Chapter 375: Lines That Cannot Be Crossed
Qiong Xing was genuinely happy to see him again as Rohen greeted him with a smile.
"I have. As for you... have you lost a little weight?"
"..."
Why did everyone around Qiong Xing always seem to remember every change in his figure?
His silence must have been answer enough, because Rohen burst out laughing.
"We were training nearby, so I thought I’d stop by to check on the area and say hello. We haven’t seen much of you lately. The captain has been feeling lonely, too."
...That man?
Qiong Xing did not doubt Rohen’s words, but he found that hard to believe and was about to laugh it off when...
"You’re Qiong Xing? The one the captain keeps talking about?"
"And who might you be?"
One of the men standing behind Rohen stepped forward.
Qiong Xing did not recognize him.
He looked like a new recruit.
Yet when Qiong Xing asked who he was, the man offered no answer.
Instead, he simply stared at him from head to toe as though evaluating merchandise.
The openly condescending attitude was nothing but unpleasant.
"Feris, that’s enough..."
"Qiong Xing!"
"Welcome back, Leander."
Rohen was about to stop the man, but before he could, Leander returned while carrying several rabbits and a deer in his arms.
"That’s impressive. The children will be thrilled."
"They probably will. But you need to eat properly too, Qiong Xing. Otherwise the baby won’t grow."
Apparently, Leander had hunted them less for the children and more for Qiong Xing’s sake.
Qiong Xing smiled and promised to try harder, earning a relieved sigh from Leander.
"What? Is this one yours? He’s awfully familiar with you. A beastman acting like he’s equal to a human. If you’re his owner, maybe you should train him properly."
"You little..."
Leander lunged forward in fury, but Qiong Xing caught his arm.
"Leander. Thank you, Leander. For thinking of me."
He smiled reassuringly.
It did not matter what the man said.
Leander’s kindness and concern for him had reached him perfectly clearly.
"Is the captain at the castle today?"
"Huh? Of course he is. The captain is..."
"Apparently he’s very busy... so busy that he can’t even train his own dog properly. Isn’t that right, Rohen?"
Ignoring the man entirely, Qiong Xing turned to Rohen with a pleasant smile.
A slight twitch of Rohen’s shoulders told him that the meaning had gotten across.
Yet rather than becoming angry, Rohen lowered his head apologetically.
At least that much made it clear that he understood there was a problem with the man’s behavior.
"We were just about to have dinner."
"Seriously? Nice. The captain told me about it. He said the food you make is amazing. If even the captain says that, then it must be..."
"Then would you please leave for today?"
"Huh?"
"What?"
Rohen and the others stared at him in confusion, clearly not understanding what he meant.
But no matter that Rohen was with them, Qiong Xing had no intention of inviting a man like this into the house.
The man was already treating Leander this way.
Qiong Xing did not even want to imagine what he might say to the twins.
He certainly did not want him anywhere near them.
Rohen seemed just as surprised by Qiong Xing’s unusually cold attitude.
"We need to feed the children. If dinner gets delayed any longer, it won’t be good for their growth. I want them to grow up healthy and honest."
The last thing Qiong Xing wanted was for this man to fill their heads with twisted ideas.
"Qiong Xing, um..."
"Please head back quickly for the captain’s sake. Since he’s apparently so busy. Oh, and one more thing."
Qiong Xing’s smile never wavered.
"He is my precious family. I would appreciate it if you didn’t compare him to some poorly trained dog. Right, Vice Captain Rohen?"
Whatever Rohen thought of those words, he said nothing.
Without another argument, he and Feris turned around and left.
Rohen’s expression had looked somewhat saddened.
But Qiong Xing chose not to say anything further.
Although he appeared calm on the surface, he was still angry.
"I’m sorry for making that decision on my own."
"It’s alright. You had every right to be angry. Honestly, hearing you say it made me feel better."
Qiong Xing had sent them away without consulting her first.
Yet instead of being upset, she forgave him without hesitation.
"I knew this would happen eventually, but it still hurts."
Having someone he loved so dearly criticized for no reason was painful.
If it had come from a complete stranger who knew nothing about them, Qiong Xing might have been able to ignore it.
What hurt far more was that Rohen had stood there listening to the entire conversation and never said a word.
A part of Qiong Xing could not help wondering if Rohen felt the same way as that man.
"Mm~! We’re hungry, Mama!"
"Yes, yes. Let’s all have dinner together."
It seemed the children had fully opened up to Qiong Xing now, happily chatting about what they had played as he began preparing dinner.
...
"Please head back quickly for the captain’s sake. Since he’s apparently so busy. Oh, and one more thing. He is my precious family. I would appreciate it if you didn’t compare him to some poorly trained dog. Right, Vice Captain Rohen?"
He had been smiling, but something about those words felt like he was being pushed away, and Rohen’s thoughts froze.
From the moment they met, Qiong Xing had always been polite, teaching them things they lacked and even sharing delicious food.
To Rohen, he had felt like an older brother, or perhaps a younger one, someone familiar and kind.
Qiong Xing had quickly told them to call him by his name instead, and Rohen had not felt the slightest discomfort.
In fact, he had even been happy, thinking they had grown closer.
And yet, at that moment, Qiong Xing had deliberately called him "Vice Captain Rohen."
His voice carried a hint of anger, even if his face did not show it.
Comments