"Where is this? Why am I still alive?" Sylas opened his eyes, feeling numbness in all his limbs.
He moved his head with difficulty, looked down at his front, and found himself covered by a thick quilt.
The bedding was stiff, unlike high-quality goods.
Then, he looked around the room.
The bedroom was simple yet tidy. But it was clearly not within the palace.
The floor was made of grey bricks, the grout lines clearly visible.
Though expensive, it wasn't luxurious. Judging by the room's condition, this should be a civilian residence.
Perhaps a local landowner's home.
"Hah..." He tried to speak, but could only exhale a breath of cold air.
It was so cold inside.
Sylas's face began to tremble.
Beyond the physical cold, he felt an internal shivering.
As if a part of his soul was missing, leaving him cold and empty, with an inexplicable sense of unease.
"Creeeak~~" The door was pushed open.
The pretty and adorable Crystal entered, carrying a basin of steaming hot water.
She seemed to be humming a song.
Entering the room, she didn't speak to Sylas.
She simply placed the hot water by the bed, took a towel from the basin, and wrung it out.
Then, she excitedly lifted the quilt covering Sylas.
"Tsk tsk, Brother Sylas is still so fair."
With that, the hot towel was placed on his chest.
Crystal began meticulously wiping his body.
Sylas frowned with difficulty.
He opened his mouth, struggling to say, "Lyn..."
"Huh? Huh?!!!"
Crystal, who had been studying his skin, jolted in panic upon hearing his voice.
She hadn't realized Sylas was awake.
Her naive little face shifted from excitement to stiffness, then from stiffness to embarrassment.
She blushed, red as a boiled river shrimp.
She forced a smile, "Brother... you're awake? How are you awake?
Ah... I don't mean I didn't want you to wake up, I mean, did you just wake up?"
Sylas felt hollow inside. His limbs had no sensation.
He just said: "What happened? Where is this? Why am I still alive?"
Crystal quickly tossed the towel back into the basin.
She covered Sylas with the quilt, but her left hand seemed to forget to withdraw, resting on Sylas's thigh instead.
She explained: "It's like this. After New Year's, I turned eighteen.
Mother secured me a post as the magistrate of Celestia Ridge in the Eastern Heartland Prefecture.
Ah, Brother, you know I'm not very capable. I can't really do anything..."
Sylas felt dizzy listening to her.
He closed his eyes and called softly, "Lyn."
"Mhmm."
"Get to the point."
"Mhmm, I am."
Crystal thought for a moment, "Celestia Ridge is actually very close to Stonewold now.
Go south a hundred miles, and you reach it.
So there are still occasional battles here.
Then again, what good posts do we prisoners of war get? Aren't they all..."
"The point! Lyn, I mean the point! Why am I still alive!" A flame of anger rose in Sylas.
Crystal was still her same silly self, rambling incoherently.
How can you be a good magistrate like this?
Crystal nodded, "It's like this. Our family has a heirloom called the Revive-Gold.
Nobody else knows about it.
It can help a dying person come back to life once. But..."
She chattered on endlessly, like a little sparrow.
Sylas gave up on making her find the point.
He painstakingly extracted useful information from Crystal's fragmented speech.
He looked down at his arm.
The gold chain Jade had given him had now turned silver.
The gold had faded.
Meaning, the Revive-Gold had died in his place once and lost its effect.
Then, Jade must have stolen his body to save him.
But Jade had to tour Lyonesse; she couldn't carry an un-revived corpse.
So she had her daughter bring him to Celestia Ridge to recuperate properly.
Once his body recovered, he could revive.
During this time, Crystal wiped his body daily.
After figuring this out, he gently closed his eyes.
With Crystal's chirping in his ears, Sylas felt a genuine sense of relief.
So, he had truly escaped the Empress of Aethelred.
But...
He suddenly remembered the last thing Isolde had said: "Named her 'Sylene' of Aethelred."
Sylene.
In this world, he actually had a daughter he had never met.
The softest part of Sylas's heart was touched.
But he felt not a shred of courage.
He asked softly, "Lyn, when can I get up and move around?"
"Not until spring at the earliest, Brother.
The meridians in your limbs haven't recovered yet.
You're practically paralyzed, you can't even feel them."
Sylas sighed, "Really no feeling at all?"
Crystal's pretty face flushed.
She smiled slightly, "Of course! Otherwise, would you let me touch you so freely?"
"???"
Sylas wanted to throw back the covers, but only his head could move slightly.
His whole torso was stiff.
He didn't know exactly where Crystal's hand was.
It couldn't be!!
"Just teasing! How could I bully you, Brother?"
Crystal smiled gleefully as she pulled her hand out from under the quilt, saying with some greed, "Brother, now, we are a family. For convenience's sake."
Sylas didn't understand.
He asked, "What does it mean?"
"We are both of the Spring lineage now.
From now on, you'll be called Silvanus, okay?" Crystal said happily.
Sylas turned his head, wanting to move, and said helplessly, "Call me whatever you want. I can't move anyway."
As he said this, exhaustion washed over him.
The Revive-Gold could let him live.
But the lost vital essence was truly and completely gone.
Him being alive now was just his body slowly repairing the damage.
But he also knew a man who had borne a child would never be as strong as before.
"Then rest. I have work to do." Crystal washed her hands in the bronze basin.
Carrying it, she continued humming her song as she walked out.
"Lyn..." Sylas fought back the drowsiness, using his last bit of energy to say tremulously, "You... do you know why Auntie Jade saved me?"
He didn't want Crystal to overstep.
After all, Jade had made it clear: if he insisted on dying but survived, he would have to marry her.
Sylas always kept his word.
If Jade were here, he, having died once, wouldn't refuse anymore, owed by the debt of saving his life.
So, it was best to be clear with Crystal.
Crystal turned her head.
Her lips moved, then she forced a smile, "I know."
"Good."
Crystal's usually confused eyes finally held a trace of determination, "But I don't agree."
Sylas's heart was thrown into turmoil.
His eyelids were already heavy, "...But, I... I already with Auntie, she..."
"Mhmm, but I still don't agree!"