Chapter108

The person holding her...

Elara lifted herself from the warm blankets and looked back. She saw Imani's calm, sleeping face.

He hadn't woken yet, but he must have sensed her movement in his sleep. His arm around her waist pulled her closer and patted her lower back gently, as if trying to comfort her.

Elara stayed silent.

The memory of last night came to her. Before falling asleep, she had purposely avoided giving Imani any instructions, just to see what he would do once she was asleep.

Her room was closely watched by members of the Wei family, so she wasn't afraid of him trying anything.

But she didn't expect… he actually climbed into her bed and held her all night?

Elara stared at Imani's sleeping face for a few seconds before looking away. She picked up her clothes and stepped out of bed.

As soon as she moved, Uno appeared at her side and took the clothes from her hands. He helped her change with practiced ease.

Elara looked at him.

Uno shook his head slightly.

She looked back toward the man asleep on her bed and frowned.

Did Imani really not do anything last night?

Elara kept staring at him, her thoughts running quickly.

Once Uno helped her finish dressing and washing up, she glanced again at the man on her bed. In the end, she said nothing more.

Fine. Whatever he plans to do, she would find out eventually.

As for him sneaking into her bed, she'd settle that with him another time.

After Elara left, almost half an hour passed before Imani slowly woke up.

He blinked a few times, his mind still foggy, until his vision cleared. He realized the person who had slept in his arms all night was now gone.

Feeling a bit disappointed, he sat up. But then he remembered that the princess had found him in her bed this morning and hadn't kicked him out or scolded him.

Thinking of this, Imani couldn't help but smile.

"Sir!"

His young servant had been waiting happily beside the bed.

Since arriving in Marigold City, the princess had never once allowed a man to serve her personally.

Though it hadn't been the princess who called for him last night, but rather his own action of climbing into her bed, he still felt proud. In his mind, he had truly been favored by her.

The young servant was just about to help him up with a proud grin when Imani's face suddenly changed. He bent over, covering his mouth, and blood started to seep through his fingers.

The servant panicked and rushed forward to hold him. His proud expression vanished, replaced by fear. "Sir, you…"

Imani cut him off, coughing. "Help me… cough, help me back… hurry…"

Back in the rear courtyard of the governor's estate.

Morning sunlight shone through the windows.

At a time when doors should be open to let in the morning breeze, the gates of Imani's courtyard were tightly shut.

Inside, the main room was locked too. Only the sound of the servant crying and a faint groaning could be heard from within.

Inside the room, Imani had just been brought back from Elara's bedchamber. His joyful expression was gone, replaced by pale skin and cold sweat. He collapsed in pain on the floor. His once splendid clothes looked pitiful now.

He held his stomach tightly, his tall, slender frame curled up like a frightened child. It was a complete contrast to his usual appearance.

His young servant had already been scared to tears. He knelt beside Imani, not daring to touch him, begging over and over.

"Sir! Please just do as the master said! Give him the information he wants about the princess! You stayed with her last night. You must've gotten what he wanted, right? Please write to the master! If the poison acts up again, he'll kill you! He really will! Please, sir!"

Since Imani visited Lord Gregory before leaving the capital, he had been poisoned. The symptoms would strike at random.

Only by sending back the information Lord Gregory wanted could Imani receive the antidote.

But since leaving the capital, even though Imani had sent messages back regularly, not once had he received the antidote.

At first, the servant didn't understand. He had followed Imani from the capital and knew full well why Lord Gregory had placed him at the princess's side.

The servant had come to help with that mission.

Imani knew all this too. So why did he always send vague or useless information back?

As the servant sobbed in frustration, Imani suddenly coughed up a mouthful of dark blood.

The servant's face went white. He saw how much blood had stained the floor and rushed toward the door to get help.

But Imani, breathing harshly, stopped him.

"A'mu, cough…"

Though his face remained pale after vomiting blood, the trembling in his body seemed to ease slightly.

A'mu quickly returned to kneel beside him and grabbed his outstretched hand. "Sir! Please give me what you got from the princess last night! I'll send it! I'll ask the master for the antidote!"

Imani shook his head weakly. Holding onto A'mu's hand, he stood up unsteadily. "No… I didn't take anything from the princess last night. I don't want to anymore either… cough…"

A'mu's eyes widened. He stared at Imani in shock. "Why, sir?!"

If he didn't take anything, how would the poison be cured? How would he explain it? Would he survive?

Imani lowered his gaze and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Lord Gregory took me from the brothel and brought me to the manor. He gave me a luxurious life, the identity of a noble, and now poison. It was all to keep me under his control… cough…"

"My whole life has been like this. Either used by one person or controlled by another…"

"If that's my fate… if I must live as someone else's pawn, then at least I want to choose who I belong to."

He looked up, and despite his pale face, there was a trace of a smile.

"A'mu, do you know? She didn't hurt me last night. Even when I climbed into her bed, she didn't throw me out. She didn't punish me."

"The princess isn't as cruel as people say. She's actually… very gentle…"

A'mu stared at Imani's pale face, stunned by the joy in his expression. He couldn't speak.

He wanted to say that the princess not hitting him didn't mean anything. Her not throwing him out didn't mean anything either. After all, she was known for her love of beauty. How many handsome men lived in her residence? What kind of beauty couldn't she have?

And besides… their reason for coming to the princess's estate… the whole purpose of getting close to her…

Even though A'mu had always hoped Imani would complete the mission without alerting the princess, after the past month, he saw that the current Elara was no longer the same.

She might not be cruel like before, but she wasn't easy to fool either.

If Imani had really fallen for her, and she eventually found out the real reason he came…

What would she do to him then?

"S-Sir…" A'mu stammered, his voice choking with emotion. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he couldn't get out a full sentence.

Imani lifted his eyes and smiled at him, then picked up a silk handkerchief and carefully wiped the blood from the corner of his lips. He stood up slowly and walked to the dressing table beside the bed. He picked up a wooden comb and began to tidy himself bit by bit.

People who have crawled out from the mud care the most about their appearance.

Even if they know they are still that pile of worthless dirt on the inside, they still can't help wanting to look their best in front of the person they like.

Imani looked into the blurry bronze mirror and slowly cleaned up his messy clothes. His lowered eyes carried a quiet and gentle joy.

"A'mu, do you know something? I really like her."

"From the first time I saw her in the imperial palace."

"I liked her."

"I liked her very much."