Chapter 209. Regulate...stabilize

All eyes were on him."Ash... is something the matter?" Anna’s voice came gently from his side, her hand nudging his arm. He was standing in the middle of the classroom, fists clenched, breath uneven.

Something must be wrong at Liloth’s place!He thought to himself before turning to Anna.

"It’s nothing you should worry about!! I’ll be back!!" he said, jerking his chair back with a screech, then he turned to the teacher. "I’m sorry, ma’am, but I need to go!"

"Asherman!" Adrian called after him, confused. "What’s up??..."

"I’ll be back, bros!!" he yelled without looking back. Madam Sarah mumbled something about how difficult if a student he was becoming, but her voice was already distant noise. He had no time for lectures.

He rushed out the classroom, bolting down the corridor. The second he was outside, he activated his invisibility skill and took off into the sky—straight toward the Guildmaster’s house.

The wind howled in his ears, but it couldn’t drown out the thoughts racing through his mind. His jaw was clenched, his fists tight at his sides. Lorraine hadn’t shown up at school and with the case of the Duke, that could mean anything. Liloth had become one of his tamed women, and that meant no man had the right to lay a hand on her. If the Duke had done something to them... he couldn’t care less about Lorraine, but Liloth...

The idea of her hurt made his blood boil.

He soared through the air, flying at full speed. A flock of birds crossed his path, and he didn’t bother to swerve. He hurled a fireball, scattering feathers and ash through the sky.

Seven minutes. That’s all it took before he slammed down onto Liloth’s front yard with a bone-shaking thud. He didn’t knock. He didn’t wait.



He kicked the door open.

Inside, a man—probably a butler—turned in surprise. "Hey—!"

Asher didn’t slow. He planted a firm kick into the man’s gut, sending him crumpling to the floor.

"Where’s Lorraine?" he barked.

The man groaned, holding his stomach. "Who... are you?"

"Dammit!" Asherman’s voice rose with fury. "Where the fuck is Lorraine and Liloth? Is that so hard to answer!?"

Upstairs, a door creaked open.

Both Lorraine and Liloth appeared at the top of the stairs, eyes wide.

He charged past the butler without a second thought and ran to them.

Ignoring Lorraine completely, he reached for Liloth, grabbing her by the arms, inspecting her—looking her over for any signs of damage, any bruises, any evidence of harm.

She was fine.

His brows furrowed.

"You’re... okay?"

Liloth stared at him like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Slowly, she nodded.

"...More importantly, are you okay?" she asked, concern rising in her voice.

Asher stood there, breath ragged. His chest heaved. His heart was still racing, fists trembling slightly.

Lorraine stood behind her mother, arms crossed with an annoyed expression. She didn’t say a word, but the disgust in her eyes spoke loud enough. The same boy who’d defeated her at the finals was now uninvited in her home, looking unhinged.

Asher didn’t care about her. He placed a hand over his chest and took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

Sudden emotional outbursts. Overreactions to minor stressors. Misplaced aggression... all following a major emotional event (with Ivy)

He paused, closing his eyes for a moment.



"Could it be that I now have... Intermittent Explosive Disorder?" he asked no one but himself.

He wasn’t okay. He could feel it. Was losing Ivy from his collection really taking this much of a toll on him? Was it making him lose his mind?

He looked at his hands. They were still clenched.

No.

I can’t let myself go through this.

I have to take hold of myself. That’s all.

Regulate... stabilize. Cut the emotional dependency. Control the variables.

He pressed his fingers to his temple.

Sleep better. Eat on time. Keep to structure. Talk less. Think more.

I know the protocol. I just need to act like the doctor I used to be—while also treating myself as the patient I’ve become.

He let out a dry chuckle. "I’m glad you’re fine. I just thought..."

Liloth cut him off. "Let’s go talk business in my room. I also have something to discuss with you."

She took him by the arm and pulled him along, and only then did Asher notice the man still groaning on the floor. Guilt hit him. He opened his system store, bought a healing potion, and knelt beside the butler.

"I’m really sorry, sir," he said, offering the bottle. "I wasn’t thinking straight. Please drink this. It’ll help with the pain."

The butler glanced at Liloth. When she nodded, he uncorked the potion and drank it. His eyes widened as the pain vanished instantly, like it had never been there. From the kitchen, the maids whispered to one another, murmuring about Asher—calling him a madman for barging in and kicking the butler.

With a quiet sigh, Asher stood and followed Liloth to her room. Before entering her room, he caught sight of Lorraine leaning against the railing above, arms crossed, eyes glaring daggers at him. He met her stare for a moment, then turned and walked into Liloth’s room.

It was spacious—more luxurious than anything he’d seen before. Even more lavish than Ivy’s bedroom. These rich women really were living the life... or so he thought, until Liloth’s voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"You’re thinking, what a lucky bitch I am, right?" she said, flopping down on her massive queen-sized bed.

Asher didn’t respond. He just watched her.

"It’s luxurious, I know. But it lacks warmth." She rolled onto her side. "Sometimes... no, most times, I feel lonely."



She patted the space beside her, signaling him to sit. Asher did. Her voice dropped into something more serious.

"Anyway, I’ve got bad news. I tried to figure out what the Duke is up to... and I might’ve made things worse by running away yesterday."

She started explaining everything she’d observed—every suspicion, every hint of something darker happening behind the Duke’s polished exterior. As she spoke, Asher listened with his chin resting on one hand, deep in thought.

The Duke. The name alone felt heavy now. From Liloth’s report, it was clear: this man wasn’t just powerful—his strength was far beyond normal. But the scary part was his secretiveness. It made it hard to determine his next move. A mastermind operating behind the scenes. Asher couldn’t shake the feeling that the Duke was already steps ahead of them. But in what game, he wasn’t sure yet.

"Well... aren’t you scared your life might be in danger?" Asher asked, his tone serious.

Liloth raised a brow. "Didn’t know you were that worried about me. I thought I was just your... tool. A means to an end."

Asher nodded. "Yeah, I’m using you. You’re my personal slut, remember?" he said with a smirk. "But I actually care about my sluts. So of course I’m concerned about you."

She stared at him, heart pounding. What the hell was this boy doing to her? When did he start looking like the hottest man alive? She had always seen him as a cocky, scrawny brat. But now... now he felt like something else entirely. Dangerous. Possessive and dominant.

He was a mystery himself, and somehow, she didn’t want to solve him.

"So... what do you suggest, Master?" she asked, her voice playful.

Asher’s lips curled into a slow, confident smirk.

TBC