Chapter 419: I’m never drinking again

Alcohol?

Drunk?

So the fruit he ate last night was meant for Rory’s brewing? And he had actually disturbed her rest while drunk. Vangar panicked. She must be furious with him.

But on second thought, something felt off. He stopped Yuel just as he was about to leave.

"You’re lying to me. Even if I drank and disturbed her, she has such a sweet temper. She would never throw me out." Vangar’s eyes narrowed dangerously. "You’re the one who threw me out."

It wasn’t a question; it was a statement.

"I did throw you out," Yuel admitted freely.

Vangar pressed his lips together, his tone turning lethal. "She didn’t order any punishment for me. What right do you have to do this?" Did Yuel really think he wouldn’t fight back? Out of her sight, beating Yuel to a pulp would be effortless.

Yuel raised an eyebrow, completely devoid of guilt. He looked Vangar dead in the eye, delivering every word deliberately.

"I didn’t throw you out to punish you for being drunk. I did it to get even for all the times you threw me off the warship back on the battlefield. Think about it—how many times did you dump me overboard? My tactical commands were flawless, but just because you didn’t feel like listening, you tossed me out right into the middle of a war zone."

Yuel had been nursing this grudge for a long time. Having a hot-tempered superior who did nothing but threaten you and refused to listen to a single word was incredibly infuriating for a vine beastman. Previously, Yuel simply couldn’t beat Vangar in a fight, so he never had the chance. Last night offered the perfect opportunity—how could he possibly pass it up?

Put on the spot, Vangar rubbed his nose guiltily. "I knew your commands were fine, but I could end the battle much faster my way. Isn’t that better?"

Yuel sneered. "That doesn’t justify you throwing me off the warship time and time again."

Vangar: "..."

Seeing Vangar thoroughly silenced, Yuel pressed his advantage. "Besides, before I threw you out, I fed you one of my flowers and had the guards keep an eye on you from the shadows to ensure your safety. That’s a hell of a lot better than how you treated me."

When Vangar used to throw him overboard, Yuel knew Vangar wouldn’t let him actually die, but he had still sustained plenty of injuries. As a plant-type beastman whose abilities weren’t as developed as they were now, his offensive capabilities lagged behind other types, meaning he had suffered quite a bit.

"Fine, let’s just call it even," Vangar muttered. He couldn’t out-argue Yuel, and deep down, he knew his past actions had been out of line. In the past, he wouldn’t have cared. But now Yuel was Rory’s first beast husband; if Yuel decided to complain to her, Vangar’s life would become a living hell.

"I will handle the two names on that note of yours before nightfall, I promise. In exchange, you don’t breathe a word about our past to Rory."

Yuel smiled. "If I wanted to tell Rory, she would have known ages ago. I wouldn’t have waited until now." His personal grievances with Vangar didn’t need to be dragged in front of Rory just to worry her.

Watching Yuel depart in his airship, Vangar hurried back inside the castle. He went straight to his room, took a thorough shower, and changed into a sharp outfit. Once he was completely presentable, he went to look for Rory. He had heard she was planning to go shopping today, so he had pushed through all of his workload yesterday just to free up his schedule to accompany her.

Today, Aren was the one escorting her.

Upstairs, Xarion had just stepped out of Rory’s room when he looked up and ran right into a meticulously groomed Vangar. He swept his gaze up and down Vangar’s form, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

"Well, look who’s finally sober. Good morning, Marshal." Xarion’s voice dripped with sarcasm. "I wonder if the Marshal remembers exactly what he did after getting wasted last night?"

Vangar’s expression froze instantly, his breath catching in his throat. "I... wasn’t I thrown out of the castle and slept through it?"

"Did I do something else?" A sudden, ominous feeling washed over him.

"You did sleep," Xarion nodded, his usually impassive, deadpan face twisted into an expression of sheer disgust. "I just wonder... did you sleep comfortably in my arms last night?"

Vangar: "...What did you just say? I slept in your arms?" Vangar stared at Xarion in sheer disbelief. "You’ve got to be kidding me." Even if he were dead, there was no way in hell he would sleep in Xarion’s arms.

"You don’t believe me?" Xarion reached out to push open Rory’s bedroom door. "You can ask our female master. She saw the whole thing."

"No need." Vangar instantly grabbed Xarion’s hand, blocking him from opening the door. Gritting his teeth, he hissed, "Just say it. What do you want to keep your mouth shut about this?"

Had he really turned into such a freak when he was drunk? Crawling into Xarion’s arms to sleep—was he drunk, or had his brain rotted away?

Xarion leaned back against the wall with his usual lifeless slouch, tilting his head as he thought it over. "I don’t lack resources, and I don’t care about status. How about this: hand over your next scheduled day to accompany our female master to me. I guarantee I’ll never mention this again."

"In your dreams," Vangar refused without a second thought. If you counted it up, how many days a month did he even get to spend with her? No way. Absolutely not.

"Then we have nothing to talk about." Disappointed that his attempt to scam an extra day with her had failed, Xarion rolled his eyes. He straightened up instantly and shoved Rory’s bedroom door wide open, calling out, "Female master, Vangar—the guy who got drunk and crawled into my arms to sleep last night—is here."

Vangar: "..." Is he insane?!

Vangar’s face flushed a dynamic red. He was so mortified he wanted to sink straight into the center of the earth. Would she think he was some kind of pervert now?

Rory had just finished absorbing the energy from a beast core and walked out, intending to eat the mini cake Aren had made for her. Hearing those words, she immediately looked toward the doorway.

Vangar stood at the threshold, his head hanging so low he didn’t dare look her in the eye.

It was Rory who spoke first to break the ice. "Vangar, what are you doing standing at the door? Come on in!"

Aren set down the cake and glanced at Vangar, who was practically dying of embarrassment at the door. He turned to Rory and said, "I’ll go brew you a cup of tea. Just eating cake will get too sweet."

With that, Aren stood up to leave. As he reached the door, he looked at Xarion. "Heading downstairs?"

Knowing when to quit, Xarion nodded and left with Aren.

Only after the two of them had gone did Vangar finally start moving, shuffling into the room at a snail’s pace.

Eating her cake, Rory watched his agonizingly slow movements and asked, holding back a laugh, "Why are you moving so slowly? Has the alcohol not cleared your system yet?" She set her cake down and walked right up to him. "Should I pour you another glass to help you take the edge off?"

"N-No, that’s fine," Vangar waved his hands frantically. "I’m never drinking again."

This was too humiliating. Especially because that bastard Xarion had blared it out so loudly.

Vangar looked at Rory, his usually sharp eyes completely filled with grievance. He looked like a pitiful, scolded puppy.

"Rory, I shouldn’t have drunk last night. I’m sorry."