Chapter 388: Cookies Again!

Rina clasped her hands together, visibly relieved and delighted by his words. “That’s wonderful, Master! You can properly rest today. You’ve been rushing around nonstop lately.”

Orion’s smile turned slightly helpless at her sincere concern, knowing very well rest wasn’t an immediate option given the matters pressing on him.

However, he kept that thought to himself for now, shifting his gaze softly toward Fiora, speaking gently, “Fiora, would you mind making some cookies for me? It’s been quite a while since I had some, and your baking has always been… uh—excellent.”

Fiora’s face flushed a deeper shade of pink at the praise, her delicate features brightening beautifully. Lowering her head shyly once again, she spoke softly, her voice filled with warmth and embarrassment, “Y-Yes, Master. I’ll make them right away.”

With a gentle bow of her head, she quickly turned and headed toward the kitchen, her soft steps carrying her gracefully away.

Rina’s eyes sparkled, immediately intending to follow Fiora to assist, as she often did. Turning toward Orion, she started cheerfully, “I’ll go and help her, Mas—”

Before she could complete her sentence, Orion lightly tapped the top of her head affectionately, surprising her.

He gently took hold of her wrist, carefully pulling her along as he walked toward his room, his voice softly authoritative yet warm, “You stay here. There’s something I need to discuss with you privately.”

Rina’s face instantly bloomed red, her eyes widening slightly in surprise at his assertiveness. She shyly lowered her gaze, murmuring bashfully, “Y-You could have just asked normally, Master… I-I didn’t know you were so… assertive.”

Orion’s lips twitched faintly in amusement at her embarrassment, releasing her wrist gently once inside the room.

The two quietly moved to sit comfortably on the edge of the bed. Rina quickly recovered her playful nature, eyes twinkling mischievously as she leaned slightly forward, voice soft and teasing.

“What happened, Master? Are you perhaps… finally thinking about—”

Orion quickly raised his hand, interrupting her with a calm voice, a slight smile betraying his amusement. “Stop right there. It’s nothing like what you’re imagining. It’s about Fiora.”

Rina’s playful expression faded instantly, her eyes growing serious and a hint of confusion entering her voice. “Fiora? What about her?”

Orion sighed softly, his expression turning gentle but serious. “I plan to unseal her memories and Draconic Bloodline soon. She’s grown enough now to control herself, as long as she remains emotionally stable. And if necessary, I can suppress her Dragon bloodline myself if it becomes uncontrollable.”

Rina’s expression grew solemn and thoughtful as she absorbed his words, nodding gently in agreement. “Yes, you’re right. We shouldn’t delay it any longer.”

Orion nodded calmly. “Exactly. I plan to take her out today, somewhere quiet in the city, to help her feel relaxed and happy beforehand.”

At this, Rina’s expression froze momentarily. A flicker of jealousy mixed with understanding appeared in her eyes as she looked at him with gentle resentment, softly sighing. “Ah… You wanted to ask me about what she likes, didn’t you?”

Orion chuckled softly, nodding warmly. “Yes. It’d help greatly to know what places or things she particularly enjoys. That way, I can ensure the day goes smoothly for her.”

Rina exhaled another gentle sigh, a faint but understanding smile forming on her lips. She thoughtfully spoke up, “Well, Fiora loves quiet parks filled with flowers, small cozy tea-shops with sweet pastries, and places near water. Anything calm, serene, and private suits her nature well. But she might also like energetic places. But we have never gone to them.”

Orion absorbed each detail carefully, committing them to memory. Feeling a surge of gentle warmth and gratitude toward Rina’s mature acceptance of the situation, he shifted slightly closer, gently wrapping his arms around her in a comforting embrace.

He softly stroked her hair, reassuringly murmuring, “And don’t worry. I’ll definitely take you out on a proper date soon as well.”

Rina’s body stiffened slightly, caught off-guard by the sudden affectionate gesture. But quickly she relaxed, her heart feeling incredibly warm as she nestled softly into his embrace, her eyes softly shining. “I’ll hold you to that promise, Master.”

Just then, a gentle knock sounded clearly upon the door, causing them both to jump slightly and quickly separate, both slightly flustered. Fiora’s sweet voice called out softly from behind the door.

“Master, I brought the cookies.”

Quickly composing himself, Orion cleared his throat softly, calling gently toward the door, “Come in, Fiora.”

The door opened slowly, Fiora stepping shyly inside carrying a small, beautifully arranged plate of freshly baked cookies.

A delicious fragrance instantly filled the room, adding comfort and warmth to the atmosphere.

Fiora carefully set the plate down upon the small table near Orion, her cheeks faintly pink. “I-I hope you like them, Master.”

Orion looked at the cookies with surprise, “Wow, they look so much better than the previous ones. You really practiced hard, huh.”

Rina proudly nodded her head, “Heh, she had practiced every other day since the last time you ate them, Master. I told her how they really were and since then she started practicing so the next time you asked, she won’t be embarrassed.”

Fiora shyly lowered her head at the boastful tone of Rina but didn’t retort as that was the truth.

Orion softly chuckled at Fiora’s shy demeanor and carefully took the plate of cookies from her hands, gently moving deeper onto the comfortable mattress of his bed. With a warm smile, he gestured toward Fiora, patting the bed softly.

“Come sit, Fiora. I’m sure these cookies will taste amazing.”

Fiora’s cheeks bloomed a deeper shade of pink at his gentle words, but her eyes sparkled happily as she moved toward the bed.

Quietly sitting beside Rina, she folded her hands shyly on her lap, the tension in her posture relaxing slightly as she felt the comforting presence of her two closest companions.

Orion carefully placed the plate of warm, aromatic cookies between them. He reached out first, taking one cookie in hand, and took a small bite.

Instantly, the delicate sweetness, balanced perfectly with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon, lit across his tongue, eliciting a satisfied hum of approval.

“Delicious,” he praised warmly, offering Fiora an encouraging smile. “Your practice really paid off.”

Fiora lowered her eyes shyly, a sweet smile forming softly on her lips as Rina chuckled beside her.

Soon, the three of them settled comfortably, their conversation drifting from one idle topic to another.

They spoke warmly about recent events, casually exchanging observations and gossip, sharing occasional laughter that brightened the room with warmth and happiness.

Eventually, their idle talk shifted naturally toward Rina and Fiora’s training progress. Fiora spoke softly about her recent insights in her Body cultivation, modestly sharing the improvements she had noticed, while Rina excitedly detailed the Spirit Art techniques she’d recently mastered under Selene’s careful guidance.

Orion listened attentively, occasionally offering advice and encouragement, pleased and proud of their continuous efforts and progress. Time passed swiftly, the pleasant atmosphere and comfortable conversation gradually emptying the plate of delicious cookies.

Finally, Rina glanced down at the empty plate and sighed softly, gently picking it up as she rose gracefully from her seat. “I need to go now. Lady Selene called for me earlier.”

Fiora nodded understandingly, smiling softly as Orion subtly offered Rina a thumbs-up behind her back, earning himself a playful smile and an eye-roll from Rina as she left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.