**An hour back**

In the vast capital city, apart from the castles where the royal family resided, the only other place that didn't lose in extravagance was probably the Rutherford clan's residence. A tower in the middle of the estate held a massive flame on its head, giving the impression of a gigantic torch in the night.

Blazing blue flames emanating from the tower seemed to be marking the territory of the Rutherford clan. It presented a splendid sight, welcoming the guests and at the same time warning those who held ill will about the might of the clan. Regardless, right now the grandeur of the Rutherford clan seems to be dominated by the grim reaper himself. 

A lady stood over the window, watching the skies with relative disinterest. She had an extremely beautiful face with long braided blonde hair done into an extensive bun. Resting her chin on her gloved fingers, the lady had an aloof expression on her face.

The peace of the room was disturbed by someone opening the door behind her. "Thought I will find you here. A man commented with an easy smile, inviting himself in and walking over to stand next to the lady dressed in her signature blue attire. 

"Did I miss something? Things seem to be on a roll here in the capital." The guy commented. "Nothing much. These phenomena had become rather common here." She answered in a nonchalant tone.

The lady in blue finally turned her head to look at the man. "What happened?" The guy next to her took a deep breath, he had to let her know the results of his visit sooner than later. "I could not locate him."

As if half expecting the result, the woman bit her lips in frustration. "I left some of our men in the town. They will inform him of our affairs as soon as he returns." The man continued, trying to console his wife down.

"No one knows where he might be?" He shook his head at the question and gently held onto her shoulders. "We are doing whatever we can Triss. You don't have to take this personally. You are the leader of this clan, you need to be strong." 

"I understand.. but.." She nodded ever so slightly but then turned her head around to watch the bed located behind her, more specifically the girl laying in it. "Even with everything in this world, something tells me I have failed miserably." A single tear collected on the rim of her eyelids. 

"Please Triss... I know these are the bad times for us as a family. But please rest assured, I will definitely get someone who can fix this situation for us. Rivia will not have to be like this forever." The man proclaimed with a heavy heart, bringing his wife over to the bed and sitting next to their daughter. 

Triss gently caressed the serene face, realizing how much she had lost in life. Having cherished power more than anything in her life, it was only now when she can't help but regret it. Rivia's condition was like a vortex, dragging her sanity down into the deep abyss. 

"Try to get some sleep. I know another grandmaster.. he must be able to help us." The man spoke with conviction. Triss raised her head to look at him with her bright blue eyes. "Who?" 

"Grandmaster Austin. He is a truly learned person. He must have a way to deal with this cultivation backlash." Triss frowned her eyebrows. "But.. he is an elf. Even if we can find him, what makes you think he will agree to help us out?" 

Although humans and elves shared a cordial relationship. They were not the best buddies in the town. Both held some grievances against each other only maintaining a transactional trading link for each other's benefits. 

The man smiled ruefully. He held onto Triss's chin and gently kissed her lips. "You think we have any other choice? No matter how minuscule the chances, I must do it." The elves resided in the massive forests. Some of their clans still preferred to live in isolation. 

With such odds stacked against them, Triss knew how difficult it was going to be for her husband to actually locate the fabled doctor whose identity remained vague. Apart from his name only a handful had ever seen the guy with their own eyes. 

"I shall leave tomorrow itself." Unable to watch his silent girl any longer, he wanted to take his leave but Triss held his hand. "No need. You had just returned from a long journey. You better get some good rest." Aware of how stubborn the guy can be, she narrowed her eyes letting him know she was serious about this.

"Damn.. are you threatening your own husband, lady?" The man sneered. "No wonder people don't like you haha.." He mocked. But Triss only scoffed at his words, forcing him to sit back down in the bed with her. 

"You think I care about what everyone thinks of me, Steven?" He can only agree with her arrogant statement. Triss Rutherford had always been the mighty figure who commanded respect out of the sheer strength she possessed. Be it men, women, orcs, beasts, or vampires she feared none. 

"Heck.. sometimes it feels like I married a fellow man." The man referred to as Steven lamented. "Haven't you seen the other guys from different clans? Each of those bastards has a charming wife.. and what have I got? The literal personification of masculinity?" 

"Haha.." Despite being conscious that he was attempting to cheer her up, Steve's destitute face genuinely made her burst out in a peal of laughter. She put her right arm around his shoulder, more like a comrade than a wife. "Why would you say that? Ain't I charming enough?" 

Steven wanted to cry a river when Triss actually fluttered her eyelashes trying to act cute before herself breaking out in laughter when she can't perform it satisfactorily. "Haha.. this was harder than I thought." She admitted, failing to perform the 'act cute' theatrics.

