“What are you doing here?!”

The owner of that lazy voice was none other than Lin Ge, a man who was impossible to figure out in every way.

But when Rosetti confronted him, before she could even get angry, Lin Ge frowned, pointed at her, and launched into a scolding...

“That’s what I should be asking you! Instead of staying home and feeding the baby, what are you doing out here messing around in the middle of the night? The kid’s at home, starving and screaming for milk. Come on, you’re coming home with me.”

Rosetti: ...

Roviet: ...

Rosetti: “Huh?!”

“What do you mean, ‘huh’? Come on, we’re going home. I can’t feed her myself.”

With that, Lin Ge grabbed Rosetti by the arm and started to leave.

Going by the anxious look on his face, it almost seemed like he was telling the truth.

Even Rosetti couldn’t help believing that their child was waiting at home for her to come and feed her...

“What kind of crazy nonsense is this? Get back here, damn it!”

He realized he’d been tricked—no, beastfolk didn’t have the brains for that.

He’d just seen his prey being rescued and was simply pissed off.

But Lin Ge didn’t take Roviet’s threat seriously at all.

He clung to Rosetti’s arm, going on about the kid this and milk that... He looked just like a modern parent fretting over getting their child into the right school district.

For a moment, the atmosphere turned awkward in a rather strange way...

“Tch. Die!”

Veins bulging on his forehead, Roviet charged at Lin Ge, swinging his fists and raining blows down on him.

“Get over here.”

Sensing the danger, Rosetti quickly grabbed Lin Ge by the wrist and pulled him toward her. No matter what happened, she couldn’t let him lose his life.

But Lin Ge didn’t budge when Rosetti tugged at him. Instead, he said softly:

“It’s okay.”

—It’s okay? How could it possibly be okay? You’re a pathetic weakling with only two stages of battle aura! How could you possibly be okay?!

Rosetti looked at Lin Ge’s fearless smile, then at Roviet charging toward them, and felt herself go numb. It would probably be best to just leave him to his fate, but...

“You idiot!”

Lin Ge: ?!

He’d just been insulted out of nowhere.

A sudden, incredibly soft sensation pressed against him, and she wrapped him completely in her arms.

A sweet fragrance, mingled with a chill, swept into Lin Ge’s nose along with the smooth strands of her hair.

Was he seeing things? Had he gotten it wrong?

Was Rosetti actually protecting him?

Lin Ge froze, but quickly reacted, pulling Rosetti back toward him.

Rosetti: ?!

Now it was Rosetti’s turn to freeze. Her clear, deep eyes widened as she stared straight up at Lin Ge, their look of bewilderment even more intense than his.

“Idiot. Why would I need a reason to shield my own wife from harm?”

With a gentle smile, Lin Ge answered the question Rosetti wanted to ask.

“...”

She didn’t know what to say, or what expression to make...

By the time she realized what was happening, Roviet’s attack was already right in front of them.

Boom—

“Lin Ge!”

A tearing whoosh rang out. Rosetti’s vision went black, and her hand loosened involuntarily.

But in the next instant, she clutched the man in front of her even tighter as he began to fall backward. A wave of heartache surged through her, and tears slipped down her cheeks.

She held the man in front of her, drenched in sweat but still wearing a strained smile, as if to ask, “Are you okay...?”

Rosetti’s throat tightened.

Only after a long moment did she speak again. She could manage just three words:

“Why...?”

“Didn’t I already tell you? Why would I need a reason to shield my own wife from—”

“You bastard! Stop spouting nonsense! You know full well this isn’t just an act. We’re not...”

...a real married couple. Rosetti had wanted to say that, but then she saw that the clothes on Lin Ge’s back had been burned to charcoal. His lips were trembling, his face was pale, and cold sweat ran down his forehead. He looked ready to collapse at any moment...

She couldn’t bring herself to say it...

Looking at the man before her again, she found that all the dislike she’d once felt had vanished. All that remained was regret, worry, and... guilt.

She clung tightly to the man before her, pressed her forehead against his chest, tears welling in her eyes, and let herself fall into his arms, entrusting everything to him.

Rosetti couldn’t do anything else right now... All she could do was comfort him like this...

Rosetti was worried sick. Meanwhile, out of the girl’s sight, Lin Ge wore a smug little grin—his scheme had worked...

—Heh heh heh, I really am a master planner. I never thought taking just one hit would be enough to officially win over my “second wife.” Heh heh heh. If things keep going this way, once we’ve dealt with the situation at hand... whether or not she admits we’re a married couple, this guilt will let me slack off and laze around to my heart’s content! The kept-man life, here I come!

“Cough, cough. Sorry, could you hold me a little more gently? It hurts...”

Hearing Lin Ge’s feeble words, like a candle flickering in the wind, Rosetti quickly pushed her sadness aside and supported him anxiously. Then she fixed her angriest glare ever on Roviet, who was regaining his composure up ahead.

She didn’t care if he was the beastfolk’s Exploding Fist King. She’d freeze every last bit of him into scraps.

But the reality of the situation wouldn’t let her do that...

Compared with beastfolk, who had greater stamina, and warriors, she was at a disadvantage in every way.

She would lose...

“Hmph. Stop struggling. It won’t be long before both you and that man are dead here.”

“Better to surrender now than die after being humiliated. At least you’ll die with a little dignity.”

Roviet cracked his knuckles, baring his fangs. In his eyes, the two of them were already as good as dead.

Especially Lin Ge. He was a scrawny little runt, all skinny arms and short legs, and he’d still dared to come out here looking to die.

To beastfolk, there was no honor in dying to protect someone else. Unless you fought to the very end, the rest was bullshit.

And that man had just tricked him and insulted him, so he deserved even less mercy.

But to his surprise, Lin Ge lifted his head, pulled a face at him, and taunted him:

“Don’t listen to his nonsense, honey. That guy’s badly hurt too. He might look like he’s standing just fine, but if he moves even once more, his limbs will fall apart.”

“Is that true?”

“Of course it is.”

Rosetti looked doubtful, but Lin Ge patted his chest as if to guarantee it, then gave Roviet the friendly international gesture.

“Come on, then! If you’ve got the guts, come over here! Bleh!”

“You—you—you...”

Faced with Lin Ge’s taunts, Roviet’s face twisted with rage. He gritted his teeth, looking utterly ferocious.

After all, everything Lin Ge said was true.

If Roviet moved even once more, he really would be done for.

Unless the other side came at him first, he truly had no chance of winning.

Just as Rosetti and Lin Ge were about to stroll right out from under his nose...

A figure with unmistakable beastfolk features—a pair of tiger ears—suddenly dropped from the sky.

The moment Roviet saw that familiar figure, his anger turned to joy, and he burst out laughing.

“You’re finished! With Lord Mu here, this city belongs to the beastfolk today!

...

...