Chapter 188: Rest and Killing

"You’re not concentrating, idiot."

Emma’s sharp voice echoed, accompanied by a wooden practice blade hovering a mere inch from Eren’s nose.

Eren blinked, shaking off the fog in his mind. "What?"

He registered his surroundings all at once: he was in an empty indoor arena’s sparring ring; and the towering, tanned lethal beauty standing over him

She was in a tight black athletic tank top and dark compression trousers. Her brown shoulders and sculpted biceps gleamed beneath the mana lamps. Her pink hair was tied in a high ponytail, and her stormy grey eyes were currently narrowed in profound suspicion.

Lowering her practice sword, Emma took a step towards him. Her palm reached out and firmly pressed against his forehead, pushing his dark bangs back.

"Are you having a fever or something?" Emma demanded, her thumb tracing the dark circles under his eyes.

Eren let out a low chuckle, resting the tip of his wooden blade on the floor. "Just a little fatigue, Captain. Nothing that requires a physician."

"You? Fatigued?" Emma’s gaze intensified, piercing straight into his head as she leaned down slightly, bringing her tanned, gorgeous face inches from his. "You’re a bottomless pit of absurd vitality, Eren. What the hell have you been up to behind my back?"

Eren flashed his usual, unhinged grin. "I’m a fragile human, my lovely Captain."

Emma stared at him for a second, entirely immune to his charms—or maybe not. She let out a long, heavy exhale through her teeth, shaking her head.

"Drop the stick," she commanded.

Without waiting for his reply, Emma grabbed his wrist and dragged him clean out of the ring toward the secluded wooden rest benches at the perimeter.

"Whoa, easy there, aggressive instructor," Eren yelped lightly. "Are we moving on to close-quarters unarmed combat?"

Emma ignored him completely. Reaching the bench, she sat down and yanked his shoulders down hard.

Before Eren could calculate a counter-grapple, his head landed with a soft, heavy thud directly across a pair of thick, deliciously toned thighs, his entire body laid flat on the bench.

He blinked up in sheer, unadulterated astonishment.

’A luxury lap pillow?’ Eren questioned in awe.

His view of the ceiling was almost obstructed by the breathtaking twin peaks straining against her black tank top. The intoxicating scent of sweet sandalwood, weapon oil, and clean sweat washed over him, while the warmth of her tanned thighs cushioned his weary neck like a custom pillow.

"Did I accidentally slay a legendary dragon while I was half-asleep?" Eren joked, looking up into her stormy gaze with a smirk. "What did I do to earn the legendary lap reward?"

Emma glared down at him, her hand sinking into his messy dark hair and giving a sharp, merciless tug.

"Ow!" Eren winced.

Almost immediately, her grip loosened. Her fingers softened, gently combing through his strands with tenderness.

"I can see it in your eyes, Eren," Emma murmured, the edge in her voice dissolving into raw, aching concern. "It’s not physical exhaustion. It’s inside your head. Something is eating away at you, keeping you awake all the time."

She leaned down slightly, her pink bangs brushing against his cheeks.

"You’re constantly moving. Balancing the academy, handling your crazy projects, caring for us... trying to carry the whole damn world on your shoulders like you’re some tragic lone hero."

"Emma, I’m completely fine, honestly—" Eren started, his defensive instincts flaring up.

"Shut up and let me speak," Emma cut him off, her grey eyes shimmering with a vulnerable plea that froze the words in his throat.

She paused, her thumb gently tracing his cheek.

"I don’t know what kind of mess you’re dealing with right now. But whatever it is... remember who I am, Eren. I am the strongest person. I have a blade, I have aura, and I have you. Depend on me for once in your miserable life."

Eren looked up into her fierce, beautiful face. Normally, Eren is the one noticing everyone’s weaknesses, protecting them, solving their problems, and telling them they’ll be okay.

But what about him?

Seeing that genuine, desperate plea in the eyes of his woman, he finally felt the weight of the last three days settle. He really needed something like this, a moment of rest.

Emma leaned in closer, her warm breath touching his lips as she rested her forehead lightly against his.

"Sleep, Eren," she whispered, her voice soft in the quiet hall. "Nobody is going to enter this arena. I’ll sit right here and keep the world away until you’re whole again. Just like you saved my life... let me hold yours."

She pulled back just enough to look into his blue eyes, her fingers steadily soothing his temple.

"Just once, idiot... listen to your girlfriend’s orders."

****

A faint smirk touched Princess Seraphina’s lips, impressed by the work of her team.

Seraphina sat upright, her silver hair tied back in a ponytail. Her red eyes rapidly skimmed across reports and documents spread neatly before her.

Beside the papers lay a dozen glossy, high-resolution still captures produced by the bizarre mana camera thing Eren had casually handed her.

"I have to admit, you moved remarkably fast," Seraphina murmured, her tone genuine. "To map out Baron Kiliyan’s entire western perimeter logistics, his private carriages, and his movements from the past month."

Cinon and Emily sat opposite her at the round table, flanked by the two senior operatives who rounded out Seraphina’s innermost circle.

"We’ll finalize the strategy tomorrow the moment Aria and Volsver’s guy arrive," Seraphina continued, tapping her knuckle against Kiliyan’s file. "With this level of operational clarity, cornering him will be—"

None of her retainers looked remotely triumphant. Cinon’s jaw was set tight, his brow furrowed deeply. Emily stared down at the polished wood, her lips pressed thin. The two operatives shifted uncomfortably, exchanging tense, grim glances.

"What is it? Speak," Seraphina ordered, sensing something wrong.

Emily cleared her throat, looking into her eyes reluctantly. "Your Highness... while tracking the Baron’s inner circle, we identified his two primary personal aides. The men who manage his private ledgers and off-the-books meetings."

"And?"

"One of them died yesterday evening, Princess," Cinon answered immediately, pulling out three additional images and sliding them toward her.

"The imperial city watch sealed off the crime scene," the giant explained grimly. "We couldn’t investigate it without blowing our operational cover. But... I managed to capture clear stills before the perimeter was locked."

Seraphina’s eyes widened at the sight of gore he presented—a pure nightmare.

She had seen much gore in her life as an ambitious princess. The gore when she personally tortured people for interrogation. The gore when she killed traitors without mercy.

But looking at these images?

It wasn’t mere violence, a brutal revenge—as if he personally took something valuable from the person’s life.

"Someone is already moving ahead of us," Seraphina muttered.

"Emily, send an urgent message to Aria! We’re going to capture Baron within forty-eight hours!"

______

Sorry guys, second Chapter would be late since I visited my relative. Cancer is really worse, and terrifying.