[~1300 words]
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She barely dared to breathe, taking only shallow, quiet breaths. If James saw her right now, he would surely say, "How cute!"
"Soldier Mr…. you'll be alright, won't you…?"
Rebecca waited anxiously for the signal Kyros had arranged with her—whether it was time to run or to come out. There were specific codes for each.
Unfortunately, James was far too fast. Kyros had still been in shock when the electricity hit him, knocking him unconscious and leaving him completely unresponsive.
"Found you, Rebecca!"
James stomped his foot on the ground. A door created by the Door-Door Fruit opened instantly beneath him, allowing him to slip down into the underground passage with ease.
Light from above flooded into the hidden space. Rebecca's eyes widened as she stared blankly toward the source of the light.
"You… how did you get down here…?"
"Don't worry about the details, Rebecca. Don't be afraid—I won't hurt you."
James's words were calm and precise. He waved his hand gently, beckoning her to come closer.
Seeing this, Rebecca grew even more frightened. The underground passage was narrow and cramped, with no escape route behind her. She had nowhere to run.
"Who are you? Where's Soldier Mr.?"
"Me?" James smiled. "To be precise, I am your great benefactor—the one who avenged your mother's death."
"The toy soldier upstairs wasn't very obedient, so I had to put him to sleep for a while."
"Great benefactor? Mother's revenge? Do you know my mother?"
The mention of Scarlett immediately captured Rebecca's full attention, making her forget about Kyros's condition for a moment.
James nodded. He and Violet had grown quite familiar by now. It was only a matter of time before they understood each other even more deeply. Through her, he had also learned about Scarlett.
"Your mother was Scarlett. Eight years ago, she was murdered by Diamanti of the Donquixote Family."
"You probably know those old stories better than I do. Just a short while ago, I personally avenged you by killing Diamanti."
"Is… is that true?"
Rebecca could hardly believe it. For years, she had trained in swordsmanship under Soldier Mr. with the sole goal of seeking revenge.
Now someone was telling her that her long-awaited vengeance had already been fulfilled?
"Of course it's true. If you don't believe me, I can show you photos—or even take you to see Diamanti's corpse."
Looking into James's sincere eyes, Rebecca believed him.
After all, he had appeared so suddenly and overpowered Soldier Mr. without effort. Someone with such overwhelming strength had no reason to lie to her.
Besides, she had nothing left for him to deceive her over.
Poor Rebecca had seen very little of the outside world since her earliest memories. As a result, she rarely interacted with others and had no idea just how breathtakingly beautiful her appearance and figure truly were.
"I believe you, but… you came here specifically for me. Surely it wasn't just to deliver this news."
Even as immense joy welled up inside her at the thought of her mother's death being avenged, Rebecca kept her composure. She rationally tried to figure out James's true purpose.
"This isn't the best place to talk. Come here, Rebecca. I'll take you up."
Rebecca nodded. If he wanted to harm her, she had no power to resist anyway.
*Power.* The thought reminded her once again how important strength truly was.
With determined eyes, she walked over to James. He gently wrapped an arm around her waist. In a flash of lightning, they returned to her room above.
James guided her toward the small bed, but Rebecca didn't sit down immediately. Instead, she went over to Kyros, struggling to pull his toy body free from where it was embedded in the floor. She carefully placed him on a nearby chair.
James nodded in approval. As someone who stood above others, he particularly liked kind-hearted and grateful people.
He wished everyone in the world could be like this—then ruling them would be incredibly easy and stable.
After settling Kyros, Rebecca walked back to James and sat lightly on her small bed.
"I'm sorry for making you wait," she whispered.
She didn't blame James for being so harsh with Soldier Mr. She only quietly reproached herself, wishing she had been stronger.
"It's alright. I can wait as long as needed," James replied with a gentle smile.
He took out a Den Den Mushi from his storage space and projected an image of Diamanti's tragic defeat into the air.
"This is…?" Rebecca's eyes widened in disbelief.
"That's right. This is Diamanti—the man who murdered your mother Scarlett. The entire Donquixote Family has been destroyed by me. The dead are dead, and the rest have been captured."
Looking at the scene, Rebecca finally couldn't hold back anymore. She covered her mouth, trying to suppress the sorrowful sounds escaping her lips.
But the redness in her eyes and the large tears forming within them were beyond her control. Tears streamed down her beautiful face.
A daughter's tears do not fall easily—only when the sorrow runs deep.
James knew this would be an emotional, bittersweet moment for her. How could he miss such a perfect opportunity to grow closer?
He moved closer and pulled her into a warm embrace.
Rebecca didn't resist. Instead, she looked up at him with deep gratitude before burying her face in his chest.
Seeing this, James spoke softly, "Cry it all out… From now on, I will always be by your side. I'll protect you, love you in your mother's place, and give you all the family love you've been missing."
*A husband's love also counts as family love, right? No problem…*
Hearing his intimate words, Rebecca's crying paused for a moment. She seemed stunned.
The next moment, something seemed to click inside her.
She lowered the hand covering her mouth and tightly clutched James's lapels. Then she began to wail loudly.
At this moment, Rebecca had far too many emotions bottled up inside. The hatred that had driven her for so long had suddenly lost its target. Now, more than anything, she needed someone to help her through the confusion of a life without that purpose.
Her crying continued—loud at first, then softening—lasting a very, very long time…
Until she was completely exhausted and fell into a deep sleep in his arms.
Looking at her trembling eyelashes, James knew he couldn't leave her yet. He needed to stay by this lovely, pitiful girl's side.
He hoped that spending the next few days with Rebecca would allow him to fill her with the vibrant vitality she deserved.
Time passed quickly, and soon night had fallen.
James and Rebecca lay tightly embraced on her small bed.
The first to awaken wasn't Rebecca or Kyros, but Mansherry, who had been unconscious in James's arms for a long time.
"Where… where is this…?"
Mansherry only saw boundless darkness around her. Her tiny body was still restrained, and a strong sense of weakness continued to radiate from within.
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**Character Note:**
**Rebecca**: Has super beautiful long pink hair. Violet's niece and a princess of a fallen kingdom. She feels immense gratitude toward James for avenging her mother's death. With James taking the initiative, this gratitude will naturally transform into her devoting her entire being to him.
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