Chapter 6954 Mending a Rift The Premier Fleet did not interrupt its plans to depart to the frontlines of the Red War. The Saint Commander and the other leaders of the Larkinson Clan had already held a virtual meeting to quickly decide which plans should proceed. For the most part, they decided to maintain the current direction. The Larkinsons needed to prove they could do more than fight against second-class opponents. By showcasing the might of the Minerva Mark II and the superdimensional First Sword Mark III, the Larkinson Clan would make a profound statement of its martial prowess during a period where it was a necessity for survival. Besides, a successful show of power should also send out a signal that the Larkinson Clan remained strong and stable. Less well run organizations typically collapsed or experienced a sudden decline when they abruptly lost their first-generation leaders. This was why the Larkinsons were not too keen on rocking the boat. The leadership of the clan made the decision to maintain the status quo as much as possible and think about implementing changes after the second-generation leader had taken office. Besides, every leadership candidate had their own vision of the Larkinson Clan. Saint Commander Casella Ingvar possessed very different priorities from Saint General Ark Larkinson. The two leading candidates had already begun to prep their election campaigns. Both of them had made the determination to lead the Larkinson Clan throughout the remainder of the Red War. Each of them believed that they could best safeguard the Larkinsons and preserve the clan during this difficult period of time. After handling a lot of affairs due the unexpected transition of power, Ves stayed up late at his office. When he returned to the grand stateroom that served as his family's new home aboard the Tortuous Scream, Ves and Lucky greeted a woman who was in a less-than-stellar mood. "Meow?" Lucky floated forward and tried to beg her for pets. "Not now, Lucky." Gloriana pushed the gem cat away. "Go and cuddle with Andraste. She is already settling in her bed." "Meow meow." As Lucky departed from the main living compartment, Ves remained in place. His expression grew complex as he noticed that his wife had lost much of her cheer and optimism. She did not even look in his direction. She deliberately presented her back to him. It was as if she cared nothing about him and his opinion. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖 That was most definitely false. She cared a lot. Ves could practically sense her inner torment. Doubts constantly plagued her mind. The culprit behind all of this was Sev. His thoughtless and uncaring words brutally ripped away her pride, causing her to lose the confidence and the delusions that previously made her impervious against these sources of harm. Now, Ves had arrived to face the consequences of his alter ego's actions. "Gloriana…" His wife remained unmoved. She did not leave, but she did not acknowledge him either. Ves knew he had to address this situation carefully. If he screwed this up, he would inflict lasting damage to his personal and professional relationship with Gloriana. He quickly analyzed the situation and chose to resolve the tension between him and his wife with a simple approach. He walked forward. His steps brought him closer and closer until he embraced his wife. "Get off." She growled and feebly tried to shove away his body. Of course, she had no chance of displacing a phase lord, even one who had folded away most of his true body. "Let go, Ves. I did not give you permission to touch me!" She insistently spoke. Ves ignored her objections and kept hugging her from behind. He tried to be firm enough to hold her in place, but also gentle enough to convey how much he cared for her wellbeing. Gloriana continued to squirm for a dozen or so seconds before she ceased her resistance. Her lithe body practically slumped against his chest. She was outmatched on a physical front. Not even her self-defensive solutions could help her due to the fact that Ves was a phase lord. "Gloriana." He spoke before she could throw another tantrum or voice a complaint. "I will not walk away from the words that Sev has said to you. As much as I don't like it, he is another part of myself. He probably has access to all of my memories, so at least some of what he said is reflective of my actual opinions towards you. I will not lie to you and say I never thought of you that way. It is the nature of a mech designer like the two of us to view our reality from a rational perspective. His objective analysis of your value is not wrong." That was not what Gloriana expected to hear from Ves. It was one thing to receive criticism from Sev. It was another thing if Ves affirmed his other personality's judgment! Ves leaned his head on her shoulder. The simple sharing of body warmth brought them closer to each other. "However, who cares about value and utility at this point? I love you, Gloriana. Back when we first met, you did not look down on me because I was a third-rater. Sure, you regarded me as an investment opportunity, but I planned to take advantage of your wealth and your connections. Both of us got what we wanted out of our relationship in that sense. However, I think our marriage is based on more factors than utility alone. I love you. I trust you. I know that you have my back at all times, and that you can count on my backing in return. Do you know why? Because we are partners, and not just in the Design Department." His wife let out a shallow breath. He still felt upset at him, but his honest but affectionate words caused her to relax, but only to a small extent. "Mech design is not a