Sylas's mood was extremely complex. He looked at Mirabel, his expression slightly strained, and said, "I wasn't waiting impatiently... I... I was indeed waiting for you... I have something to say."
He glanced furtively at the wardrobe, unable to guess Gwendolyn's expression.
It must be terrible.
When would she come out?
Would she intervene when Mirabel made a move?
That would be truly brutal.
Mirabel didn't catch the hidden meaning in his words.
Sylas always spoke obliquely anyway. Perhaps it was his personality; he disliked being direct, preferring to beat around the bush even when things could be said clearly in a few words.
But this suited Mirabel just fine.
Because she simply couldn't discern his subtleties.
And even if she sensed he meant something else, she couldn't be bothered to figure it out.
What was the use of all that nonsense? Just manipulating the potion was enough.
She giggled as she leaned in and asked, "What's wrong? Why were you waiting for me?
Missing me?"
Sylas immediately retorted sternly: "Absolutely not!"
He said with great seriousness, "Your Majesty, I intend to... I intend to leave Stonewold and go to Hanvale."
"This... why is that?" Even someone as rash as Mirabel was baffled now.
We've been sleeping together just fine. Why do you want to leave?
Not satisfied? Are there beauties in Hanvale?
"I'm tired. I want to live somewhere else," Sylas said flatly, not hiding anything now.
For the first time, Mirabel showed a helpless expression.
She had always preferred to take by force.
But this was the first time she encountered Sylas being unreasonable.
"I don't want you to go..." Mirabel actually seemed somewhat flustered.
She liked it when Sylas offered a euphemistic reason she could then refute.
But Sylas directly said he was tired, and she found she didn't know how to rebut that.
Sylas shook his head slightly: "I'm truly tired..."
"You just returned from Eastriver, and you're tired? The New Year is almost here. If you leave, what will Auntie Gwendolyn and I do?" Mirabel grabbed his hand, looking at him pleadingly.
"Don't mention... sigh."
Sylas hung his head. Then, resigned to his fate, he said helplessly, "Your Majesty, you decide.
If you won't let me go, I certainly can't leave.
But I definitely won't be happy.
Of course, I also know you don't care if I'm happy or not."
"You're not leaving, you're not leaving. If you're unhappy, I'll coax you.
I do care. I'll give you anything you want~"
Mirabel clung to him, pestering.
...
He kept looking at the wardrobe during this process, hoping that she would come out to stop Mirabel.
But what he hoped for did not happen.
What are you doing in the wardrobe? Why don't you do something?
Are you actually enjoying this?
Mirabel wasn't too overbearing tonight.
She had court tomorrow, so she let Sylas off after just a few times.
She left the Chancellor's estate quite satisfied.
This place was wonderful.
It had both a brilliant statesman and a talented bedmate.
It had everything one could want.
Auntie Gwendolyn, love you!
Sylas lay on the bed like a piece of ragged cloth, not moving a muscle.
His mind was still in a state of confusion.
...
The next day, Sylas returned to normal.
His first order of business was to storm furiously into Gwendolyn's room to confront her.
Gwendolyn was still recuperating in her room.
She expected to resume normal activities after the New Year.
Sylas burst in, angry. "Why didn't you stop her? You just watched from the wardrobe? Are you insane too?"
Gwendolyn was dressed neatly; by the looks of it, she was planning to attend court.
She looked at Sylas with a faint, ambiguous smile. "You mean, I should have rushed out, humiliated
Her Majesty, and thrown the court into chaos? Would that have been better?"
"You!"
Sylas immediately stopped speaking.
He nodded slightly and said, "Fine. So you know the truth now.
I don't expect anything from you anymore. I'm leaving."
Ultimately disappointed, he turned to leave.
But Gwendolyn walked over and quietly took his wrist.
The two stood in a stalemate for a moment.
Gwendolyn slowly let go, then said despondently, "I will place Mirabel under house arrest. You decide whether to stay or go."
"...House arrest?" Sylas turned around, staring at her blankly.
He said with considerable worry, "Your Ladyship, I don't mean for you to rebel. I just want to live quietly."
"Mirabel has become like this due to my failure in teaching her. From now on, I will discipline her properly.
Even if it costs me everything, I will not shirk my duty," Gwendolyn said seriously.
"Sigh..."
Sylas said no more. He simply accompanied Gwendolyn, seeing her off to her carriage.
She was going to the palace now to do this very thing.
Sylas stood by the carriage curtain and offered one last attempt to persuade.
"Let it go. Don't plunge Stonewold into ruin."
"Say no more. Go find Sister Seraphina. Have her remove the potion from you. Then, go with her."
Gwendolyn sat in the carriage, her tone quite calm.
Sylas held the curtain open, looking at her. Gwendolyn gave a slight nod and suddenly smiled at him. "Sylas, go find your life.
These messy affairs are not something you should be involved in.
When you get to Hanvale, just send me a letter to let me know you're safe.
And one more thing.
I do not regret saving you."
The carriage finally drove off.
Sylas stood in place, dazed for a while.
Then, he also smiled in relief and hurried off to find Seraphina.
The first thing he said upon seeing her was: "Sister, let's quickly remove the potion and then leave this place."
Seraphina had set up a large pot in her courtyard, with a chopping board beside it.
Luna was using a stick to pound a piece of dough.
Seeing him arrive, Seraphina laughed quite proudly. "What's the hurry? Aren't I making noodles for you?"
"Then I'll wait right here."
Before the potion was extracted, Sylas didn't want to go anywhere else.
Staying here, he could still feel a slight sense of security.
A storm is gathering. The wind sweeps through the tower.
He didn't dare imagine what kind of bloody storm would erupt in the Stonewold palace.
The noodles were finally cooked.
Seraphina spread an oilcloth on the ground.
She had Sylas sit on the oilcloth and eat the noodles.
Sylas complied.
Although he wasn't hungry, looking at the noodles, he began swallowing them down in large mouthfuls.
It was important to remember his appetite was very small.
This large bowl of noodles could keep him full for a day.
But he swallowed it down, bite by bite.
He didn't feel the slightest bit bloated.
After all the noodles were in his stomach, he himself was astonished.
He asked, "Sister, what's going on? How could I finish it all?"
Seraphina explained: "Because—"
"Blergh—"
Sylas vomited violently.
But all the noodles he had just eaten were gone.
All that was visible on the oilcloth was a pale red, translucent little worm.
Seraphina stepped forward, pushed him aside, then wrapped up the oilcloth, satisfied. "Excellent. Then let's prepare to leave. To Hanvale."