Chapter 204: I Liked Them The Way They Were

Elias stared at Natasha with a deadpan expression before replying, [I said that to comfort her.]

A mischievous glint appeared in Natasha’s black eyes as she turned around.

[Right. It is not as though you would ever lie to me.]

Elias facepalmed, wondering why he had to endure such torture, before shaking his head.

[Let’s go,] he said aloud and in Natasha’s mind.

He took a step forward, and Natasha fell into step beside him. However, Young Stella remained where she was, nervously biting the end of her finger as she glanced back at the manor.

Elias stopped and turned toward her, furrowing his brows when he noticed her hesitation.

"What is wrong, Stella?" he asked.

Young Stella looked at him before mumbling, "What about that weird woman?"

He frowned, wondering whom she meant, but then he remembered the other woman who was still inside the manor.

"Ah, Monica," he said.

Young Stella nodded before asking, "Yeah, what about her?"

"Do not worry. She will be moving as well," Elias assured her.

His words seemed to ease her worries, and she hurried over to him before linking her arm with his and pointing enthusiastically down the road.

"Let’s go!"

Elias chuckled at her eagerness before pointing in the opposite direction.

"We have to go the other way."

"Oh..."

Young Stella lowered her hand, looking slightly embarrassed, while Natasha covered her mouth to hide her amusement. The three then began walking through the streets of Kilmir, with both women curiously observing the buildings around them.

They soon arrived at the ordinary-looking wooden house that concealed Olide’s underground hideout.

Elias turned toward his two wives.

"Take off your robes or return to your normal appearances," he instructed.

Young Stella immediately hugged herself.

"Why?"

"If you continue disguising yourselves, it will become troublesome once we are inside," Elias explained.

Natasha nodded before allowing her appearance to return to normal, her lavender hair darkening to black as her golden eyes and chocolate complexion returned.

Young Stella, however, remained reluctant for a few moments, glancing between Elias and her robe. Eventually, she reluctantly changed back to her usual appearance, and Elias smiled in satisfaction.

"Good."

He patted both women on the back before leading them into the house, where the floor shifted and revealed the staircase descending into the underground passage.

Young Stella stared at the moving mechanism with wide eyes, her mouth falling open in amazement.

"Whoa... this is amazing!"

Natasha was equally surprised by the hidden entrance, although she kept most of her astonishment off her face as she followed Elias downstairs.

As they approached the final steps, Elias spotted Olide, Greta, and Benjamin waiting for them. Benjamin immediately bowed deeply toward his master, while Olide offered a less pronounced bow and Greta remained standing without showing any intention of doing the same.

"My Lord," Benjamin greeted him respectfully.

"Lord Elias," Olide added.

Elias nodded in acknowledgment before turning toward his butler.

"Take Natasha and Stella to their rooms."

"As you wish, My Lord," Benjamin replied before turning to the two women. "Please follow me, Lady Stella and Lady Natasha."

Elias watched them leave with a satisfied smile, pleased that Benjamin had learned the layout of the hideout and located the rooms designated for his household in such a short time.

Meanwhile, Olide watched the two women disappear down the passage, wondering whether they were truly two of the three Cursed Flowers he had heard so much about.

Elias, however, had no intention of lingering.

"I will be back soon," he said before turning around and leaving the hideout.

He hurried through the streets of Kilmir, retracing his steps toward the manor, where one final person still needed to be moved.

When he arrived, he went straight to Monica’s room, unlocked the door, and stepped inside, only to find her sleeping peacefully in her bed.

A faint smile crossed his face as relief washed over him; he had hoped to move her while she was asleep.

Approaching the bed, he gazed at her pale face for a moment before gently lifting her hand and kissing the back of it. He then picked her up and carried her over to a nearby chair, where he settled her down before placing a hand against the now-empty bed.

A moment later, the entire bed vanished into his Inventory.

With that taken care of, Elias retrieved the final robe, a blue garment with silver borders, and carefully draped it over Monica’s shoulders. He then lifted her into his arms again, preparing to leave the room, but just as he was about to take a step, a familiar voice drifted into his ear.

"What are you doing?"

Elias looked down and discovered that Monica had awakened, her blue eyes fixed on him with sleepy confusion.

Before he could answer, however, her expression changed as the knowledge contained within the robe flooded into her mind. She examined the garment draped over her body before looking back at him.

"What is this... and why am I wearing something like this?" she mumbled.

Elias adjusted his hold on her before explaining, "We are moving somewhere safer, and I intended to do it while you were asleep to make things easier."

Monica furrowed her brows and muttered, "Now I wonder what else you have done to me while I was asleep."

"I did not do anything like that," Elias replied.

Monica smiled faintly before glancing around the room.

"Where did my bed go?"

"Do not worry about it," he answered casually.

She narrowed her eyes at him, but before she could press him further, her appearance began to change. Her corpse-like pale skin gradually gave way to a fair complexion, while the black marks covering her body disappeared. Her short hair turned as white as freshly fallen snow, although her blue eyes remained unchanged.

