Nox sat dumbstruck, his mouth slightly agape as he stared at Silvanus. Nevia's eyes widened in shock. She opened her mouth, but as her gaze met Silvanus', her tail instinctively lifted toward her face. She bit down on it, her ears flattening against her head as she tried hard to suppress her rising anxiety. Nox looked at the scene, thoroughly confused.
Meimei spoke up at that moment. "Are you crazy, old man? Can't you see that the Beast Shifter wants to be anywhere away from my Master? Are you just trying to pick a fight, haaah?"
Silvanus looked down at the black furball and answered calmly, "Nevia is my personal bodyguard. She is proficient in a vast majority of fighting styles and weapon use. This lazy boy will be whipped into shape in less than a year by the time she is done."
Nox furrowed his eyebrows as he glanced toward Zayne. "What about him? Why not let him instruct me?"
Silvanus cracked his knuckles slowly.
"That's simple. He'll go easy on you, and I don't want that."
A corner of Nox's mouth twitched. "... Why is Auntie Madonna here?"
Silvanus looked at his son, his expression hardening. "That's not for you to know. What you must do for now is what I have told you. From now on, Nevia will also be assigned to you."
Silvanus stood up and directly walked away, indifferent to the thoughts of his son. Zayne trailed silently behind him.
Nox's expression grew dark. He lifted a glass of water to his lips, then crushed it in a fit of rage. Nevia stepped forward immediately, taking his hand while gathering the sharp glass shards off the expensive carpet with her large, fluffy white tail. She inspected his wounds and then moved quickly toward a nearby bookshelf.
Shifting a specific set of books, a section of the shelf retracted into the wall to reveal a glowing screen.
"Eve," Nevia called out.
A cold, feminine electronic voice responded,
[Authentication needed.]
Nevia placed her palm on a scanner next to the screen. Her palm was quickly scanned, and the light on the monitor turned from red to green.
[Hello, Miss Nevia Lancaster. How may I assist you today?].
"I need a first aid kit immediately."
Ding!
[Order received. Item has been delivered.]
With that, a compartment beneath the screen slid open, revealing a red and white box. Nevia grabbed it and rushed back over to Nox as the bookshelf automatically slid shut to cover the screen once more. The entire process took less than five minutes.
"Excuse me, Young Master. I need to treat your wound."
Nox glanced at her coldly but extended his hand anyway. Nevia crouched to examine his palm and immediately frowned. '... How is this possible?' she thought. The exposed tissues were slowly but steadily mending themselves at an observable pace. '... Damn. When Dad told me taking care of Arurs was full of surprises, I didn't expect regeneration to be part of it. Can they even still be considered human?...'
She hesitated for a second but proceeded to clean and bandage the wound regardless. Meanwhile, Nox used his left hand to continue eating, albeit awkwardly. When Nevia was finished, she calmly packed the items and the remnants of the shattered glass away then stood up. She stepped back and bowed.
"Young Master, training begins at three o'clock tomorrow morning."
Nox frowned deeply. It was far too early.
"We will break at seven for breakfast and continue until one in the afternoon for lunch," Nevia explained. "After that, we will learn about Xenon. Then, before supper, the Chairman has instructed you to go to the greenhouse to learn from the Seventh Branch Head."
Nox looked visibly pained. "... Can this schedule not be adjusted?"
Nevia smiled wryly. "My apologies, but no. It was created directly by the Chairman."
'Of course that old man created this...' Nox thought bitterly. He wanted to hit someone; he just didn't know who.
Meimei had fallen asleep, curling up on a section of the duvet. Nevia glanced down at her and added, "The Chairman also noted that the Young Master's pet may accompany you."
Nox nodded. "Alright. Thank you."
Nevia paused for a moment, momentarily stunned to be thanked by an Arur—and by Nox, no less. However, she kept her composure. "You're welcome, Young Master."
She bowed once again and moved toward the door. Nox thought she had finally left and felt entirely alone in the massive room. Staring up at the ceiling, he took a deep breath and threw an arm over his eyes to block out the light.
Before he could relax, Nevia's voice cut through the silence. "Young Master, are you finished with your food? I will need to take the dishes back to the kitchen."
Nox froze. He lifted his arm slightly and glared at Nevia.
"Get out!"
Nevia stood as still as a statue, locking eyes with him. "I can't do that."
Nox's eye twitched. "... And why the hell not?". He basically growled.
Nevia responded, her gaze holding his firmly as she suppressed every beastly instinct inside her to fight back. "I have received direct instructions from the Chairman. What you are asking is not part of those instructions. Therefore, I cannot 'get out,' even if I wanted to."
Nox was taken aback by her bluntness and the subtle edge of hostility in her tone. But his surprise lasted for only a second. "Are you defying me? The heir?"
Silence hung heavy between them for a tense minute. Then, Nevia cracked a knuckle—a distinct habit she had whenever she wanted to dislocate someone's jaw.
In a deeper, dangerous tone, she said, "No. I am only following orders."
Nox was highly irritated. The shadows around the room began to ripple and dance, as if anticipating that his next move would be violence. Nevia sensed it too. Her eyes began to glow a faint, piercing blue, her ears stood straight up, and her pupils dilated in preparation for a strike.
Just then, Meimei spoke to Nox through their telepathic link.
Master! Don't make a move on her! She's the surveillance that old man has placed on you. If you fight her, even stricter eyes will be imposed on you. You need gaps in your schedule to be able to hunt Ruach Ra'ah and the like! A direct confrontation right now will only make a bigger mess later.
Nox paused, carefully considering her words. His killing intent reduced significantly as logic took over. It simply made sense. Observing the sudden shift, Nevia's own killing intent lessened. The shadows, which she had just seen flickering like dark flames against the walls, returned to normal.
"..."
Nevia said nothing. "... You can take the dishes away," Nox muttered, "but don't stay in the room with me. I don't like the presence of strangers."
With that, he plopped heavily back onto the couch and closed his eyes, acting as if he hadn't a care in the world. Nevia's expression remained blank. She stepped forward, picked up the nearly empty tray, and walked out. Meimei watched her go and let out a massive sigh of relief.
Phew! I stopped a total disaster from happening! Who knows what would have happened if Master fought that woman. She doesn't smell like a normal Beast Shifter either... Could she be a Pureblood?. She wondered. If that woman is a Pureblood, Master would have been in serious danger. Good thing I stopped him... Sigh... He's a bit hotheaded with all that Divine Power flowing through him. That was incredibly reckless...
As she thought this, she glanced over at her master's sleeping form. The bronze-skinned, somewhat chubby youth was dressed in a long, loose robe, his black hair completely messy. Despite his warm skin tone, the dark, heavy circles beneath his eyes were stark and impossible to miss.
"..."