Interstellar Beast World: All My Husbands Are Powerful and Rich!
Chapter 380: Do you secretly watch that stuff all the time?
Why is Rory here?
Yuel immediately closed his communicator and rose to his feet.
As he walked toward the door, he took a slow breath to steady himself before reaching out to open it.
The moment the door swung open, he saw Rory standing there, a tray of food balanced carefully in her hands.
He did his best to keep his voice as calm and composed as usual.
"Rory... did you bring this for me?"
"Of course I did."
Carrying the tray inside, Rory set it on the table before turning back to him, concern written plainly across her face.
"You didn’t come out for lunch. Xarion said you didn’t have much of an appetite. What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
The aroma of the food filled the room.
Yuel’s gaze settled on the bowl piled high with rice and the carefully selected dishes beside it. Warmth spread through his chest, quickly followed by an even deeper sense of embarrassment.
He could hardly bring himself to meet her eyes.
Instead, he looked down at the tray and replied quietly, "I’m fine. I just wasn’t very hungry."
"Even if you’re not hungry, you should still eat something. Skipping meals isn’t good for you."
Rory picked up a pair of chopsticks and selected a piece of braised pork, its rich glaze gleaming under the light.
Holding it near his lips, she smiled.
"Try it. The meat’s been simmered until it’s perfectly tender."
Yuel’s eyes lingered on the hand holding the chopsticks.
After a brief hesitation, he opened his mouth and accepted the bite.
The familiar flavor spread across his tongue, but he barely tasted it.
His mind was still filled with those links and chat records.
When she saw him eat, a pleased smile curved Rory’s lips.
As soon as he finished chewing, she offered him another bite.
Then, as though speaking casually, she asked in a soft voice, "What have you been doing in here all by yourself? You seem... a little down today."
Yuel’s fingers tightened slightly.
Maintaining an appearance of calm, he swallowed the food and offered a gentle smile.
"No. I’m not in a bad mood."
He paused.
"I was just thinking about a few things."
Then he reached out and took the chopsticks from her hand.
"You don’t need to worry about me, Rory."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"I’ll finish everything."
Watching him eat so earnestly, Rory leaned slightly closer.
A loose strand of her hair brushed lightly against his arm as she lowered her voice beside his ear.
"Were you staying in your room because you were trying to figure out how to explain those links you sent to Nix and the others in that group chat?"
"Cough... cough—"
The directness of the question caught Yuel completely off guard.
He choked so badly that he nearly spat out his mouthful of rice.
Covering his mouth, he bent forward and coughed repeatedly.
The elegant face that usually remained composed under any circumstance instantly flushed crimson, the color spreading from his cheeks all the way to the tips of his ears and down his neck.
"Are you alright?"
Seeing how hard he was coughing, Rory immediately abandoned any thoughts of teasing him.
She hurried to sit beside him, placing one hand gently against his back and rubbing upward in slow, soothing motions.
When Yuel tried to speak, she quickly interrupted.
"Don’t rush. Catch your breath first."
Obediently, he nodded.
Once the coughing finally subsided, Rory immediately stood and poured him a glass of warm water.
She held it out to him.
"Have some water. It’ll make your throat feel better."
Yuel’s face remained red enough to rival a sunset.
His long lashes had become damp from coughing, and a faint sheen of moisture lingered in the corners of his eyes, making him look unexpectedly vulnerable.
Looking at the glass she offered, he wrapped his hand around hers and took a drink.
The warm water slid down his throat, easing the lingering burn and gradually calming the rapid rise and fall of his chest.
Seeing his complexion improve, Rory finally let out a relieved breath.
She pulled several tissues from the box nearby and gently dabbed away the droplets of water clinging to the corner of his lips.
Her fingertips brushed accidentally against his mouth.
The soft contact sent another jolt through Yuel’s body.
He froze.
Even his breathing seemed to stop for a moment.
Slowly, he lifted his head.
His gaze met Rory’s smiling eyes, eyes filled equally with amusement and concern.
They were so clear that they reflected every ounce of his current embarrassment back at him.
"Rory... I..."
Yuel parted his lips, only to discover that his voice had become rough and hoarse.
For a moment, he couldn’t find the words.
Finally, he lowered his gaze and spoke softly.
"I’m sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?"
Rory looked at Yuel’s flustered, embarrassed expression and casually tossed the used tissue into the nearby trash bin.
Then she took his hand and intertwined their fingers.
"If you’re apologizing because of those links you sent to Nix and the others, then I don’t accept it."
Yuel stared at her, tension flickering across his features.
"Why?"
The question escaped him almost instinctively.
"Because I’m not angry at all."
Rory smiled as she tightened her grip on his hand.
"Not angry?"
Yuel’s beautiful eyes widened slightly.
Sitting alone in this room, he had imagined countless possibilities.
He had thought Rory might find him strange.
Or frivolous.
What frightened him most was the possibility that she would think he had crossed a line.
He had rehearsed explanations and apologies over and over in his mind.
"Rory, why aren’t you angry?"
Yuel looked at her seriously.
"There isn’t a single male who would willingly share this kind of thing with his Female Master’s other partners."
As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on her face, watching every reaction.
"A male’s nature is possessive. Competitive."
His voice grew quieter.
"Sharing methods to please a Female Master is the same as handing your weapons directly to your rivals. It’s helping other males compete for her affection."
He lowered his eyes briefly.
"It means giving up your own opportunities to spend time with her. It could even make her think you aren’t interested in competing for her attention, that you don’t value her enough, or don’t care about her enough."
Yuel knew Rory probably would never think that way.
Even so, he couldn’t stop worrying.
He feared that somewhere deep inside her heart, a tiny seed of doubt might take root.
He knew he shouldn’t think like this.
But perhaps it was because he cared too much.
When someone mattered enough, even things you believed with absolute certainty could become sources of insecurity before you heard the answer for yourself.
Rory looked down at his elegant fingers before answering seriously.
"But I know that’s not what you were thinking."
Her voice was gentle and unwavering.
"You don’t care about me less."
"You don’t love me less."
A smile touched her lips.
"You love me too much. That’s why you did it."
Rory lifted her head and met his gaze.
"You were worried they might be too clumsy. You were afraid they wouldn’t know how to take care of my feelings or understand what I needed."
Yuel’s eyes trembled.
In the next second, he pulled her tightly into his arms.
"Rory..."
His voice was rough with emotion.
"You’re too good to me."
His Rory hadn’t misunderstood him.
Instead, she had understood his intentions.
She trusted him.
Once everything had been cleared up and Yuel had effectively earned himself a "good person" card, Rory reached out and pinched his waist lightly.
"Mmh."
Yuel let out a muffled grunt and loosened his embrace.
Looking down at her, confusion filled his eyes.
Hadn’t she just said she understood him?
Why was she pinching him now?
Rory raised a hand and gently caught his chin between her fingers.
Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Now tell me the truth."
Her tone was calm, which somehow made it even more threatening.
"Where exactly did you find so many links?"
She leaned a little closer.
"Do you secretly watch that stuff all the time?"
No wonder he was so skilled.
Even Aren, a succubus, couldn’t compare.
"I don’t."
Yuel looked utterly wronged.
"Rory, you have to believe me."
His expression was completely sincere.
"I genuinely have no need to watch those things."
A faint look of disdain crossed his face.
"Those videos don’t even know half of what I do."
His gaze settled on her, completely serious.
"Watching them would be an insult to myself."