As warmly as a spring breeze tickling his ear, Isabella said, “Now, say ‘Ah,’ Mr. Oh-Jin.”

The nutty aroma of sesame oil wafted from the spoonful of abalone porridge, teasing his nose. Kwon Oh-Jin looked at the spoon hovering in front of his lips and awkwardly smiled. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

“I can eat by myself.”

“Ab-so-lute rest.”

Each syllable dropped like a gavel, leaving no room for negotiation.

“You haven’t forgotten, have you?” Isabella smiled sweetly as she brought the spoon to his mouth.

Her lips curved kindly, but her eyes promised that she would shove the spoon down his throat if he refused again.

“Yes, ma’am.” Kwon Oh-Jin quickly surrendered and obediently opened his mouth to accept the porridge.

“Aww, how good. Is it tasty?”

What am I, a three-year-old?

He wanted to complain as Isabella gently patted his head, but in his current situation, he swallowed the words before they left his mouth.

Like a baby bird being fed by its mother, he finished the porridge. Just then, the door opened.

Cassia stepped inside. “How is Lord Oh-Jin feeling?”

“He’s still eating. Don’t interrupt and get out.”

“For someone still eating, that bowl looks empty.” Cassia glanced at the clean dish and came closer.

With a slithering sound like a serpent moving across the ground, she slipped into his bed.

Her long tongue flicked out and licked Kwon Oh-Jin’s forehead.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m checking if you have a fever.”

With your tongue?

“Serpents use their tongues to measure temperature, you know?”

“I know, but...”

“And my tongue can detect more than temperature. I can sense the condition of your mana as well.” Cassia’s tongue slid down his forehead to his cheeks and along his neck.

The ticklish sensation began to stir up strange thoughts.

Isabella struck Cassia’s tongue with her spoon. “Hey!”

Cassia stuck her tongue back in her mouth and frowned. “Couldn’t you see I was checking his condition?”

“How long were you planning to keep licking him?!”

“Tsk. I was just getting to the good part when you barged in.” Cassia clicked her tongue in disappointment and leaned close to his ear. Her hot breath tickled his earlobe. “We can finish what comes after another time.”

Finish what, exactly?

“Haa. Anyway, how is he?” Isabella asked.

“His mana is far more stable than yesterday.”

“Really?” Isabella smiled in relief.

“Then...”

“Still! You’re banned from training for a while! Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

At this rate, Kwon Oh-Jin wouldn’t resume training until he fully recovered.

Well, I did overdo it these past three months.

Watching his strength soar day by day had been too addictive. How could he not push himself? Still, Isabella was right since he had collapsed from overwork. He needed to rest.

“Fine. I’ll take it easy at home this week.”

“Good. If you sneak out, I’ll have Roberto shut the whole training facility down.”

“Come on, what do you take me for?”

Dang it. She caught me.

“Anyway, has anything happened recently?”

Since Kwon Oh-Jin had cut himself off from outside news to focus on training, he had no idea about current events.

“Nothing major has happened. Recently, even the Named monsters have been quiet. No large swarms have come out of the gates.”

“What about the Black Star Celestials?”

“My serpents are looking out for them, but... It’s like they vanished. I can’t find them anywhere.” Cassia sighed and shook her head.

“Will things be quiet for a while then?”

The situation didn’t seem bad from Kwon Oh-Jin’s point of view since he still wasn’t ready to face the Black Star Celestials head-on.

“By the way, where’s Ha-Eun?”

“She’s at the Sanctum.”

“The Sanctum again?”

Did she move there? Every time he asked, that was the answer.

“She’s been training with Mr. Riarc lately.”

“Oh.”

Kwon Oh-Jin wasn’t the only one who had been training these three months. The girls hadn’t gone as extreme, but steadily honed their strength as well.

“Don’t worry, and just rest properly.” Isabella pressed his chest down and forced him back onto the bed.

“Oh! Actually, could you lie on your stomach for a moment, Mr. Oh-Jin?”

“Why?”

“I’ll give you a massage.”

“A massage? Out of nowhere?”

“There’s nothing better for easing fatigue than a massage, right?”

“Well, sure, but...”

The thought of getting a massage from Isabella made him more embarrassed than excited.

“Come on now.”

“Ugh.”

Caught in her whims, Kwon Oh-Jin turned over and lay face down on the bed. Isabella took off her slippers and climbed onto the bed.

“Okay... Then, I’ll take your shirt off.”

“Wait, why?”

“It’s easier to massage without clothes in the way.”

Of course, she wouldn’t strip him naked. Isabella took off his T-shirt and swallowed hard as her eyes landed on his chiseled back muscles.

“H-Hehe...” A goofy laugh escaped her before she caught herself.

Her cheeks burned bright red. How long had it been since she last saw his bare skin?

Oh my gosh! Look at him! Mr. Oh-Jin is way too handsome!

Kwon Oh-Jin didn’t have a shred of excess fat after months of grueling training and a strict diet. His back muscles were sculpted like a masterpiece carved.

She poked his back and felt his stone-hard muscles. When she laid her palm against him, his warmth seeped into her.

