When morning arrived and Cassian looked at the two women lying exhausted beside him, a sigh escaped his mouth.
"Was I too much?" he thought.
He shook his head, his eyes focusing on the golden-haired maid as he reflected: "Do I have to keep insisting? Maybe I'm just overthinking it…"
On the other hand, his attention shifted to the silver-haired woman resting next to Adela.
His blood had had an even worse effect on her than he had imagined, remembering how she kept biting him everywhere and trying to draw blood, or how she received his semen in her mouth as if it were the same kind of delicious nectar… "I hope Bethany doesn't come asking."
With those words, he got up and quickly cleaned up the mess left on the bed.
He put on comfortable clothes and went to sit outside the room, waiting for the two women to wake up.
Mina would be the first to rise; she would come looking for him with her clothes on, which had returned to an impeccable state.
"Master…~!"
"I already told you last night: you had enough yesterday," he replied without looking at her, guessing her intentions before the maid could even voice her plea.
The Unliving didn't seem happy with his answer; her shoulders slumped, dejected.
"Go prepare breakfast."
The order immediately restored the maid's enthusiasm, who with a professional motion went to carry it out.
On the other hand, Adela would follow not long after, her eyes alert, searching for a figure she couldn't find.
Cassian nodded toward the kitchen; this only seemed to increase her urgency, because she started walking there immediately.
But with a wave of his hand, she was dragged back, flying until she fell onto Cassian's lap. She lowered her gaze.
"Master…"
"What do you have to tell me, Adela?"
In response, she bit her lip, unwilling to speak; and it seemed she would continue like that because the sound of someone knocking on the door arrived.
Cassian sighed in frustration and released her so she could see who it was.
"Brother!" —once the door was opened, little Bethany appeared through it, running straight toward him. But she stopped before throwing herself into a hug, with a worried look. "Have you seen Mina? She disappeared the other day; it seemed like she had important things to do, but it's not usual for her not to have returned yet…"
"That…" —when he was about to respond, the maid who was being searched for appeared with a tray, carrying coffee and some appetizers.
Bethany looked at her incredulously; then she looked at Cassian with reproach.
"She's mine! You can't steal her from me, brother! Elric already tried, I didn't think you would too…"
"It's not that, Bethany. She only came so I could help her with some things; she'll return to being your maid as always."
"Have you had breakfast? Shall we have breakfast all together?" he asked quickly afterward, trying to divert her attention from anything else.
The little girl still had a doubtful look; although her brother's words left her calmer, now something else was bothering her.
Her gaze went from Adela to Cassian, then from Mina to him; then she approached her usual maid and smelled her, noticing the difference.
"Why do you smell like my brother, Mina? Adela sometimes does too, and now you as well?"
Cassian froze as he was going to sit at the breakfast table, rubbing his forehead, thinking about how to explain something like this to his little sister…
"Miss Bethany," Mina intervened, maintaining an impeccable posture and a completely calm voice, although a subtle gleam of devotion crossed her eyes. "It is only natural that you sense it that way; your brother was helping me resolve certain problems in my Mana core. This is even more necessary when one has breakthroughs or issues while trying to gather Mana. Adela probably has quite a few of these, which is why you smell it on her so often…"
She said the last part while casting a mocking and sharp glance toward Adela, hiding something much darker within her.
"But…" —Bethany paused for a moment, not seeming to have fully bought the explanation; then she looked at him with innocence. "So you'll help me too when it happens to me?"
An unexpected grimace appeared on Cassian's face, who could only nod doubtfully:
"Mmm."
The little girl received the answer with enthusiasm, her eyes sparkling.
"Thank you, brother! You're the best!"
Meanwhile, the two maids watched the two siblings hugging with amusement.
Mina, who normally looked more serious, couldn't help but let out a soft laugh that she quickly cut off.
Cassian gave her a quick glance and then returned his attention to Bethany; he lifted her, seating her on his shoulder, and finally completed his way to the table where they would have breakfast.
…
Several galaxies away from there.
In the world of Vraeth that the two sisters, Liwei and Luowei, had left not long ago.
Dongfang Jun listened to the report from one of his servants.
"So they left?" —a sigh of relief came from the Immortal Emperor as he leaned back against his throne, relaxed.
But another servant would arrive not long after.
"My lord! It's urgent," the servant's hand trembled as he announced himself.
Dongfang Jun's brow furrowed, thinking to himself: "And now what?" Tired of the unusual activity his main world had been receiving lately, he began tapping the armrest of his seat with irritation.
"The young master of the Ximen… died here in Vraeth."
"What did you say?" —he sat up straight, setting aside his previous relaxed state.
"The young master of the Ximen died here in Vraeth."
"I heard you! I heard you! But how is that possible? He had two True Immortals with him, and even an Immortal King! And you're telling me he died so easily?"
"It seems one of the young ladies who came as a guest recently did it… The people in the town described silver hair that shone like the moon and an ethereal beauty that…"
"I understand! You don't need to say more…" —the Immortal Emperor lowered his head, thinking. "What does his sister say about what happened? She was with him, right? She knows we had nothing to do with it."
"Umm, the young miss doesn't seem like she will blame us for it, but…"
"What is it?"
"She is asking for our help to take revenge. She says that what the Ximen family has done for the Dongfang must prove it was not in vain."
The man on the throne sat back again, his back touching the backrest, but this time not relaxed, but resigned.
"Does that young miss even know who they offended? Besides, if we pursue this matter and what we've been doing with the Ximen and other immortal families is discovered…"
The servant didn't know what to answer.
"Tell Ximen Yan to think it over better, and if she decides to proceed with that idea…" —an exhausted sigh followed and then he continued without enthusiasm— "make sure she does it in the most silent and discreet way possible. If she comes up with such an idea, tell her the Dongfang family has no problem helping her."