Something was bothering Ren.
But the one thing he knew was that he could definitely not tell her anything.
But as he felt her small, warm hands gently stroking the nape of his neck, his resolve hardened into unbreakable iron. He could not do that to her. He would not.
With a monumental effort of sheer willpower, Ren pulled back, stepping out of the warm, comforting cage of her arms.
The physical loss of her heat felt like a knife twisting in his gut, but as he lifted his head, the charming, playful mask of the Fox Beastman snapped flawlessly back into place.
"It is nothing, my beautiful Queen," Ren said, offering her a smooth, practiced smile that didn't quite reach the heavy shadows lingering in his green eyes. He took a step back, gently untangling his bushy red tail from her leg. "Just the exhaustion of the road. Distributing the cure and dealing with my father took more out of me than I anticipated. My core is simply fatigued."
