Oh no... don’t tell me he’s broken too?

Rory stared at the small white fluff curled up on the sofa, so stunned she nearly lost the ability to speak.

At this point, she was honestly traumatized.

Out of all the partners she’d been matched with so far, only Jasper had remained relatively... normal.

The rest?

One had turned into a burnt dumpling.

Another into a wooden stick.

And one had nearly frozen her entire estate solid.

The tiny white tiger stretched lazily, then spoke in a calm, familiar voice.

"Female Master, I was resting on the sofa just now. I was worried Aren might come over again to feed me fruit, so I shifted back into my original form."

The moment he finished speaking, a flash of white light burst before Rory’s eyes.

In the next instant, she was pulled into a broad, solid embrace.

"Female Master." Vangar’s voice sounded right beside her ear, low and steady. "Were you looking for me?"

He had intended to return to his room to rest, but it was still being prepared. With nowhere else to go, he had settled briefly on the living room sofa. But remembering Aren...

He had chosen to shift into his beast form to avoid another forced fruit-feeding.

At the same time, worried that his full-sized form might frighten Rory, he had reduced himself to the size of a kitten.

"...Yes." Rory gently pulled back from his arms, looking up at him. "I wanted to ask—if we follow your method, how long will it take for Aren to recover?"

"That depends on how quickly he can release the energy." Vangar answered without hesitation. "If he’s fast—five to six days. If slower—half a month, maybe a full month."

He paused. "At most, no more than forty days."

Then his gaze sharpened slightly. "Does that mean... you agree to let me treat him?"

Rory nodded. "Yes." She smiled faintly. "We’re going to be family, after all. I’ll leave Aren in your care."

Then, after a brief pause, she added, almost casually, but with unmistakable intent, "When he’s recovered... we’ll form a bond."

For a split second, Vangar froze. "...Bond?"

His eyes lit up instantly, blazing with intensity.

He had assumed—with how much she feared him—that it would take a very long time before she agreed to that.

And yet...

"Alright!" He answered almost immediately, his voice deeper than before, threaded with barely restrained excitement.

He stepped closer, his tall frame enveloping her completely.

"Female Master, I will make sure he recovers as soon as possible."

Nothing—no one—would stand in the way of him bonding with her.

"Female Master, I’ll take you to him now."

Before Rory could react, he swept her up into his arms.

"...!"

Rory blinked in surprise. Wasn’t this a little too efficient?!

Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself.

Vangar’s arms were firm as iron, holding her securely.

Each step he took was steady, powerful.

In his embrace, she felt like something precious—guarded by the strongest of beasts, completely safe, without the slightest jolt.

Pressed against his chest, she could hear the steady, forceful rhythm of his heartbeat.

Her cheeks flushed uncontrollably.

"Vangar, put me down. I can walk on my own."

She shifted slightly, but only ended up pressed closer into his solid frame.

At her words, Vangar didn’t slow down. Instead, his arms tightened subtly, holding her even more securely.

He lowered his head, his deep gaze settling on her flushed face.

His voice dropped—low, magnetic, firm in a way that left no room for argument. Yet beneath it lingered a faint, awkward attempt at gentleness.

"Female Master... You just agreed to bond with me."

He spoke it as a statement—calm, absolute—like the sealing of a sacred contract.

Rory nodded. "I did agree."

But... what did that have to do with her being carried like this?

"Then from this moment on—"

The corner of Vangar’s lips curved ever so slightly, his gaze intent and burning.

"Holding my Female Master is both my right... and my responsibility."

His words were simple, unadorned, yet delivered with unwavering sincerity.

Rory: "..."

Very quickly, he carried her into the living room.

"Alright, you can put me down now."

The moment they entered, Vangar obediently lowered her with surprising care, setting her gently back on her feet.

Without delay, Rory led him straight to Aren’s room.

"Female Master, you’re here!" Seeing her, Aren immediately set aside the book in his hands and ran over. "Daddy, you’re here too!"

The instant he spotted Vangar’s white hair, his face lit up. He spun around and rushed off to fetch fruit.

"Daddy, eat!"

This time, Vangar showed no trace of resistance.

A faint smile touched his lips as he accepted the fruit and took a bite.

...Sweet.

Finally.

Rory watched him eat and quickly pulled Aren back to her side before he could run off for more.

"Aren, Vangar is here to treat you," she explained gently.

"Since when did Daddy learn to heal?" Aren asked, puzzled.

"Just learned it," Vangar replied calmly.

Aren was still surprised.

Rory’s lips twitched.

"Aren," she said, her tone softening, "don’t you want to bond with me?"

If she was already making one promise, she might as well make another.

She looked at him seriously.

