Elias picked up the notebook and quill resting on the small drawer beside the bed, then glanced at the enormous mattress that occupied a big part of the room. It was technically large enough for three people.
But he doubted Natasha would be comfortable sharing it with him, especially when they had only met that day, so he had already ordered another bed to be brought into the room. It was considerably smaller and designed for a single person, but that was perfectly fine with him.
He quickly wrote a message in the notebook.
You sleep on the bigger bed, and I’ll sleep on the smaller one.
Elias handed the notebook to Natasha.
She read it carefully, and then nodded.
She climbed onto the larger bed and sat there quietly, her back resting against the headboard as she stared at him with the same impassive expression she had worn since he first met her.
Elias let out a quiet sigh.
Even though she’s so beautiful, if she keeps staring at me like that, I’m going to go mad like Stella.
He shook the strange thought away and walked toward the windows.
After closing the curtains, the room became considerably darker, with only faint moonlight slipping through the gaps and painting pale streaks across the floor.
Elias then climbed onto his own bed without bothering to change out of the clothes he had worn while training.
He folded his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling.
Today had been overwhelming.
He had been married to three women he had never met, obtained the Infinite Investment System, received his first rewards, discovered the existence of the Three-Star Harmonic Dragon Physique sealed within his body, fought Stella, watched her mental state shift between two completely different personalities, and learned that his affection toward his wives could unlock even more of the system’s functions.
There was still so much he didn’t understand.
Most importantly, there was the seal.
Elias slowly clenched his fist.
The system had told him that the Harmonic Dragon Physique allowed him to wield the three fundamental forces — the World, the Self, and the Spirit — but something had deliberately prevented the physique from awakening.
He had lived twenty years without knowing anything about it.
Who had done it? And why?
Elias’s brows furrowed as he stared into the darkness.
I’ll have to get to the bottom of this.
Whatever secrets surrounded his body, he couldn’t afford to ignore them for long.
A faint movement caught his attention.
He turned his head.
Natasha was still staring at him.
Her golden eyes reflected the pale moonlight, making them look almost luminous in the darkness.
Elias stared back for several seconds before turning his gaze toward the ceiling again.
What kind of person was she before the failed ritual?
He knew what the public records said.
Natasha Sephila had once been known as the Divine Flower, the greatest spiritual talent the Sun Church had produced in generations. She had been praised as kind, magnanimous, and compassionate, with countless people believing she would become one of the greatest Saintesses in history.
But Elias had never met that woman.
The Natasha sitting before him now couldn’t hear, couldn’t speak, and carried scars across her body from the ritual that had destroyed everything she had worked for.
Was she arrogant like some of my siblings?
Elias smiled faintly.
Or was she humble like the heroes in those old stories?
There was no way for him to know.
His expression suddenly changed as a thought surfaced in his mind.
Should I try it?
During his first system reward, he had received a skill called Mental Whisper.
The system’s description had been brief, but Elias remembered that it allowed him to transmit his thoughts directly into another person’s mind.
If that was true... then Natasha might be able to hear him.
Elias slowly sat up. His heartbeat quickened slightly as he glanced toward her.
He had no idea whether the skill would work, but there was only one way to find out.
He closed his eyes, concentrated on the skill, and activated it.
[Natasha, can you hear me?]
Natasha’s eyes widened.
Her entire body froze for a moment, and then she looked around the room, her expression shifting from confusion to disbelief and then to something dangerously close to excitement.
Elias watched her.
It was difficult to describe the expression on her face.
She looked horrified, excited, confused, and hopeful all at once.
Elias immediately sat upright.
[It’s me. Elias.]
Natasha’s head snapped toward him.
She pointed at him with a trembling finger, her golden eyes filled with countless questions.
He climbed out of his bed, picked up the notebook and quill from the drawer, and walked over to her.
He placed them in her hands.
[Use this.]
Natasha immediately grabbed the notebook.
Her hands trembled so badly that the first few letters were uneven, but she forced herself to write.
When she finished, she turned the notebook toward him.
I can hear your voice in my head. How? How? How are you doing this?
Elias’s heart tightened. He could almost feel the desperation behind every word.
She wasn’t merely asking how he had spoken to her. She wanted to know how she could do it herself.
After years of living inside a world without sound, she had suddenly been given a glimpse of what she had lost.
Elias sat down on the edge of her bed and hesitated before sending another thought.
[I don’t know how I’m doing this. I just can.]
Natasha froze, the excitement disappeared from her eyes, and her fingers loosened around the notebook.
For a moment, she simply stared at Elias, then her shoulders began trembling, and tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.
Elias’s expression darkened.
Natasha lowered her head, and the notebook slipped from her hands and landed on the mattress. She clenched her fists and slammed them against the bed several times, her mouth opening as she tried to cry out.
But no sound came, not even a whisper.
Her entire body shook as she struggled against the silence that had imprisoned her for so long.
Elias watched her helplessly, his heart twisting painfully.
He had never experienced what it was like to lose his voice.
He had never experienced what it was like to live in complete silence.
Yet even without knowing exactly how she felt, he could see her pain.
Elias clenched his fist.
[Calm down.]
Natasha looked at him; her tears continued falling. Then, without warning, she grabbed her own neck.
Elias’s heart shuddered.
"Natasha!"
He moved before he could even think. In the next instant, he was beside her, pulling her into his arms.
Natasha struggled violently and tried to push him away.
Elias didn’t let go. He held her tighter, making sure she couldn’t hurt herself.
[Calm down, Natasha.]
She continued struggling for several seconds.
Elias tightened his embrace.
[Please. Calm down.]
Her movements gradually became weaker.
Elias lowered his head, his jaw hardened as he continued holding her.
[I don’t know exactly how you feel. I can’t pretend that I understand everything you’ve been through.]
Natasha’s body trembled against him.
[But I do know one thing.]
Elias closed his eyes.
[You’re in pain.]
His arms tightened around her.
[And I’m here to free you from it.]
Natasha suddenly stopped struggling.
Her fingers slowly loosened around her own neck.
Elias remained silent for several seconds before continuing.
[You probably hate me for not telling you how to use this.]
Her body trembled again.
[And I really want to tell you. I wish I could give you the answer right now. But I don’t know how I activated it either.]
He swallowed.
[I don’t know how to teach you something I don’t understand myself.]
She lowered her head against his chest and stopped crying.
Elias gently placed one hand against the back of her head.
[But that doesn’t mean I’ll give up.]
His voice became firmer.
[I’ll find a way.]
Natasha slowly lifted her head; her tear-filled golden eyes met his.
He looked directly into them.
[I’ll find a way to teach you how to use this. Even if it takes years, I’ll find a way.]
He paused before speaking the final words.
[So please... give me a chance.]
His voice softened.
[Please.]
For a long time, Natasha simply stared at him. Then she raised one hand and slowly touched his chest, right above his heart.
He didn’t move, and Natasha’s eyes closed.
For the first time since Elias had met her, her expression wasn’t empty. It wasn’t cold or distant either. The pain was still there, but there was something else as well.
Hope.
The orange system screen suddenly appeared in the corner of Elias’s vision.
[Ding!]
[The host has demonstrated genuine emotional support toward Natasha Sephila.]
[Affection Rate is increasing.]
[Natasha Sephila’s Affection Rate: 1]
Elias ignored the screen and looked down at Natasha, who was still resting against him.
For the first time since he had arrived at the estate, he realized something.
The system wasn’t the only reason he wanted to help these women anymore.
He genuinely wanted to see them smile.