Episode 110
Translator: RaidenTL
Episode 110
There was no way someone with a burn on their right arm could have treated themselves so thoroughly.
Once he realized that, things he hadn't noticed before came into view. For example, Elysia's hair, which someone had neatly arranged with a possessive touch, and her removed shoes.
Then who was it? The man who knew the location of the house where they were staying, who was close enough to act the moment Elysia lost consciousness, and who treated her with his medicine…
The conclusion came easily.
“I heard something strange from that woman. It’s so strange that I’m only telling you, Senior, but… she said that man died because of me. That he was executed for hurting me…”
The culprit who’d had his eyes on Elysia for a while now, who hadn't bothered to hide his interest in her.
Biting his lip, he pulled a chair over and sat by the bed. Evan, clenching his jaw, threw the wet cloth that had been on Elysia's forehead into the fireplace.
He immediately soaked a new cloth he'd brought and breathed slowly. In contrast to his calm actions, his eyes were ferocious.
As if to erase any trace of the other man left on her, he silently overwrote the unknown person's nursing with his own.
“…How absurd.”
He let out a hollow laugh when he saw the bandage wrapped around Elysia's right arm. He knew there was no way she could have wrapped it herself so meticulously and flawlessly.
Evan unwound the bandage as well, revealing the red, blotchy burn, and lowered his head. He derided himself.
What am I even doing, only now?
The fact that he wasn't by his lover's side when she was in this state, the fact that he was treating someone else at that moment—a bitter sense of defeat weighed down on his shoulders.
With trembling hands, he wrapped a new bandage he'd brought around Elysia's arm. At that moment, Elysia stirred and opened her eyes.
Through her narrowly opened eyes, her gray irises were visible. Her wary gaze melted into relief the moment she saw him.
“Ah, Senior…”
Elysia pulled the hand that was holding her arm closer, smiling faintly as she rubbed her cheek against the back of his hand. He stared at her blankly for a moment before lowering his head.
Still half-asleep, she whined playfully, unaware that Evan's expression was grim.
“Ugh, I’m cold…”
Without a word, he stripped off his half-damp shirt and lay down beside Elysia. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, and her whimpers of being cold subsided.
He held her as if seeking confirmation. Pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose as she closed her eyes, using his arm as a pillow, he whispered.
“I love you.”
He knew better than anyone that this wasn't how you cured a fever, but he loved her enough to wish she could pass her sickness onto him. Enough to vow that he would always stay by her side, ready to support her.
When he held her tighter, a hand, warm with fever, wrapped around his waist. He felt a sense of relief from the way Elysia so readily snuggled into his embrace.
He knew he must look ridiculous, but he couldn't stop the childish thought from repeating in his mind: that only in his arms could she find this much comfort.
The light from the fire blazing in the hearth flickered across Elysia's face and over the strong forearm of the man holding her.
He kissed her hair, which another man had surely touched, and murmured with a sigh.
“You’re hurt again.”
“Ugh… sorry…”
He shook his head, his lips naturally tracing the bridge of her nose to kiss the corner of her eye. He smiled bitterly and replied.
“It’s not something you need to apologize for…”
His green eyes darkened. I hate seeing you get hurt. But I'd hate it even more if you couldn't do what you wanted because of me. He caressed Elysia's cheek with a gentle hand and whispered.
“…So you don’t have to.”
As his lips persistently tickled her, Elysia shook her head as if annoyed. Evan lightly nipped her earlobe before burying his lips in the pale nape of her neck.
His hot lips traced a slow path down to her collarbone. He clung to her, as if anxious. Hiding his green eyes, which held a faint possessiveness, beneath his eyelids, he murmured.
“No matter when, no matter what situation you face, I'll be waiting to help you. I'll never leave you alone.”
Because you have to keep moving forward… So please, forgive me for this little tantrum.
The sharp bridge of his nose pressed against her skin. A light suckle, a lingering kiss. Elysia flinched at the sensation on her neck and hugged him even tighter.
Leaving his mark, Evan pulled back and held Elysia in his arms as she drifted back to sleep with a defenseless expression. She fell asleep again, feeling a large hand gently patting her back.
*
Blink, blink. Elysia stared blankly for a moment, blinking at the feast of flesh spread out before her eyes.
When she twitched her hand, the man's tightly-woven muscles rippled. Startled by the biological reaction, she screamed.
“Ah, fuck! What the hell!”
“It’s okay, go back to sleep.”