sprint. It is a marathon. It is one of the longest endurance races in human science and engineering. There are plenty of Star Designers who have enjoyed meteoric rises and reached their exalted ranks in record time. However, there are also other Star Designers who have maintained a slow but steady pace and worked their way to brilliance after many years of struggle. Whether you are fast or slow, I don't care. I believe in you, Gloriana. You are different from me, and that is completely fine. I recognize that you possess your own spark of brilliance that can carry you forth to the highest level of our industry. Even if your works does not meet your standard or mine for the time being, there is always hope for the future." His wife finally couldn't withhold her opinion any longer. "I am not special, or unique. I am a dispensable mech designer according to your thoughts. You can replace me with other mech designers with similar specializations and you would hardly notice the differences." "That is not true." Ves shook his head. "We have worked so long together that you have assimilated a part of my design philosophy. You are more familiar with my design philosophy than other mech designers. You know my preferences and you can always make a good estimate on how I would tackle a design problem. You are not useless, Gloriana. More than that, I love you. Each collaborative project makes me happy because it is like we are parents in the process of creating another child. We are not just making products. We are creating art. I have always believed that our love for each other has been an important factor why our collaborative projects are so good. Don't you agree?" Gloriana did not know what to say to that. She wanted to refute her words, but she needed to present a good argument in order to justify her own cynicism. "Why do you love me?" She asked instead. "What makes me worthy of your love?" "Trust." "Liar." She immediately shot back. "You trust me until you do not. Your trust in me is selective. You do not mind it if you share harmless secrets with me, but from the moment anything serious comes to mind, you slam shut like a magnetic clamp. From what I have observed, you trust Ketis more than the mother of your children. How is this fair?" Damn. Gloriana had poked a sharp hole in Ves' argument. He could not tell her that she was wrong. He indeed withheld many of his more sensitive secrets from her. His continued reluctance in revealing the Mech Designer System caused her to feel left out by her husband. Ves knew that this was no time for lies. He let out a deep breath. "It is… true that I have been keeping certain secrets from you. It is also true that I have been confiding in Ketis about a matter that is far too sensitive for me to mention in this environment. I hope that helps to convey the magnitude of my secret. I am not entirely blameless for keeping you in the dark. You have an unfortunate habit of revealing secrets, whether it is to your fellow Hexers or to the public." Gloriana grimaced. She could not bring herself to deny this allegation. "I was younger and less thoughtful all of those years ago. I have grown since then. I have become a mother and assumed more responsibilities in the clan. Compared to before, I understand the need for secrets much more extensively than in the past. If you love me, then… do not try and continue to hide this secret facet of yours from me. Let me into your super-secret club. I promise you that I will treat your secret with the utmost care and respect." Her request tested his tolerance towards her. Was she truly ready to get initiated into the Mech Designer System? Ves could think of many reasons why he should deny this proposal. The consequences of exposure were dire. As long as his wife slipped up even once, the Red Three would know about it by the end of the day. It was not as if those bigshots were all stupid. They should all be aware that Ves possessed a fragment of the Metal Scroll and had been taking advantage of it since the start of his professional career. However, as long as the specifics remained hidden behind a veil, there was nothing concrete for greedy outsiders to fixate on. They did not have a good understanding of the power and capabilities of the fragment of the Metal Scroll, and that prevented them from approaching Ves. All of that would change once people learned about the Mech Designer System. The more information got leaked, the worse the problem became. People might begin to make very firm requests about exchanging rare materials from the Divine Bazaar or precious enlightenment fruits from the Tree of Possibilities. It would be difficult for Ves to say no to the more powerful parties such as god pilots, Star Designers and those who acted directly under their authority. Ves did not want to be reduced to a human vending machine, so it was vital for him to protect this particular secret as best as possible. He extended his trust to Ketis because he knew that a willpower cultivator would never break her vow of secrecy. What about Gloriana? She did not possess such a strong guarantee. The lack of assurances should clearly prompt Ves to deny her selfish request. Yet… Ves was not the sort of person that applied logic to every decision. "I will do it." He whispered in her ear. "You are right. I have been denying you from an important part of my life because I did not trust you enough. I don't want our relationship to stay this way. I am willing to take a chance and make the first step towards improving it. I hope that you will reciprocate and do your best to uphold the need for secrecy." That caused Gloriana to stiffen and widen her eyes. She hardly expected Ves to fold so quickly!