novelraw Chapter 235: Eavesdropping
Chapter 235: Eavesdropping
Seeing how close he was to panicking—how he looked like he might actually cry—Rory felt the faint trace of mischief in her heart melt away, replaced instead by a deep, aching tenderness and warmth.
But a performance had to be seen through to the end.
She looked at the man kneeling before her—noble in status, extraordinary in ability—yet utterly thrown into disarray by a single word from her. Her heart softened beyond measure.
"Rory... as long as you’re not angry, I’ll do anything," Vincent pleaded when she remained silent, his unease growing. He looked at her almost helplessly.
He couldn’t afford not to build his own forces and train his squad.
Rory was human. Though that truth had been carefully concealed, who could guarantee it would remain hidden forever?
If her identity were ever exposed, the dangers she would face would be beyond measure.
Everything he was doing now—every squad he trained, every force he cultivated—was meant to become the strongest shield around her.
He had to become her sharpest blade, her most unbreakable defense.
He could have said all of this.
But what he feared more was that his secrecy would make her completely lose faith in him.
What Vincent didn’t know was that Rory had never truly been angry.
When Yuel told her that Vincent was supporting a squad and building his own forces, she had already guessed the reason behind his hidden funds.
With Vincent’s pride, it was only natural—he would never bring himself to ask her for money again and again.
She had only wanted to scare him a little.
If he dared to hide money today, tomorrow he might dare to hide even bigger things from her.
Rory needed to stop that mindset at its root—the idea of doing things behind her back "for her own good."
What she wanted was simple: no matter what happened, they would face it together.
Not him standing alone in the storm, shielding her from everything.
Slowly, Rory bent down.
Her slender fingers reached out, gently hooking beneath Vincent’s chin, forcing him to lift his head.
She looked down at him from above, her reddened eyes shimmering with lingering moisture.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Her voice was soft, low, almost teasing. "Then start by telling me honestly—how much did you hide?"
Vincent froze for a split second at the shift in her tone—but his survival instincts kicked in immediately.
Without the slightest hesitation, he opened his light terminal, pulling up his personal assets and displaying everything in front of her without holding anything back.
"It’s all here. Not a single coin missing!"
Rory leaned closer, studying the long string of numbers on the screen—so large even she couldn’t help but feel a little stunned—along with the countless listed resources beneath.
Satisfied, she nodded.
Before Vincent could react, she grabbed his arm and pulled him up from the ground.
He stumbled slightly from the sudden motion but quickly regained his footing, his tall frame once again enveloping her.
Rory rose onto her toes and pressed a quick, bright kiss against his cheek.
Vincent went completely still. The soft warmth lingering on his cheek wiped his mind blank.
Did that mean she had forgiven him?
Just like that?
Rory’s voice, laced with a smile, drifted into his ear:
"I’m not angry. And I don’t blame you. I know why you did it."
She wrapped her arms around Vincent’s waist, resting her cheek lightly against his solid chest as she spoke in a soft voice.
"But Vincent... I’ll only say this once. Remember it well—no matter what it is, you’re not allowed to hide anything from me again."
Those words finally settled the storm in Vincent’s heart.
So she knew. She hadn’t truly been angry.
Relief flooded him, mingling with overwhelming gratitude—and the lingering chill of what might have been. It washed over him all at once, leaving him almost breathless.
Rory tilted her head up, looking at him with quiet seriousness. "From now on, if anything happens, you have to tell me. We’ll face it together."
After that heart-stopping "trial," Vincent had been thoroughly shaken. There was no way he would dare hide anything from her again.
He tightened his arms suddenly, pulling her close—so close it was as if he wanted to press her into his very being. Burying his face into the curve of her neck, his voice trembled with emotion.
"Rory, I swear—from now on, no matter how big or small it is, I’ll tell you everything. I won’t hide anything from you ever again!"
His relief, so raw it bordered on desperation, made Rory laugh softly.
Satisfied, she leaned up and planted another quick kiss on his cheek before gently pushing him away.
"I believe you. Now I need to go find Xarion."
She turned as she spoke, already moving toward the door.
Still immersed in the joy of having her forgiveness, Vincent blinked in surprise and instinctively reached out to grab her wrist.
"Why are you looking for Xarion?"
