Chapter 377: He’s back
"Aren!"
Rory’s eyes lit up with delight as she looked at the man standing in the living room.
Aren stood quietly beneath the soft cabin lights, his long black hair falling like silk to his waist. Two buttons at the collar of his shirt had been left undone, revealing the elegant line of his neck, pale as polished jade and touched by the glow of the light. There was a cold, breathtaking beauty about him that drew the eye effortlessly.
"Female Master."
The moment he saw Rory, Aren’s hands began to tremble.
His heart pounded wildly against his ribs.
Unable to hold himself back, he strode toward her.
The depths of his black eyes seemed to contain entire galaxies, countless stars swirling within them as though they might pull a person under.
Reaching her, he gently took her hand. His eyes were already rimmed with red.
When he spoke, his deep, magnetic voice trembled with emotion.
"I’ve come back."
Rory instinctively tightened her grip around his hand.
She looked up at him, her lashes quivering slightly.
"You’re completely recovered?"
Aren nodded firmly. "Yes."
His gaze never left her face. His fingers tightened around hers.
"I’m completely healed."
When he had been taken back to the Succubus Clan, he had genuinely believed his life was over.
He had thought he would never see her again. Yet somehow, she had come for him.
She had brought Vincent and the others to rescue him.
Although the process had been... less than smooth, in the end, everything had worked out.
He had returned.
Seeing the redness in his eyes and the vulnerability and dependence he made no effort to hide, Rory felt her heart soften completely.
She lifted a hand and gently brushed her warm fingertips across the corner of his eye.
Then she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.
"Welcome home," she said softly.
Home.
That single word nearly brought tears to Aren’s eyes again.
Yes. He had a home now. A home with his Female Master.
He was no longer alone.
"Female Master, thank you."
Aren held her tightly, savoring the warmth he had nearly lost forever.
"Thank you for not giving up on me."
An overwhelming sense of peace and fulfillment settled inside him.
For the first time in a very long while, he felt truly at ease.
Rory was just about to respond when a discreet cough interrupted them.
"Ahem."
A moment later, Lian’s somewhat apologetic voice sounded nearby.
"Sorry. I don’t mean to interrupt."
Standing several steps away, Lian wore an awkward smile.
"I need to perform Rory’s examination and replenish her energy reserves."
He glanced at the time.
"I also need to return soon to prepare the medication, so... it would be best if we started now."
Rory immediately released Aren.
Only then did she realize they were still standing in the middle of the living room.
Aren glanced at the empty space where she had been in his arms before turning toward Lian.
The instant he saw the fox shifter’s face, his dark eyes narrowed.
Why was this fox here?
And why was he dressed so... provocatively?
Suppressing her embarrassment, Rory smiled at Lian.
"Sorry for the trouble."
Lian walked over and shook his head with a smile.
"Anything I do for you could never be considered troublesome."
Then he gestured toward the nearby sofa.
"Rory, why don’t you sit down first? You’ve been standing for a while, and I don’t want you getting tired."
"Okay."
Rory nodded. Then she turned toward Aren.
"You just got here. You must be exhausted too." She smiled warmly. "Come sit down for a bit."
Aren withdrew his gaze from Lian and immediately nodded.
"I’ll do whatever the Female Master says."
Rory couldn’t help smiling. He was surprisingly obedient.
The sight reminded her of the time he had transformed into a pink rabbit. Back then, he had been just as well-behaved. Whatever she asked him to do, he would do without hesitation.
Once Rory settled onto the sofa, Lian began a thorough examination.
He first checked her physical condition before using a specialized scanner to assess the babies growing inside her womb.
The instrument emitted a faint glow as streams of data flowed across the display, reflecting softly in Lian’s focused eyes while everyone nearby waited quietly for the results.
After confirming that everything was perfectly normal, Lian gently took Rory’s hand and began channeling his ability into her body.
As he sat down beside her, the open collar of his shirt naturally fell into her line of sight.
Only then did Rory realize that he had changed clothes.
The white robe he had been wearing that morning had been replaced by a fitted white shirt.
The collar was left slightly open. Whenever he leaned forward, a glimpse of firm muscle was visible beneath the fabric.
It was the kind of styling that revealed just enough without revealing too much.
Combined with his cool, ethereal features, it created a strange contrast between restraint and temptation.
It was... surprisingly appealing.
Rory’s gaze lingered for a brief moment before she awkwardly looked away.
Beside her, Aren noticed everything.
A trace of ridicule flashed through his eyes.
Was this fox really here to examine his Female Master?
Or was he here to seduce her?
Several minutes later, Lian slowly withdrew his hand, and the warm flow of energy ceased.
He lifted his gaze and looked at Rory with gentle eyes.
"All done. How are you feeling now?"
Energy coursed comfortably through Rory’s body. She felt wonderful.
"I feel great. Really comfortable."
Lian smiled softly at her answer.
Then his attention shifted to Aren, who was seated beside her.
"Young Master Aren, it’s a pleasure to meet you."
Aren replied politely, "I’m no longer a young master of my clan. Just call me Aren."
After all, regardless of how much he disliked this fox, Lian was helping his Female Master. Basic courtesy was only proper.
Lian chuckled.
"That’s quite a coincidence. I’m not a young master anymore either. Just call me Lian."
After speaking, he turned back toward Rory.
"Rory, Aren suffered severe injuries before, didn’t he?"
Although the wounds have healed, his body still requires careful conditioning."
"If it isn’t addressed properly, it could affect his future advancement."
Rory’s eyes widened in alarm.
"Is it really that serious?"
She immediately looked at Lian.
"Can you help him recover?"
Lian nodded with his usual gentle smile.
"Of course."
"If Aren is okay with it, I can prepare specialized restorative formulas to help him recover as quickly as possible."
Rory immediately turned to Aren and took his hand.
"Aren, let Lian help you."
"If this really affects your future Rank advancement, it’ll become a major problem."
Aren looked at the smile on Lian’s face and remained convinced the fox was plotting something.
Even so, seeing the concern in Rory’s eyes erased any hesitation.
"Then I’ll trouble you, Lian."
"If you need anything from me, just ask."
Lian rose to his feet with a smile.
"Don’t worry. I won’t be polite about it."
He straightened his clothes.
"I should head back and prepare the medicine."
"I’ll bring the completed formulas over around noon."
With that, he didn’t linger.
Before long, he had already left.
Jasper approached, carrying two glasses of fruit juice. He placed one in front of Rory.
"Rory, have some juice. I’m taking the other one to Vincent."
"Thanks, Jasper."
Rory picked up her glass and took a sip.
When she noticed Aren staring at her without blinking, she smiled.
"Do you want some?"
Aren immediately shook his head.
"Female Master, I’m not thirsty."
How could he possibly compete with her for something to drink?
She was carrying babies.
At that moment, another voice suddenly interrupted.
"Rory, I want some."
Vangar appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
He was still wearing the shirt Rory had repaired for him earlier.
Moving with remarkable speed, he sat down directly beside her and reached for the glass in her hand.
Aren stared at him in disbelief.
This man was actually stealing his Female Master’s drink.
Vangar completely ignored his look.
Taking the glass, he headed briefly into the kitchen and returned with another straw.
Then he settled back down beside Rory.
Holding the glass between them, he smiled.
"Rory, let’s share."
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