novelraw Chapter 236: I took them from others
Chapter 236: I took them from others
Rory stormed over and, with a loud bang, kicked open the doors to Xarion’s palace.
At the center of the grand hall stood an enormous cloud-bed—and sprawled across it was a massive snow-white wolf.
The wolf lay in a posture that looked dangerously close to giving up on life altogether. Limbs splayed, belly pressed down, he had flattened himself into what could only be described as a giant, fluffy wolf pancake.
His two soft, furry ears drooped listlessly, and his long tail swept lazily across the bed behind him, slow and absent-minded.
Rory’s eyes lit up instantly.
The noise at the door made the wolf’s drooping ears snap upright.
Seeing Rory stride toward him with an unmistakable aura of menace, Xarion’s heart jolted. Still unaware of what he had done wrong, his first instinct was to shift back into human form.
"Don’t move!"
Rory’s voice cut through the air, sharp and commanding as she fixed her gaze on the wolf.
Before Xarion could react, she dashed forward in a single swift motion and threw herself onto his broad, furry back.
This was Rory’s first time embracing him in his beast form.
So soft.
So irresistible to touch...
She sank into his cool, faintly fragrant silver-white fur and rolled across his back, utterly delighted.
Then she wrapped her arms tightly around his thick, fluffy neck, burying her face deep into the soft fur at the nape, nuzzling him with contented satisfaction.
Xarion froze completely, his mind going blank.
What... what is my Female Master doing?
Is she... nuzzling my neck?
Before he could make sense of it, Rory’s slender, gentle fingers began to wander through his sleek fur.
Her touch alternated between soft strokes and light scratches, each movement landing perfectly on the spots that made him feel the best.
So comfortable.
So... wonderful.
Xarion’s eyes slowly drifted shut, a string of low, involuntary rumbles rising from his throat.
His entire body tingled, as if he were soaking in a warm spring. His thoughts turned hazy, melting into a soft, muddled daze.
His tail curled upward, wrapping around Rory’s slender waist—gentle, yet possessive—drawing her closer against him.
The silver-gray of his wolf eyes deepened, darkening into something thick and unfathomable.
His massive body shifted slightly, as though he intended to pin the small figure on his back beneath him... to do something more.
The air grew warmer, thick with tension—an intimacy so heavy it seemed ready to spill over.
Rory, ever perceptive, caught the change in the wolf beneath her.
A sly smile curved her lips.
Her arms, still wrapped around his neck, tightened abruptly.
The gentle embrace transformed in an instant into a clean, efficient chokehold.
"—Awo?!"
Still lost in that haze of comfort, Xarion was caught completely off guard. The sudden pressure on his throat forced out a short, confused, almost aggrieved whine.
The charged atmosphere shattered in an instant. The entire wolf went rigid, utterly dumbfounded.
The desire that had just begun to rise was abruptly cut off, leaving him suspended awkwardly between confusion and disbelief. The haze in his eyes vanished, replaced by sheer astonishment.
Rory’s grip was precise—tight enough to make him uncomfortable, but far from enough to truly hurt him.
Grabbing one of his fluffy ears, she spoke with fierce intensity:
"Confess. Now."
Her eyes narrowed. "How much secret money have you been hiding from me?"
At the words secret money, the white wolf’s body stiffened instantly.
Oh no.
How did Female Master find out about that?
Guilt flooded Xarion in an instant.
The silver-gray wolf eyes flickered rapidly, thoughts racing.
Who told Female Master about this?
Yuel?
Probably not—Yuel had helped him more than once. He didn’t seem like the type to betray him.
Jasper?
That one was always so shadowy... it wasn’t impossible. But they’d never made any dealings with each other. Jasper shouldn’t even know he had a hidden stash.
Could it be Nix—that naive fool—letting something slip?
Or Vincent?
No... Vincent didn’t seem like the sort to bother with something so trivial.
Xarion ran through each possibility in his mind at lightning speed.
In the end, the most likely culprit still seemed to be Nix.
Xarion ground his teeth.
Just you wait, Nix.
"Well?" Rory tugged sharply on his ear when he remained sprawled there in silence. "Say something."
"Female Master!" Xarion quickly spoke, his voice laced with innocence and grievance. "You’ve misunderstood me. I didn’t hide any private stash. I really didn’t."
Still denying it?
"Heh." Rory let out a cold laugh, tightening her grip on his ear. "You think you can still lie to me? I have proof."
She pulled up a screenshot of the message he had sent to Yuel and shoved it in front of him.
"For a simple question, you casually offered a tenth-rank beast core. I even told Yuel to raise the price to five, and you agreed without the slightest hesitation. And you still dare say you don’t have secret savings?"
So it was Yuel who exposed him.
Xarion’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
Smack!
Rory raised her hand and gave him a firm swat on the head.
"And you still dare glare?"
Who exactly did he think he was about to bite?
The hit wasn’t hard—Xarion didn’t feel any real pain.
But... Female Master had hit him.
And she’d hit his head.
The massive wolf lifted his silver-gray eyes to her, filled with pure, wounded grievance.
"Female Master... I didn’t hide anything. You’re wrong—and you still hit me."
Wolf... is unhappy.
Wolf... is hurt!
Xarion looked utterly aggrieved.
"Still arguing back?" Rory didn’t believe him in the slightest. "If you didn’t hide anything, then where did the beast cores you promised Yuel come from?"
"From robbing others!" Xarion spoke in a small, guilty voice.
It was so quiet that Rory didn’t catch it.
"What?" she asked, frowning in confusion.
Thinking she didn’t believe him, Xarion immediately shifted back into human form. In one smooth motion, he pulled Rory into his arms and opened his spatial ring for her to see.
"Female Master, everything I own is in here. I really didn’t hide anything."
Rory glanced into the ring.
Inside, aside from a few sets of clothes for daily wear, some nutrient vials, and a handful of crystals, there were only a few pitiful beast cores.
And none of them were tenth-rank.
She narrowed her eyes at him, studying his aggrieved expression.
"You’re sure this is everything you own?"
Why didn’t she believe him?
"There aren’t any tenth-rank beast cores in here, yet you promised Yuel five of them. Were you planning to deceive him?"
Xarion didn’t seem like the type to lie to Yuel...
"Confess and I’ll go easy on you. Resist, and you’ll regret it."
Rory raised a hand and grabbed one of his wolf ears—he hadn’t withdrawn them yet—twisting it slightly. "If you don’t tell the truth, I’ll twist it right off."
Xarion shook his head.
Female Master is so fierce.
So adorable.
Makes me want to kiss her...
He leaned closer, his lips nearly brushing against her cheek before he spoke, his tone still carrying that same aggrieved softness.
"Female Master, I already told you. I got those beast cores by taking them... Well, not exactly taking. They were given to me."
There hadn’t been that many to begin with. Aside from the ones he’d already given to Yuel and Vincent, the rest had gone to Nix.
"Given to you?" Rory’s skepticism was obvious.
Which clan could possibly be so wealthy as to casually hand out that many tenth-rank beast cores?
"And who exactly gave them to you?" she pressed.
Xarion answered without the slightest hesitation, completely self-assured.
"The Dragon Clan. They love hoarding treasures. Their treasury is full of tenth-rank beast cores. There are even eleventh-rank ones."
Last time, he’d only taken a few—and those had all gone to Nix and Vincent.
As he spoke, Xarion suddenly grabbed Rory’s hand and pulled her to her feet.
"Female Master, I’ll take you to get some."
Perfect timing—he had run out of beast cores anyway. He might as well go and take more.
Who knew when he’d have another chance to come back? Better to take as many as possible this time.