"Please don't ever try that again." Steven requested from the bottom of his heart. Triss laughed even harder, her chest undulating up and down. "Though you are not even strong enough to stop a finger of mine, at the very least you got some good humor." 

"Do you have to rub it on my face?" Steven cringed as Triss ushered him into the bed and slowly crawled into his lap. He let her do as she pleased with a bitter smile. "It's not that I am weak, rather my wife is a monster." He argued.

Triss placed both her legs on each side of the man, straddling him. Her breasts crushed against his chest as she brought her face right next to his. "You do know I don't like that word?" She squinted her eyes but Steven didn't falter.

"Hmph.. so what? You can't 'slap me to death' can you hahaha.." His hands made their way over to Triss's ass, holding onto them. "Hm? You grew an extra ball, it seems, dear husband." 

Her fingers crawled all over the man's neck. "Ahem.. nope. There are only two. You can check." Triss's smile grew wider at his jesting. Both her hands held his head in place and sucked on his lips. 

"Haah..!" Triss removed the pins holding her hair bun, throwing them to the ground. "Hm.. don't tell me all this you bravery had been drilled into you by some prostitute?" Steven immediately gulped when his wife mentioned the prostitutes. 

He was a man in the end. It was futile to expect his manly wife to ever meet his needs. "Ahem.. you are slandering me." Triss's hands had meanwhile reached his groins, taking hold of his balls. "Am I, now?" 

"Why does it feel like you are so eager to run away from here partly to help our daughter and partly to escape me?" "Cough.. cough.. what nonsense. You are my wife, why would I ever think of running away from you?" Steven barked in fake anger. 

"Hahaha... Incensed?" Triss let go of her stern face, choosing to nestle in his arms. Steven noticed the change in her mood and held her tightly. He can feel her hot breath get louder in his chest as the woman slumped over.

"I know how hard it must have been for you, Steven. Looking after the administration of the clan, now searching for a means to cure an ailing daughter and all this when you can't even have a loving wife to welcome you back home." Triss mumbled in a low voice, prompting Steven to rub her back in solace.

"You think I was unaware of what I was signing up for, Triss. I have seen known you for so long, you think I could not figure out that you are going to be a terrible wife?" Triss raised her head to look at his face, finding him smiling gracefully.

"Still, that doesn't change the fact that I truly love you. Well at times our love feels more like between two friends rather than a husband and wife, nevertheless, I don't care.  I just want to be with you." 

"I have seen you struggle, Triss. You are one of the strongest-willed person I have ever seen in my life. No matter the scale of obstacles life threw at you, you just blew past everything with burning willpower. It had always inspired me to do my best as well." Steven took a pause and hugged Triss, pushing her head back into his chest. 

"So no matter what you say, if I can make even a small difference in your life I will take that opportunity with open arms." Pressed against his heart, Triss listened to every heartbeat of the man. There was not a single shred of a lie in his words. Both man and woman fell silent, sticking to each other. 

"Hahaha... I went on a tangent there." Steven was the first to recover from the heavy atmosphere. "Ahem.. you did!" Triss agreed, trying hard to get rid of the slight blush on her face. 

"I am impressed, Steven. Apart from humor, you seem to be developing another skill." Steven was surprised by the acclamation. "Oh.. what will that be?" "Spinning bullshit..!!" Triss mercilessly crushed his enthusiasm then laughed out. 

Seeing his downcast expressions, Triss could not keep up the laughter for too long. "Hey.. why so sad? I admitted to being a shitty wife. But haven't I told you that you are free to pick another wife of your choice. Why don't you take my offer?" 

Steven's skin crawled at the suggestion and he shook his head ruthlessly. Like Triss said previously, he will need an extra ball to ever take up Triss on that offer. While Triss lacked the charms of a woman, she did keep the jealousy and mood swings of being a woman.

This endeavor was out of bounds for his risk appetite. Only five years into the marriage did he consummate it. And now after two and a half-decade he seems to be able to at least talk to Triss on equal ground. There was a long way to go for him. 

'I think I am better off spending a night or two in a courtesan's arms every month.' He replied to her in his mind. "Hmph.. stubborn guy." Triss chided while loosening her gown from behind. Pulling her dress down, she revealed are breasts. "Pull your pants down." 

"Here? Our daughter..?" Triss didn't allow him to complete, biting his earlobe and then whispering into it. "Then you better fuck me hard enough that my screams wake our girl, Steven." The man gulped and lacking any choice, unzipped his pants and took his little brother out. "Aaahhh..!!" Triss didn't waste any time, guiding it straight into her vagina.

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