Chapter 203: Leaving The Manor | 100 GT Bonus

After an awkward dinner with Stella and Natasha, Elias ordered Benjamin to prepare himself and the other servants to leave the manor in half an hour.

The butler stared at his master in confusion, clearly reluctant to accept such a sudden decision, but Elias reassured him that the move was necessary for their safety and that he had no need to concern himself with anything beyond carrying out the instructions he had been given.

Benjamin hesitated for a moment before bowing his head and accepting the order, leaving Elias to sigh as he made his way toward Natasha’s room.

Stopping outside her door, he could sense her presence through the Boundless Tether they shared, and after a moment of hesitation, he reached out through their connection.

[Natasha, can you open the door?]

He waited for a while before her voice finally rang through his mind.

[Why?]

[It is important,] he replied.

[More important than letting your wives know about the dangers you have been facing?] she retorted before adding, [If you wish to continue lying to me, then it would be better not to tell me anything at all. Just tell me what I need to do, and I will do it.]

Elias’s expression darkened as he placed a hand against the door, his fingers curling slightly against the wood.

[Please do not do this,] he mumbled. [I simply did not want you to worry about me back then, but things have changed now. I know you far better than I did before.]

[And what exactly do we know about each other?] she asked.

Elias tried to think of an answer, but nothing came to mind. No matter how much he searched his memories, he realized that his knowledge of Natasha remained superficial, and the same was undoubtedly true for her.

She knew that he was the bastard son of the Crimson Duke and that he was her husband, while he knew that she had once been a candidate for saintess of the Sun Church. Beyond those facts, neither of them knew much about the other as a person.

[I know I am in the wrong, but would doing this... staying away from me fix anything?] Elias questioned. [This is something we can only solve by talking.]

He waited for her response, but instead of hearing her voice, he heard the click of a lock as the door slowly opened.

Natasha stood before him with a deep frown, her golden eyes fixed on his face as she gestured for him to continue.

[Go ahead. Tell me.]

[First...]

Elias raised his hand and presented the silver robe with black borders, holding it out for her to take.

[Please wear this.]

Natasha glanced at the robe before furrowing her brows.

[Do you think you can get away with everything by giving me a gift?] she asked suspiciously, although her hand was already reaching for the garment.

[Just wear it for once,] he insisted.

Confused by his unusual behavior, Natasha accepted the robe and slipped it over her shoulders, but the moment the fabric settled against her body, knowledge of its abilities flooded into her mind, revealing how she could use it to disguise herself.

Her eyes widened as she examined the garment with renewed interest.

[What kind of legendary artifact is this?] she wondered aloud through their connection.

Elias stepped closer and placed his hands on her shoulders, his expression growing serious as he explained, [Tonight, we are leaving the manor for somewhere safer, and I need you to disguise yourself for the journey.]

Natasha’s expression immediately changed, and after considering his words for a moment, she nodded in understanding.

Elias leaned forward and kissed her forehead before murmuring, [I am sorry for lying to you.]

She studied his face for a few seconds before turning her head away.

[We will talk about that later,] she replied.

Elias smiled wryly, accepting that he would have to wait to make things right.

[All right.]

Natasha closed the door, leaving him standing in the corridor, and Elias let out a bitter chuckle before moving to Young Stella’s room.

He knocked on the door and called out warmly, "Stella, sweetheart. Open the door."

"Wait!" Young Stella answered immediately.

The door swung open a moment later, revealing the crimson-haired woman staring at him with bright eyes as her entire body trembled with excitement.

"Are you going to sleep with me?" she asked eagerly.

Elias chuckled and shook his head.

"No, but I have something for you."

Her expression immediately fell, although she soon tilted her head curiously.

"Is it sugar fruits?"

"No, something better," he replied.

Young Stella’s frown deepened as she shook her head with absolute conviction.

"Nothing is better than sugar fruits!"

"Right," Elias mumbled, deciding that arguing with her about the matter would be pointless.

Instead, he brought out the red robe with golden borders that he had been hiding behind his back and held it out to her.

"Here, this is for you."

Young Stella’s eyes brightened as she accepted the robe, and she rubbed her cheek against the soft fabric with an excited gasp.

"A gift! So soft!"

A smile creased Elias’s lips as he watched her enthusiasm.

"Put it on."