“Haaa...” She faintly sighed.

Her throat grew parched, and an irresistible craving to drink his blood overwhelmed her.

No, not now.

Kwon Oh-Jin had just woken up after collapsing from overwork. The last thing she wanted to do was drain him dry. Forcing down her urges, Isabella straddled his back like mounting a horse.

“Alright, here I go.” Her thumbs sank into his back, sending waves of soothing relief through him.

He groaned like a middle-aged man in a sauna, “Uhhhhh.”

“Does it feel good?”

“Yeah. It’s amazing.”

Who wouldn’t enjoy a tender massage from a loved one? The melting bliss spreading throughout his body felt like a warm shower.

Guess I really did push myself too hard.

Kwon Oh-Jin thought he had gotten enough sleep, but drowsiness soon crept in again. He started nodding off during Isabella’s massage.

Cassia suddenly interrupted, “I want a turn too.”

With a sulky expression, she looked at Isabella and soon climbed onto Kwon Oh-Jin’s back as well.

“What are you doing, Cassia?” Isabella asked.

“Hmph. Look at you being greedy and trying to hog him for yourself.”

“There isn’t enough space!”

“Then why don’t you move?”

The two sisters, both perched on his back, glared at each other and started arguing.

“You move, Cassia,” Isabella said.

“I don’t want to.”

The two sisters radiated an intense, murderous aura that would’ve made any ordinary person faint on the spot. They began shoving each other on top of Kwon Oh-Jin’s back as if playing a balancing game.

Wham!

“Move over already!”

“You’ve always been greedy ever since we were kids!”

They wrestled on top of him and tried to push the other off.

Kwon Oh-Jin, pinned beneath them, couldn’t do anything. “Hey, hey! Wait a second!”

The bed sounded as if it would collapse.

Creak, creak!

“Kugh! Stop! Both of you!”

Though they looked delicate, both women could lift an eight-ton truck with one hand. The pressure on his back felt like two stampeding elephants. The crushing force, combined with his fatigue, caused his consciousness to flicker.

“Ab-so-lute rest.”

Just before blacking out, Isabella’s earlier warning echoed through his mind.

Absolute rest... Yeah right...

Before Kwon Oh-Jin could even cry out at the unfairness, his consciousness faded.

“I finally get some alone time with Mr. Oh-Jin, and you’re ruining it!” Isabella snapped.

“You see him plenty whenever you use his blood as an excuse! I’ve been busy scattering serpents everywhere, so I hardly even got to see his face!” Cassia shot back.

“You’re not even dating him, so what’s the big deal if you don’t see him?”

“Oh my, is that really how you talk to your older sister?”

“Says the one wagging her tail at her little sister’s boyfriend!” Isabella glared at Cassia, and her arm shot forward.

Cassia simply snorted and brushed Isabella’s hand aside with a flick. “You’re one to talk. You were wagging your tail at someone else’s man too before you guys became lovers!”

“T-That was different!”

“Different? How? Didn’t you even lie to Lord Oh-Jin that you were his first and all that when he lost his memory?”

“W-What?!” Isabella completely froze and turned pale when Cassia suddenly dragged up that humiliating past. “H-How did you even hear about that?”

“Haha, Miss Ha-Eun told me everything.”

“Ugh! That eyepatch bitch!”

Crushed under the weight of her own humiliating past, Isabella spat out curses she normally wouldn’t even dream of uttering. Cassia burst out laughing and savored her victory. Just then, the door swung open.

Song Ha-Eun stepped inside. “What’s with all the fuss?”

She glanced around at the chaotic scene and dryly laughed. “What are you two even doing?”

“H-Ha-Eun unnie?”

“W-When did you get here?” Cassia asked.

“Just now.”

Isabella quickly scrambled down from Kwon Oh-Jin’s back and plastered on an awkward smile. “W-We were just giving Mr. Oh-Jin a massage to help him relax. Right, Cassia?”

“Y-Yeah, that’s right.”

The sisters exchanged a glance and nodded in sync.

A massage, huh?

Song Ha-Eun’s eyes shifted to Kwon Oh-Jin, limp as a corpse on the bed. “He’s passed out.”

“He must’ve been so relaxed that he fell asleep! People nod off during massages all the time, right?” Isabella smoothly recovered her composure and shrugged.

“Mmm, really?”

“Guess Mr. Oh-Jin still had a lot of fatigue piled up.”

“Yeah, considering he worked himself to the point of collapse.”

“Haaa. I get where he’s coming from, but he really overworked himself.”

Song Ha-Eun nodded in agreement. “Exactly. This guy deserves a scolding.”

Isabella smiled faintly at Kwon Oh-Jin with gentle eyes. “Still... knowing he’s doing it all for us, I just want to support him however I can.”

“You’re such a sweetheart, Bella.”

“Oh my, you’re too kind, unnie.”

“But why did you say that?”

“Sorry?”

Song Ha-Eun casually draped an arm over Isabella’s shoulder and flashed a bright smile. “Who were you calling an eyepatch bitch?”

The air in the room instantly froze.