In Todd's soul space, in his office on the second floor of the research institute.

Sitting in a comfortable swivel chair, holding a bag of potato chips in one hand and a can of Coke in the other, Rachel watched the video clips of last night's banquet playing on her computer, laughing uproariously.

Busy with his business, Todd glanced at the woman beside him and shook his head, saying, "I really envy you. You can still eat when you see this kind of food."

Seeing people scattering for their lives, Rachel laughed so hard she clutched her stomach and convulsed on the table, muttering intermittently, "I can't believe I missed this yesterday! What a pity!"

Todd felt a wave of nausea wash over him, as if he could still smell the lingering stench in his nostrils. He quickly reached out to stop Rachel, saying, "Let's change the subject."

“Alright.” Rachel raised an eyebrow and complained to Todd, “When can I go back to Twilight City?”

Todd paused, then gave Rachel an apologetic look: "The barbarian camp has just been established, and I need your help."

“I knew you’d do this.” Rachel, looking displeased, stretched her arms back, revealing the perfect curves of her upper body.

Todd paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered something, clicked the mouse several times, and said to Rachel, "Open the email icon on your computer desktop and look at the email I sent you."

With a puzzled expression, Rachel clicked on the Outlook icon, opened the email, and saw that the body of the email contained the blueprints of a unique building.

Unlike the elaborate designs and religious structures commonly found in medieval architecture, this building embodies the concept of "simplicity" in every aspect: simple wooden furniture, unpretentious room layouts, a bright and cheerful visual experience, and pleasing potted plants.

Rachel flipped through the architectural drawings and concept images, asking curiously, "What is this?"

Todd tapped the table with his fingers and said excitedly, "Everything needed to build this house, including craftsmen, blueprints, and cement, has been arranged to be on the ship. I believe we will be able to cross Froststone Camp soon."

Rachel glanced at Todd, half-jokingly and half-seriously saying, "Judging from this, you're planning to let me stay here for a long time?"

Todd smiled without saying a word, but Cumberland's words suddenly came to mind.

"Your Majesty, are you sure this woman isn't hiding some unspeakable secret?"

Todd slowly lowered his head and said softly to the woman, "Ratchet."

"Um?"

Do you have any wishes?

"Why are you suddenly asking this? If I really had to make a wish... to eat all the delicious food, see all the beautiful scenery, and enjoy every moment of life, would that count?"

"From what you're saying, Your Majesty, do you intend to make her your queen?"

Todd clenched his fists, his palms pale and bloodless: "Ratchet, regarding the future, have you ever considered settling down for a while?"

"Settle down?"

Rachel's smile slowly faded, replaced by a flurry of emotions: surprise, hesitation, worry, and sorrow. Finally, she closed her eyes and quietly said, "I'm not suited for stability."

Todd frowned. "Why?"

"There are many reasons why I can't explain to you right now." Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel glanced at the cozy room on the computer screen, a fleeting look of longing and yearning in her eyes.

Looking at Todd again, Rachel returned to her usual demeanor, smiling as she said, "Your Majesty, I hope you won't overthink things. One thing is certain: my loyalty to you is beyond question."

Todd sighed deeply.

Back in his palace in the real world, Todd sat at the table, looking out at the bright sunshine and beautiful garden, but his heart was filled with dark clouds and a raging storm.

During that conversation in the soul space, Todd believed that with Rachel's intelligence, she must have understood the meaning behind his words, but the answer she gave left him extremely frustrated.

Todd had always believed that there was some unseen bond between him and Rachel, which was why he was so furious and enraged when Rachel used her body as a condition to ask for the continuation of the alien race.

At the time, he stubbornly believed that Rachel's actions were an insult to their relationship. He hoped that Rachel could cherish this affection more, instead of measuring or even trampling on it with self-interest.

However... everything that happened in the Soul Space today began to make Todd completely question his own judgment.

A woman who previously proposed using a child to bind the two of them together, but now subtly rejects any further possibility, isn't this a sign that their relationship is deteriorating?

but why?

Completely baffled, Todd stood up from his chair and headed towards the underground passage of the palace.

When Huggins was overseeing the construction, he specifically requested that a room be added to the basement of the palace for the king—a laboratory.

Microscopes, glass test tubes, petri dishes, incubators... Stepping into this laboratory and looking at these familiar items, Todd inexplicably recalled memories from his past life.

Whenever he felt unhappy or down, he would always return to the university laboratory and use the world of biology and chemistry to temporarily forget his sorrows.

In this life, since ascending the throne, he has been overwhelmed by endless political affairs and countless matters, leaving him breathless. Now, thinking back, it has been more than a year since he last set foot on this land.

Gently touching the smooth marble countertop, gazing at the dazzling array of glassware on the shelves, Todd took a deep breath and whispered in a voice only he could hear, "I'm home..."

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