Supreme Spouse System.

Chapter 508: Chapter

"Okay, Rose. Stop making trouble. I have something to ask you."

Nux’s voice was calm but heavy. The kind that didn’t allow games or teasing.

Rose, who had been leaning lazily against the velvet couch, froze for a moment. Her violet eyes shimmered with mischief a second ago — but seeing his expression, the playfulness faded, replaced by something softer, more serious.

For all her regal composure, Rose had always carried loneliness behind those purple eyes. The mighty Queen of the Soulforge Citadel — feared, admired, untouchable. But deep down, she was still a woman. One who longed for warmth, for company... for him.

She tilted her head, lips curving slightly as she tried to mask that flicker of vulnerability.

"Ask then, Nux," she said quietly. "I’ll answer."

Nux hesitated for a moment, rubbing his thumb along his jaw. He hadn’t wanted to ask — because the answer would pull at old wounds. But he needed to know.

He took a slow breath.

"After I saved you back then... didn’t I stay with you for a while before returning to the Astral Forest? So what happened in the Soulforge Citadel after that?" His gaze hardened. "And why does John have grandchildren?"

Rose blinked — startled for a heartbeat — before her gaze turned sharp. "Nux, do you... doubt me?"

Her tone held a tremor, though pride tried to hide it.

Nux sighed, running a hand through his black hair. "No," he said softly, "I just want to know what happened."

For a long moment, the room fell silent. Then Rose moved closer — graceful as moonlight. The scent of lilacs and wine followed her as she crossed the distance between them.

She sat beside him, crossing her long, smooth legs in one effortless motion. Her hand slipped around his waist, the tips of her fingers tracing light circles against his side. Her head came to rest against his shoulder, her voice low, almost nostalgic.

"Nux... listen to me, and I’ll tell you everything."

She paused, eyes half-lidded, recalling memories that were buried but never gone.

"Back then, you crippled John’s son — left him half-dead. At the time, John himself was deep in seclusion, meditating in the upper chambers of the Citadel. That bastard’s injuries frightened him so much that he didn’t dare go to his father for help. He was terrified you’d return to finish what you started."

Her lips curved into a faint, bitter smile.

"While he was hiding like a rat and nursing his wounds... some woman started visiting him. A suitor, devoted and naive, trying to take care of him."

Nux’s brows furrowed. "Then that fool and the woman grew close... and had a child?"

He met her eyes. "That child — Sophie?"

Rose gave a humorless chuckle, her expression dripping with disdain.

"Yes. That bastard might’ve been trash, but his family name and power still drew admirers. Poor women who never saw his true face until it was too late."

Nux leaned forward slightly. "What happened later?"

Rose’s eyes glimmered with cold amusement.

"Evil breeds evil. His karma came faster than anyone expected. Not long after, that bastard tried to chase down the Hammer Warlord — all because he coveted the man’s wife."

She gave a short laugh, one without warmth.

"He was beaten to death outside the Citadel. Smashed to pulp."

Nux blinked, stunned. "He died... just like that?"

Rose’s lips twitched. "You’re partly to blame, you know," she said, poking his chest with a slender finger. "When you cut off his arm back then, his strength was crippled. The wound never healed. So when the Hammer Warlord saw him going after his wife, he snapped — used his secret technique, and pounded that bastard to death."

She snorted softly. "A pathetic man seeking death at every turn."

Nux’s expression didn’t shift. "Serves him right," he muttered. "Scum like that deserve no sympathy."

Rose tilted her head, watching him from beneath long lashes. "And you think I should have avenged him? I, the Queen of the Soulforge Citadel?"

Her eyes narrowed teasingly. "You think I’d mourn that fool?"

Nux smiled faintly. "Wouldn’t surprise me if someone asked you to."

Rose gasped dramatically and smacked his chest. "You damn ghost! Do you take this as a joke? I prayed that idiot would die quickly and rot far from me! At least being hammered to death spared me the nuisance of ever seeing his face again."

Nux chuckled under his breath, though a faint awkwardness lingered.

For a moment, quiet settled again — heavy and charged. Their gazes met. Close. Too close. The warmth of her breath brushed against his skin.

"Be honest, Nux..." Rose murmured, her voice low and sultry as she leaned toward his ear. "You did suspect me, didn’t you?"

Nux froze. "How could I?" he said quickly, though his voice betrayed the slightest guilt.

Her fingers — soft, cool, and deliberate — slid up along his back, tracing the muscles beneath his shirt. She stopped just below his neck, and exhaled — a slow, teasing breath into his ear.

"Liar..." she whispered. "No conscience at all. I’ve kept myself untouched for all these years, waiting for you to return — and you dare doubt me?"

Her tone melted into something between complaint and seduction.

Nux’s heart pounded harder, warmth rushing to his face. "Rose... you’re playing with fire."

She smiled — a slow, intoxicating smile. "Fire?" Her voice was like velvet. "Then let it burn."

Her slender fingers caressed his cheek. The scent of her perfume mixed with the faint heat between them. Her eyes shimmered like deep amethyst, filled with something that wasn’t just playfulness anymore — but longing.

She leaned in, whispering close enough that he could feel her lips move against his skin.

"It’s fine to doubt others, Nux... but there are some things you can’t fake. Some things you have to feel... to know."

Her words lingered — rich, dangerous, inviting.

"Just try it," she breathed.

A hum — low and powerful — pulsed between them.

"Om..."

Nux’s pupils dilated, eyes turning faintly crimson from heat and restraint.

He clenched his fists, jaw tight.

If he didn’t act right now... he might as well admit defeat — or worse, take a vow of celibacy for life.