Chapter 303: Urgh...

’Is Ethea safe?’

’Don’t worry, Master.’ Malakor replied almost immediately. ’Nothing happened to her. I was watching everything, and she handled the situation on her own so well that I didn’t even have to step in.’

’I see,’ Soren replied, his heart finally settling.

’It was quite a sight to witness, honestly.’ Malakor added, recalling what he witnessed earlier. ’Even without her past powers, she carried herself like a true Empress. She truly deserves the title.’

Soren let out a faint breath, the ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. ’That’s my wife.’

’...Do you want to see her?’ Malakor asked.

’...No, let me rest a bit first.’ Soren replied after a moment’s thought. ’I... I don’t want her to see me like this. And I should at least recover enough to move freely. I also need to wash up and wear some clothes before showing up in front of her.’

’...I understand,’ Malakor replied, realizing Soren didn’t want Ethea to feel responsible for his injuries or worry more than she already had. But...

’Master... She’s already seen everything that needed to be seen...’ Malakor decided to reveal the truth and told Soren what had transpired earlier in that room. ’I think you don’t need to worry too much.’

’...Alright. But I still need a little rest.’ Soren replied. ’Can you... tell her that I’m safe for me then?’

’...Leave it to me.’

’W-Wait. Before that, can you teleport me back to our room?’

’Yes. However, what should we do with the corpse?’

’...’ Soren fell silent. He then tilted his head and looked at the dead body of Sevihan. ’Just leave him buried here.’

Malakor didn’t question the decision. ’Understood. I’ll collapse the cave as well, so no one stumbles upon it.’

Soren gave a faint nod. ’Good. Then take me back. And... please put me in the bathroom.’

A moment later, shadows coiled around him, and the cold air of the cave disappeared. When Soren opened his eyes again, he was sitting on the tiled floor of the luxurious bathroom, his back resting against the wall.

’Thank you.’

’Rest well...’

Malakor left, and Soren began reviewing everything that had happened while his constitution and abilities did their work.

He analyzed his fights, his plan, where he made mistakes, where he’d been reckless, and where he’d made the right call. He also thought about what to do next. Soon he recovered enough to move.

"Urgh..."

He slowly stood up, using the bathtub’s edge for support. Then, he filled the tub with warm water and stepped in. The warmth relaxed his muscles, easing the knots and cleansing away blood and dirt.

He spent more than half an hour inside the bathroom.

But when he came out, there was no trace of the bloodied mess from before. His hair was still a little damp, his clothes clean and neat. The only signs of what he’d been through were the faint cuts and bruises that hadn’t fully healed yet, but even those were hard to notice unless someone looked closely.

He looked at himself in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction.

’Although I won’t be able to fool her, at least she won’t have to see me looking like a corpse.’

With that thought, he reached out to Malakor and asked him to teleport to where Ethea was. A moment later, he found himself in front of a door. He took a deep breath and spoke.

"It’s me, dear."

"...Wait a moment."

Ethea’s voice came from inside, and Soren caught the faintest hint of relief and happiness in it. A few seconds later, the door opened, and there she was, sitting in her wheelchair with her hands folded in her lap.

Her expression was calm, but the moment she saw him, her eyes lit up, and a lovely smile spread across her lips.

"Welcome back, dear."

She then raised her arms toward him, and Soren’s heart gave a quick, unexpected beat. However, he pushed the feeling down and crossed the room in a few steps. Kneeling in front of her wheelchair, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a careful embrace.

"I’m back."

Ethea hugged him back, her arms slipping around his neck and holding him close. Her grip was gentle but firm, as if she was afraid he might disappear if she let go.

"I was... worried."

Soren closed his eyes, letting the warmth of her presence ease the last of the tension from his body.

"I know," he said quietly. "But it’s over now."

"Mm..." Ethea hummed, pulling back just enough to look up at him. Her eyes were soft, glistening faintly under the light.

"Thank you," she whispered sweetly. "You... You were amazing out there. I... I’m proud of you."

Soren blinked, caught off guard for a moment. Then a small smile tugged at his lips.

"Thank you." He whispered back. "I am proud of you too. I couldn’t have done it without you."

Ethea’s eyes curved into soft crescents as she gazed deep into his eyes.

"Dear..."

Soren felt himself sinking into her gaze, the world around them slowly losing its edges. He didn’t notice when his body started leaning closer, drawn by an invisible thread that seemed to pull them together.

Their faces inched nearer, breaths mingling in the small space that remained. Eventually, the pull between them grew too strong to resist, and just as they gave in—

"Urgh..."

A low groan echoed from the nearby sofa, cutting through the silence like a dropped glass.

"!"

Soren and Ethea’s eyes widened at the same time, and they pulled apart as if a cold wind had swept between them. Soren straightened, his heart racing, while Ethea turned her face away, her cheeks tinted pink.

Thump! Thump! Thump...!

Soren’s chest heaved as his pulse raced out of control.

’What was that...?’ he thought, still feeling the ghost of her breath on his lips. ’D-Did I... just... k...ki...’

His brain short-circuited, freezing mid-thought.

’...’ Ethea pressed her hands firmly into her lap to hide the subtle shake in her fingers while her heart kept fluttering in a way she hadn’t felt in a long time. ’We... We almost... k-k-kissed...’