Liana let out a long, weary exhale before Gloria, now dressed in her night outfit, spoke up softly.
"Liana~" Gloria said, her tone gentle and coaxing. "Maybe just this once? Let him have his fun. It’s been a stressful few days, and he’s clearly in a lighter mood now."
Liana glared at her from the side. "You always give in to him. You cover for him every ti he acts like this. It’s not helping."
"My~ I rarely cover for him, you know~" Gloria gave Liana a teasing look. "It’s always you who ends up covering for what he does. I believe you’re the one who spoils him the most."
Liana let out another sigh before turning her stern gaze back to Javier.
"Fine. Just this once." She glanced at Delya. "Go with Young Master and help him wash."
Delya turned away and pursed her lips, letting out a soft, sulky hiss. "Hmmph! No. Don’t wanna."
"Eh?" Javier moved closer, but Delya was already slipping off the bed, still sulking.
Liana shook her head and looked at Javier with a teasing smirk.
"That’s what you get for throwing her under the carriage earlier. Now fix this yourself. I’m not helping."
Javier moved closer and wrapped his arms around Delya from behind, pulling her gently against his chest. "Aw~ Co on. I was just teasing, you know that~ You love , right?" He gave her his most charming smile, his voice soft and coaxing.
Delya turned away, her expression still sulking hard, refusing to look at his face.
Javier smiled sheepishly and kept hugging her from behind before planting a quick kiss on her cheek. "I’m sorry, okay? My fault~"
Delya still crossed her arms, turning away again. "No. Don’t want."
Mimi, who was still wrapped in her towel, her tail swaying gently behind her, tilted her head and put a finger on her lips.
"Nya? If Delya doesn’t want to, I can help wash husband’s back."
Delya bit her lower lip and glared at Mimi. "No! Big Sis gave permission, so it’s my turn!" she hissed.
Liana flicked Mimi’s forehead before putting both hands on her hips. "You just got out of the bath, and now you want to go in again? Do you want to get dizzy from staying in hot water too long?"
"Mou!" Mimi pursed her lips, her tail swaying in annoyance as she rubbed her forehead. "But Delya said she doesn’t want it, right?"
Felicia exhaled and shook her head. "Mimi..."
"Nya? What?"
"Read the mood," Felicia said softly, giving Mimi a knowing look.
Before Mimi could answer, Delya grabbed Javier’s hand and pulling him toward the bathroom, but paused when she heard Liana’s voice.
"Ten minutes."
Javier’s eyes widened. "Eh? Ten minutes isn’t going to be enough. I can’t even finish cleaning myself before getting into the hot bath!"
"Really?" Liana crossed her arms and smirked. "I bet you’re not just planning to clean your body, are you? More like... cleaning sothing else."
Javier scratched his cheek with a sheepish grin.
Liana exhaled. "Fine. Don’t take too long. I’ll check on you both if it takes more than thirty minutes."
anwhile.
In the Next Building.
Intensive Care Unit Room.
Gracelle was smiling at the healer who had just picked up her empty bowl and glass. She had finished a small portion of porridge and a full glass of water.
"Umm... thank you."
"You’re welco, Miss Gracelle. Now please rest and try to get so more sleep. Your body is still recovering."
"Okay..." she smiled and glanced at the healer again. "Umm... can I ask?"
"Yes?" The healer turned and tilted her head.
"Where is Miss Elf?"
"Hmm..." The healer tilted her head up, glancing at the ceiling thoughtfully. "I believe she’s taking her rest now in the next building. Maybe... I’m not sure. But I know she’s not far."
"Oh." Gracelle nodded and looked at her again. "Can I ask again?"
"Sure, Miss Gracelle. What is it?"
"Umm... can you tell where I am right now?"
"Hmm? Oh. You’re still in the Mathrias Region, Miss Gracelle."
"Eh? Really? But I’ve never seen this building before."
"Ah... this was built by our Prince. You know... the doctor?"
"Really?" Gracelle’s eyes glead with curiosity. "That handso doctor?"
"Yes." The healer smiled, her eyes turning dreamy. "Ah~ He’s not only charming and handso, but also incredibly talented~"
"Wow... he really has a lot of admirers, huh?"
"Oh~ You’d be amazed if you saw him, Miss Gracelle. Even among us healers, maids, female officers, and staff... everyone swoons over him. He’s just that charming."
"He must be too handso, huh? I haven’t seen his face yet since he was covered by... umm..." She glanced at the healer, trying to find the right words. "That thing over his face and head... and those clothes."
"Ohh~ Miss Gracelle, if you saw his face, I’m sure you’d be one of his admirers too~"
Gracelle let out a soft, shy laugh. "I don’t know about that. Besides, there’s soone else I really want to see."
The healer smiled behind her mask. "Well, if you really want to et that soone, you should focus on getting well and resting a lot. The sooner you recover, the sooner you can see him."
"Mm~... I will. I can’t wait to be fully healthy again."
"I’m sure you’ll get there soon. Just keep resting and following the treatnt plan."
Gracelle smiled and leaned back against the pillow. "Before you go, can I ask one more thing?"
"Sure, Miss Gracelle. What is it?"
"Umm... pardon my rudeness, but where are you all from?"
"Ah... no one told you yet?"
"Mm..." Gracelle pursed her lips. "No one told yet."
The healer smiled warmly. "We’re from the Armand Nation."
"Huh?" Gracelle tilted her head, her expression puzzled. "Armand Nation? Isn’t Armand just a region?"
"Ah... you might not know, but Armand gained full independence and is no longer under the Human Kingdom. But..." The healer chuckled softly. "To be honest, none of us Armand people ever really thought of ourselves as just a region under the Human Kingdom, even before independence. We’ve always had our own laws, our own way of life."
"R... really?"
"Yes. You might never have heard of it, but Armand faced two major wars before. And those conflicts were part of why Armand is a sovereign nation now."
Gracelle’s thoughts began to spiral, her mind racing with implications.
Does... this an...
The boy I want to see...
Is... no longer...
Her heart tightened with worry.
If Armand went through wars, what happened to the Armand noble family? What happened to Javier’s family? What if... what if he’s no longer...
The healer noticed Gracelle falling silent, assuming she was just tired. "Alright, Miss Gracelle. If you don’t have any more questions, I’ll take my leave. Rest well and good night. Call us if you need anything, okay?"
( End Of Chapter )
User Comments
0 comments from readers