Chapter 380
After returning to the courtyard, Setan was immediately ushered into a room by Nina so she could continue treating his injuries.
The healing session lasted for a while before Setan gently stopped her.
“That’s enough for today. You should rest p>
Nina withdrew her power and looked at him curiously.
“What is it p>
Setan hesitated briefly before asking, “Nina, are you planning to go to Serpent City next p>
Based on what he knew, Nina still needed to collect the remaining sacred relics. If his guess was correct, Serpent City would likely be one of her next destinations.
In truth, he had wanted to ask long ago.
The only reason he hadn’t was because he feared that if he knew where she was going, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from following.
Nina didn’t hide it.
“Yes. Serpent City is our next stop p>
A flicker of concern crossed Setan’s eyes.
“Then there’s something you should know p>
He proceeded to tell her everything Xinn had reported during the council meeting. As she listened, Nina’s brows gradually knit together.
“That’s strange.” Her expression turned serious. “So beastmen there are dying under those circumstances p>
Setan nodded.
“Do they know exactly when it started?” she asked.
“No.” He shook his head. “They only know it was discovered recently p>
Nina fell silent. Her intuition told her things weren’t that simple.
If the deaths had become obvious enough to attract attention, then whatever was causing them had probably been operating for much longer than anyone realized.
“Someone needs to investigate thoroughly,” she said at last.
Whether it was a rare creature, a strange mutation, or some unknown ability, it posed a serious threat to beastmen.
Her eyes darkened slightly.
And if Serpent City wasn’t the only place affected p>
She would need to send warnings to Barbarian City and White Sand City as soon as possible.
Better to prepare before disaster struck.
“We thought the same thing.” Setan looked at her, unable to hide his worry. “If you’re going to Serpent City, be careful p>
His voice softened. “The beastmen there specialize in poison. Their abilities can be unpredictable and difficult to deal with p>
Among all the major cities, Serpent City was notoriously troublesome.
Nina smiled reassuringly. “I’ll be careful p>
Then she added sincerely, “Thank you for telling me p>
The information was valuable. She made a mental note to speak with Idir later.
If he could provide samples of common Serpent City toxins, Little Bun could help develop antidotes ahead of time.
Preparation was never a bad thing.
Setan gazed at her for a moment.
“Nina His voice grew quieter. “You don’t have to thank me every time p>
His golden eyes locked onto hers, warm and intense. The earnestness in his gaze made Nina’s heartbeat skip.
Unable to withstand that look for long, she shifted her eyes away.
A faint blush crept onto the tips of her ears.
Perhaps… Perhaps she could stop being quite so formal with this foolish lion in the future.
The atmosphere between them softened, growing warm and strangely intimate.
Then a knock sounded at the door. A familiar voice called from outside.
“Nina, are you finished yet? Lunch is ready p>
It was Finch.
Nina immediately answered, “We’ll be right there p>
She started to stand, only for Setan to gently catch her wrist.
“Nina.” His voice held a trace of reluctance. “I still have a few things I want to ask you p>
His expression softened.
“Can you stay a little longer? Just a little p>
He treasured every moment they spent alone together.
If possible, he wanted to stretch those moments endlessly.
Nina sat back down.
“What do you want to ask p>
Setan quickly searched for a topic. “When are you planning to leave p>
Nina thought for a moment. “After your injuries heal p>
At their current pace, another two days should be enough.
Truthfully, the process could be even faster. Every time she treated him, however, Setan insisted she stop and rest before she exhausted herself.
Not that she minded. She wasn’t in any rush.
Hope flickered in Setan’s eyes.
“Could you stay a few extra days p>
He quickly explained, “Xinn discovered evidence that someone within our clan may be secretly connected to Serpent City. We’re investigating now p>
His gaze was earnest. “If we uncover more information, it could help you prepare before you leave p>
That was only part of the reason. The larger reason sat quietly in his heart––he simply wanted more time with her.
Still, if Nina chose to leave early, he would follow her without hesitation.
Nina considered the proposal.
“Alright.” She nodded. “But not for too long p>
Gathering additional intelligence before entering Serpent City was undeniably useful.
Relief immediately washed over Setan.
