Saya's mouth fell open as she processed the implications of his words. A fresh stream of tears spilled down her cheeks.
Caelum smiled softly at the sight and patted his lap. "Come."
Without hesitation, Saya leaped into her Young Master's embrace. He held her gently by the waist, patting her back as he gave her time to cry it all out.
After a while, Caelum broke the silence. "So, what are you going to do about that man's proposal?"
"I will do as Young Master says! I don't want to leave the Goldheart family. I don't want to leave you."
A good answer. Caelum's lips curved upwards.
"Reject it."
Saya blinked, her mind absorbing his command. Caelum continued, his tone calm but firm.
"Ultimately, the upper limit of this minor realm is the Mortal Ascension realm. Both my grandfather and great-grandfather are at this realm."
"Whoever that man's master is, what are the chances that he is more powerful than either of them?"
Saya nodded. She had already considered this point. To her, the bigger issue was whether such bigshots would deem it worth their time and effort to protect her. But if it was for Caelum's sake...
"Moreover," Caelum added with a confident smirk, "you are already my woman. I'm not going to allow you to run off with a random man, no matter how selfish that might sound."
Saya looked up into his eyes, her heart swelling with emotion. These were the words she had longed to hear.
'The true creator of the World Devouring System is bound to be infinitely stronger than some mere devil. Whatever, I'll treat this as a stepping stone,' Caelum thought to himself.
Overwhelmed by affection, Saya leaned in and sealed Caelum's mouth with a deep, passionate kiss.
On the very first day he had awakened from his coma, Caelum had spoken sweet words to her—that she would soon be able to sleep in his room without fear of any repercussions.
At the time, Saya hadn't fully believed him. Political marriages were a reality, and people from powerful families often had little control over their love lives. But in this world, the strong could overturn common sense.
Over the past two days, Saya had witnessed countless proofs of her Young Master's strength and potential. Now, as she kissed him, she held nothing back. She trusted his words would come true. She loved the fact that he thought of her as his woman, not just someone to toy with.
"Saya, there's nothing for you to fear. I will never abandon you."
As she heard those incredibly reassuring words, Saya let go of all her worries and pulled Caelum into a night of intense passion.
Hours later, Saya finally collapsed on the bed, utterly spent. Caelum, whose physique had now grown incredibly powerful, had easily outlasted her this time around. She drifted into dreamland without a care in the world.
"You should just sleep here tonight without worrying about anything," Caelum whispered to her as he tucked her in.
His Madness, which had started at 20%, had now reduced to 7%.
* * *
At some point in the middle of the night, Saya had escaped Caelum's comforting embrace during her restless tossing and turning.
Her face twisted, haunted by horrific images clouding her dreams.
A girl, ten years old, cowered in a corner of her home. The sounds of screaming, fighting, and bloodshed filled her ears. She covered them and closed her eyes, desperately seeking escape.
Her vision darkened, and the sounds stopped.
The same ten-year-old girl now lay on a cold stone slab, stark naked. Strange ritualistic patterns were drawn over her and the platform where the stone slab stood.
People cloaked in dark robes surrounded her, chanting words she couldn't understand.
Then, the faces of her parents leaned over her from either side. Their usually kind expressions were grotesquely twisted, their once-loving smiles now resembling devilish laughter. The comfort of their embrace was absent, replaced by an overwhelming sense of betrayal.
So scared was Saya that she found it hard to breathe.
'Someone! Help me!' she wanted to scream in terror.
But then, something happened.
An incredibly handsome man descended from the sky. With a single wave of his sword, he unleashed millions of waves of Sword Qi. These waves spread throughout the entire village, illuminating the darkness like brilliant fireworks.
Every cultist touched by their immense power vanished, reduced to nothingness.
Finally, the man floated down toward her, like an angel descending from the Heavens, and held out his hand.
Saya opened her eyes, her breathing heavy.
In front of her, she found the face of her Young Master. His eyes were open. Although there was some distance between them, he embraced her with his left arm and gently rubbed her back.
She moved closer to him and held him tightly. Then, her hands reached for his loosely tied robes under the quilt and undid them.
"Young Master, I want you to embrace me once more. I want to feel your warmth inside of me," she said in a raspy voice.
Although she was being clingy, Caelum did not utter a single word of complaint and obliged her request.
This round of passion was shorter, but the Devourer's Madness receded entirely, dropping to zero.
The ticking clock in Caelum's bedroom showed that it was two hours past midnight.
* * *
Two hours ago…
The mysterious young man who spoke with Saya earlier in the evening stood by a lake inside the Training Grounds Rift, close to the entrance.
Contrary to expectations, the inside of the rift was not blanketed in darkness.
Aside from the faint light provided by the starry sky, the Rift Space was illuminated by tiny floating serpents. They glowed in hues of blue and moved gracefully, minding their own business.
Standing amidst the unnatural stillness of the night, the young man admired the glowing surface of the lake before him.
Don't be fooled, however. The Rift Space was far more dangerous at night than during the day, despite its captivating beauty.
The young man was waiting for someone.
'She should be here soon. After all, there's no way she's willingly serving him.'
Soon, rustling sounds emerged from nearby bushes. The man turned his head and raised a hand, ready to wave at the approaching figure. However, no one appeared.
The man frowned, his initial anticipation fading into uncertainty.
As seconds turned into minutes and the silence stretched on, it became evident that his expectations would not be met. The eerie stillness of the night was his only company.
Two hours later, the young man left the area, his disappointment evident as he disappeared into the darkness of the Rift.