Chapter 381: Happy
Chapter 381: Happy
That was nothing short of a confession and an explanation as to why Grace had fallen for Liam. In a world that had rejected her, he had always stood for her, prioritizing her well-being before she could even start to consider it.
Liam could only stare back at Grace, drawn by that evident affection. Surprisingly, she had the same outlook on their partnership, albeit for far deeper reasons.
Of course, that wasn’t new. Grace had felt like that for a while, even before Liam. She had been too dishonest to say it openly, but that hesitation just couldn’t exist anymore.
Precisely because Grace took that transaction seriously, Liam’s agreement removed many of her barriers.
"My dear Master," Grace called, "Since I’m your prized possession, will you take care of me? Will you always be with me? Will you make me happy?"
Grace had wanted that to be a tease, but her genuine, vulnerable tone slipped out. It was the same voice she had used during the separation and the last communication from when she had feared that Liam had left her.
And things were far from straightforward. There was a lot of baggage around the situation, but Liam only knew one honest answer to those questions. "Of course."
Liam might have gone along with that strange development to get Grace to treat herself better, but he wouldn’t shy away from the involved responsibilities. He would have worked for Grace’s sake anyway. If she wanted that to be more official, Liam would confirm it. It was the truth anyway.
Unknowingly to Liam, his serious tone had also slipped out. Grace felt something hot rising through her chest at that apparent oath, so she closed her eyes to bathe in it.
"I will be in your care," Grace whispered. "Forever."
It was strange, truly. Grace knew she had never needed to take things that far. Liam would have done everything she wanted without that official promise.
Nevertheless, having someone was an addictive feeling. Grace had strongly believed she would have always been alone, only for Liam’s arrival to prove that life wasn’t meant to be lived like that.
Now that Grace had realized that, even finding her person, her greed had exploded.
That was almost contradictory to the current situation, surprising Grace once more. She was supposed to do the owning, but had ended up being owned instead.
It was antithetical to Grace’s being, especially to her Qilin’s part. Yet, it felt absurdly liberating and good. She didn’t have to think, plot, or anything of the sort anymore. She belonged to someone now, so the side of her mind that handled those heavy topics was suddenly free and unburdened.
Liam let Grace stay on his shoulder for a while, lost in the sheer beauty of the scene, before he felt forced to interrupt it. Melissa had once leaned on him like that, so letting Grace do it could count as crossing a line.
"Grace," Liam called, not adding anything else.
Grace opened her eyes and lifted her head. She even stood up, almost prompting Liam to do the same, only to see her feet land between his crossed legs.
Liam had to spread his legs to accommodate Grace, who elegantly sat between them, showing her back to him. He initially didn’t understand why she had done that, but the shy peek at him gave him a hint.
Grace seemed satisfied when she saw Liam summon her comb. She turned away, closing her eyes to enjoy the imminent brushing session, which didn’t take long to start.
Meanwhile, Liam used the sorting of Grace’s hair to sort his own thoughts.
’What should I do with her?’ Liam wondered. ’What can I do with her?’
Liam knew how he felt. He liked Grace. He wasn’t even clueless about that stuff anymore. In normal times, Liam would have actively pursued her. He didn’t really know how those things went, but he was no pushover.
However, those weren’t normal times. Liam had a lover, one he cared very much about. He knew his feelings for Melissa were still there, as strong as ever, but love was probably more complicated than he had initially thought.
It wasn’t just about something innocent anymore. After all, Liam could now experience attraction and desire for someone who wasn’t Melissa. There was a second exception in his life now.
’Will I become like Brother Lancelot?’ Liam considered, not really believing that, but unable to cross off that possibility entirely now.
Liam had changed once, so he might change again. Yet, as his talk with Anastasia had revealed, it wasn’t much about Liam’s urges but what he did with them.
’This is lust, not love,’ Liam thought. ’It can’t be, can it?’
Still, as the brushing continued, Grace eventually threw a teasing smile past her shoulder, and Liam stopped caring about his internal conundrum. There was simply something more important in his eyes now.
Grace looked happy, confident, beautiful, and ready to start messing with Liam again, which was exactly how she was supposed to be. If he had to endure his urges so that she could continue to be like that, he would.
Liam just smiled back, so focused on Grace’s happy face that he didn’t notice that the world around her gained brighter colors.
"What is it, Master?" Grace teased. "Did you catch feelings for poor, poor me?"
"Shut up," Liam scolded happily. "But since I have to take care of you, there is one thing that it’s better to learn early."
Those words caught Grace’s interest, which vanished completely once Liam explained himself.
"How far are you from the stage’s peak?" Liam questioned. "I don’t really know how to approach a Qi core, but I might come up with something for your breakthrough."
"He had to ruin the mood," Grace sighed, happiness disappearing from her face at the idea of wasting spirit stones on her cultivation. "What a troublesome Master I found."
"You say that," Liam pointed out, "But you kept cultivating."
"At the rate you smoked," Grace explained, turning away, "I was afraid you would have grown too much for me to be useful anymore."
Grace truly hated what her core demanded. This time, her greedy nature worked as intended. Still, an idea quickly popped into her mind, making her reach for Liam’s right hand resting on his leg, bringing it to her lower waist.