"Are you... my husband?"
Elias blinked several times.
For some reason, he had expected the legendary Killer Flower to attack him the moment she saw him. Instead, Stella was sitting before him with her head tilted to the side, her crimson eyes filled with innocent curiosity.
He slowly nodded.
"Yes."
The moment she received her answer, Stella’s expression brightened.
A beautiful smile spread across her face, and before Elias could react, she jumped off the bed and rushed toward him.
She threw herself into his arms.
Elias froze.
Stella hugged him tightly, pressing her body against his chest as though she had known him for years.
Behind them, Benjamin’s jaw dropped.
"What the..."
Neither of them could understand what was happening.
This was supposed to be Stella Crimson, the Killer Flower, the woman who had slaughtered countless people after losing her sanity.
Yet the woman clinging to Elias’s chest looked no different from an innocent child who had finally found someone she trusted.
Elias slowly lowered his arms and returned the embrace.
His hands rested against Stella’s back, and he immediately felt the firmness of her muscles beneath her clothes.
Even after everything she had endured, her body still carried the physique of a warrior.
This woman had once been one of the greatest swordswomen of her generation.
The thought made Elias sigh inwardly.
For several minutes, Stella silently remained in his arms, seemingly content.
Eventually, she pulled her head back and looked at him with wide crimson eyes, then she leaned forward slightly.
"Pat me."
Elias stared at her.
"...What?"
Stella puffed out her cheeks and looked at him with puppy-like eyes.
"Pat me."
Elias couldn’t help smiling at the absurdity of the situation.
He raised his hand and gently patted her head.
Stella’s eyes immediately narrowed in happiness.
She practically looked like a puppy being praised by its owner.
Elias continued patting her for a while, wondering whether he had somehow entered a completely different world.
Then Stella’s expression suddenly changed, her smile faded, and she lowered her head slightly before looking up at him.
"You won’t leave me too, right?"
Elias’s hand stopped.
The innocence in her eyes made his heart tighten.
For a moment, he said nothing.
His thoughts drifted back to everything that had happened.
He had spent twenty years being treated as useless by the Crimson Ducal Clan.
He had no talent, no achievements, and no faction willing to support him.
And now, instead of allowing him to prove himself through something he understood, they had tied him to three women whose lives had been destroyed by tragedy.
Natasha couldn’t speak or hear.
Monica was poisoned to the point that simply approaching her was dangerous.
And Stella...
Stella’s mind had been shattered after watching her entire family die.
Was this really an opportunity?
Or was this simply another punishment for being useless?
For the first time, Elias seriously wondered whether he should run.
He could leave.
He could abandon the Crimson Clan, disappear somewhere far away, and live quietly without carrying the burden of three broken women on his shoulders.
Wouldn’t that be easier?
His gaze fell upon Stella.
She was still waiting for his answer.
Her crimson eyes were filled with uncertainty.
Elias slowly smiled.
"No."
He gently placed his hand on her head again.
"I won’t leave you."
For several seconds, Stella simply stared at him, then her face brightened.
"Really?"
"Really."
Her smile became even wider.
"Good!"
She hugged him again.
Elias couldn’t help laughing softly.
"You’re quite troublesome."
Stella didn’t seem to mind.
She simply buried her face against his chest.
At that moment, one of the maids approached cautiously.
"My lord, breakfast has been prepared."
Elias nodded.
"Let’s go."
Stella immediately followed him.
The group soon arrived at the dining room.
Elias’s gaze fell upon Natasha.
She was already sitting at the table, quietly eating her breakfast with the same emotionless expression she had worn since his arrival.
Elias sat opposite her while Stella took the seat beside Natasha.
A bowl of vegetable soup was placed before Stella.
She stared at it, and her expression slowly turned sour.
"I don’t like vegetables."
Elias looked toward Benjamin.
The butler gave him an awkward smile.
Elias sighed, "You’re going to eat them."
Stella pouted.
"But I don’t like them."
"You have to eat vegetables if you want to become strong."
Stella’s eyes immediately lit up.
"Strong?"
"Yes."
She looked down at the soup.
Then she reluctantly picked up her spoon.
"...Fine."
She began eating.
