"Let me change!"
Yuxing found a reasonable excuse to escape from that intensely uncomfortable embrace.
Ornado's pheromones still lingered in the air around him. The tentacles, which had only just settled down, began to stir restlessly again, itching to drink in every trace of her scent.
Inside, Ornado was surging with a violent storm, but on the surface he looked completely composed, even having the leisure to help his pet decide what to wear.
Yuxing walked around the walk-in closet and stopped ten meters away from him. "Are you only going to give me dresses?"
Hearing this, the leopard-eared maid behind Yuxing raised her head. Not knowing what would be an appropriate response, she could only answer with silence.
Ornado frowned. "These are all the latest popular styles. You don't like them?"
Yuxing shook her head. "I don't like wearing dresses."
The leopard-eared maid felt her scalp tingle. This human pet was far too bold!
Having spent a long time in the apocalypse, Yuxing much preferred long sleeves and trousers that allowed for easy movement, and she stood her ground.
And so, the two of them held their own ground, engaging in a fierce debate over what she should wear. Neither side was willing to yield.
Suddenly stripped of her freedom to choose her own clothes, Yuxing couldn't help asking, "I can't even decide what I want to wear myself?"
Ornado's expression remained unchanged, betraying nothing of what he was thinking.
A heavy wave of oppression swept in from the side. Catching a glimpse of the edge of a dark robe drawing closer in her peripheral vision, the leopard-eared maid panicked. She dropped to her knees on the floor, not even daring to raise her head to look at that god-like, indifferent face.
None of them could look upon the King without fear; even those high-ranking officials felt mostly awe and terror toward him. How could this human before them be so reckless? How dare she go head-to-head with the King! Did she have a death wish?
Cold sweat poured down the maid in her anxiety, and she could only pray silently, begging the King not to vent his anger on them later. If he was going to kill the human pet, at least spare their lives!
Ornado slowly walked toward his pet, the corners of his lips curving upward wider and wider, radiating a tranquil madness.
The leopard-eared maid cast a cautious glance at the pet, a trace of pity flashing in her eyes. The King allowed no defiance from anyone. This poor human was doomed to a grim fate.
Watching Ornado close in on her, alarm bells rang wildly in Yuxing's head. Anyone with experience dealing with dangerous people knew that strong-willed individuals could rarely stomach anyone contradicting them.
Yuxing grabbed the hand reaching out toward her and stroked his fur to soothe him. "Calm down!"
Her brain worked at lightning speed. Soon, she came up with a reasonable, peaceful solution that wouldn't hurt their relationship. "How about this: rock, paper, scissors. The winner decides what I wear."
Ornado suppressed the displeasure welling up in his heart, took his pet's hand in his palm, and asked since he didn't know. "What is rock, paper, scissors?"
Yuxing briefly introduced the game suitable for all ages, which earned her a thoughtful silence from Ornado.
Yuxing smiled with a wicked charm. *Are you scared now, buddy?* (She puffed out her chest.)
As a veteran well-versed in the ways of finger-guessing games, could she possibly lose to a mere alien? She was utterly confident.
One minute later, Yuxing stared at her losing hand, utterly shocked. "Impossible!"
Ornado's voice carried a languid ambiguity. "Again?"
Naturally refusing to accept defeat, Yuxing blamed her miserable loss on Ornado's beginner's protection period.
Until she lost ten games in a row.
Yuxing wanted to cry without tears. She had disgraced the people of Blue Star!
The leopard-eared maid's jaw dropped in astonishment. She swore she had just sensed danger—it was the alarm bell buried deep within her genes echoing in warning. Why? Why could the human pet calm the King down with just a few words?
The maid desperately wanted to steal another look at the pet, but terrified that the King might think she was harboring inappropriate thoughts, she forced herself to keep her head down.
Yuxing was plunged into the depths of depression.
Ornado simply stared at his pet, his pupils so deeply blue they looked almost black, as if some viscous emotion were brewing within them.
After a long moment, Ornado pointed in a certain direction, signaling with his eyes for someone to bring something over.
Quickly picking herself up from the floor, the maid—who had been paying close attention the entire time—hurriedly brought a set of aqua-blue clothes before the King.
Yuxing looked at the pants and top outfit. "Huh?"
Ornado leaned casually against the wall, his gaze fixed on his pet's eyes, which had lit up once more. He quietly waited for her response.
Yuxing spread her arms wide, a torrent of lavish, unearned praise spilling from her lips in a heavily exaggerated tone.
"My master's radiance is as blinding as the sun!"
"How can the world hold someone as magnanimous and wise as you? Your graceful demeanor simply leaves me completely captivated!"
Ornado's lips twitched upward. Who on earth had invented such a little creature?
Yuxing joyfully changed into the clothes, walked out of the dressing room, and spun around in front of the mirror, completely unaware that the gaze behind her had shifted.
Ornado's eyes followed the sway of her hemline. A ribbon at the waist made her figure appear even more slender.
A wave of pleasurable pheromones overflowed once more, and that strange sensation bubbled up again—he was running out of control over his tentacles.
His suppressants seemed to be failing. They wanted so badly, so very badly, to press against her.
Was just pressing against her enough?
No, it wasn't enough.
Yet they didn't know what to do to ease the restlessness.
Ornado closed his eyes, his spiritual power transforming into blades to sever the tentacles that were screaming wildly within his sea of consciousness.
The tentacles were a part of him. Losing them inflicted heavy damage upon him as well.
Veins bulged on Ornado's forehead. Just as he was licking his wounds in solitude while his spiritual power dissipated as he usually did, two hands suddenly pressed against his temples.
"Migraine acting up? Does this feel better?"
His pet's voice reached straight into his sea of consciousness, calming the pain and subduing the restive tentacles.
Ornado lifted his eyelids, locking gazes with her.
Once upon a time, he had felt profound resentment. By what right could small, fragile, delicate humans soothe them? To beings as powerful as they were, wasn't this an insult?
Now, he somewhat understood.
Ornado gently grasped a lock of curly hair that brushed against the back of his hand.
Yuxing followed Ornado's gaze to her curly hair. "My long hair is a bit in the way. Allow me to do something with it."
Ornado smiled softly. "Let me."
Yuxing looked skeptical.
Ornado remained calm and poised. "I can learn if I don't know how."
Yuxing didn't crush Ornado's enthusiasm for learning. But soon, the two of them clashed over a high ponytail versus a hair bun.
Just as Yuxing opened her mouth to argue her case, Ornado hinted meaningfully, "I won against you."
Yuxing fell silent.
Counting one round of rock-paper-scissors twice? Have some human decency!
Seeing the sickly, pale pallor of Ornado's lips, Yuxing thought better of it—it wasn't worth arguing with him over trivial matters.
And so, she surrendered her hair to him.
Yuxing turned around obediently.
Ornado tilted his head, his Adam's apple bobbing. The closer she was to him, the stronger the loss of control became. He had to divide his focus to suppress his tentacles while clumsily tying his pet into a hair bun just as she had hoped.
With her curls swept back, her porcelain-white face was fully exposed, her limpid eyes brimming like a pool of clear, pristine spring water.
Yuxing exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "It looks great!"
Ornado, however, wasn't entirely satisfied. "It's my first time. I'm not used to it."
Yuxing offered her routine praise. "You tied it this perfectly on the very first try? You're a high-potential stock!"
Ornado suppressed the upward curve of his lips. A tiny hair bun—how hard could it be?
Yuxing made a bold suggestion. "Next time, I want a fishtail braid."
Ornado nodded with an unperturbed expression, while secretly searching for fishtail braid tutorials in places out of his pet's sight.
He was dedicated to granting her every request.