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I left the guest room and made my way to the jungle training room. As I entered, I immediately sensed the swirling rush of essence in the air—the trees trembled, their leaves rustling wildly, while the wind howled through the dense space.

As expected, she was here.

I stepped forward, carefully concealing my presence and suppressing my essence. But the moment my foot touched the lush grass, a sharp instinct flared within me—a warning. Looming danger.

A silver shield of essence formed instinctively behind my head, and not a second later, a spear of tree trunks crashed against it with a deafening crack.

"It’s you," came her soft, worried voice as the trees to the side parted, revealing her.

"Yes, it’s me."

As if responding to my presence, the trees receded, and the howling winds stilled. My shield dissolved into the air.

"Sorry, I didn’t realize—" she began, stepping forward. The grass beneath her shifted unnaturally fast, carrying her toward me in an instant, though she had not taken a single step.

"It’s not a problem," I said, reaching out to caress her silky white hair.

She exhaled, her tense expression softening. The vibrant green in her eyes dimmed, fading into their natural white hue.

"Are you sure you’re fine now? You should still be resting," she said hurriedly, her voice laced with concern.

"I’m fine. I’ve recovered."

Before I could say more, she wrapped her arms around me, holding me tightly. Her head rested against my chest, her warmth pressing into me.

"You know it wasn’t your fault, right?" I murmured as my hand ran gently along her back.

"Still… If only I were stronger, I could have helped." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Foolish." My tone was firm, yet gentle. "As if I would ever let you."

"If I were stronger…" she murmured again.

"Then you would stay back and keep things in check." I placed a hand under her chin, tilting her face up toward mine. "Now, don’t be such a worrywart."

Her expression shifted, a mix of protest and embarrassment flashing across her face.

"What do you mean, worrywart? Don’t call me that," she huffed, glaring up at me.

I chuckled. "Well, you always act like one—always thinking, if only I were better." I leaned in and kissed her forehead, my lips lingering against her cool skin.

Her pout deepened. "I don’t always—"

"Yes, you do," I interrupted playfully. "So I’ll call you that from now on. Worrywart."

She frowned, but the way her lips pressed together made her look adorable.

"Listen now, worrywart," I continued, my voice softening. "I won’t tell you to stop trying to be stronger. Be as powerful as you want. But don’t hurt yourself unnecessarily. Rest when you need to. Train when you feel like it. Nothing will happen to me. I’ll always pull through."

I bent down and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips, whispering against them, "For you."

She stood on her toes, trying to reach me, and I let her kiss me before pulling back slightly.

"For Mother," I added.

Then, without another word, I captured her lips again. She gasped softly as I deepened the kiss, her small tongue hesitantly meeting mine. Her embrace tightened, her taut breasts pressing against my chest as my hands trailed lower, caressing her firm ass.

And for a while, we simply stayed like that—lost in each other.

After that, I left, allowing her to continue her training as I returned to my room. Not long after, Lucian arrived to report that he had inspected the quality of the armor and approved the next budget.

He also reminded me about the gift from Elina—the one she had taken my measurements for. In the midst of everything, I had completely forgotten about it. I nodded, assuring him I would take care of it soon. Then, I assigned him a new task, which he accepted with a bow before turning to leave.

Now alone in my room, I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes.

Just like that, sleep claimed me.

By the time I opened my eyes again, the moon hung high in the sky. Stretching slightly, I stood up and pulled back the curtains, letting the silver glow seep into the room. Then, I began the process of refinement.

I remained still, my eyes closed, my breath steady. Time blurred as I focused inward. When I finally opened my eyes, the first light of dawn peeked over the horizon.

Rising to my feet, I made my way to the washroom, where I freshened up before changing into a simple silver robe.

Stepping out of my room, I descended to the lower floor. Soon, I found myself standing before an all-too-familiar door.

Without hesitation, I reached for the handle, pushed it open, and stepped inside.