Chapter 163: Working Out

"Ruby, what are you doing up?"

?Ruby froze.

?The familiar voice came from directly behind her. For a terrifying second, the little girl considered pretending she hadn’t heard it, but she recognized that tone all too well.

It was the exact gentle, sweet voice her grandmother used whenever she caught Ruby doing something she wasn’t supposed to be doing.

?Slowly, Ruby released the cool door handle and turned around.

?Seraphina stood behind her, her long red-and-white hair cascading gracefully over her shoulders.

Her blue eyes rested on her granddaughter, carrying a dangerous mix of quiet curiosity and deep suspicion.

?Ruby blinked with absolute, flawless innocence.

?"Grandma, I had a nightmare," she explained softly, lowering her head with a pathetic little pout. "I wanted to sleep with Dad."

?Seraphina stared at her.

?Ruby stared back, doing her absolute best to maintain her victimized expression.

?Several long seconds ticked by in complete silence.

’?This little girl is lying to me.’

?Seraphina didn’t even need to touch her [Psions] or read her granddaughter’s mind to recognize the telltale signs.

Ruby had inherited far too much of her father’s slippery cunning, and the fact that she had been caught red-handed standing directly in front of Cassian’s bedroom door made the nightmare excuse particularly unconvincing.

?Nevertheless, Seraphina decided not to expose her on the spot.

?"There’s no need to disturb your father," she said calmly, offering a smooth, unyielding smile. "You can sleep in my room tonight."

?Ruby’s expression collapsed instantly. "But, Grandma—"

?"No buts."

?"But I—"

?"Ruby."

?The single, quiet word was enough to cut off all further negotiation.

?Ruby puffed out her cheeks, looking thoroughly aggrieved. Her grand stealth operation had failed before she had even managed to turn the handle, and now she was being escorted away without discovering a single secret about what was happening inside her father’s bedroom.

’?This is completely unfair!’

?She had only wanted to protect her father from dangerous, captivating elves! Why was everyone making her mission so difficult?

?After a reluctant pause, she lowered her head in defeat. "Okay, Grandma..."

?She shuffled past Seraphina with the tragic, heavy-footed march of a general who had just suffered a catastrophic loss.

?Seraphina watched her granddaughter disappear down the corridor before turning her gaze toward Cassian’s bedroom door.

?For several seconds, she stood in the quiet hallway.

?Then, she let out a long, weary sigh.

’?Another one ended up in his bed yet again... At this rate, I’m going to have grandchildren I didn’t even know existed.’

?The thought amused her despite her best efforts.

?Shaking her head with a faint smile, Seraphina followed Ruby toward her room.

Whatever her overly sharp granddaughter had been plotting, she could investigate it another day.

?For now, the little conspirator needed her sleep.

?Inside the bedroom, Cassian slowly released the breath he had been holding.

?He had sensed Ruby approaching the door long before her hand touched the handle.

Her tiny soul signature was impossible to miss via [Soul Gaze], and the moment he realized she was attempting to sneak in, he and Nyxara had scrambled to put a respectable amount of distance between themselves.

?Nyxara had been even faster.

?By the time Seraphina’s voice rang out in the corridor, the Undead Champion had already gone back to her side of the bed.

She now sat on the edge of the bed, her long purple hair slightly disheveled and her pale cheeks still burning with a deep, furious blush.

?Cassian glanced toward the door, listening as the quiet footsteps faded down the hall.

?Then, he let out a chuckle and sighed. "We’ll have to continue this another time."

?Nyxara lowered her eyes, trying in vain to hide her lingering embarrassment. "Okay, my Lord."

?Cassian offered a warm, wicked smile before reaching over to switch off the bedside lamp.

?Soft darkness settled over the room, leaving only the faint moonlight filtering through the sheer curtains.

?Nyxara lay down beside him, taking care to maintain a respectable distance this time.

?Cassian closed his eyes, leaning back into the pillows.

?’That little girl certainly knows how to ruin a moment.’

?Still, he couldn’t bring himself to feel genuinely annoyed with Ruby. Whatever her reasons for sneaking around the apartment in the middle of the night, he knew his daughter well enough to know she was up to something tactical.

?He would have to interrogate her over breakfast in the morning.

?For now, he had far more important matters to attend to.

?Like actually getting some rest.

?Beside him, Nyxara quietly turned onto her side, her violet eyes effortlessly adjusting to the dim room as she gazed at her Lord’s serene face.

?Although their intense evening had been abruptly cut short, the simple comfort of lying by his side was more than enough to bring a gentle, contented smile to her lips.

’?Another time, then.’

?With that warm thought anchoring her heart, she closed her eyes.

?And soon, the bedroom dissolved into peaceful, quiet darkness.

....

Cassian opened his eyes to find a pair of deep violet eyes staring directly at him.

?For several seconds, he remained motionless, staring back at his Champion.

Nyxara was lying on her side, her pale face resting against the pillow, her expression so composed that anyone unfamiliar with her might have assumed she had just woken up.

?Unfortunately, Cassian knew better.

?"Good morning, my Lord."

?"Good morning." Cassian blinked before glancing toward the window. The golden light filtering through the curtains suggested it was already mid-morning. He returned his attention to the undead elf. "How long have you been awake?"

?"All night."

?Cassian paused.

?’All night?’

?He studied her face, looking for any indication that she was joking. There was none.

?"Did you spend the entire night watching me sleep?"

?Nyxara hesitated before answering. "I initially tried to imitate your sleeping posture, but it didn’t work. Since I had nothing else to do, I decided to watch over you instead."

?"..."

?Cassian stared at her.

?His Champion had apparently attempted to fake sleep despite being an undead who had zero biological need for it.

When that failed, she had concluded that watching him sleep for six straight hours was a perfectly reasonable alternative.

’?I suppose I should be grateful she didn’t spend the night counting my eyelashes.’

?The thought amused him.

?Rather than questioning her strange habits any further, Cassian leaned forward and planted a soft, lingering kiss on her forehead.

?"Thank you for keeping watch."

?Nyxara’s violet eyes widened slightly. A faint, rosy blush rapidly spread across her pale cheeks as she looked away.

?"It was nothing, my Lord."

?Cassian smiled before sitting up and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. "Well, since we’re both awake, there’s no reason to waste the morning."

?He stretched his arms above his head, his joints popping satisfyingly before he stood up.

?Nyxara watched him curiously. "What are you planning to do?"

?"My morning exercise."