Primordial Villain with a Slave Harem

Chapter 1217: Emotions

Feng took a deep breath. "Please release me from the [Subjugation]."

"..."

No one said anything for a good few seconds. It was Felicity’s gasp that broke the silence at long last.

"W–What are you saying, Jiai?!" she blurted out. "You were the one who told me how amazing [Subjugation] was! Why would you want to throw it away?!"

Her words echoed through the crater, trembling with disbelief. The wind didn’t move. Even the lingering mana from their earlier duel seemed to pause in uncertainty.

But Feng didn’t answer.

Not immediately.

Instead, she looked straight at Quinlan.

The world seemed to narrow until there was nothing left but the two of them.

No crater, no Felicity, no sky. Just two beings whose paths had intertwined so deeply that words were almost redundant.

Her eyes, twin whirlpools of living force, met his. One spun clockwise, the other counterclockwise, like opposing tides struggling yet harmonizing in eternal motion.

Within those swirling depths flickered the countless moments they’d shared. Hard-won battles, hearty laughter, teary heartbreak, and devotion toward one another.

And, matching her mesmerizing eyes were the four primal elements: flame, water, wind, and earth that flowed in perfect equilibrium. A storm in stillness. Creation and destruction coexisting as one.

For a long, wordless minute, neither moved.

But everything was said.

He knew.

And she knew he knew.

This was no punishment. Feng was not trying to guilt-trip him for not accepting her romantically. She was not asking this of him out of spite.

Felicity stood off to the side, clutching her wand tight to her chest. Her lips trembled as she looked between them. The air was thick, heavy with something sacred and painfully human.

Finally, Feng exhaled softly and broke the silence.

"... It is a wonderful spell, Bratty Princess. There’s no doubt about it," she admitted with a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "I never thought I’d say this, but being a slave..."

Her tone was gentle, nostalgic, and even. "When Quinlan is your master, it’s actually not only unfairly broken, but also liberating. I feel safe, seen, and anchored. There’s no loneliness. No doubt. Just that constant... presence."

She placed a hand over her chest, right above where her heart was. She looked deep into Quinlan’s eyes. "But that’s the problem."

Her gaze drifted upward, to the clouds above. "It’s too potent. Too complete. I’ve tried to grow, to think, to act on my own, but how can I, when Quinlan is always in my head, and I’m in his?"

She turned to face Felicity then. "A mere thought, and he can reach me. A whisper of will, and I can chat with him. Even when we don’t speak, he’s there. Watching. Protecting. Guiding. Loving, yes..."

Her lips trembled, then steadied as her eyes found Quinlan once again. "But it means I never truly stand alone."

Felicity’s eyes shimmered. "You mean the [Master’s Link]...?"

Feng nodded. "Yes. It’s constant. And with the synergy between his [Warp Gate] and [Overlord’s Eyes], he can appear at any of our sides in an instant should we be in trouble. It’s like he’s everywhere, an omnipresence that encompasses all."

Her gaze softened again. "I cherish that bond. I always will. And I don’t think that being your [Subjugated] person is a drawback to people; you’re not oppressing us with your existence. Not one bit."

The oriental teen then giggled jovially as she said, "Should you offer the abolishment of [Subjugation] to any of your lovers, they’d probably have a nervous breakdown."

Then came a weary sigh. "But if I want to grow, then I need to live a while without that connection. Without feeling your presence in every heartbeat. I keep hoping every second of the day that you’ll appear in my head for a talk. I keep fighting myself not to appear in yours. And I keep replaying my memories of you in my head on repeat."

Silence reclaimed the crater.

Feng inhaled deeply, the air trembling around her fingertips as if the world itself resisted her decision. "I don’t want to stop cherishing you, Quinlan... You’re the most important person in my life, and you always will be, no matter what the future has in store," she whispered, "but I do want to stop my world from revolving around you."

Then she met his eyes again, steady and resolute. "That’s why I ask that you release me."

Felicity’s head snapped between them. Her gaze bounced from Feng’s determined stare to Quinlan’s unreadable calm, and the princess felt her pulse quickening as the silence dragged on.

Neither moved.

Neither spoke.

And yet, the air between them carried a weight that even she dared not interrupt.

Then... Quinlan’s lips finally curved into a wry smile.

"They say they grow up faster than you expect. Before you know it, the little birdie wants to leave the nest and explore the skies."

Feng’s cheeks puffed as she scoffed. Her voice was a mix of annoyance and affection. "Don’t treat me as if I were your child!"

But when her eyes met his again, really met them, she saw it.

That subtle ache behind his smile.

The quiet pain of a man trying to be proud while letting go of someone who had once been lost and now stood steady before him.

Her throat tightened.

Before she could stop herself, she darted forward and threw her arms around him.

"Quin, I’m sorr-"

"No."

Quinlan’s voice was firm but gentle, cutting her apology short. "Feng Jiai, don’t you dare apologize."

His arms wrapped around her, steady and warm, pressing her against his chest. His heartbeat was steady against her ear.

The same heartbeat that had been her anchor through chaos and fear. The same heartbeat she used to fall asleep listening to many, many times back in Zhenwu.

"I’m proud of you," he whispered. "Some might not agree with your decision, but should I be in your position, I would’ve wanted the same."

The words shattered her composure. Her lips trembled as a choked breath escaped her lungs. She didn’t know what she expected. Perhaps an argument, a scolding, or maybe outright denial. But not this.

Not him just... accepting.

Seeing her for who she was, respecting her choice without question.

That was the man who once rescued her from a fate of being defiled by a perverted rapist, the man who destroyed everything that she knew about life, and who, in doing so, rebuilt her entire world.

And now, he was setting her free.

Not from chains this time, but from dependency.

A faint ding echoed in her mind, soft yet piercing through the heavy silence.

[The Primordial Subjugator has relinquished his claim over your existence.]

[Your soul-link has been dissolved.]

Her eyes blurred as tears welled up.

The words glowed in the corner of her vision before fading, leaving behind a hollow ache and a strange lightness. She buried her face against his chest, hugging him even tighter.

"Thank you..." she whispered, her voice breaking.

Quinlan said nothing. He simply held her.

They stayed like that for a long while.

Then, a third voice broke the quiet.

"So..."

Both turned at once.

Felicity stood a few steps away, her hands on her hips and her eyes wide with an odd sense of determination.

"So when are we leaving?"

Feng blinked. "... We?"

Felicity puffed her chest out proudly while her expression shone with reckless determination.

"Yeah! We! I’m the Arbiter of Stillness now, you know?" she declared with the conviction of someone who was ready to risk it all.

"I must face dangers and level up if I ever wanna amount to anything because, as Quinlan so kindly demonstrated..."

Her eyes flicked toward him, sharp and accusing, as if he’d just committed a personal crime. Quinlan raised an amused eyebrow as he saw the ominous look he was being given.

"My nullification can be overcome if the enemy is strong enough! Can you believe that?! I can’t rely on fancy theory and safe environments!"

She thrust a finger into the air as if announcing a royal decree.

"I need to train hard! I love this place, it’s incredible! But I feel like I’m going to stagnate. I need to go out there to have a risky adventure just like my bitch of a mother did when she was my age! Either I’ll die a miserable death or become greater than I can even imagine!"

Her grin turned wild with that familiar spark of chaotic excitement that seemed to start defining her. Then she turned to Feng with a teasing smirk.

"And what will you do without me, huh, Little Jiai? You’ll end up as greenskin food within a week! The operation needs my smarts!"