Rio noticed the instant courage that had built up within her just moments ago shatter into pieces as he gazed into her eyes. He found it cute how she averted her gaze, clearly flustered by their eyes getting interlocked. They were sitting side by side on the same couch, so he was very close.
1
The boy was amused at her nervousness as he spoke, "Because I see you as a brave warrior who trained me in the past, seeing you do something so domestic is a pleasant surprise. Your future husband will be a lucky man."
"I'm not marrying another man," Helia retorted, turning to look into his eyes with a fierce glare.
She had summoned all the bravery she could at such bitter words. Rio had said this to her, how could he even think she would marry someone else after what had happened between them? She was wondering why this boy was so clueless.
With a mysterious glint in his eyes, Rio asked, "Why not?"
He was curious to know Helia's emotions and what was going on in her mind. His intention in saying those things was to find out what was really happening with her.
"Because you're my Master!!!" Helia answered, her voice heavy with anger and frustration towards Rio. However, she soon realized her mistake and withdrew it by not glaring at him anymore.
As he heard her fierce response, Rio was taken aback. He remembered the slave mark that was probably causing her emotions and behavior to turn this way.
"There must be a way to undo the slave mark," he mumbled to himself, feeling uneasy about the idea of keeping Helia bound to him against her will. He didn't want to force her to do anything she didn't want to do, and he knew that her being enslaved was not the right thing.
"There isn't a way to erase that mark," Helia overheard him and said in a stiff voice. She continued, mumbling to herself, "Even if there was, I don't want to."
The girl didn't want to break this link between them. She was happy that even if Rio didn't fully accept her, she could at least be his slave. She still felt guilt for her past deed and wanted to keep the slave mark. Although Rio was thinking about what was best for her, Helia was content with the slave mark and didn't want to lose it.
"Is that true, Eve?" Rio asked silently in his mind. He knew that Eve's innate talent was related to knowledge, as she had mentioned in the past. He still didn't understand how it worked, but he didn't think of asking her about her secrets.
"You finally remember me, partner?" Eve's grumbling voice sounded, as Rio had been preoccupied with everything that was happening in his life recently. Although Eve could've saved Rio during his fight with his grandfather, she chose not to for some reason that the boy would eventually uncover in the future.
"How can I forget someone who always lives inside my thoughts?" Rio replied with a hint of amusement. He knew how to use sweet words for his girls, although it rarely worked on Eve. She didn't hold grudges against him and always took a step back for his sake and happiness, making things easier between them.
"There's no need to sugarcoat your words. Lioness is telling the truth. That mark cannot be erased. She swore on heaven to make an oath, and it's impossible to break such an oath unless some divinity involves themselves to help you.
To even consider erasing that mark would be a grave sin. So, she's bound to be your slave for the rest of her life," Eve responded, her voice laced with bitterness. Despite Rio's recent forgetfulness towards her, she still decided to help him, as she always did.
"Isn't there a solution to fix that?" Rio asked. He was hoping that she would have a solution, as she had previously mentioned when Helia was affected by the mark and had almost lost her life.
"There is a solution. If you take her as your wife, then her slave mark will evolve into a similar one like Nyla's. However, I don't think it will ever evolve to the one you share with Layla or Lia," Eve replied. She didn't mention her mark because the mark she shared with Rio was something created by divinity itself.
Rio's face dropped like a hot potato as he considered the solution of taking Lioness as his wife. The mere thought made him want to jump off a cliff, but he quickly regained his composure and sipped his tea in silence.
He couldn't picture Lioness as his wife, no matter how cute she was when she made tea. The idea of being married to her made him break out in cold sweats.
What if she looked at him with her fierce gaze and turned him to stone if he didn't behave well after marrying? He couldn't risk it.
Although Rio was just jokingly thinking all of this, but the reality was that he was perfectly content with his four beautiful women.
Why would he need another one when he was already living in paradise?
It was like trying to add sprinkles to a cupcake that was already frosted to perfection. There was simply no need for more.
As Rio was lost in thought while sipping tea, he heard approaching footsteps. He didn't need to look back to know who it was. The white-haired beauty walked into the room, noticing Rio and Helia sitting in silence. She could sense the tension in the air between them and decided to break the ice.
"What are your plans for the coming days?" Lia asked as she sat opposite them on the other couch.
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Edited By: TheWhiteSnow
