Chapter 319 - Bland porridge

Chapter 319: Chapter 319 - Bland porridge

When Eric finally opened his eyes, all he could see was smoke swirling around him. A heavy smell of incense filled his nostrils, mixing unpleasantly with the dried blood that still seemed to coat the inside of his nose. He frowned slightly, finding the smell strangely unpleasant.

Is this what heaven smells like...? Ugh, way too much incense.

Before he could think any further about it, the smoke slowly cleared away, revealing the familiar ceiling above him.

Oh, I’m still alive. Great. Awesome...

Unfortunately, the moment that realization settled in, his body seemed to come into agreement with his mind and immediately started aching like hell. Every part of him hurt, as though the poison had left behind a souvenir in every muscle and bone.

Eric grunted and slowly pushed himself upright, taking a moment to look around the room. It was dark, with all the windows tightly shut. The room was unusually quiet, and the only light came from a few dim lamps that barely pushed away the shadows.

Then he noticed the small stool beside his bed.

Someone was sitting on it.

Eric blinked when he recognized Ryan.

The man had apparently fallen asleep while keeping watch over him. His head was resting awkwardly against the edge of the bed while the rest of his large body was half-hanging from the tiny stool.

To be honest, the sight was hilarious.

Ryan was huge, broad-shouldered, and built like someone who could probably break a door with one kick, yet somehow he had decided that this tiny stool was suitable for him. The poor thing looked as though its legs might give up at any moment under his weight.

A small smile slowly appeared on Eric’s face as he stared at him.

As if sensing the movement, Ryan suddenly woke.

He lifted his head and looked at Eric, his eyes red and veiny from exhaustion. His hair was slightly messy, and there were clear signs that he had barely slept. He looked tired as hell. ℯℯ𝑙.

"How are you feeling?" Ryan asked, sitting up properly and rubbing his head slightly as though his neck had gone stiff from sleeping in such an awkward position.

Eric smiled at him. "Except for my lips, everywhere else is in excruciating pain." He gave him a playful wink, as if he had just delivered some great joke.

Ryan didn’t smile.

Instead, he reached for the cup of warm water beside him and gently held it to Eric’s lips.

Eric paused for a moment before obediently drinking. The warm water felt soothing against his dry throat, and he slowly finished the cup before looking back at Ryan who went to refill it.

"Did you..." He hesitated briefly, his expression becoming more curious. "Did you know she was going to poison me?"

The hand holding the cup froze.

For a moment, Ryan didn’t move at all. The jug beside him was still tilted slightly, and a small stream of water spilled onto the table before he noticed and calmly set it down.

"Will you believe me if I say I didn’t?" he asked, turning his eyes toward Eric.

Eric studied him for a moment.

Then he simply shrugged. "If you say so, I will."

Ryan let out a quiet sigh.

"I knew nothing of her plans. Ever since we were young, she has been following me around. This marriage between us seemed more like a thorn in her way than anything else." His voice was low as he explained it, his expression difficult to read.

Eric raised a brow.

"So I’m not a thorn for you?" he asked, clearly unable to resist teasing him. "She’s pretty. If you wanted to, you could easily kill me and marry her instead, right?"

Ryan silently gazed his way.

Eric raised his brows a little higher, clearly expecting an answer.

But Ryan refused to give him one.

After a few seconds of silence, he simply stood up and straightened his clothes.

"Rest well," he muttered before turning around and walking away.

Eric stared after him, slightly stunned.

"...That was a pretty long way of avoiding the question."

He leaned back against the pillows, still watching the door after Ryan disappeared through it. Despite the pain spreading through his body, the corners of his lips slowly lifted again.

At least he was still alive.

And apparently, he was already annoying his husband again.

That was a good sign.

Eric stayed leaning against the pillows for a while after Ryan left, staring at the closed door with a faint smile. His body still hurt terribly, but compared to earlier, at least he could think clearly now. He slowly moved his arms and legs, testing them one at a time before immediately regretting it.

"Ow..."

His stomach gave a small growl.

Eric blinked.

After nearly dying, getting poisoned, spitting out half his blood, and being forced to drink bitter medicine, apparently his body had finally remembered something important.

He was hungry.

Very hungry.

He looked around the room, wondering if there was anything he could eat. A moment later, the door opened and a few servants quietly entered carrying trays of food. The moment Eric saw the steaming dishes, his eyes immediately brightened.

"Food!"

The servants hurried over and placed everything on the small table beside his bed. There was warm rice porridge, soft vegetables, some light soup, and a few other dishes that looked much easier on his injured stomach than the heavy food he normally preferred.

Eric stared at the meal for a few seconds.

Then he looked at the servants.

"Is this all?"

The servants exchanged awkward glances.

"Your Highness, the physician said you should only eat light food for now."

Eric sighed deeply as though he had just been given the worst news of his life. "I almost died, and this is my reward?"

One of the servants lowered her head, trying very hard not to smile.

Eric picked up the spoon anyway. His hands were still weak, and even lifting the bowl made his arms ache, but he stubbornly continued. He took a small mouthful of porridge and chewed slowly.

It was bland.

Very bland.

Eric’s face twisted slightly.

"Did the physician also say I wasn’t allowed to have salt?"

The servant quickly explained, "The physician said your stomach may not be able to handle strong flavors yet."

Eric stared at the porridge with deep suspicion.

"So the poison didn’t kill me, but this porridge might."

Still, he continued eating. His stomach clearly didn’t care about his complaints and demanded food, so Eric obediently swallowed another spoonful, then another. After a few bites, the warmth began settling pleasantly in his stomach.

He hadn’t realized just how hungry he was.

Soon, his eating became faster.

The servants watched nervously as Eric went from complaining about the food to steadily finishing it. Even while looking pale and exhausted, he still managed to eat as though someone might suddenly come and steal his bowl.

When he finished the porridge, Eric looked at the remaining dishes.

Then his gaze landed on the candied fruit sticks sitting on the table.

His eyes widened.

"Those..."

He reached toward them, but one of the servants immediately stopped him.

"Your Highness, the physician said—"

"I know, I know." Eric pulled his hand back reluctantly. "No sweets."

He stared at the candied fruit for another few seconds.

"They’re right there, though."

The servant smiled helplessly. "They were brought for you."

Eric looked toward the door.

Ryan had bought them.

A small smile appeared on his face again.

"Fine. I’ll eat them later."

He leaned back against the pillows, satisfied for the first time since waking up. His body still hurt terribly, but at least his stomach was no longer empty.

After a moment, he quietly muttered, "I survived poison. I’ll survive bland porridge too."

The servants lowered their heads to hide their smiles.