But the nail was truly struck when she told him to sleep with her on her bed. Of course, it was only a jest. She knew Leo would never do that after distancing himself from her for so many years. He would sleep in the hall like he always did, no matter the circumstance. She thought that when she was pulling him, he would yank her hand and go away.

But to her surprise, he followed her inside and lay down on her bed.

For a moment, she was frozen in shock, staring at the ceiling as if it might collapse on her. Her thoughts tangled, heart pounding wildly in her chest. Then, thinking this might be her chance, she carefully slipped beside him, her movements stiff and hesitant, every nerve screaming. She fully expected him to jump away, to pull back and retreat as he always had.

Contrary to her expectations, he remained where he was and even held onto her.

Her breath hitched. She almost melted from sheer nervousness at this unfamiliar closeness, warmth seeping through her limbs as his presence pressed against her. Still, she forced herself to calm down, slowing her breathing, steadying her racing heart. And then, a thought crept into her mind.

Was I not forceful enough before?

She frowned inwardly, realizing that she had always paid attention to his surroundings—his 'safety', his circumstances—but never truly to him. Maybe that was the reason for his growing distance. Maybe she had failed to notice what he needed.

What she didn't know was that very day, the real Leo had already died.

He had been taken over by Leonel Draven—a hopeless man in love, someone who had never once been close to a girl his entire life. A man with circumstances eerily similar to the real Leo: orphaned young, forced into the military just to survive. But unlike Leo, Leonel Draven had never experienced someone like Lily. Never known warmth like this, or concern so genuine it hurt.

And when he saw the worry in her eyes, raw and unfiltered even in her sleep, something inside him softened. He too, almost melted. It made him go along with the flow, following Lily's lead without resistance. He had never encountered such a situation in his life, and his instincts—unpolished and clumsy—took over in sheer disbelief.

It was that same morning, as she lay there hugging him and quietly admiring his sleeping face, that she felt something hard press against her inner thighs.

She almost yelped.

Her body jerked instinctively as she reached down, realisation crashing into her all at once. Her face burned, heat rushing up her neck as she barely managed to suppress a cry, biting down on it as her cheeks rapidly reddened.

I-I-is he… sexually attracted to me?Is that why he's been distancing himself from me all these years?

Of course, she misunderstood his morning wood entirely.

Flustered beyond belief and unable to face him, she rushed off to work, her thoughts in complete disarray, her mind replaying that moment over and over again.

All day, she couldn't stop thinking about it—turning it around from every angle, imagining countless possibilities. By the time evening came, she finally concluded that she needed more evidence. She couldn't jump to conclusions so easily. Maybe he really was hurt. Maybe he simply couldn't oppose her feelings, even if he wanted to.

She waited for Leo to arrive home that night, pacing back and forth, her mind racing as she thought of different tactics to draw the truth out of him. When he was late, unease settled into her chest.

Was he sad because he couldn't awaken? Will he distance himself from me again? Was yesterday's closeness only because he believed he would awaken?

Nervousness gnawed at her relentlessly as she moved restlessly through the house, eyes flicking toward the door again and again.

But when he finally came home, all her doubts vanished in an instant.

He bought something for me!

Joy burst through her chest as she even forgot to check what he had brought, her heart practically soaring. It was the first time Leo had ever bought something for her, and her happiness knew no bounds. So overwhelming was that joy that even the news of him becoming a Beast Master barely registered in her mind.

Outwardly, she told herself—and him—that it was because of his awakening that she was happy.

But deep down, she knew the truth.

Her happiness came from the fact that Leo had thought of her.

It was as if he had reverted himself back to the time before her parents died.

Unable to stop herself, she blurted out that he could look at her as more than just a big sister. The words slipped out before she could think. Realizing what she had said, her face turned scarlet, and she immediately fled to the washroom, splashing cold water on herself in a desperate attempt to calm down.

Everything afterwards went smoothly. She prepared dinner while Leo handled other chores around the house. As she worked, she reassured herself that his hesitation before must have been because of uncertainty about the future. But now—now that he was a Beast Master—their future was secure.

What neither she nor Leonel Draven knew was that the real Leo had something else entirely on his mind.

She was cheerful, chatting warmly with Leo and sharing heartfelt words, when Zolton's lackey arrived.

For the first time, she truly witnessed what Beast Masters were capable of.

Her strength, which had always been far above that of ordinary people, suddenly felt insignificant. Even Leo—who had supposedly awakened only hours ago—felt distant, unreachable in power.

Her heart warmed when Leo tried to protect her first. But when he charged off alone to deal with the assailant, a terrible premonition seized her chest.

Without hesitation, she grabbed the fallen sword and ran after him.

When she arrived, Leo was already on the ground, blood soaking into the earth beneath him, his body riddled with wounds. Her heart stuttered violently as panic took over. Acting purely on instinct, she rushed to pull him out of danger.

The assailant had his back turned.

That moment was all she needed.

She closed the distance and drove the sword straight through his heart.

When it was over, her hands trembled as she hurried back to Leo, supporting him as best she could, her eyes brimming with fear and worry.

Will I lose him again… after we finally accepted each other?

But what she saw next left her eyes wide in disbelief.

Leo's wounds began healing at an astonishing pace, flesh knitting itself together until the danger passed entirely.

Thank god… he's alright.

She let out a shaky sigh of relief. But another thought crept in, chilling her heart.

If he was already this exceptional—already catching up to all the training she had done over the years—

What will happen to me in the future?If this continues, I won't be able to stand beside him…

Despair began to consume her from within, tightening around her chest—until finally—

"Lily! You have a talent!"

Her heartbeat stopped.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.