Deviant: No Longer Human

Josephine hesitated, the weight of the conversation with her mother, Seraphine, from two days ago pressing on her. Finally, she nodded, slowly unraveling the details of that private discussion.

She recounted the conversation with her mother, Seraphine, with a thoughtful expression. "She did ask about you, but it was more about how you managed to defeat those attackers. She wanted every detail of the fight," she said, recalling the intense scrutiny of her mother during that discussion.

Wang Xiao listened intently, his eyes narrowing slightly as he processed this information. "Anything else she was curious about?" he asked, trying to gauge the depth of Seraphine\'s concerns.

Josephine shook her head slightly. "Not much else. But when I mentioned the strange behavior of the attackers, she seemed to gloss over it. She just told me not to leave the castle until she says otherwise."

She paused, a frown creasing her brow as she remembered a crucial detail. "Oh, and before the fight, those people... they insisted I had to come with them to meet their lord. I didn\'t understand why, so I refused. That\'s when the conflict started."

Wang Xiao mulled over this new piece of information. "Their lord, huh?" he mused, his mind racing with possibilities.

Josephine nodded in agreement, her eyes reflecting a mix of concern and determination.

The mention of \'their lord\' hinted at a larger plot, one that possibly intertwined with the mysteries and politics of her family and their kingdom.

Yin Yue\'s voice cut through Wang Xiao\'s contemplations, offering a critical perspective. [Remember your conversation with Li Zhiming? These \'Deviants\' might be structured like an army, but their leaders aren\'t typically referred to as \'lords.\' It\'s likely...] she trailed off, allowing Wang Xiao to complete the thought.

\'It might be a guardian who\'s after her,\' Wang Xiao concluded, his gaze sharpening as he turned towards Josephine. She met his gaze with a faint smile, her cheeks coloring slightly under his intense scrutiny.

Before Wang Xiao could delve deeper into his thoughts, Yin Yue interjected again, cautioning him. [No need for drastic measures like killing. Don\'t look for shortcuts to solve problems.]

Raising his eyebrows in mild surprise, Wang Xiao responded, \'Why would you think I\'d want to kill her? I\'m just pondering if I\'m being used. Her mother knew those attackers were Deviants. By stopping them, I might have aroused suspicion about myself...\'

He fell into a brief silence, his thoughts churning. \'I don\'t like this feeling... Am I being manipulated? If that\'s the case, there will be consequences,\' he mused with a sense of cold resolve.

Yin Yue continued, bringing a strategic angle to the conversation. [Consider how you can use this situation to your advantage. This country could serve as a hideout or something more. Don\'t waste potential allies.]

Wang Xiao acknowledged her advice with a nod. "That was my intention, besides..." His gaze drifted over Josephine\'s figure, lingering momentarily before she caught his eye line and frowned, realizing where he was looking.

But before she could voice her disapproval, Wang Xiao closed the distance between them, his face drawing near to hers.

!!

Caught off guard, Josephine\'s heart raced, her breath hitching as their lips met.

"Mmmn..."

She placed her hands gently on his shoulders, surrendering to the moment.

However, the tranquility was short-lived. Within a minute, Josephine pulled away, leaping out of bed. "Wang Xiao, no! I can\'t anymore," she pleaded, her voice tinged with a mix of disbelief and discomfort as she glanced towards the bulge in the quilt.

"My legs are already sore, believe me..." She pleaded, desperation lacing her words.

Wang Xiao remained silent, his gaze fixed on her. He understood her physical discomfort, but he was still grappling with his own unresolved desires

Grrr

At that moment, the sound of Josephine\'s stomach growling broke the tension. "See... We haven\'t eaten since yesterday..." she confessed, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Wang Xiao remained quiet, pondering their next move. He understood they needed to address the immediate needs – food and rest – but then who would solve the problem of his little brother?

Would he die of hunger?

Wang Xiao\'s gaze, a mix of contemplation and mild frustration, lingered on Josephine, who was visibly struggling with the situation. The silence between them stretched, thick with unspoken concerns and the physical discomfort they both felt.

Josephine, noticing the disappointment in Wang Xiao\'s eyes, felt a twinge of guilt. She bit her lip, wrestling with the awkwardness of the moment before making a tentative suggestion. "I-I could ask Elina to come and look after you? Would that be okay?" she asked, her voice uncertain but earnest, clearly trying to find a solution despite her discomfort.

"Alright," Wang Xiao finally agreed, his tone filled with reluctant acceptance. "Send her in, but after you\'ve had breakfast, make your way back to me; I\'ll be right here."

Josephine nodded, her eyes gleaming with determination. "Okay, then I\'ll arrange for Elina to fetch your clothes. Feel free to use my bathroom to freshen up," she leaned in, their lips meeting in a gentle, lingering kiss, "Goodbye."

With haste fueled by trembling legs, she dashed out of the room as swiftly as her heart raced, evading the temptation to be pulled back into the warm embrace of the quilt.

_____

Creak...

The door slowly swung open, and in stepped Elina, carrying a neatly folded pile of Wang Xiao\'s clothes. Her footsteps echoed softly in the dimly lit room.

But as her eyes fell upon the unexpected sight of Wang Xiao sitting naked beneath the quilt, her entire body tensed, and her face contorted with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty. It was as if time had frozen, and her mind raced with a flurry of thoughts.

\'Does this... Does this align with what Princess had hinted at? Do I have to attend to certain matters before he can get dressed?\' Elina\'s thoughts raced, and her fingers involuntarily tightened around the clothes in her grasp.

"Oh, good, you\'re finally here," Wang Xiao\'s voice broke the silence, and he nonchalantly rose from the bed, allowing the quilt to slip from his body. Panic coursed through Elina as she felt her heart skip a beat, and her duty-bound resolve was tested to its limits.