Chapter 461: Pride

"He doesn’t want to see me? Did I hear that right?" Hearing the Grand Elder’s words, Rory frowned. "Why doesn’t Paros want to see me?"

She went out of her way and came to chase after him, and now he is hiding and refusing to see her.

"What’s he up to? Playing hard to get?"

Who would have thought this dragon had so many tricks up his sleeve?

"No, no," the Grand Elder waved his hands hurriedly. "Our Dragon Lord has no such intention; he..."

The Grand Elder certainly wouldn’t dare reveal what Paros had forbidden him to speak of.

"Everyone, please don’t ask me any further. Our Dragon Lord instructed that no one is allowed to talk too much. You just need to know that my Dragon Lord truly isn’t playing hard to get, and that’s enough."

He couldn’t let these men misunderstand their Dragon Lord. These guys had already been by Rory’s side for a long time, and their Dragon Lord couldn’t compare with them as things stood. It wouldn’t be good if their Dragon Lord got targeted over such a minor misunderstanding.

"Not playing hard to get?" Wen raised an eyebrow. "So, Paros really doesn’t want to see Rory?"

This actually made them rather curious. Why did Paros suddenly lose his desire to see Rory? That guy was clearly desperate to mate with her—otherwise, after recovering, he wouldn’t have kept pretending he wasn’t fully healed just to refuse to leave.

Paros had returned to normal several days ago. Although he managed to fool Rory and Nix, everyone else at home had seen right through it. They had simply acted ignorant and hadn’t driven Paros away.

Meanwhile.

Rory walked to the end of the corridor. Looking at the room before her, she raised her hand and knocked.

"Paros, are you inside?"

As soon as Rory’s words fell, Paros’s voice came from inside the room.

"What are you doing here? Didn’t I have the Grand Elder tell you that I didn’t want to see you again?"

Paros’s voice sounded through the door panel, seeming completely normal.

"Rory, since I chose to return to the Aquatic Domain, it means I don’t intend to mate with you anymore."

"There is no need for us to meet again, either."

His cold and heartless tone was identical to the manner in which he spoke when Rory first met him.

If it weren’t for what happened last night, Rory would have loved to turn on her heel and walk away right then. She was really spoiling him!

Taking a deep breath, Rory looked at the tightly closed door panel in front of her and said, "I can leave, but before I go, I want to take a better look at you. Paros, open this door for me."

She was just that bossy.

Let’s see if Paros had the guts to bite her! Provided he could beat Vincent and Wen, that is.

Paros stood right in front of the door, separated from Rory by only a single panel of wood.

Listening to Rory’s domineering tone, a trace of a smile flashed in the depths of Paros’s eyes.

When he first met Rory back in the villa in Veridan City, she was so nervous she stuttered just looking at him. Now, she could throw arrogant, harsh words at him.

She should be like this—protected, spoiled, and cherished by others, without needing to fear anyone.

"Rory," Paros spoke in a deep voice. "It took an immense amount of resolve for me to leave."

"It’s not that I don’t want to see you, but rather that I don’t dare to see you. I’m afraid that if I see you, I won’t be able to bear leaving."

Paros raised his hand and pressed his palm against the door.

"Rory, have you thought it through? Do you really want to see me? If I open this door, I won’t ever want to leave again. Will you keep me?"

"If you want to keep me, under what identity would you keep me? Still under the pretext of healing my mental power, or making me your follower, or perhaps... your mate?"

Before Rory could answer, the door in front of her suddenly opened with a click from the inside.

Paros’s figure appeared in front of Rory. He looked ruddy-cheeked and spirited, without a single problem in sight.

"Rory."

Paros looked at Rory seriously. He could only maintain this state for a few minutes, so he had to make Rory leave as quickly as possible.

"Rory, you’ve known me for so long; you know me. I won’t become your follower. My pride won’t allow me to do that."

"Stepping back, even if you are willing to mate with me, you can’t stay in the Aquatic Domain with me forever. Since our match has already been severed, it only shows that we were fated to meet, not to end up together. There’s no need to mention mating ever again. Leave."

With that said, Paros turned around and shut the door hard.

Throughout the entire exchange, he didn’t give Rory a single chance to speak.

Standing at the doorway, Rory looked at the door that was closed in her face once more, almost laughing out of sheer anger.

Through the door panel, she said, "I came because of what happened last night. I don’t know what medicine you used to save me, I was just worried something happened to you. Now that I see you’re fine, I’ll leave."

Having said her piece, Rory turned around and left immediately.

This dragon’s temper was genuinely infuriating. Was she lacking a mate like him? Not at all, not even a little bit!

Leaning against the door panel, listening to Rory’s footsteps fading into the distance, Paros suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

He could indeed tell Rory the truth. Rory would surely mate with him out of gratitude.

But that was not what Paros wanted. He didn’t want to use this act of grace to coerce her.