"I really don't know much about her background. I only came upon her in the Dark Forest. She was wandering alone with no one to look after her. She once saved me from bleeding out. I will introduce you to her, she is really cute." Damien said with a smile.

"Wow...she even saved you? Strange, how could someone abandon their child like that in that dangerous forest? Even her cultivation is at the Spirit Ethereal Realm. I feel like her background is not simple. I have never seen or heard about families having pink hair or anything like that." Lily said with a pensive expression.

However, inwardly she was glad that Valentina was there for Damien when he needed help. She felt that she should thank her for that.

"She is not as simple as you think, and what if I told you she was in the Dark Forest for many years? She is not exactly human. She is a half ethereal beast as well." Damien said as he looked at Lily's face to see her reaction.

Lily's brows raised, and with a doubtful smile, she said, "Damien...you can't be joking.."

Lily kept staring at his eyes to see if he was joking with her. But seeing how serious his eyes were, she felt that he was telling the truth.

She continued with a bewildered expression, "That can't be...how can someone be a half ethereal beast? Ethereal beasts don't have much intelligence, nor can they take human forms. It simply isn't possible."

Damien chuckled, "Lily, just like how unbelievable the fact that my ethereal core points got fixed, there are many unbelievable things you have yet to know."

Lily pouted, "You are really making me die with curiosity. But don't worry, I won't pester you to tell me as I know you are not telling me for my own good."

Damien sighed and said in an apologetic tone, "Lily, I am truly sorry for hiding things like this. But I promise when everything is alright for us, I would tell you. I don't want to hide anything between us."

Lily smiled as she slightly shook her head, "No, don't worry about it. I was simply joking. You promised to tell me at the right time, and that is more than enough. I am also sorry for not telling you about the Gale prince coming over. I promise to not hide things like that from you in the future."

Damien softly smiled, "It's fine. I understand why you didn't tell me. And your promise is plenty enough."

Lily smiled, hearing his words, but suddenly she remembered something and said, "But...where is Sofie now? You told me that she isn't with you now, and how did you meet her?"

These few days, Lily was wondering which lucky girl was Damien's first. She was thinking how Damien even met her when he barely stepped foot outside his own home during his childhood.

She was even more eager to know what kind of a woman Sofie was to win Damien's affection.

Damien's eyes became melancholic, and sighed, "She is dead."

Lily's eyes widened, and seeing his eyes becoming wistful; she felt her heart wrench. She never expected that the person Damien loved so much was already dead.

She said in a regretful tone, "Damien, I am sorry...I-I didn't mean to.."

"No...don't be...it's my fault...she died because of me.." Damien said in a woeful tone with his gaze downward..

Lily's eyes quivered, seeing him become so sad. She cupped his face and said in a concerned tone, "No, don't blame yourself like that. I am sure you must have done everything you can to save her. I am also sure she wouldn't want you to torment yourself like this. Now I understand why your shoulders seem heavy, as if you have been carrying a lot of pain and regret. You don't have to carry them all by yourself now that I am with you. Please let me share your burden just like how you want to share mine."

Lily had always felt that behind his smiling eyes, there were ripples of woefulness. She felt that his playful nature was just a front to hide his pain and grief.

Damien's expression spirited up as he smiled. He held and kissed her hands, "You have already become a part of my life and soul. Now whether we like it or not, we are bound to share each other's happiness and pain. But I believe that I will find Sofie again...her reincarnated self."

He wryly smiled as he continued, "Do you find me crazy for talking like this?"

Damien knew that what he was pursuing was pretty far fetched as he had no idea whether Sofie had already reincarnated or not. And even if she did, he had no idea where she was.historical

Instead of thinking that he was a fool, Lily envied Sofie to have such a passionate lover who wouldn't even give up finding her even after her death. She now truly felt lucky that she was now in love with Damien.

Lily shook her head softly and smiled, "Of course not. It only shows how much you love her. Even though I am not sure about reincarnation, I have a feeling you will reunite with her again."

"Thank you, Lily. I also love you in the same manner, and my love for you will only get stronger with each second." Damien said in a heartfelt tone.

Lily gave an affectionate smile as she hugged Damien tighter.

"I feel like I am the happiest girl alive." Lily said in a warm tone as she nestled herself in his embrace.

"And I feel like I am the luckiest man alive...to have you." Damien replied in an intimate tone.

They both cuddled each other as they talked about other things. He told her how Valentina got those scars from a powerful ethereal beast and explained about Blood Laws and how Valentina can use them.

Lily was quite surprised there even existed such laws, and it only made Valentina look more mysterious in her eyes.

Damien told her that he met Sophie in another world and that he would explain what he meant after he settled Lily's problems.

He was a bit surprised when Lily revealed that she had attained a breakthrough to the Tenth Level of the Spirit Ethereal Realm.

Lily felt that Damien would soon overtake her and was more determined to increase her cultivation to be useful to him.

However, when Lily heard that he went to the Wailing Woodland region, she became upset and reprimanded him for rashly visiting those dangerous regions without even telling her. She knew that the place was like hell for practitioners as countless cultivators die there every year.

Damien somehow calmed her down by telling her that he would be more careful and also told her how he could tame and control ethereal beasts to do his bidding. He, however, said that he couldn't tell the specifics for now and would tell her later.

Damien also learned that the Ancestor was making a steady recovery as expected and told Lily to tell him that he would wait for the right time to reveal himself.

Damien knew it wouldn't be good for others to know that the Ancestor was no longer dying. He guessed that the Ancestor would also hold the same opinion with his experience of looking after an empire for centuries.

He was now relieved that he could leave the Rong Empire without worrying about Lily. But he was sad that he would have to temporarily part with her as he already felt that he couldn't bear not to see her for even a single day.

Especially after bonding with her today, he felt that she has already become a part of him.

He was now more determined to change her fate within two years and be with her forever.

However, unbeknown to Damien and Lily, a pair of ruby red eyes were looking at them with complex emotions brewing in those eyes.

*Skreeeek*

A chill-sending scratching sound screeched out as Valentina scratched the outer walls of the enclosed area Damien and Lily were in.

"I won't let you take Big Brother Damien away.." She mumbled as she intensely stared at the two naked figures cuddling against each other intimately.