On the way back, Vincent and the others had already told Rory everything Aren had endured in the succubus clan.

She knew––he had suffered.

Aren nodded hard at her gentle voice, as if clinging to it.

"Female Master... I have something for you." He let go of her. Then, without hesitation, he raised his hand—and drove it straight into his own chest.

"Aren!"

Rory and the others cried out at once.

"Don’t be afraid... I’m fine."

Blood spilled instantly from the torn flesh.

Aren endured the pain, his lips curving into a faint smile as he slowly pulled something out.

A fruit.

Pure white, glowing faintly, as if lit from within. He held it in both hands, reverent, almost worshipful, and offered it to her.

"Female Master... I got the Beast God Fruit. It’s for you."

The very thing he had protected through torture, through pain, through everything—now rested in his trembling hands, presented to her without a second thought.

The room fell into stunned silence. Even Vincent and the others could hardly believe it.

He had actually obtained it... from Beast God Mountain.

How? At what cost?

Rory stared at him, at the forced smile on his pale face, at the blood still seeping from his chest.

Something clenched violently around her heart.

It hurt to breathe.

"Female Master... take it." His voice weakened further as he pushed it closer to her.

"Aren—!"

Rory snapped out of it and caught him just as he began to collapse.

Xarion moved in instantly, helping to support his weight.

Still, Aren refused to lower his hands.

The fruit remained lifted, unwavering despite the tremor in his arms.

"Female Master..." His eyes never left her. "After I got it, I hid it inside my body. No matter how Melanie tried to force me, I never gave it up."

A faint, fragile smile touched his lips.

"I’m happy... that you’re not sick. I know you don’t need it anymore... but I still want to give it to you."

His voice softened, almost pleading.

"Female Master... will you accept it?"

Accept it and... me.

In his heart, the fruit was never just a fruit. It was everything he was offering.

Rory understood instantly. Those clear eyes of hers filled with something complicated—heartache, gratitude, and a faint, indescribable ache.

She looked into Aren’s dark gaze, so full of hope, stubbornness, and fragile longing.

She couldn’t refuse him.

Her hand lifted, trembling slightly, and she accepted the Beast God Fruit from his palms.

"Alright... I’ll take it." Her voice was soft, but it eased every trace of tension in him.

"Female Master... thank you."

Aren smiled. Pale and weak, yet radiant with pure joy, like a child who had finally been given something precious.

The next moment, his strength gave out.

His body slackened, and he collapsed backward.

"Aren!" Rory caught him in a panic, holding him tightly.

As his eyes closed, the faint white glow protecting the fruit faded away. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

What it revealed made her breath catch.

A torn, brutal wound across his chest, deep enough to expose bone. Blood soaked through his clothes in an instant.

Rory’s expression changed. "Quick—Yuel, your blossoms!"

Yuel rushed forward without delay. He fed Aren a blossom, then crushed a handful of petals and carefully pressed them over the wound.

The bleeding stopped almost immediately.

The torn flesh began to knit together at a visible pace.

Once the wound had closed, Vincent spoke decisively. "Get him to a room first."

Xarion nodded and lifted Aren, carrying him swiftly to a guest room on the first floor.

Not long after, a healer from the Firebird Clan arrived. Rory immediately had him examine Aren.

The healer checked him thoroughly before straightening.

"Physically, Young Master Aren is no longer in danger," he said.

"But he suffered severe trauma before, and he forced his abilities to protect the Beast God Fruit. Both his body and mind are heavily exhausted. He needs proper rest."

A collective breath of relief passed through the room.

Xarion, however, frowned. "And his mind? There’s nothing wrong with his head, right?"

The healer hesitated slightly.

"For now, his mental energy appears stable."

"As for the abnormal behavior you described... it’s complicated. He’s unconscious at the moment, so I can’t fully assess that yet. That can only be determined after he wakes up," the healer concluded.

"Is that so?" Xarion stared at Aren lying motionless on the bed, then reached out and gave him a shove. "Wake up."

Vincent’s eyelid twitched. He immediately grabbed Xarion and pulled him back. "Xarion, the healer just said he’s too weak. He’ll likely be unconscious for a day or two. We’ll wait until he wakes up."

