Sylas pointed helplessly at his own hollow eye sockets.
You want a blind man to wash your feet?
You're really something else.
"You serve me once, and I'll let you touch the baby. Seems fair, doesn't it?" Isolde said.
Sylas pouted.
He didn't have much bargaining power now.
He could only slowly get off the bed.
Isolde called out, and a maid outside brought in a basin of hot water.
Sylas sat on a small stool, his face turned aside, attending to the pregnant woman.
The hot water soaked her feet, and Isolde sighed with contentment.
She stroked Sylas's hair, speaking leisurely. "Today, Gwendolyn of Stonewold arrived at Sentinel Peaks.
Hah. Reinforced it with thirty thousand troops too.
Laughable.
I think Stonewold is just like your Lyonesse—a bunch of impoverished beggars.
Do you know how many Aethelred Phalanx soldiers we have?
One hundred thousand! One hundred thousand elites!
Do they think Sentinel Peaks and the Jade Wall can stop that?
Just wait.
In two years, when Northspire's supplies are ample, I will lead my troops south and sweep across the Heartlands in one go!" She spoke quite excitedly.
Finished, she patted Sylas's cheek. "Hey, I'm talking to you. Give me some reaction."
Sylas was washing her feet.
He turned his head blankly.
In his condition, what kind of reaction could he give?
Seeing his pitiful state, Isolde couldn't help but want to laugh.
But she still said angrily, "If you knew today would come, why did you do it back then?
Endure it.
Maybe one day, when I'm in a good mood, I'll restore you."
The night passed quietly like this.
The following days became incredibly long.
Sylas couldn't see, trapped in the room every day, at most going to the courtyard to feel the breeze.
His appearance was truly quite frightening.
Isolde thought she would detest him, but who knew, even this ugly, she still liked him dearly.
Now she had to hug and hold him every night, or she couldn't sleep.
And today, her younger sister, Celeste, finally rushed over.
Celeste was travel-worn.
She had barely rested the entire journey.
She'd heard that Sylas was actually alive.
How could she care about eating or sleeping then?
By the time she reached Northspire, her already somewhat melancholic face looked even more haggard.
Upon seeing her elder sister, Celeste urgently kowtowed and paid her respects.
Seeing her sister, the anger in Isolde's heart melted away.
They were good sisters once.
It was all because of that hateful incubus that their relationship soured.
Now that the misunderstanding was cleared, she still felt great affection for her blood sister.
Isolde helped her up, saying, "Celeste, I wronged you. Did you suffer much?"
Hearing this, Celeste's tears immediately fell.
She sobbed, "Sister, it's not your fault. I was the one who couldn't control myself.
I regret it so much now.
Let me see him.
You'll see how I deal with him!"
"Ah, the fact that you regret it means there's hope.
I've already brought him to heel.
I'll accompany you to see him."
Isolde brought her sister to the Green Bamboo Lodge.
Along the way, Celeste kept swearing to make Sylas pay the price.
A mere war slave from a fallen nation, actually causing Her Grace the Duchess of Arbor to lose her reputation and position.
It's utterly despicable.
The two entered the room.
Sylas was sitting dazedly in the bedroom.
Isolde found a chair and sat down as usual.
Celeste stormed over furiously, shouting at Sylas, "Sylas, you vile creature!
You actually faked your death!
You deceived me!
You!
You...
What happened to your eyes?"
She suddenly noticed Sylas's sunken eye sockets, clearly devoid of eyeballs.
He was like an exquisitely beautiful flower with several petals ripped off.
Though shocking at first glance, it evoked more a sense of tragic beauty and sorrow.
In that instant, all of Celeste's rage dissipated.
She hurriedly grabbed Sylas's shoulders, crying out angrily, "What happened? Who did this?"
Who dared bully him like this?
Celeste had never been this angry in her entire life.
She swore to make this person pay a heavy price!
"Celeste, I did it. He practices dark arts, can release charm magic through his eyes," Isolde said flatly.
"This! Elder Sister... you..." Celeste was so furious she nearly fainted on the spot.
Sister, are you mad?
How could you torture Sylas like this?
He's the father of your daughter!
If you don't want him, give him to me!
"Celeste, do you pity him? He caused you so much misery," Isolde said, somewhat dissatisfied.
"No..." Celeste snapped back to reality.
She couldn't show concern for Sylas.
She immediately bowed and denied it.
"Weren't you just saying you wanted to kill him?
Don't be enchanted by him again," Isolde said, very displeased, seriously warning her again.
Celeste let out a long sigh, then left the small courtyard with great reluctance.
Her elder sister's purpose in summoning her back wasn't just to let her see Sylas.
Now that Northspire was to be the starting point for the western campaign, her talent for logistics would shine here.
Approaching the eighth month.
Isolde's anger finally subsided.
She had Sylas's organs reattached.
Now, after enduring such torment, Sylas couldn't muster a single thought of escape.
The mere sight of Isolde made him tremble all over, filled with terror.
He thought this Empress was a madwoman.
And Celeste came to see him from time to time.
They certainly couldn't do anything excessive; at most, they chatted, talked about recent feelings.
The autumn air was crisp and clear.
Sylas sat in the courtyard, looking at the emerald green bamboo, having tea with Celeste opposite him.
He had become taciturn, especially unwilling to speak.
His spirit seemed almost completely worn away.
Celeste would counsel him from time to time.
Genuine spiritual guidance, of course.
She also told him about recent events.
"As soon as we cut off the goods upstream, Gwendolyn downstream is suffering.
These past few days, she's been sending letters non-stop, hoping we'll reopen the water routes for mutual trade between the two nations."
"Oh." Sylas was no longer interested in these things.
His only thought now was how to serve Isolde well.
If he didn't serve the Empress properly, could he expect good days?
One shouldn't be so stubborn.
His mother had even written to urge him to serve Her Imperial Majesty well.
See what happens when you don't listen?
Look how terrible the consequences are.
You say how to serve, and I'll serve that way.
I keep the Empress in my heart, and she keeps me in her bed!
"Elder Sister plans to meet with Gwendolyn.
They probably need to negotiate.
The day after tomorrow, most likely.
The location is in the neutral ground between Northspire and Sentinel Peaks, a viewing platform built next to the river."
"Good, good," Sylas said absentmindedly.
Celeste blinked.
She turned to look at the courtyard gate, confirming no one was there, then suddenly said in a hushed voice, "You... do you still plan to enter the Heartlands?"
"What? Heartlands? No, no, no. I will forever be Her Imperial Majesty's dog," Sylas stated habitually.
Celeste hit his arm, saying urgently, "Sylas, stop pretending with me.
I'm being serious with you.
In three days, if you can manage to get to that viewing platform, I'll risk everything to send you to the Heartlands!"
"No, no, no, I will forever be..."
"Believe it or not. I'm leaving."
Celeste gave him a meaningful look, then stood up and left.