Chapter 313: Heated Words.

Chapter 313: 313: Heated Words.

"What’s he doing here...?" Lord Ash muttered, struggling to contain the chaotic emotions surging through him.

Everyone paused, turning to look at him. They could easily sense the uncertainty and suspicion reflected in his expression.

"What’s wrong?" Ayra asked, staring at him in confusion.

Lord Ash hesitated before turning his attention to Ally. "Come away from there..." He walked over and pulled her back from the bedside of the rabbit. "Don’t get too close to him."

Ayra and the other beastmen exchanged confused glances, wondering why Lord Ash was reacting so strongly. Perhaps he was simply worried about his daughter being around an unfamiliar beastman. That would have been understandable, but something about his reaction felt different.

"But I still need to check on him so he doesn’t relapse," Ally explained. "I can’t just leave him like that..."

Lord Ash glanced at the rabbit, who was still lying unconscious on the bed. "No. Stay away from that beast. You can’t get close to him."

The atmosphere grew tense as everyone watched Lord Ash, trying to understand his unusual behavior. Even Lord Zark and the others weren’t reacting nearly as strongly as he was.

"Papa... are you okay?" Ally asked, studying his face. She could sense that something was wrong, too.

Lord Ash maintained his firm expression as he spoke. "You shouldn’t get so close to a stranger like that. The fact that you found him out in the wild woods should tell you enough."

He continued, "He’s still an unknown beastman, so you can’t afford to let your guard down around him."

"But he’s harmless..." Ally protested.

"You can’t be certain of that. So stay away from him. Don’t get close!"

He was becoming increasingly defensive, and although Ayra initially assumed he was simply worried about their daughter, something about his expression made her suspect there was more to it.

It was as though he had some personal reason for reacting this way.

"Are you okay?" Ayra asked, turning toward him. "It seems like something is bothering you..."

The others also watched him, seemingly sharing her concerns. Lord Ash kept his expression firm as he finally responded.

"I’m just worried about her. She shouldn’t be going out of her way to help a stranger like this. He might be secretly dangerous," he explained.

Ayra smiled gently. "I understand your concerns, and I can assure you that we’re worried, too. That’s why we’re keeping an eye on her while she treats him."

She added, "But Lord Vale and Nyx have confirmed that the rabbit doesn’t seem dangerous. He’s even an F-rank beastman. So let’s at least save him from death and learn more about him afterward."

"We don’t need to save him from death. We’re not running a charity home!" Lord Ash replied coldly.

His words left everyone stunned.

There was a bitterness in his voice that was difficult to ignore, and the others could tell that his reaction went beyond ordinary concern.

Ally, in particular, wasn’t going to take it lightly. She glared at her father in annoyance and pulled her hand free from his grip.

"How can you say that, Papa?" she demanded. "How can you be okay with letting him die like that? That’s cruel and heartless, and I’m not going to support it!"

The atmosphere became even more tense as everyone stared at the father and daughter. With Lord Ash growing colder by the minute and Ally becoming increasingly annoyed, none of them knew how to intervene.

"I can’t believe you’d say something like that... I’m so disappointed in you," Ally declared, folding her arms before walking past him and sitting back down beside the rabbit.

Then she added firmly, "Just so we’re clear, I’m not leaving his side until I’ve made sure he’s safe. If you’re unhappy with that, then you can leave. I’m not going to listen to you!"

Lord Ash clenched his fists slightly, his expression darkening with annoyance. He glanced at the unconscious rabbit before turning his attention to Ally, who had already settled herself beside the bed again.

"Stubborn girl... Fine. Do as you wish," he muttered before turning and walking out of the room, clearly irritated.

The others remained where they were, watching Ally before glancing toward the doorway through which Lord Ash had just disappeared.

They exchanged awkward looks, realizing that things had suddenly become rather uncomfortable.

No one said anything. Ayra simply glanced at Lord Vale and Lord Zark, giving them a subtle nod. The two men understood immediately and followed Lord Ash outside to check on him.

Meanwhile, Ayra stayed behind with the others, watching as Ally returned to examining the sickly rabbit.

Neither Ayra nor the remaining beastmen brought up the argument. Instead, they continued supporting Ally as she cared for the young rabbit, allowing her to focus on his recovery.

---

The next morning, life in the tribe continued as usual. Beastmen went about their daily tasks while the younger ones played around with the twins and the snake triplets, filling the surroundings with their usual chatter and commotion.

Ally sat outside the room where the rabbit was recovering, grinding some herbal ingredients to prepare more medicine for him. Zay sat beside her, helping her grind the herbs and prepare everything she needed.

Before long, Ayra arrived with Nyx, who was carrying some additional herbal ingredients.

Ayra smiled as she approached her daughter. "Look what I found for you! I figured these rare ingredients would be difficult for you to obtain, so Nyx and I made a trip this morning to gather them."

Ally looked up, and her face immediately brightened at the sight of the herbs. "Oh! That’s great! These will help him recover much faster. Thank you!"

Ayra smiled and sat beside her, handing over the ingredients. Ally and Zay immediately continued working, incorporating the new herbs into their preparations.

Watching them with a smile, Ayra turned toward her daughter and asked, "How’s the little guy doing? Is he getting better?"

Ally nodded confidently. "Yes! I stayed beside him all night and kept watch over him. He’s doing much better now, and I believe he’ll recover completely within a few days."

Ayra nodded with a pleased smile. "That’s good, then."

However, as she watched Ally continue preparing the medicine, she began thinking about how to bring up the argument between her and Lord Ash the previous day.