Mason Nightshade turned around and saw a fair and delicate little hand clutching the hem of his clothes. He followed the hand to its owner.

Aurelia Shaw sat up, her eyes especially radiant in the night, her long hair like seaweed falling and covering half of her slender figure. Her small face lifted up, looking at him from below, and this captivating beauty made Mason's Adam's apple involuntarily roll.

"Mason," she said, "I want to eat cake."

"Huh?" Cake?

Where can one buy cake in the middle of the night?

"There's no cake. Can you eat something else?" Mason asked, each word carrying a hint of nervousness, staring fixedly at her, focusing on her expression, fearing she would furrow her brows and show displeasure.

Aurelia furrowed her brows slightly.

Mason's heart clenched, regretting his refusal before she even spoke. Could he not fulfill even her tiny wish?

"Mason." She called him again, her voice softer than before, carrying a slight sob. Her nose sniffled, turning red, and her big eyes filled with mist as she looked at him with grievance. "I want cake, I want cake!"

Her aggrieved demeanor seemed as if she'd been mistreated.

Mason's heart clenched and immediately softened. Pained, he rubbed the corner of her eyes, wiping away the tears, wanting to hold her in his arms. But as he opened his arms, he hesitated, recalling something and then withdrew them, bending his large frame, gazing at her deeply and affectionately, paying attention to the subtle changes on her face, fearing she'd grow averse to him.

"Alright, cake it is, I'll go buy you some cake, okay?"

If Grayson Quinn were present, he'd certainly exclaim, "Holy crap!" The usually stern commander, whose mere words could chill one to the bone, was now speaking with a tone as gentle as if coaxing a child, completely patient, soft as water.

Aurelia shook her head vigorously, her beautiful eyes blinking, and a mist emerged once again.

"No!" she said.

"No?" Mason furrowed his brow in confusion, seeing her about to burst into tears again, his heart ached, "Okay, we won't eat cake, we'll eat something else, alright?"

"No!"

Unexpectedly, Aurelia cried even harder, large tears falling, hitting Mason's hands, burning his palm with pain.

Mason hurriedly rubbed the corner of her eyes, wiping away the tears, carefully holding her face, his brow deeply furrowed, tenderly asking, "Do you want the cake or not?"

"I want to eat," Aurelia nodded like a pecking chick, her rosy lips pouting.

"Shall I go buy the cake then?"

Mason asked tentatively.

Aurelia shook her head, biting her lower lip, her peach blossom eyes vivid like mist, looking at him, reflecting a bright and clear light under the weak lamp, pure and captivating.

Mason pondered for a moment, then asked, "Do you want to go with me to buy some?"

Aurelia nodded.

Afraid he'd refuse, she stubbornly tightened her fingers one by one, clutching his clothes tightly, curling her body into a ball, burying her head in her knees, leaving him with just a stubborn, fluffy head.

Mason looked at Aurelia like this, his heart filled with doubt; her behavior was peculiar compared to her normally cold demeanor towards him during the day, now she seemed more like a child.

A child?

Mason fell into deep thought.

After a long time and still without an answer, she seemed to lose confidence, her head buried in her knees moved slightly, raising a little, her big eyes blinking cautiously towards him, her gaze touching his contemplative face, her softened, aggrieved voice.

"Mason."