Chapter 158: Byes And The Impending Duel

Monica lay in her bed, and the pale yellow noon light spilling through the curtains illuminated her light blue hair as she stared at Elias with a deep frown.

"It is a trap," she said, her voice heavy with concern.

"I know," Elias nodded.

"Do not go," she added, and although she tried to keep her composure, the desperation in her voice was impossible to hide.

"I do not have a choice..." Elias said, and then he smiled reassuringly. "Do not worry. Nothing will happen to me."

Monica continued staring at him, her eyes filled with worry, before she turned her head away and muttered, "Who is worried about a shameless man like you? I simply do not want to miss my meals, baths, and massages..."

Elias chuckled, then reached out and gently placed his hand against her cheek.

"I will miss you too," he said before rising from the chair.

Monica’s eyes trembled, and she lowered her gaze as she quietly admitted, "I wish I could trap you here with me."

A playful smile appeared on Elias’s face, and he leaned closer to her ear while his hand slid down to rest against her abdomen.

"I also want to trap a thing or two in here," he whispered.

Monica’s face immediately turned crimson, and she quickly turned her head away from him.

Elias laughed softly before walking toward the door.

However, just as his hand reached for the handle, Monica’s voice stopped him.

"Come back fast..." she mumbled. "I do not want to be lonely."

Elias turned around and looked at her with a warm smile.

"I will," he promised.

Then he opened the door and left, locking it behind himself.

After walking through the corridor, Elias entered Stella’s room.

He found Stella standing beside the window, staring outside at the quiet streets of Kilmir.

"Stella," he called.

Stella instantly turned toward him, and the moment she saw Elias, she raised both arms into the air with a wide, cheerful grin on her face.

"Husband!"

She dashed toward him and hugged him tightly, nearly squeezing all the air from his lungs.

"Ugh!" Elias groaned, and as he struggled to breathe, he couldn’t help but think, ’No matter how she acts, she is still a Monarch, huh...’

He patted her back and said, "Calm down, my wife."

Stella slowly loosened her grip and tilted her head.

"Why did my husband come to my room?"

The question made Elias pause because he suddenly realized that he had only entered her room once before.

"I want to tell you something," he said.

Stella’s eyes immediately brightened.

"What?" she asked eagerly.

"Tomorrow, I will leave the house early for a duel—"

Before he could finish, Stella’s eyes practically blazed with excitement.

"Fight?" she asked.

Elias nodded.

"Yeah, fight."

"Make sure to beat that person’s ass!" Stella declared.

Elias blinked several times before looking at her in confusion.

"Where did you learn that word?" he asked.

Stella’s expression immediately became thoughtful, and she frowned as she tried to remember.

"I do not know..." she mumbled.

Elias stared at her for a moment before sighing softly.

Some time passed, and eventually night settled over the manor.

Elias and Natasha lay beside one another on the bed, their hands intertwined beneath the blankets. The room was quiet, and only the faint glow of the moon entered through the curtains.

Elias gently squeezed her hand.

[I will be leaving early in the morning for a duel tomorrow.]

Natasha looked at him with a frown before releasing his hand and reaching for her notebook.

She quickly wrote: Why?

[To prove my innocence,] Elias replied through Mental Whisper.

Natasha’s frown deepened.

You are being targeted.

[That I am,] Elias said with a chuckle. [But I have no other option than to see it through.]

Her expression turned grim.

For several moments, she remained silent, staring at his face. Then, as if she had finally reached a decision, Natasha placed the notebook and quill aside.

She rose from the bed and sat over Elias’s abdomen.

Elias stared at her in confusion, feeling her weight and softness on himself.

[What are you doi—]

Before he could finish, Natasha leaned forward, and their lips met.

His eyes widened in surprise.

She pulled back and looked down at him.

For some reason, she didn’t feel content.

She leaned forward once again, and their lips met once more. However, this time she slightly opened her lips, and her tongue pushed between his lips.

Elias allowed her tongue to enter his mouth, and she began to roll it around his.

’What is this?’ He wondered.

Natasha closed her eyes as she kissed even harder and greedier. He also closed his eyes, and his hands moved up.

They brushed under her dress, over her thighs, and held her plump ass. He could feel the fabric of her underwear and the softness of her bottom.

The husband and wife greedily indulged in each other’s bodies until she pulled her head back, a string of saliva connecting their mouths.

She then picked up her notebook and wrote: Good luck.

He smiled and then rolled her down and made her lie beside himself. Then the two wrapped their arms around each other, and he said, [You will make my heart explode someday.]

Both fell asleep while snuggling. His stiff member poked her abdomen, and she enjoyed the heat radiating from it.

The next morning, Elias stood at the gates of his manor.

He wore the light armor Erick had given him, while Lastbane rested at his waist inside its ordinary sheath.

Beside him floated the Sword Spirit, her arms folded across her chest and her expression completely impassive.

Behind him stood Benjamin, his face carrying a somber expression.

He understood his master better than most people did, and he knew Elias was far different from what the people of Kilmir or the Crimsonland believed.

However, the duel was unfair regardless of how it ended.

If Elias won, or even demonstrated that he was an Advanced swordsman, Berlic could twist the result and use it to convince the people that Elias was the unknown killer.

Kilmir was already tense, and fear had spread through the city because of the murders and the expanding spatial rift. Under such circumstances, people would be more willing to believe whatever explanation was placed before them.

And if Elias lost, he would be publicly humiliated, which would only make him easier for Berlic to suppress.

There was simply nothing he could do about it.

Or perhaps there was.

Benjamin just didn’t know what it was.

"Are you sure about this, My Lord?" Benjamin asked.

Elias nodded.

"I am."

He took a deep breath and looked toward the road ahead.

"It will work out somehow," he added.

Benjamin remained silent, but the concern in his eyes did not disappear.

Then the sound of horse hooves stomping against the ground reached them, followed by the rumbling of wooden wheels.

Elias turned toward the source and saw a carriage approaching the manor.

The carriage driver was the same man who had disrespected him on the day of Berlic’s inauguration ceremony.

However, the man’s face was now completely pale, and his hands trembled slightly as he controlled the horses.

He couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to him if the nobleman before him really was the unknown killer.

The carriage finally came to a halt before Elias.

He didn’t even spare the driver a glance before stepping forward and climbing inside.

As he settled into the carriage, Elias glanced back at Benjamin and Sermus, who stood near the manor gates.

"Let’s go."