Ace was shocked by Malservus's sudden interference, since he was under the impression that she was still in slumber. Nonetheless, the implications behind Malservus's words were too significant for him to just ignore or care about anything else.
"Fufufu, after your sudden surge in cultivation and newly developed Nascent World, I'm becoming spirited, and I decided to check on what you've been up to. Lo and behold, I witnessed such a huge drama that I couldn't help but watch with relish." Malservus mischievously exclaimed.
Ace was speechless and couldn't help but blame Malservus secretly, but he didn't dare to do it openly.
"We'll discuss this later!" He replied to Malservus instantly.
He looked at Alina, who was still in her arms, and Star confidently declared, "Listen, you two, there is no need to worry so much. I've already known a place where we might get what we want."
"What? Really?" Alina was startled as she looked at Ace suspiciously, clearly not believing him.
Star seemed to be the same. The sword was in utter disbelief and thought Ace was just reassuring Alina so she wouldn't make any mistakes. So, Star decides to stay silent and even secretly cheers for Ace so he can convince Alina not to make such a hasty decision.
"Why would I lie to you? Stop thinking too much about this and focus on your cultivation. We'll get married before thinking about these things, alright?" Ace deeply looked at Alina in the eyes, and she suddenly blushed.
However, Ace could sense that Alina's chaotic mind seemed to have significantly calmed down.
Alina took a deep breath and nodded thoughtfully, "Alright, I'll trust you no matter what. But promise me, you won't hesitate to…t-to…just tell me if you need me!" She seemed too embarrassed to say whatever she was planning and blushed furiously. She didn't have Eva's daring personality when it came to 'that' department; she was pure as snow.
Ace was even more speechless and decided to ignore her last words. She looked at Star and sternly said, "In the future, if you encounter anything serious , report it to me directly, even if Alina won't agree. I know she can be a handful, but she tends to tackle everything by herself and won't seek other help. Even when she was little, she was afraid of storms, but she pretended to be…"
"Heyyy!" Alina, in utter disbelief that Ace had suddenly brought up her childhood, instantly punched him on the chest while using a little bit of her strength.
A loud sound like a drum being hit rang the moment she punched Ace's chest, and Alina instantly realized that she wasn't weak at all like before; in fact, her physical body was like a lower-ascension grade-5 treasure!
However, she was surprised again when she noticed Ace was only grinning and didn't seem to be in pain or any discomfort at all. At this moment, she saw a peculiar flash pass Ace's eyes, like dark lightning. She suddenly sensed something, and her eyes widened.
"L-Lord Ace! You also have force!" It was Star who exclaimed in disbelief, as Star was a treasure made to use with Force, so the sword was naturally more familiar and sensitive to Force.
Ace didn't deny it and nodded, "Indeed, I've recently awakened my Force, but I'm still only at the Ascension Grade-1."
"But you also have Cultivation Heart!" Star uttered as the sword seemed to tremble as if realizing something extremely terrifying.
Ace chuckled, "Yes, I'm a true martial and true soul cultivator! I know it's a difficult path, but it's something I need to do to protect everything I care for, especially my loved ones." He looked at Alina as he said those words.
Alina didn't seem much surprised. Her eyes shimmered with adoration and love, as if anything was possible for Ace. She was calmer than ever, and all her worries seemed to melt under his reassuring gaze.
Star no longer said anything and then vanished, just like the sword had appeared. Now, the sword not only fears Ace but also admires him because of his daring path of cultivation!
After a while, Ace finally decided to tell Alina about his promise to Eva. Alina didn't react besides her little astonishment since this was news to her, and her eyes shimmered with a peculiar glint.
"Didn't this mean she's not your wife now?" Alina quickly asked as if she had discovered something huge.
Ace smiled wryly, "No, I've already explained to you that, according to the Devil Race's custom, we are married. However, since Eva was raised and born among humans and in the River Flower City, she also believes in human marriage customs.
"Furthermore, it's not about customs, it's more about my promise to her. Although I was somewhat naïve and new to the cultivation world, I didn't know how the cultivation world's customs worked. Nonetheless, I plan on keeping my promise to her because if I can't, what's stopping me from breaking any promises in the future with her or you?" Ace seriously stated.
Alina's eyes shimmered as she looked at Ace tenderly and nodded, "Although that she-devil is hateful, I won't stop you from keeping your promise to her, and I don't want her to think I'm playing tricks. Still, now that you've mentioned this, I suddenly think about something: The Celestial Clan also has its own unique matrimony ritual, like the Devil Clan."
Ace's eyes widened as he instantly sensed something amiss by those words, and just as he thought, the way Alina was looking at him reminded him of Eva.
"Although I haven't awakened the memories about the matrimony ritual of the Celestial Clan yet, since I'm not considered an adult, once I do, you have to take part in it whether you like it! As long as you promised me this, I'll be patient!" Alina demanded as her eyes were filled with desire and hope.
Ace didn't know what to say at this moment, but he felt that if he didn't agree with her, something terrible would happen to him.
Ace agreed with resignation, since what could possibly go wrong? After all, Alina's life was already connected to him through Thief House. Only in the future would he truly realize…!