“It won’t take long.” His smile grew brighter. “I’ll get you answers as quickly as possible p>
“Okay p>
For the next little while, Setan asked lighter questions. The conversation drifted naturally from one topic to another. Laughter occasionally filled the room. The atmosphere was easy and comfortable.
Neither noticed how quickly time passed. Eventually, Setan reluctantly forced himself to stop. If he kept delaying, everyone outside would probably start wondering what they were doing.
“I’ve finished asking my questions.” He stood. “Let’s go eat p>
Nina smiled. “Alright p>
Together, they headed toward the dining hall.
The moment they entered, Yuna and Maya practically lit up.
The aroma of food had been tormenting them for quite some time.
How could food from Nina’s household smell this incredible?
And every dish looked even more delicious than the last.
They had been sneaking glances toward the entrance the entire time, waiting for Nina to arrive.
The instant they spotted her, they hurried over.
“Nina p>
“Lady Nina p>
Both women happily linked arms with her.
Yuna guided her toward the table.
“Are you tired?” Her voice was full of concern. “Sit down and rest p>
She knew Nina had spent the last while healing Setan.
Nina laughed softly. “I’m fine p>
Then she looked around the table. “Let’s eat p>
Odian and Sal immediately took seats beside her, attentively helping serve her meal.
The other mates alternated between eating and feeding the cubs.
Across the table, Lex glanced toward Setan.
His brows slowly furrowed. Something felt wrong. The stupid lion seemed noticeably closer to Nina than before.
That realization made alarm bells ring in his head.
No. This wouldn’t do. He was already lagging far behind the other males. If he delayed any longer, the stupid lion might overtake him. He needed to find an opportunity to advance his own position soon.
Meanwhile, Yuna and Maya finally returned to their seats.
Only after seeing Nina start eating did they begin eating as well.
The first bite nearly made them freeze.
Their eyes widened.
It was delicious. Ridiculously delicious.
Before they knew it, all thoughts of manners vanished.
The two women threw themselves into the meal with complete enthusiasm.
By the time lunch ended, both were leaning back in their chairs with rounded stomachs.
A satisfied burp escaped Yuna’s mouth. The sound was loud enough to make her blush. Embarrassed, she quickly wiped her mouth with a piece of animal hide.
“Nina Her eyes sparkled. “The males in your household are incredible cooks p>
She shook her head in amazement. “Everything was delicious p>
Before today, she had believed her servants were excellent cooks. Now she realized they weren’t even close.
The variety of dishes was astonishing. The cooking methods were unlike anything she had ever seen. For the first time in her life, she discovered that meat could be prepared in so many different ways.
At this rate, she might lose all interest in ordinary food after Nina left.
Before Nina could answer, Setan spoke up. A hint of pride colored his voice.
“Nina taught them p>
Yuna widened her eyes.
“She did?” Then her expression immediately transformed into admiration. “Nina, you’re amazing p>
She looked completely sincere. “It feels like there’s nothing you can’t do p>
Honestly, if she could become even half as capable as Nina, she’d already be satisfied.
Beside her, Maya nodded vigorously. Her admiration practically shone from her face.
As expected of their revered beast deity.
Nina laughed softly. “I only know a little p>
Then she glanced at the two women, who still looked slightly overstuffed.
“Since we’re all full, how about we take a walk in the garden p>
Yuna immediately stood. “Yes, please p>
She patted her stomach dramatically. “I ate far too much p>
The two women happily followed Nina outside.
Nina carried Mimi in her arms while the other cubs trailed behind like an adorable procession.
The group wandered through the garden for a while.
Eventually, afternoon drowsiness caught up with Nina. After all, it was the cubs’ nap time as well. She gathered the children and returned to her room for an afternoon rest.
Yuna and Maya remained outside. Neither of them felt sleepy.
The leisurely walk continued as they digested lunch.
After a while, Yuna glanced toward Maya.
“Maya,” her voice softened. “Have you really given up on Setan p>
Maya had loved him for years. Letting go couldn’t possibly be easy.
To Yuna’s surprise, Maya smiled.
“Don’t worry, Auntie Yuna.” Her eyes were calm. “I’ve truly let him go p>
Yuna sighed quietly. A trace of guilt appeared on her face.
“Maya She looked genuinely apologetic. “We’ve truly wronged you p>
After all, they had once promised her a future with Setan.
Her voice trailed off. “But now p>