CHAPTER 226: 225. A RELUCTANT ARTIST

After a good 30 minutes of hardcore sex, Anna ended up passing out—paralyzed from overstimulation.

Asher didn’t even bother waking her. He simply carried her in his arms, giving Rin a nod to take care of Valerie as he left.

Rin just stood there, fuming silently. Watching them leave together, her hands clenched into tight fists.

When Asher arrived at Ivy’s house, he gave a light knock. She opened the door only to see Asher carrying the limp, messy body of her daughter, with almost vivid trails of cum on her legs. Without saying a word, she stepped aside.

"Bring her in."

Asher carried Anna to her room and laid her down gently. Then he walked into the dining room, where Ivy was already seated, arms folded. Her eyes scanned him with amusement.

"I brought your daughter back," he said, stretching casually.

"I can see that," Ivy replied with a small scoff. "She looks like she had the time of her life."

Asher chuckled. "Hey, she said she wanted it rough."

Ivy got up and walked to him. She leaned in close, resting her arms on the couch he sat on at his back, her voice a soft whisper against his ear. "Did she satisfy you?"

Asher looked away with a smirk, shaking his head. "She tried... I only came once."

"Only once?" Ivy raised an eyebrow. "That’s not enough for you, is it?"

Asher shrugged and stepped away from her. Having her behind him like that was a serious turn-on, one he couldn’t afford right now. He chuckled. "Yeah... it wasn’t enough. What? You want to jerk me off or something?"

Ivy smiled. "As tempting as that sounds... we ended things, remember?"

Yet her actions told a different story. The way she looked at him with those lustful eyes made his rod twitch in his pants. And the way she intentionally made her breasts—the very jugs of happiness he once loved burying his face in—bounce seductively was dangerously tempting.

"I know... I know," he muttered. "But don’t worry. I’ve got someone else to take care of me."

"Just remember you’re married," Ivy reminded.

"We’re not married yet." Asher responded. "That’s why I’m doing this now. Once I reach the number I want, I’ll settle down and be a real husband. For now... let me go wild." He walked to the door, gave Ivy a once-over, then winked. "Don’t tell your daughter though."

With that, he returned to his workplace. Evening had already settled in, and Valerie was squirming on the bed, her illness making her itch. Rin, who had been left to watch her, didn’t seem to care. After all, what did she know about treating the sick? Her mind was on her master—the thought that he had just had sex with Anna made her clench her fists.

It had been a while since he touched her that way. Yet here she was, expected to be a good girl and guard some dying woman suffering from an STI.

She rolled her eyes at the thought until Asher entered the room.

The room reeked of death. Tama was still unconscious, lying on the floor bunk bed. Rin sat on her legs, not even glancing at him, while Valerie continued to squirm in discomfort.

"Rin," Asher greeted softly as he walked in.

She didn’t respond, her pout clear.

Asher went over to Valerie, checking her forehead. She was burning up. Her skin was sticky, her breathing shallow.

"Hey... sorry I haven’t been around to take care of you," he muttered.

Valerie barely nodded, her voice weak. "I-It’s okay..."

He looked her over. "Let me clean you."

She gave a small nod, and Asher pulled the sheets away. After tossing the smelly sheets aside, he replaced them with the fresh ones he’d ordered the maids to clean. Then he carried her in his arms to the bathroom, not even bothered by her nudity. He’d seen her like this so many times.

Her body was thin. Fragile. Covered in marks from scratching at the infection. He set her down in the warm bath he had prepared and summoned clean towels and herbs from his item box, then got to work.

Once he finished, she looked better, though still itchy. Her body had begun to adapt to the herbs, reducing their effectiveness.

Asher wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. "Still itchy, huh?"

She nodded.

"That’s because my remedies can’t cure you permanently. They are only pain relivers. The only possible way—though I’m not even sure it’ll work—is what I told you about yesterday."

Valerie looked away as she remembered what he’d told her the night before. His words had left her speechless.

She’d seen the cute girls around him: Tama and Rin. How close they were. How much they loved him. If he risked everything to save her... what would they say? Would they stop smiling? Would they hate her?

Last night, just before the intruder attack, Asher had approached her—hesitant.

"I have a power that protects me from curses, diseases, and all sorts of negative effects. I’m not certain, but... if I get intimate with you, you might be cured. My power might incinerate this ’curse’ of yours," he had said.

The last thing Valerie wanted was for the power not to work—and for him to be cursed instead. She wouldn’t forgive herself.

And those girls... what would they think of her? Would they hate her for sleeping with the man they loved?

In the short time she’d spent with them, she could already feel how deeply they loved him.

Yet...

This disease was eating her alive, growing worse each day.

She had thought about dying—about putting an end to the trouble she was causing—until Asher told her the truth. Her paintings had been taken down. Thrown into spare rooms like trash. And this wasn’t a curse, but a disease she’d caught from a man she once trusted and got intimate with.

Hades.

The man her sister Veyna had vouched for. Said he was perfect for her.

Did Veyna even know Hades was infected?

Did her sister really know that Hades carried this sickness?

And her arts? Nothing hurt more than knowing your life’s work had been tossed aside like worthless garbage.

It was those little things that kept her clinging to life, even as it slowly unraveled. They gave her the will to be "able" again—to rise, to see the truth for herself.

She swallowed hard, eyes falling to her freshly washed body.

"If that’s the only way... then... please, be gentle. And I pray to the goddess you don’t take on my curse—or whatever this disease really is," she muttered.

Asher touched her chin gently, offering a reassuring smile. But deep inside, he was silently hoping that his skill, Divine Protection, would be enough to purge Valerie of her STI. It was all he had to offer—and healing her felt essential if he wanted to give Veyna the warm welcome "home" she deserved.

As someone who had dared orchestrate to kill him.

Tbc...