Chapter 136: Holding Hands
Inside the palace hall.
"Cillian, this time we owe a great deal to your partner..."
"Her name is Sophie Wexler," Cillian Forrest added from the side.
Hearing this, the man smiled. "Alright, Sophie Wexler."
"Thanks to Sophie Wexler, she is a benefactor to our Royal Family. If she needs anything in the future, just let me know. I will do my best to grant her requests."
"By the way, did she like those things I sent?"
"She liked them very much." Cillian Forrest remembered her eyes sparkling when she saw the gifts.
"I’m glad she likes them," the man said with a nod.
After saying this, he thought again of Sophie Wexler’s ability to clear Starbug toxin. In the Empire, most high-level officers had been poisoned by Starbugs.
Ever since the toxin in Shawn Thorne’s Spiritual Sea was cleared yesterday, word had more or less gotten out. Many people had come to ask him how the Little Prince’s toxin was cleared.
He was doing his best to suppress the news of who exactly had done the clearing, but those officers had ended up that way for the sake of the Empire, after all. He...
"Cillian, many people have been asking about how to clear the toxin."
He didn’t finish his sentence, but Cillian Forrest basically understood what the man was trying to say. He looked up. "The one who can clear the toxin is Sophie Wexler. I have no right to make any decisions for her."
His Majesty’s gaze rested on him, and then he sighed. "I know."
"That’s why I want you to ask her if she’s willing to help clear the toxin from their Spiritual Seas."
"Of course, they will pay a suitable fee."
Cillian Forrest paused. "I’ll go back and ask her."
Although he also wanted the toxin in those soldiers’ Spiritual Seas to be cleared, he had to respect Sophie Wexler’s wishes.
"But there’s one thing, Your Majesty."
The man raised a hand, gesturing for him to continue.
"Even if Sophie Wexler agrees, it must all be done on the condition that her safety is guaranteed."
In other words, clearing the toxin could not be allowed to cause any damage to her Spiritual Sea.
"That goes without saying."
After they finished discussing this matter, they moved on to another topic.
"There’s one more thing. Shane Thorne’s faction has been very restless lately. They’ve secretly contacted several military districts and even some of the vassal planets."
The intent behind these actions couldn’t be more obvious. After Sophie Wexler and Cillian Forrest were matched, many of their previous supporters had withdrawn one after another, which had made them desperate.
They were eager to gain support, even resorting to using some overt tactics.
"In a while, I will convene a meeting of all the major military districts and vassal planets," the man on the main seat said.
"Understood," Cillian Forrest said in a low voice. "By then, more people will support the Little Prince."
"Good."
No one else knew the content of their subsequent conversation, but it was known that in the days that followed, the major military districts were in constant motion, and the atmosphere was very tense.
But no matter how tense things became, Cillian Forrest still went home every day, no matter how late.
For a time, the people of the First Legion found it a little hard to get used to.
In the past, he practically lived at the military base, sometimes not going home for weeks on end.
Every day, he was either drilling troops, handling military affairs, or leading men to deal with Starbugs.
But now, even after returning from fighting Starbugs, Cillian Forrest would take a shower and then go home.
Over the past few days, Sophie Wexler had also gradually grown accustomed to this kind of life.
She’d grown used to seeing Cillian Forrest when she opened her eyes and before she went to sleep at night. She’d grown used to waiting for him to eat meals together and to him messaging her about his schedule.
She had also gotten used to her room. Even though the guest bedroom had been made up in the last two days, Cillian Forrest was the one who ended up sleeping there.
Today was the day they had agreed she would help Cillian Forrest clear his Starbug toxin, and Sophie Wexler had been waiting since early in the evening.
Normally, he had been coming home by nine o’clock at the latest these past couple of days. Now, it was already approaching eleven, and there was still no sign of him.
Sophie Wexler was getting a little sleepy. She yawned while scrolling through her Light Brain. ’Why isn’t he back yet?’
Propping herself up on her elbows, her fingers tapped out a message: "Mr. Forrest, have you forgotten what today is?"
’Hurry back, I’m already sleepy.’
Of course, she didn’t send that second message.
Just then, the door opened. The man walked in, still holding his communicator. He looked up at Sophie Wexler and answered her recent question: "I didn’t forget."
"Sorry, I had a mission today and got back a little late."
A small, nearby planet had been attacked by the Swarm. He had taken some men to deal with it. Fortunately, they were just some low-level insects; otherwise, he might not have made it back tonight.
Cillian Forrest changed his shoes and walked in. Seeing Sophie Wexler lying on the sofa hugging a throw pillow, he asked softly, "Sleepy?"
He didn’t know when it started, but now when he came home, the room was no longer pitch black like before. No matter how late he was, a light would always be left on for him.
The house was also filled with many things that weren’t his: some flowers and plants that Sophie Wexler was raising, and some small trinkets she had bought.
Because she liked to hug things, there were now all sorts of cute throw pillows and stuffed animals.
These things clearly didn’t match the style of the room at all, but in his eyes, they looked exceptionally harmonious.
He... really liked this feeling.
Sophie Wexler sat up and deleted the unsent message. "No."
"But if you’d taken any longer, I really would have been."
"You didn’t get hurt again clearing out Starbugs today, did you?" Sophie Wexler walked over and looked him up and down.
She had seen what the Swarm was like before, after all.
Hearing Sophie Wexler’s concern, Cillian Forrest smiled and replied, "No."
"That’s good. Come on, let me clear the toxin for you," Sophie Wexler said, walking toward him.
"Alright." This time, Cillian Forrest didn’t refuse at all, obediently following Sophie Wexler to a seat on the side.
Once everything was ready, Sophie Wexler looked at Cillian Forrest. "I’m going to start."
Cillian Forrest: "Wait."
Sophie Wexler: "???"
’What’s wrong?’
Under her gaze, the man slowly held out his hand.
Meeting Sophie Wexler’s confused gaze, the man spoke slowly, "Didn’t we need to hold hands before?"
Sophie Wexler: "..."
’Well, I guess... that’s true.’
But that was because she wasn’t sure of herself and hadn’t mastered the skill, so she needed physical contact as a conduit.
But now, as her Spiritual Power Level had increased, her control over her spiritual power had also become more proficient. She didn’t actually need physical contact anymore.
But, Sophie Wexler lowered her gaze to the large hand in front of her. Not quite knowing what she was thinking, she hesitated for a moment before placing her own hand on top of it.
Seeing this, the corners of Cillian Forrest’s eyes lifted slightly as his hand tightened around hers. "Alright, let’s begin."