"I'm not in a position to answer that question, Miss," Elias said calmly.
His expression remained unreadable.
"If you want to know who Ellen is to my lord, then you should ask him yourself."
Clover stared at him for a moment.
Then she looked away with a small sigh.
She had expected that answer.
Why did I even bother asking?
If there was one thing Clover had already learned, it was that Elias was fiercely loyal to Dylan.
Far too loyal.
Still… between Elias and Bruno, Elias was far easier to deal with.
Bruno always looked at her as though she was a problem waiting to happen.
Elias, on the other hand, was at least polite.
Sometimes even reasonable.
Clover gave a small nod.
"You're right," she said quietly.
Elias lowered his head for a brief moment, then lifted it again.
"There is one thing I can tell you, Miss."
Clover looked up.
"My master is not as bad as people say."
She blinked.
Elias continued in the same calm tone.
"He may appear cold. He may appear merciless. But the truth is… my lord has more enemies than friends."
His eyes softened ever so slightly.
"In his own way, he is protecting you."
Clover's brows drew together.
Protecting me?
Elias seemed to read the disbelief on her face.
"I know he does not make it easy to understand," he said. "And I know his methods are… harsh."
Clover almost laughed at that.
Harsh?
That was one word for it.
"But beneath that cold mask," Elias went on, "there is mercy."
Clover said nothing.
She remembered the maids lined up in fear.
She remembered the dress.
The couch.
His hand around her throat.
The rough kiss.
The punishment.
Mercy?
She wasn't sure she believed that.
Still, Elias's voice remained steady.
"As long as you follow his rules, there will be no further trouble."
He bowed slightly.
"I hope… in time, you will try to understand him."
With that, Elias turned and left the room.
The door closed softly behind him.
Clover stared at it for a long moment.
Then she flopped back against the pillows with a groan.
"Understand him?" she muttered. "That man is impossible."
Not long after, three maids entered with breakfast.
The moment they stepped inside, Clover noticed it immediately.
They were more cautious around her now.
Far more cautious.
As though she were some dangerous creature that might explode if handled wrong.
They placed the food carefully on the table near the window.
"She's definitely a troublemaker," one of them muttered under her breath, not caring whether Clover heard.
"Oh, absolutely," another whispered back. "It's been a long time since I've seen the master act like that."
"Exactly," the third added. "At this rate, she'll get all of us killed."
Clover coughed lightly.
All three maids stiffened at once.
Then they turned to her with identical forced smiles.
"Your breakfast, Miss."
They bowed so quickly it was almost comical, then hurried out of the room like their lives depended on it.
Clover stared after them.
Then sighed.
She bit down on her lower lip, her earlier mood fading.
I really am causing trouble for everyone…
Her thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Miguel.
She hoped he was alright.
Dylan had looked ready to kill him yesterday.
And that thought alone made her stomach twist.
She ate breakfast in silence.
Afterward, she took a warm bath and changed into fresh clothes before returning to the small table by the window.
She picked up the magic book again.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't focus.
Her eyes moved across the words.
Her mind, however, was somewhere else entirely.
On Dylan.
On last night.
Her face burned.
That shameless devil.
What was supposed to feel like punishment… hadn't felt like punishment at all.
At least not in the way she expected.
And that was the most embarrassing part of all.
She should have been furious.
She should have been disgusted.
She should have hated every second of it.
So why…
Why did her heart race every time she thought about it?
Why did her skin still feel warm?
Why did some shameful part of her—
"No."
Clover snapped the book shut.
"No. Absolutely not."
She pressed both palms to her cheeks.
"I refuse."
She was not about to sit here and blush over Dylan after everything he had done.
He was arrogant.
Cruel.
Unreasonable.
A complete devil.
And definitely not someone worth thinking about.
…Even if his face was unfairly handsome.
Clover narrowed her eyes.
A while later, after forcing herself to focus, Clover finally looked up from the book with determination.
If she couldn't stop thinking about Dylan, then she would at least do something useful.
She rang for Elias.
He appeared not long after.
"Yes, Miss?"
"I need a vase of withered flowers," Clover said.
Elias looked at her for a moment, then gave a slight nod.
"As you wish."
He returned a short while later carrying a small vase filled with dried, lifeless flowers and placed it on the table.
Then he left.
Clover stood in front of the vase, taking a deep breath.
This time, she would get it right.
She stretched out her hand dramatically, her eyes narrowing in concentration.
"恢復你美麗的身姿."
Nothing happened.
The flowers remained dry and pitiful.
Clover frowned.
She cleared her throat and tried again.
"恢復你美麗的身姿."
Still nothing.
Not even a twitch.
Her eye twitched.
"恢復你美麗的身姿."
Silence.
The flowers sat there like they were mocking her.
Clover glared at them.
"You are really trying to frustrate me."
Still nothing.
She placed both hands on her hips.
"I'm only going to try one last time," she warned the flowers seriously. "If you don't listen, I will leave you withered forever."
Clover inhaled deeply.
Then adjusted her posture like a true sorceress about to cast the most powerful spell in history.
She extended both hands with extra drama.
"恢復你美麗的身姿!"
For one second—
Nothing.
Clover's shoulders dropped.
"I knew it—"
Then suddenly, the flowers began to glow.
A soft golden light spread through the petals.
Before her eyes, the dried stems straightened.
The wilted petals bloomed.
Color returned.
Life returned.
The once-dead flowers stood fresh and radiant in the vase.
Clover froze.
Then she gasped.
"I did it!"
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"I seriously did it!"
She clapped both hands over her mouth, then immediately started bouncing in excitement.
"I did it! I did it!"
The door opened at once and Elias stepped in again, clearly drawn by the commotion.
Clover spun toward him, pointing wildly at the vase.
"Did you see that?!"
Elias looked at the flowers.
Then, for the first time, genuine approval appeared on his face.
"You did well, Miss."
Clover beamed.
"The master will surely reward you," Elias added.
Clover's smile faltered.
"Let's not get carried away," she muttered.
Still, her excitement didn't disappear.
"Get me another one."
Elias obeyed.
A few moments later, he returned with another vase of withered flowers and placed it beside the first.
Clover squared her shoulders.
This time, she didn't hesitate.
She raised her hand.
"恢復你美麗的身姿."
The flowers glowed instantly.
Within seconds, they bloomed beautifully.
Clover's jaw dropped.
Then she grinned so brightly it almost hurt.
"Wow…"
She did it again.
She actually did it again.
Her heart pounded with excitement.
She couldn't wait to tell—
Clover froze.
Tell who?
Her expression shifted.
Dylan.
She couldn't wait to tell Dylan.
The realization made her blink.
Then narrow her eyes at herself.
"Unbelievable," she muttered. "Why him?"
Because he'd understand how important it was.
Because he'd been forcing her to study.
Because—
"No."
She folded her arms.
"The next spell is definitely turning him into a cockroach."
That sounded much better.
"Miss," Elias said, drawing her from her thoughts.
She looked up.
"I will be gone for a while."
He gave her a pointed look.
"Remember. Do not leave the room, as instructed by the master."
Clover waved him off.
"Yes, yes. I heard you."
Elias bowed once, then left.
Clover was too happy to care.
She spent the next hour practicing, reading, and secretly admiring the revived flowers on the table.
Each successful spell filled her with more confidence.
For the first time since arriving in this strange world…
She felt capable.
Useful.
Powerful.
It was a small victory.
But it mattered.
A lot.
Then—
A knock came at the door.
Clover looked up from the book.
Before she could respond, the door opened.
Kate stepped inside.
Clover instantly tensed.
"What are you doing here?"