[Image]

Elias stared at her transformation for a moment, but what truly caught his attention was something else entirely.

"Did you just increase the size of your breasts?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Monica’s face immediately flushed, and she turned away with an embarrassed smile.

"Shut up."

"Just so you know, I liked your breasts the way they were," Elias remarked.

Monica glanced at him from the corner of her eye, her cheeks growing even redder.

"I-I did not ask," she stammered.

"You do not have to," he replied before leaning down to kiss her forehead.

Her face turned beet red, and she could only mumble shyly, "Mm-hmm."

Elias smiled at her reaction before carrying her out of the manor and beginning the journey back to the hideout.

Within a few minutes, they arrived at their destination, where the others had moved aside to make way for him and Monica.

Elias followed Benjamin through the underground passage, carrying Monica several steps behind his butler until they reached her new room.

The chamber was cavernous, with torches mounted along the walls to provide enough light to illuminate its vast interior. Although it lacked the warmth and familiarity of Monica’s former bedroom, it offered ample space and privacy, making it a suitable place for her to stay while they remained underground.

Once they were alone, Monica looked around the room before turning toward Elias with a hesitant expression.

"Are you sure you want to stay here?" she asked.

Elias frowned at her sudden question.

"Why? Is something wrong with the room?"

"Well..." Monica’s face reddened as she looked away, struggling to explain what she meant. "I just think that... sound will echo here."

Elias stared at her for a moment before realizing what she was getting at. Then, he nodded thoughtfully.

"Ah. That is true."

He lifted her slightly, bringing her closer until he could rest his forehead against hers, and whispered, "Do you want to check?"

"D-Do you only think about that?" Monica stammered, her embarrassment deepening.

"Of course," Elias replied proudly. "Why would I not, when I have such a beautiful wife? Heh."

Monica smiled brightly, let out a chuckle, and mumbled, "Shameless..."

Elias grinned before summoning her bed from his Inventory, causing it to appear beside them.

Monica stared at the bed in confusion before looking back at him.

"Since when has that been there?" she asked.

"Since we entered the room?" Elias mumbled.

She furrowed her brows and tried to recall what had happened, but he interrupted her thoughts before she could dwell on the matter any further.

"Does it matter anyway?" he asked.

"It does not..." she mumbled in confusion.

Elias carefully lowered her onto the bed before climbing over her and capturing her lips in a kiss. Monica closed her eyes and returned his affection as they spent some time together.

After sharing another kiss with her, Elias eventually left the room, satisfied that she was settled in her new room.

Since Monica’s chamber was the farthest inside the hideout, he did not need to worry about anyone wandering close enough to be affected by her poison, although her room remained reasonably near his, Natasha’s, and Stella’s.

He then made his way to Young Stella’s room to check on her, only to discover that she had already fallen asleep. Surprisingly, Other Stella had also appeared in the room.

He glanced at the two women for a moment before deciding not to disturb them. Then, he turned around and headed toward his own room, where Natasha was waiting for him.

As he approached the room, Elias let out a deep sigh, already dreading what was coming.

[Come,] Natasha said to him, as she could already sense him at the entrance.

Elias opened the door and walked inside with a gentle smile on his face, which faltered slightly upon seeing her.

Natasha sat at the edge of the bed with the silver robe draped over her shoulders. Underneath it, she wore nothing but her white bra and briefs.

[Image]

As his gaze moved across her body, she smirked and pointed at her eyes. [My eyes are up here.]

He came out of his reverie and stammered, [Y-Yeah.]

He walked over and sat beside her, his gaze fixed on her thighs.

[So? What do you want to tell me first?] she asked while looking at his face.

His eyes trembled for a brief moment before he took a deep breath and said, [What would be better than telling you everything I can?]

She frowned and mumbled, [You do not have to if you do not feel like it.]

He shook his head and said with a determined expression on his face, [No, I must.]

She fell silent, and he began. He told her how the Crimson Ducal Clan had treated him differently from the first day he could remember, how the only person who cared about him at all was his maidservant, and how Balith had eventually become his friend.

He told her how he had spent most of his childhood studying history and swordsmanship, and how everything had fallen apart on the day he finally held the sword.

He told her how jealous and pathetic he had felt when he saw others achieve far better results with less effort. He was envious of their talent, the affection they received, and the freedom they enjoyed.

He wanted those things, too, so for the past eight years of his life, he had done the only thing he knew how to do: swing the sword.

As he talked, Natasha asked him what kind of woman his maidservant had been, how close he had been to the woman named Balith, and what had happened to her. She also comforted him, and as he continued, she came to understand one thing.

Elias had a far stronger will than he let on. His will was not tyrannical; rather, it was nurturing.

He was passionate, understanding, and cautious, and that nature of his was what had led him to lie to her.

He told her everything about the rift and the duel a few days ago while keeping everything about the system a secret. He was not yet ready to reveal it.

When he finished, he rested his head on Natasha’s pillowy thighs while she brushed his hair and patted his chest.

[It is my turn now...] she said, and Elias opened his eyes.