It was an understandable reaction, but Evan, who seemed to have been awake for a while, calmly held the struggling Elysia so she couldn't move an inch.
Her eyes darted around until she saw the man's face right in front of her, and she blushed. He casually smoothed down his messy black hair and asked.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.”
“Your fever… it’s still there.”
His voice was even lower and huskier than usual. She could feel the ulterior motive in the hand caressing her nape.
As if he'd found something he liked, Evan stared at the area around her collarbone for a moment before smirking at her as she glanced at his bare torso. He answered,
“We just slept.”
“Oh…”
“When one’s lover is this busy, I’ll just have to wait for the next chance.”
As soon as she heard his playful reply, Elysia slapped the man's bare arm. Smack! He chuckled at the sound and got out of bed. When she tried to follow, Evan pushed her back down and gestured toward the bathroom with his eyes.
“Go wash up first. I've prepared some hot water.”
“When?”
“If we're back at the Count’s estate, we might as well make use of everything it has to offer.”
What a roundabout way of saying he used the staff, she thought. Now that the work was done, it probably wouldn't matter if the servants came and went…
As that thought crossed her mind, Elysia's head shot up as if she'd remembered something. As if he knew what she was going to ask, Evan answered for her.
“Mrs. Morris and Ted are both safe. The body has been recovered and sent to the mansion… though it's so badly damaged, I'm not sure it'll be of any help.”
“The mansion?”
“A mansion owned by the House of Sylvester. It seems to be connected to the last incident.”
He must have meant the place where Ian Sylvester was staying. Elysia imagined how Ian would feel upon suddenly receiving a charred corpse and let out a groan, “Umm…”
He's probably seen worse bodies, so he won't be shocked, but having a corpse delivered to your house can't be a pleasant feeling.
“I've given orders to keep everyone away from the scene. So…”
“So?”
“You just focus on getting better.”
Elysia grabbed onto his arm as he was about to head downstairs.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“You saved me again this time, Senior.”
“…Ah.”
A chill passed over Evan's face. He spoke to the bewildered Elysia.
“I was going to tell you slowly so you wouldn't be alarmed.”
What? As if trying not to startle the confused girl, Evan gave a faint smile.
“That wasn't me. I think… you've got a psycho attached to you.”
“…?”
“Let's talk while we eat.”
He gently pushed Elysia, who looked as if hundreds of question marks were floating above her head, into the bathroom.
Reassured by Evan's calm demeanor, she began to take off her clothes without much thought, then froze. Wait a minute, isn't this a huge deal? She leaned against the bathroom door, dazed, and marveled.
Even in a terrifying situation, Senior is so rational… Just as she was about to think that, she saw a reddish mark on her neck in the mirror. She casually rubbed it with her fingertip, only to freeze when she realized it wasn't something smudged on her, but something imprinted.
A flash of memory from last night shot through her mind. It was hazy, but she remembered. The image of a man clinging to her desperately.
Correction. Even he hadn't been calm last night. The man who always acted so mature had been beside himself with anxiety, leaving a mark on her that he normally never would have.
She ran a hand through her hair, exasperated, and muttered.
“…Who the hell is it?”
The nursing she'd thought nothing of when she assumed it was Evan suddenly became terrifying now that she knew it was the work of a third party. The fact that they knew where she was staying meant she'd been watched for some time.
Soaking in the bathtub, she tried to recall her last memory.
A system window had appeared, one that belonged to neither <Panic in the City> nor <You'll Fall in Love>. And then she'd fainted without seeing the face of the suspicious person who approached her. Wait a second…
“What about the potion?”
She hurriedly opened her Inventory to check inside and froze. The spot where the potion bottle had been was empty.
With a splash, she shot up from the tub, hastily wrapped a large towel around herself, and ran out of the room.
Elysia stomped around the room, her expression hardening when she confirmed the potion bottle was nowhere to be found.
“What’s wrong?”
Evan, standing there holding a tray with breakfast, asked with a puzzled look. He sighed at her state of near-undress and was about to take a step when she held up a hand to stop him and shouted.
“Let’s go downstairs first.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Let’s eat on the first floor and leave this room as it is.”
She walked briskly toward him, who was standing with his back to the stairs, and gestured with her eyes as if to say, What are you doing? It was a clear signal to turn around and go down quickly. Evan tried not to look at her exposed shoulders and said.
“You’re, uh, not fully dressed yet.”
“…”
“Just in case you forgot.”