"As long as you behave and listen to Vangar during your treatment... once you recover, we’ll form a bond. Alright?"

Aren’s eyes lit up instantly. He nodded eagerly.

"I’ll listen to you, Female Master! I’ll let Daddy treat me!"

A faint smile flickered in Vangar’s eyes.

His little Female Master... really knew how to motivate people.

He tossed the fruit core into the trash and stepped toward Aren.

"In that case, we’ll begin now."

Before Aren could even react, Vangar struck. A precise chop to the neck.

Aren collapsed instantly, unconscious.

Rory: "..."

"Female Master, don’t worry," Vangar said calmly. "He’s just unconscious. Once I remove the most volatile energy from his body, he’ll wake up. He’ll be fine. I know exactly how much force to use."

Rory still did not know what to say.

Vangar lifted Aren and dropped him onto the bed. The motion was efficient—almost rough, like tossing down a sack of grain.

A stark contrast to the gentleness he had shown her moments ago.

He pulled open Aren’s clothing and raised one hand, hovering it above his chest.

Rory watched as strands of nearly transparent white energy flowed from Vangar’s palm.

They moved like living vines—soft, fluid—slipping into Aren’s body.

Then, something shifted.

From within Aren, threads of dark red energy began to seep out.

Violent. Chaotic. Pulsing with raw aggression.

They surged wildly, drawn toward the white energy, rushing into Vangar’s palm.

Rory held her breath.

The extracted energy gathered into a writhing crimson sphere in Vangar’s hand—seething, struggling, as if alive.

It looked... dangerously unstable.

The violent crimson sphere in Vangar’s palm gradually stilled.

What had once thrashed and struggled now quieted, as though completely subdued. Slowly, the dark red energy dissolved into him—absorbed, assimilated, brought under control.

A few minutes later, Vangar withdrew his hand and turned to Rory.

"Female Master, I’ve removed the most volatile portion of the energy from Aren’s body."

The rest... Aren would have to release on his own.

Rory stepped closer immediately, her concern shifting not to Aren—but to him.

"I saw you absorb that energy just now." Her brows knit slightly. "Will it harm you?"

Vangar felt a quiet warmth stir in his chest. She was worried about him.

He shook his head lightly. "There’s no need to worry. That level of energy can’t harm me. I’ll be able to digest it quickly."

Hearing that, Rory finally relaxed.

Her gaze dropped to Aren lying on the bed.

He hadn’t woken yet.

Long lashes cast soft shadows beneath his eyes, trembling faintly with the rhythm of his steady breathing.

Vangar glanced at him once, then said, "He’ll wake up soon. I’ll arrange for someone to take him to the military."

Truthfully, he had no desire to face Aren again. Not if it meant being force-fed more fruit.

"Alright." Rory nodded, watching him leave.

The moment Vangar stepped out of the room, Aren stirred.

"Female Master..." He opened his eyes, frowning slightly as he reached up to rub the back of his neck.

It hurt... like he’d been struck.

"Aren, you’re awake." Rory stepped forward quickly, studying him with concern. "Vangar already removed the most volatile energy from your body. How do you feel now?"

Aren closed his eyes briefly, sensing himself. Then he opened them again, a hint of surprise in his expression.

"I feel... really good. Comfortable. The dull pain from before—it’s gone."

Relief flooded Rory’s face. Not only did he look better, but his speech was also clearer.

"That’s wonderful." She reached out and held his hand, smiling. "Vangar’s method really works."

Then she added, "He said you’ll need to spend some time in the military to release the remaining energy. They’ll be here to pick you up soon. I’ll help you pack."

"...The military?"

That meant leaving her.

"Female Master... can I not go?"

Now that his mind had cleared slightly, Aren understood one thing with certainty––he didn’t want to leave her.

"No." Rory shook her head firmly. "You promised me, remember? You need to recover as soon as possible so we can form a bond. If you want to fully heal, you have to follow Vangar’s plan."

As she spoke, she had already begun packing his things.

Clothes. Daily necessities.

Vangar had said it could take anywhere from a few days to a month.

So she prepared for the longer end—just in case.

Aren climbed off the bed and followed closely behind her, like a large, dejected puppy.

Watching her move about for his sake, his heart felt both warm... and painfully reluctant.

In the end, he couldn’t hold back.

He reached out and tugged lightly at the hem of her clothes.

"Female Master... If I go to the military... will you come see me?"

His eyes were full of attachment, uncertainty, and a quiet, fragile hope.

Rory paused.

She then turned to face him.

Seeing that expression—so dependent, so uneasy—her heart softened.

"I’m not sure," she said gently. "A place like the military... I don’t know if I can just come and go freely."