novelraw Chapter 227: Fierce
Chapter 227: Fierce
Vincent had actually kissed her palm.
Since when had he become so shameless?
Rory snatched her hand back at once.
...No, that wasn’t right.
Vincent had never been proper to begin with.
Yuel was the kind who was openly shameless.
But Vincent—he had always been shameless in quieter, subtler ways.
Rory shot him a glare. Knowing full well they couldn’t complete their bond yet, and he still had the nerve to tease her first thing in the morning.
Did she look like someone with that much self-restraint?
Obviously not.
"I’m getting up. You should too."
With that, she quickly slipped out of bed and went to get dressed.
Vincent knew better than to push things any further—otherwise, his Female Master might truly grow embarrassed and angry.
If only they could return soon...
All the other males at home had already formed their bonds.
Only he remained.
And he was more impatient than anyone.
Rory soon finished changing and freshening up. When she stepped out, Vincent had already dressed as well.
Clothed, he returned to his usual composed self.
"Rory, Yuel and the others should be arriving soon. Wait for me—we’ll go out together."
She nodded. Once he finished, they left the room side by side.
The moment they stepped outside, they saw Paros.
He was asleep just beyond the doorway, leaning against the cold wall, his body curled slightly inward.
His already pale face looked even more drained of color, his lips faintly bluish from the chill. A thin layer of frost clung to his long lashes, trembling faintly with each shallow breath.
His brows were tightly drawn, as though even in sleep he found no peace.
There was a fragile, lonely air about him—one that tugged painfully at the heart.
Rory frowned.
Why was he sleeping out here?
She hurried forward and called out to him.
"Paros, wake up!"
At the sound of her voice, his lashes fluttered.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
Those dark pupils seemed unfocused in the morning light, as though veiled by a thin mist.
It took him a few seconds to recognize her—and then, all at once, the confusion in his gaze melted into something bright and fragile, like someone in a desert finally glimpsing water.
"...Big sister."
His voice was hoarse, rough as if scraped raw, carrying the exhaustion of a sleepless night.
He tried to push himself up using the wall, but his body had grown stiff from the cold and long hours of sitting. He swayed unsteadily.
Rory quickly reached out to support him.
He called her big sister again...
Had the potion already worn off?
Frowning slightly, she asked, "Paros... why were you sleeping here?"
Didn’t he have his own palace?
Paros’s hoarse voice was thick with grievance, each word weighed down by quiet hurt.
"When I woke up... you weren’t there. I was worried, so I came to look for you."
As he spoke, his gaze drifted—almost unconsciously—toward the door behind Rory, and to Vincent, who stood there, expression cool and unreadable.
Just as quickly, Paros lowered his eyes again.
"When I got here... you were already asleep."
His voice softened further, tinged with hesitation.
"I... didn’t dare disturb you. So I waited outside, thinking... when you woke up, I’d be the first thing you saw."
A faint pause.
"...But at some point, I must have fallen asleep."
By the time he finished speaking, it seemed as though all his strength had drained away.
His body, barely held upright, gave out—and he collapsed weakly toward Rory.
She reacted instantly, catching him before he could fall. Only then did she realize how cold he was—his body chilled to the bone, the icy temperature seeping through even the layers of his clothing.
"Big sister... my head hurts..."
He had just leaned against her when a long, well-defined hand reached in—gripping his arm with precise strength.
In the next moment, Paros was pulled away from Rory’s embrace.
"Rory, he’s too heavy. You’ll tire yourself holding him—I’ll take over."
Vincent’s tone was calm, almost polite.
Who would have thought—the ruler of the three domains, once his mind slipped, would become this adept at playing weak?
Feigning vulnerability... just to win Rory’s sympathy.
That didn’t seem like Paros’s usual style.
Who had taught him that?
"Awuu!"
Terry’s voice suddenly rang out from atop Paros’s head.
Having just woken up, he spotted Rory standing there and bounced excitedly.
"Mommy, you’re awake! Daddy and I finally came for you! Mommy, Terry was very good—we stayed here all night with Daddy!"
"It was so cold last night, but we didn’t leave! We stayed right here guarding Mommy!"
Vincent glanced at the little fruit bobbing on Paros’s head.
...As expected of Yuel’s child.
Even if he had mistaken his father, the way he spoke—layer upon layer—was exactly the same.
Rory reached out and gently stroked Terry, her heart softening.
"My poor Terry... that must have been hard on you. Don’t do this again, alright? It was so cold last night—you must have been freezing."
She didn’t particularly feel for Paros, but this little one was hers.
"Mommy, Daddy gave Terry a dragon scale. Terry wasn’t cold at all! I slept very comfortably in Daddy’s hair."
In truth, Terry had slept quite well.
It was his daddy he felt sorry for.
"Mommy, Daddy seems to have gotten chilled... and his mental state is unstable again. Please soothe him quickly."
Supported by Vincent, Paros kept his gaze fixed on Rory.
Hearing Terry speak up for him, he gave a weak cough, as if the effort alone cost him what little strength he had left.
"Big sister... I—I’m fine. If you have things to do, you can go ahead. I can wait for you."
That person—MoonCrownedHeart—had said to act pitiful, but considerate
.
To think of her first, in everything...This counted as being considerate, didn’t it?
And like this—he looked pitiful enough, didn’t he?
One glance at him, and Rory knew his mental state had deteriorated badly again.
Turning to Vincent, she said, "Vincent, help him back to his chamber. I’ll soothe him first."
Vincent nodded, and together they supported Paros as they made their way back.
Along the way, Vincent leaned in slightly, his voice low enough that only Paros could hear.
"...It must be difficult for the Dragon Lord—resorting to tactics like this just to compete for affection."
Paros glanced at him, his tone just as quiet.
"I have no idea what you’re talking about."
Before long, they reached his chamber.
During the soothing process, no one could interfere.
Vincent could only remain outside and wait.
As for Terry—since he was attached to Paros, he couldn’t be removed. But whenever Rory soothed Paros, the little fruit would remain perfectly still, silent and obedient.
Paros’s mental state had indeed collapsed severely.
The thin, transparent layer that had only just formed was already half-melted.
Beneath it, molten energy surged violently, like lava threatening to overflow.
Fortunately, Rory was no longer inexperienced.
With practiced ease, she guided the raging currents, gradually cooling and stabilizing them.
It seemed that from now on, she would have to soothe him regularly—only then could that fragile mental barrier be preserved from dissolving again.
***
Outside, Yuel, Nix, and Jasper finally arrived.
They first sent a message to Vincent, learning that Rory was currently inside Paros’s chamber, soothing him.
Without delay, Yuel had Elder Ethan Gabriel escort the three of them over.
Under normal circumstances, Ethan would never have agreed.
After all, this was the Dragon Lord’s private chamber.
But these were all Rory’s partners—and Yuel had added that his child was currently with Paros.
He needed to retrieve him.
That alone was reason enough.
By the time Ethan led them there, Rory had just finished.
She stepped out of the chamber with Paros following closely behind her, step for step.
Perched atop his horn, Terry bounced happily, letting out excited little howls.
"Awuu! Awuu!"
"Mommy, Daddy—did you hear that? Was Terry fierce just now?"
The moment Yuel arrived, his gaze landed on the tiny fruit... enthusiastically imitating a wolf’s howl.