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When Sarah regained consciousness, she sensed a familiar environment.

Everything that happened—the sudden mission, escape and the brutal battle— seemed to be a nightmare.

Feeling the familiar warmth on her hair, she slowly opened her eyes and saw Varian looking at her with a gentle smile.

His hand brushed her hair, no longer stained with blood. It was as silky and beautiful as always.

"Did I do well?" She brought his hand to his face and cupped her cheek in his palm.

"You did," Varian pinched her cheek and said. "Without you, I wouldn't have won. We wouldn't have survived."

"Liar. She wasn't unimportant, but I am the reason for your sorry survival." A cold voice rang in the bedroom, prompting Sarah to turn her head and look at the woman sleeping at the edge, well away from Varian's arm reach.

Sarah rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. "Cry me a river, granny! Without me, you'd have been dead. Just admit it."

"Y-You insolent littl—"

"Alright, your bodies still haven't recovered. Just rest for now." Varian said.

"Sooner or later, I'll make you beg for mercy." Isadora gave off a threat.

Sarah showed a pitiful expression and held Varian's hand tight. "Hubby, Hubby, that bad woman says she will beat me. You'll protect me, right?"

Varian flicked on her forehead and after an 'Ouch', Sarah looked at him with teary eyes, as if she suffered a great grievance.

"Don't give me that look. You were trying to drag me into your fight."

"Cold-hearted man," She snorted but didn't let go of his hand. "Isadora, even if you want to, you can't beat Var now, right?"

Isadora's face froze.

As if she just realized her situation, she stiffly turned her neck and looked at Varian with a vengeful glare.

"I…I was the one who did it…I willingly improved his strength. Now, even if I break the seal…" Isadora looked at the ceiling with a blank gaze, as if her life had lost all meaning.

Sarah giggled at her reaction. "You're going to be with us for life. You better start respecting me, right, Var?"

"I'm shifting her to another room," Varian feared they'd start a brawl on bed.

— — — —

After settling affairs with the two, Varian rested on a lake under the sunset and relaxed.

Sarah still held a grudge against Isadora for trying to kill them. It wasn't going away anytime soon. But this incident did improve their relationship.

After hearing her story, Varian didn't think Isadora would be having a good relationship with him or anyone in the near future.

Even if she talked casually and behaved normally, she wasn't building a bond with them.

Fortunately, they're at least in a functional relationship. And things hadn't soured.

Sia and Enigma were the primary reason Varian wanted to have a good relationship with her. But after learning about her past, he wished her to be happy.

There wasn't much he could do, however.

He couldn't just tell her to forget the betrayals and live as if nothing happened. People didn't work like that.

It was almost 500 years ago but for her, it was just a deep sleep. The scars didn't fade. Not just the angry but also the grief.

'Why did her sister betray her? They had a good relationship. She's so much younger than Isadora, so, it's not like she was plotting anything. There's nothing for her to gain.'

That was the part he couldn't understand.

When he tried asking after she woke up, Isadora didn't give any proper response.

'So you're saying she didn't have a reason for betrayal and was really forced? Huh?'

'No, I didn't mean tha—'

'She's such a nice younger sister that she couldn't care less about me dying in front of her eyes.'

'But what is the incent—'

'I don't know. I don't care. I'm long past the point of thinking about her whys. Now, I just want her to regret it.'

Perhaps she did betray Isadora for her own gains. But given her young age at that time, she could also be threatened.

…by her own mother.

Varian didn't know the actual truth, of course. It was all speculation.

But he hoped Isadora to find something meaningful at the end of her revenge.

'Succeeding in revenge isn't that hard. I can help her. But the real problem is what comes after. Hearts, once filled with anger now turn empty. For such people, the world seems meaningless, life itself becomes a chore.'

If the worst did happen, then he'd have to stick with her and pull her out of the abyss.

Thankfully, he wasn't weaker than her anymore!

'Status'

[Adept Rank 6: 250/5000 (+250)

<Bravo! Devouring the Prince's powers and learning from his advanced experience is good. But the efficiency of assimilation is still low. Assimilating a peak rank 7 only gave you 250 XP >

Assimilator Rank 6: 1000/5000 (+500)

< You devoured a peak rank 7! Even though he's utterly injured, but that's definitely something. You are becoming a glutton! Keep it up! But also think about your future path!>

Binder Rank 6: 0/5000

< Don't let it fall behind >

Energy Rank 6: 0/5000

Matter Rank 6: 0/5000

< You can now use the slivers a bit more than earlier. But that's still a big improvement in relative terms. >

Space Rank 6: 0/5000

Time Rank 6: 0/5000

< How about one more Synergy with Isadora? Of course, you won't have such a big improvement like the first. But it's still going to be a significant rise > ]

Varian was happy with everything until he read the last part.

"She said it, didn't she? The first and last synergy. No way it's happening again."

[There's no such thing as one time. It's only zero times and countless times.]

"Then did universe start countless times?"

[Errr, that's beyond the knowledge of the System.]

Varian shook his head.

[Even though the example was incorrect, Host, this System trusts your ability to coax women. You are hereby titled the Ri—]

"You dare!"