She nodded frantically and immediately began patting the robe against her body, apparently too excited to put it on properly at first. Meanwhile, Elias’s gaze shifted toward Other Stella, who remained asleep while leaning against the wall with her arms folded across her chest.

[Stella?] he called through their connection, but she offered no response.

Before he could try again, Young Stella finally slipped the robe over her shoulders, and her eyes widened.

"This..."

She punched the air with both hands and exclaimed, "This is amazing!"

Her appearance changed almost immediately as her long crimson hair turned blonde, her crimson-red eyes softened into a gentle shade of yellow, and her features transformed into those of a girl in her twenties.

[Image]

Elias watched the transformation with interest before asking, "Why did you choose that appearance specifically?"

Young Stella pressed her palms together and tilted her head, then smiled brightly as she answered, "I do not know."

The corners of Elias’s lips lifted as he patted her head.

"You look great."

She giggled before staring intently at him and asking, "Do I look better than big sister Natasha?"

Elias’s smile faltered slightly, but he quickly nodded.

"Of course."

"Yes! I look better than big sister Natasha!" she cheered, clearly delighted with the answer.

Elias watched her celebrate for a moment before telling her, "We are leaving the manor for somewhere safer tonight, so make sure you come downstairs in a little while."

"We are leaving?" Young Stella asked, biting the end of her fingernail as her excitement gave way to uncertainty.

"Yes."

"Okay! I need to pack everything, then!"

She turned around and hurried toward her belongings, pulling out her leather backpack and stuffing her clothes inside with the urgency of someone preparing for the greatest adventure of her life.

Elias chuckled at her enthusiasm before leaving the room and walking down the corridor. He glanced toward Monica’s door as he passed, but he didn’t stop and instead continued downstairs before leaving the manor.

Benjamin, Sara, Lena, and Sermus were already waiting outside, and the moment they saw him approach, they bowed together.

"My Lord."

Elias acknowledged their greetings with a smile, noticing that all four had changed into ordinary clothing and covered their heads with dark goggles to avoid drawing attention during their journey.

"They should be here soon," he mumbled as he looked beyond the gates.

Right on cue, two muscular men appeared in the distance and began walking toward the manor.

They were the guards he had encountered earlier, and Elias’s gaze briefly settled on the knight whose arm he had severed. He had used Heal to reattach the limb, not out of compassion alone, but because leaving someone with a grievance against him within his immediate surroundings could become dangerous.

He had severed the arm when they were his enemies and then helped them once they had become potential allies. That single act would make them, and anyone who heard about it, think twice before stepping out of line, since Elias had demonstrated that he could be both merciless and cruel when necessary.

The two knights stopped before him and bowed respectfully.

"Lord Elias."

Elias nodded before turning toward his servants.

"Follow these two."

His servants exchanged hesitant glances, clearly uncertain about being sent away without their master, but none questioned his decision. After a while, they followed the knights down the road and soon disappeared from Elias’s sight.

Once they were gone, he heard footsteps approaching from behind, and when he turned, his gaze fell upon Natasha.

Her long black hair had become a faint lavender, her golden eyes were now black, and her chocolate complexion had lightened to a fair shade. She had left the silver robe open over a black gown, giving her a completely different appearance without sacrificing her beauty.

[Image]

Elias froze for a moment as he took in the transformation, and a thought crossed his mind.

’Seems like I was wrong, Stella...’

Natasha turned around to show him her appearance before asking through their connection, [How do I look?]

[Can you even look anything less than gorgeous?] he replied with a shrug. [You look stunning.]

The corners of her lips lifted into a satisfied smile.

[I hope you are not lying this time,] she added.

Elias frowned at her words.

[You are pulling my leg, are you not?]

Before Natasha could answer, the manor’s entrance doors burst open, and Young Stella rushed outside with a cheerful cry.

"Husband!"

She shot toward him as a red and yellow blur, and Elias caught her in his arms before spinning on his heel several times, only stopping when her delighted giggles grew too loud.

"Hehehe!"

Young Stella wriggled free and proudly marched toward Natasha, holding out a small page she had brought with her.

Natasha glanced at the paper curiously and took it from her, while Elias’s face slowly paled.

"It cannot be..." he mumbled.

Natasha lowered her gaze and read the words written across the page.

Husband said that I look better than big sister Natasha now! C:<

She stared at the message for a moment before slowly lifting her eyes toward Elias.

[Not even a minute has passed...]