Rory glanced back at him, a sly smile curving her lips—mischievous, with just a hint of danger.
"Because," she said slowly, enunciating each word, "Xarion has been hiding money too."
Vincent’s eyes widened in surprise.
Understanding dawned instantly.
Watching her expression—the unmistakable look of someone about to settle scores—he suddenly felt a deep, sincere sympathy for Xarion.
Rory walked to the door and pulled it open just a crack. A dark figure tumbled in from outside with a startled cry, losing balance and hitting the ground in an undignified sprawl.
"Oof—!"
Rory froze, staring at the person who had just rolled in and ended up sprawled face-down on the floor.
Nix.
For a split second, the entire palace fell into silence.
Then realization struck.
"Nix—you were eavesdropping?!"
Caught red-handed, Nix panicked instantly. His mind went completely blank.
Pure survival instinct kicked in. He sprang to his feet, not even bothering to dust himself off, waving his hands frantically.
"Rory, don’t get the wrong idea—I was definitely not eavesdropping!"
His face flushed bright red as his eyes darted everywhere, scrambling desperately for an excuse.
"I—I was just here to find you! To ask where you wanted to go this afternoon! Yeah! That’s it!"
As if to make himself sound more convincing, he suddenly pointed outside.
"And Yuel and Jasper are here too! They can vouch for me!"
Outside the door, Jasper and Yuel—who had just been about to quietly sneak away on tiptoes–– froze mid-step.
Then, as one, they slowly turned their heads.
Their gazes, sharp as blades, pierced through the narrow gap in the door and landed squarely on Nix’s back.
Traitor.
With their escape route cut off, Yuel instantly switched to a warm, spring-like smile and strolled in from outside with effortless elegance—as if he had only just arrived.
"Rory," he said gently, his voice as smooth as flowing water, "don’t listen to Nix’s nonsense. We just got here too—we didn’t hear a thing."
Behind him, Jasper stepped in and nodded immediately. "Rory, we just arrived. Really—we didn’t hear anything."
"Yeah, yeah!" Nix chimed in quickly, as though he had found a lifeline. "We just got here! Seriously!"
Perched atop Yuel’s head, little Terry—who had somehow woken up at just the right moment—watched Nix with bright, curious eyes. Mimicking his earlier urgency, the child spoke in a soft, childish voice:
"Yeah, yeah, Mother—we just got here too."
At those words, Nix, Yuel, and Jasper all visibly relaxed, relief flashing across their faces.
A child wouldn’t lie.
But Terry’s next sentence struck like a bolt from the heavens—precise and devastating.
"We only heard Daddy Vincent say he wouldn’t dare do it again."
"... "
The air in the palace seemed to vanish in an instant.
The color drained completely from Nix’s face. His mouth fell open into a perfect "O," wide enough to fit an egg.
Yuel’s flawless, gentle smile cracked visibly, the corners of his lips twitching uncontrollably.
Jasper’s composure shattered outright—his eye twitched wildly as he stiffened like a statue.
And standing to the side, Vincent’s expression darkened to the point it seemed capable of dripping ink.
The warmth and relief he had felt moments ago were gone—replaced entirely by a blazing fury.
The most humiliating, vulnerable moment of his had been overheard—clearly—by all three of them.
He fixed Nix, Jasper, and Yuel with a gaze that practically spelled out: your time is up.
Rory nearly burst out laughing at Terry’s perfectly timed betrayal. She barely managed to hold it in, casting the three of them a knowing, almost playful glance.
Then she stepped closer to Vincent, rising onto her toes to whisper softly into his ear:
"I’ll leave these three to you."
If they dared to eavesdrop, they could deal with the consequences.
And Vincent... was far less merciful than she was.
After saying that, Rory gave him a playful wink, then turned and walked away—light on her feet, carrying a faint, cheerful "killing intent" as she set off toward her next target: Xarion.
Click.
The palace doors closed softly behind her.
Inside, was silence.
Nix, Yuel, and Jasper stiffly, slowly turned their heads... to look behind them.
At Vincent.
His face was expressionless, but within those flame-colored eyes churned a terrifying calm—the stillness before a storm.
He rolled his wrists.
Crack. Crack.
The sharp sound of his joints echoed in the air.
"Shall we..." Vincent’s voice was quiet, edged with a chilling calm, "have a little talk?"