Elias dropped the clothes he had been carrying onto the bed before opening the wardrobe again and pulling out a dark tunic and a pair of trousers for the moment.
He had only a towel wrapped around his waist, having just finished his bath, and was completely unaware that Natasha had already awakened.
She was sitting quietly on the larger bed, watching him.
Elias turned toward the bed and froze when he saw her golden eyes staring directly at him.
[...Since when are you awake?] he asked through Mental Whisper.
Natasha raised both hands and spread all ten fingers.
Elias stared at them for a moment before guessing, [Ten minutes?]
She nodded. Then she reached for her notebook and quill, wrote something, and turned the notebook toward him.
Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone that Lord Elias has a mole on the back of his right thigh.
Elias stared at the words for several seconds before his face tightened.
"Yeah... I am sure you won’t," he mumbled while quickly pulling on his clothes.
He fastened the tunic and adjusted his trousers before clicking his tongue.
"What a way to start the day," he muttered.
He turned toward Natasha and sent another thought.
[I have to go out today, so can you take care of Stella?]
The moment the thought left his mind, he shook his head.
[Never mind. I’ll tell the maids to look after her.]
He started walking toward the door, but Natasha suddenly reached out and grabbed his hand.
Elias stopped and looked back at her.
She shook her head before picking up her notebook and writing something quickly.
I will do it. I can.
Elias read the words before looking into her eyes.
There was pain in them, but there was also determination.
For years, Natasha had been unable to do much of anything on her own, yet she was clearly trying to prove that she could still be useful, that she wasn’t merely someone who needed to be protected.
Elias nodded.
[I’ll trust you then.]
Natasha gripped the notebook tightly and nodded deeply, her golden eyes filled with renewed determination.
Elias smiled faintly before leaving the room.
He walked down the corridor and entered Monica’s room, where he found her lying peacefully beneath the blankets.
"Monica," he called softly.
She didn’t move.
Elias stepped closer and gently shook her shoulder.
"Monica, wake up," he said.
There was still no response.
He sighed and shook his head before carefully picking her up.
"You’re really determined to sleep through everything, aren’t you?" he mumbled.
He carried her into the bathroom and washed her carefully before drying her and dressing her again. Once he had returned her to bed, he prepared her food and began feeding her.
Everything went smoothly for the first few mouthfuls.
Then Monica’s body suddenly trembled.
Elias immediately reached for the antidote he had already prepared beside him.
"Not again," he muttered.
Dark smoke began leaking from Monica’s body, but before it could spread very far, Elias gently pushed the antidote between her pale lips.
He carefully made sure she swallowed the pill, and within moments, the trembling began to subside as the dark smoke retreated into her body.
Elias remained beside her for a moment before continuing to feed her.
"Whenever she eats something, a seizure happens," he noted with a frown. "Almost like the poison doesn’t want her to regain any energy..."
He finished feeding her and placed the bowl aside before noticing that several strands of Monica’s blue hair had fallen across her face.
Elias reached over and carefully brushed the hair away.
At that moment, Monica’s eyes opened.
Their gazes met, and Elias’s heart skipped a beat.
Her blue eyes were deep like an ocean yet glistened like a starry sky, and seeing them so clearly from such a close distance left him momentarily distracted.
"What are you doing?" Monica asked.
Elias quickly withdrew his hand, his expression becoming slightly flustered.
"Nothing," he said.
Monica’s eyes sharpened, and the corners of her lips twitched upward.
"You don’t have to be embarrassed," she said and added with an amused smile, "I know nobles have quite different tastes... weird too, but as a seeker of absolute truth, I am not the one to judge anyone. Not even you, my lovely husband."
Elias gave her a deadpan glare.
"I wasn’t doing anything weird!" he said.
Monica chuckled coquettishly and mumbled, "Sure, sure."
’She irritates me too much,’ Elias thought as he furrowed his brows and walked toward the door.
Seeing him leave, Monica’s expression changed.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
Elias halted at the doorway and glanced back.
"A new city lord is going to be inaugurated today; I am invited to join the ceremony."
Monica’s frown deepened, and for a brief moment, sorrow appeared in her eyes before she looked away.
"They’re going to make a joke out of you," she said quietly.
Elias fell silent.
He already knew that.
He was the bastard of the Crimson Ducal Clan, and the new city lord had little reason to invite him unless there was something to gain from embarrassing him.
"I know, but I still have to go," Elias mumbled.
He turned and left the room.
Monica stared at the closed door for several seconds before whispering, "Alone again..."
Her gaze lowered.
"Being unconscious is far better than this," she murmured.
A few minutes later, Elias had changed into his ceremony attire, the refined crimson noble coat embroidered with subtle gold patterns contrasting against his crisp black shirt and fitted trousers.
As he stepped into the corridor, Benjamin appeared at the doorway.
"The carriage is ready, my lord," he said with a respectful bow.
Elias nodded.
"Let’s go."
The two of them walked through the manor and eventually reached the front gate.
A carriage was waiting outside.
It wasn’t particularly grand. In fact, it looked like an ordinary carriage that could have belonged to a wealthy merchant rather than a noble attending a city lord’s inauguration.
Elias frowned. "Benjamin, what is this?"
A bead of sweat rolled down Benjamin’s forehead.
"That’s the carriage sent by the new city lord..." he said awkwardly.
Elias’s expression darkened.
For a moment, he simply stared at the carriage. Then he clenched his fist.
"Should we not go?" Benjamin asked hesitantly.
Elias shook his head.
"We will," he said firmly. "I wish to see who the person behind this blatant disrespect is."
They walked toward the carriage.
The driver looked at Elias from head to toe before narrowing his eyes.
"Are you the bastard?" he asked.