Elias watched her for a moment before turning his attention toward Natasha.
Natasha continued eating silently, her golden eyes occasionally moving toward Stella and then back toward her food.
The meal passed peacefully.
It was strangely quiet.
Elias wondered what his new life had become.
Once breakfast was finished, the two maids approached him.
One of them was carrying a small black pill about the size of a marble, while the other carried another tray containing vegetable pureed soup.
Elias frowned. "What is this?"
Benjamin stepped forward.
"The pill is for you, my lord."
"For me?"
"Yes."
Benjamin pointed toward the black pill.
"It contains a special antidote developed by the Mage Tower. It will temporarily protect you from Lady Monica’s poison."
Elias’s expression became curious.
"How long does it last?"
"An hour."
Elias nodded.
He picked up the pill and the tray, and walked toward Monica’s room.
"If she’s my wife, I should at least be capable of feeding her," he mumbled under his breath.
Benjamin stared after him.
For some reason, he felt that his new master was completely different from what he had expected.
Elias reached Monica’s room.
He glanced at the black pill in his palm before placing it into his mouth.
"Let’s hope this actually works."
He stepped inside, and his gaze shifted to Monica.
She was still lying on the bed, her body motionless beneath the faint blue glow of the magical formations.
Elias approached slowly, and the moment he came within several feet of her, his body reacted.
His skin prickled, his muscles tightened. It felt as though countless invisible needles were piercing his flesh.
Elias’s jaw hardened, and he mumbled, "So this is the poison..."
He gritted his teeth and continued forward.
Elias pulled the chair beside Monica’s bed closer and sat down.
Up close, her condition looked even worse.
Her pale skin was covered in dark, shadowy spots, and her breathing was so faint that Elias almost wondered whether she was asleep or dead.
He picked up the bowl and called out, "Monica."
She didn’t respond.
Elias sighed before scooping up some soup.
"Here."
He carefully parted her lips with his left hand and fed her with the right.
He occasionally glanced at her pale face because he couldn’t help but admire her beautiful face.
’A smile would be perfect on that face...’ he remarked inwardly.
All of a sudden, Monica’s body began to tremble violently.
"What’s happening?"
A dark, shadowy smoke suddenly began pouring from her body.
He instinctively jumped away from the bed.
"What is this?!"
The smoke spread across the bed, twisting around Monica’s body like living shadows.
Elias’s heart hammered against his chest.
"Benjamin!"
His voice echoed through the manor.
Footsteps immediately thundered through the corridor as Benjamin rushed inside.
"My lord!"
The moment he saw Monica, his expression became grim.
"Lady Monica is having a seizure."
Elias stared at Monica.
"What do I have to do?"
Benjamin immediately reached into his clothes, pulled out a small pouch, and handed it to Elias.
"There’s an antidote inside. Just feed this to her."
Elias opened it and glanced inside.
There were several small black pills, and he grabbed one of them before he returned his gaze to Monica.
The dark smoke continued pouring from her body.
He didn’t know whether the antidote would work.
And he certainly didn’t know whether the pill he had swallowed earlier would still be able to protect him.
But Monica was his wife, and he had already promised Stella that he wouldn’t abandon them
He gulped, strengthened his heart, and stepped forward.
The moment he entered the cloud of dark smoke, pain exploded across his body.
It felt as though his skin was being ripped apart.
His expression twisted, and he growled in pain, "Damn it..."
Yet he didn’t stop and forced himself forward.
A few steps, and he finally reached Monica.
He grabbed her shoulder, parted her lips, and forced the pill into her mouth.
"Swallow it!"
Monica’s trembling body suddenly convulsed.
Elias held his breath.
Seconds passed, and the dark smoke began to dissipate.
Monica’s trembling gradually stopped, and she became still.
Elias stood there, breathing heavily.
Benjamin released a breath of relief.
"You did great, my lord."
Elias stayed silent, his eyes fixed on something floating directly before him.
His exhausted mind struggled to comprehend them.
Then a mechanical voice echoed inside his head.
[Ding! Infinite Investment System Activated.]
"...What?" Elias’s eyes widened.
[Elias Crimson has been selected as the host.]
He swallowed.
"What... is this?"