Promised spouse.

"Serene, the bird female, is my promised spouse!"

Neo exclaimed in one breath, saying things out loud made him felt a whole lot lighter. He sighed as soon as he finished the sentence as if he used all his might to tell Sabal the truth.

Viosus and Sabal on the other hand weren't much impressed with the answer, they looked bored in the face like only air had passed out of Neo's mouth.

"Hey, what is a promised spouse?" Sabal covered his mouth and whispered lightly into Viosus's ears.

"It's a pair of spouses that the parents had made a deal with each other since their birth." Viosus blatantly explained the straight forward concept to Sabal, also in a whispered tone.

"BUT IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!" Neo screamed in desperation and waved his hands back and forth "We don't even like each other, it was something our parents made up a long time ago, it meant nothing now, I will never agree to be Serene's spouse."

While Neo was desperately explained himself, Viosus and Sabal went on with their own discussion, ignoring the bird completely.

"Haha, you should have seen the petrifying look on his face, like a prey about to be eaten alive..." Sabal mocked as he replayed Neo's reaction with his acting "And the female was so obsessed with him, I can even see hearts coming from her eyes, ugh, thinking out it makes my skin crawl."

"Can't say I didn't warn you, Neo...." Porsogon mumbled, with an 'I told you so' expression, he showed Neo no mercy, letting his brother suffered the full force of shame.

"Brother!?" Neo begged Porsogon with his eyes but his brother couldn't care less. Neo quickly turned to Viosus and Sabal to continue explaining himself. "I already told you, it's not like that, don't add words into my mouth! Vio! You have to believe me."

"One less bug on my bed for all I care..." Viosus mumbled and glared down Neo, not like he was worried Yilas was going to like the bird, it was just the less competition for him the better.

"HAHAHHAHAHAH....!" Sabal burst out laughing uncontrollably at Viosus's comment.

"How could you be so heartless..." Neo shrieked and started sobbing thinking if Viosus or Sabal told Yilas about Serene, his chance would be over.

"You should tell her yourself that you're not interested, don't beat around the bushes." Porsogon still held a cold expression on his face, advised his brother the decent thing to do.

"Brother, I already told her many times but she never listens. Aunty is worst, everytime I brought it up she did everything to avoid it! I'm seriously out of luck!" Neo flopped down on the table, his forehead hit the wood, making the loud *thud* noise over and over again.

"Hey, I have an idea, wanna hear?" Sabal suddenly chimed in, he wore an extremely shady expression, especially the sly smile made him look more like a hoodlum.

Everyone's attention immediately followed Sabal, particularly Neo, who instantly lifted his head and peeked the snake's bright idea. Though doubtful, all of them patiently waited for Sabal to finish his sentence.

"Why don't you hurry up and becoming her spouse already, that would solve the problem right?" Sabal winked and smiled slyly, his small and long eyes were squinted into a line.

"NO! WAY! IN! HELL!!!" Neo clapped the table and stood up, even if he died, he would never do that. "You! You! You have no idea how scary that female is! Even Porsogon is scare of her!" Neo words burst out without any restrain, he unknowingly put his brother on the spot, leaving Viosus and Sabal stared at him in shock.

"I'm not scared of her..." Porsogon mumbled, he had the medicine bowl on his lips so only half the words escaped.

"Ho?? How interesting!" Sabal, still in awe in the face nodded to Viosus who was wearing the same reaction "I wonder what kind of beast would leave two grown beast-man trembles in fear..."

"Again, I'm not afraid..." Porsogon mumbled again, it seemed like everyone else at the table was all simultaneously ignored him.

Sabal immediately had another bright idea, he clapped his hand one time loudly, every eye was on him again.

"AHHH! I GOT IT!" Sabal purple eyes brightened like two amethyst stones, it especially had a rare beautiful glimpse under the afternoon sun. "Why don't you trick her into becoming spouses with another beast-man? Then either she will forget about you or at least stop following you for some time!"

After just half a second thinking, Neo's body shot straight up, his posture was stiff and also his expression. Soon the blank look was erased by a big grin from ears to ears, he thought finally, maybe this snake might not be as useless as he thought.

"AHHHAAA! I GET IT! She will be too focused on her spouse to care about me, and if the beast is jealous, it wouldn't let her get another spouse! SABAL, YOU'RE ARE A GENIUS!"

Neo jumped into Sabal's arms and forcefully gave the snake a hard squeeze, they bickered back and forth while Porsogon and Viosus quietly had their own conversation about the matter.

"Do you think it will...?" Viosus asked in a low tone, his eyes still glued to the wrestling pair.

"Most likely not..." Porsogon instantly answered he could already tell the attempt was not going to end well for his brother. Especially knowing his aunt's temper.

"Shouldn't we stop them...?" Viosus attentive nature made him concerned for the young bird beast.

"Leave them. We have other important tasks to tend to."

Porsogon and Viosus left the main house to entered the master's bedroom, where Porsogon had drawn out a plan for their mission.

***

"Teacher! Shouldn't you at least tell me your secret plan by now?"

Yilas exclaimed in a sigh, she had been training with Mohsen for over a week now and the time to the sacrifice ritual was around the corner, which made her anxiousness grew exponentially.

"Nope! Complain one more time and earn yourself another lap, now keep practice shooting!"