds of her dress, and the wolf’s fur were all sharply visible. Under the light, the interior of the ice sculpture refracted a breathtaking spectrum of colors, shimmering with a mesmerizing radiance.
"Is this... us?" Rory stared at the ice sculpture in her palm, utterly amazed.
It was crafted so exquisitely. Her facial expression was captured flawlessly, down to the finest detail, as if it might come to life at any moment. Furthermore, the ice sculpture didn’t feel chilly at all. Holding it in her hand, it actually felt somewhat warm.
"Yes, it’s us," Xarion nodded with a smile. "Do you like it?"
Rory nodded rapidly. "I love it."
Clutching the ice sculpture, she threw her arms around Xarion and gave him a firm kiss on the lips. "Xarion, you’re amazing!"
Rory looked down at the sculpture in her hand. "If only it would never melt. Then I could place it right by my bedside, so I could see it the moment I open my eyes every morning."