Legacy of Hatred

The question’s heavy baggage silenced Liam, its meaning obvious. Since Grace had managed to steal him from Melissa, chances were that another woman could do the same now that they were apart.

The truth was a bit different. Liam hadn’t forgotten Melissa, and Grace knew. They hadn’t talked about it after their relationship became romantic, but they had learned too much about each other not to be aware of what ran through their minds.

Liam planned to take responsibility for Melissa if he ever met her again, if she allowed him to. If not, he would still help her to the best of his ability while respecting her decision.

That didn’t mean that Liam would just sleep with random women. He wasn’t Lancelot, and the current situation was far different.

Grace might not be right in front of Liam, but she was there. Her voice couldn’t satisfy him as her body did, but they were together. Besides, there was something else.

Melissa wouldn’t be the only one Liam had to talk to about his decision. He believed Grace already suspected it. She was too smart and knew him too well not to, but knowledge didn’t imply acceptance.

It could happen for many reasons, but Melissa, Grace, or both might ask Liam to decide between the two, and he knew who he would choose. There was no doubt in his mind.

Everything with Melissa had been utterly sweet. She was the one who had unlocked that part of Liam’s brain, and she represented the life he would have wanted if the cultivation journey didn’t exist.

Melissa actually was Liam’s break from that bleak, grim world. She was a breath of fresh air, the symbol of a bright, colorful life without the constant tension cultivators had to face.

The purity of that feeling was nothing short of miraculous. Yet, Liam would pick Grace without even needing to think about it.

While Liam’s time with Melissa had been sweet, the weight of the years and challenges he and Grace had faced together far outweighed it.

The two had been through so much, having each other’s backs in the face of impossible odds, overcoming them together. They had plenty of brushes with death, each reinforcing their bond.

There was also plenty of life. Liam and Grace had actually lived their relationship. They had grown as partners together, learning themselves and each other, first as friends and then as lovers, becoming proper soulmates.

Those weren’t two lives anymore. They had intertwined, becoming one. It was Liam and Grace against the world, Dao partners by every definition of the word.

Also, Grace had succeeded in the impossible feat of making that grim world fun, even vowing to undo what the Bloodline Screening had inflicted on Liam.

Liam already saw Grace as the future mother of his children, the one always at his side and between his arms. No matter where he imagined himself to be a century or longer from now, Grace was there with him, being at the core of what he considered his life.

The issue was conveying that profound, boundless love through a mental communication, which wasn’t possible. Liam would have to wait for the reunion to do that.

Knowing Grace, that specific worry would probably never go away. She was too greedy for that, but Liam still wanted to be a better partner.

Liam took the first serious look at the woman in his grasp while searching for ideas, which actually made him worry that Grace would be the one to throw caution to the wind to hasten their reunion.

Despite the drool and tears Liam’s tight grip had caused, the woman was stunning. She actually was Melissa’s match, even surpassing her in some ways due to her care for her appearance and other endearing details.

The woman was barely twenty, her childlike face creating a stark contrast with the incredible body her thin, half-transparent yellow robe didn’t even try to hide. Her underwear’s color matched her tanned skin, blending with it, giving the impression that she was naked underneath.

Long, thick braids of black hair fell from the woman’s head. She was rather tall, slender, and definitely firm despite her evident curves. She embodied sensuality, which her attire accentuated to the extreme.

Nevertheless, while Liam had left his clueless self behind and recognized all those appealing traits, his brain went elsewhere, having found what to say.

’She is wearing unique clothes. If I were to buy them, would you wear them for me?’ Liam asked through the jade tablet. Truth was, the shocking beauty in his grasp had only made him imagine Grace in that sensual attire.

While that wasn’t exactly reassurance worthy of Grace’s fears, it could work as a game that made the separation more engaging. At the very least, Liam would prove that he was thinking about her even when on the other side of the Kingdom.

The proposal seemed to work since Liam heard a playful tone when a message reached his brain. ’I’m aware of the fashion in the southern region. Dear, if they are your gift, I’ll treasure and wear them all the time.’

Grace had crossed the southern region while migrating from the western one, so her knowledge didn’t surprise Liam. However, her second statement had triggered panic.

’Not in public. Only when we are alone,’ Liam explained. He absolutely didn’t want others to see Grace in such revealing clothes.

’Does Master want to be the only one to know that much of his prized possession’s body?’ Grace wondered, clearly amused.

’Yes,’ Liam instantly admitted.

’You are, and you will always be, so please, buy plenty. I’d fear I stopped being the object of your desires otherwise,’ Grace requested.

’How many does she expect me to buy?’ Liam thought, feeling the trap, but falling willingly into it. ’How expensive can they be compared to ingredients? I’ll buy her hundreds.’

Another mental message arrived while Liam was immersed in his thoughts, the tone changing again, becoming serious. ’Liam, I’ll never let anything happen to me. Since it has come to this, I’ll lay the groundwork in the meantime. Once you return, you’ll be a Patriarch.’