He added, after a brief pause, "Before he passed out, he seemed clear-headed again. He probably won’t mistake you for his father anymore."

Xarion glanced at Aren again, then gave a cold nod. "He’d better not."

He had had enough of those cursed fruits.

Later, he was going to throw every single one of them out of the kitchen.

After carefully listening to the healer’s instructions, Rory returned to the bedside and sat down, looking at Aren’s pale, sleeping face.

"I’ll stay here with him for a while," she said softly. "If you have things to do, go ahead. You don’t all need to stay."

"I’m not busy." Xarion immediately sat down nearby. "I’ll stay with you."

Jasper followed and took a seat as well. "Same here."

Paros simply moved to sit at her feet. "I’ll stay with you too, sister."

Nix hesitated.

He wanted to stay too... but he had been away from the lab for too long.

"Rory, I need to go check on something in the lab. I’ll come back after."

"Alright, go ahead." Rory nodded.

Vincent and Yuel exchanged a glance, both clearly reluctant.

They wanted to stay as well.

Yuel reached out and held Rory’s hand, guilt in his voice. "I’ll come back as soon as I’m done."

Rory understood.

Both of them carried heavy responsibilities.

"You don’t need to worry about me," she said gently. "Xarion and Jasper are here. If anything comes up, I’ll let you know."

Vincent nodded. "I’ll have the firebird healer stay here for the next few days. If anything happens to Aren, call him immediately."

"I will."

After Vincent, Yuel, and Nix left, Wen returned after arranging a room for the healer.

He glanced around, then said softly, "Female Master, you haven’t eaten anything yet. I’ll go prepare some food for you."

Jasper stood up at once. "I’ll help. It’ll be faster."

The two of them left together.

Not long after, Rory’s light-brain chimed.

A message from Lola.

Lola: "Rory, is Aren alright? I just heard the succubus clan realized he’s missing. They’ve mobilized everyone to search for him."

Lola: "That Melanie looks like she’s about to lose her mind."

At the mention of Melanie, Rory’s eyes turned cold.

They still had the nerve to look for him?

When Aren woke up, she would take him back there herself and settle the score.

Rory quickly replied, telling Lola that Aren’s injuries had already healed, though he had yet to wake. Once he did, she would invite her over to the estate.

***

Meanwhile, the succubus clan had descended into chaos.

The moment Melanie and Bree learned that Aren had vanished, they ordered a full-scale search.

Now, the entire clan was scrambling across the Central District like mad hounds, hunting for any trace of him.

Melanie stared at the constant stream of reports on her light-brain, each one saying the same thing—no sign of Aren.

Her temper snapped. The crystal goblet in her hand shattered against the floor.

"He’s severely injured, bound in chains, and drugged. Where could he possibly hide?"

A room full of incompetents. Even when he was like this, they still couldn’t find him.

Bree sat nearby, her expression equally dark. She hadn’t left the clan since Aren disappeared.

Listening to Melanie’s furious outburst, a flicker of disdain passed through her eyes.

Then she glanced at a new message on her light-brain and spoke.

"Lady Melanie, I just received news from others. Rory has already returned to her place."

Melanie turned sharply. "She’s back already?"

Bree nodded. "Apparently, she’s been back for a few days."

All those allies were utterly useless. It took them this long to learn something so important.

Seeing Melanie fall into thought, Bree continued, her tone measured. "Aren is her former match. Even though their bond was dissolved, he’s always cared for her. In a situation like this, it wouldn’t be strange for him to go to her."

Melanie’s expression darkened further. "If that’s the case, then this becomes troublesome."

She knew Rory was not someone to provoke lightly.

Rory had Vincent, Xarion, and Paros at her side.

Three Rank Eleven powerhouses.

Not something the succubus clan could casually confront.

Sensing her hesitation, Bree stepped closer and lowered her voice.

"Lady Melanie, it’s not as complicated as you think. Rory was willing to dissolve her match with Aren. That means she doesn’t care about him. You can go directly to her and demand his return."

She smiled faintly. "And tell her that Aren is already my mate. I believe once she hears that... she won’t want him anymore."