Chapter 551: A Morning Full of Misunderstandings
At last, someone noticed Ethan’s predicament. Victor and Williams rushed over. Though Victor’s body was still a bit weak, he could move fine. Williams held Dr. Aldric firmly in place while Victor supported Ethan and steered him toward the Star Chamber.
Neither of them had been outside earlier, so they had no idea what had transpired. On the way, Ethan’s eyes grew wet with tears as he thanked Victor again and again. Victor had no idea how to respond. The entire farce was finally over.
Ethan collapsed into his bed and lay there for two hours before he could move again. When he finally made his way back outside, he found the camp alive with laughter, a bonfire crackling in the middle. As soon as people spotted him, they pulled him into their circle, pressed a drink into his hand, and cheered.
He wanted to get close to Lyla, but she avoided him—sometimes subtly, sometimes not. Whenever he tried to approach, she would glance at him sideways, rolling her eyes with clear disapproval. Ethan’s heart ached. Eight years of longing, only to reunite like this. Why was life never what he imagined?
Helpless, he accepted reality. He couldn’t even remember how he stumbled back to his room. He hadn’t bothered to use his energy to resist the alcohol, and soon he drifted into a deep sleep.
In his dream, he was holding something soft against him. A faint, pleasant fragrance filled his nose.
...
Something tickled his ear—warm, rhythmic breaths brushing his skin. Ethan swatted lazily at the air and kept dozing. Moments later, the intruder came closer again.
"So hungry... I’m hungry, so hungry..." A soft, sweet voice kept whispering right into his ear.
Still half-dreaming, Ethan clutched that soft thing in his arms while a bothersome figure tugged at him in his dream. Irritated, he muttered, "If you’re hungry, go eat... stop being so annoying..."
His eyes shot open.
Kneeling beside him was a stunning girl with long golden hair cascading over her shoulders—Astrid. She was dressed in pale blue pajamas, the neckline slipping wide to reveal a bare shoulder glowing in the dim light. Her eyes shimmered with a misty innocence, as if his sudden voice had startled her.
"Uh... what are you doing here?" Ethan sat up, startled—only to find his arm pinned down.
He turned his head. Another pair of hazy eyes stared back at him. That delicate face—Lyla.
"Lyla... why are you here too?" Ethan was dumbfounded. What on earth had happened?
Lyla blinked as if dragging herself from sleep, her expression caught between exhaustion and irritation. Then his question sharpened her fully awake.
"If I weren’t here," she murmured, glancing at Astrid with a sly half-smile, "wouldn’t your sweet dreams have come true?"
"Huh?" Ethan blinked in confusion.
"Huh, what? Isn’t she hungry? Take her out and feed her already. Don’t disturb my sleep. I’ve been watching you two all day, I’m exhausted. And for the record—this is my room!" With that, Lyla yanked the blanket over herself and shoved Ethan off the bed.
Still dazed, Ethan checked his clothes in a panic. They were the same ones he’d changed into after recovering. His muddy gear from the Sea of Death was long gone. Relieved, and realizing Lyla truly had no patience for him, he slipped quietly to the door. Astrid trailed after him, eyes misty with stubbornness, as if she might burst into tears but refused to leave his side.
Ethan looked at her, speechless. What in the world had happened last night? Outside, the light had already dimmed again—had he really slept through an entire day?
Just before leaving, he tugged Astrid’s pajama strap back over her shoulder, covering the smooth line of her collarbone. As he did, his fingers brushed against lingering warmth and fragrance. Absentmindedly, he lifted his hand to his nose. The scent wasn’t Astrid’s. It was Lyla’s.
The softness in his dream... had he really been holding Lyla the whole time? Or—Ethan glanced at Astrid again, unsettled.
...
Stepping outside, he realized he was in the luxury villa that had been constructed earlier. He had prepared the materials but hadn’t assembled it before being whisked into the Sea of Death. Clearly, Leo and the others had pieced it together while he was gone.
As Ethan descended the stairs, he froze. A figure stood at the bottom, equally startled.
"You didn’t leave?" Ethan asked.
"Hmph." It was the Dragon Child. Without another word, she turned and walked out.
Ethan scratched his nose, no longer as angry as before. What was that about? She came all the way up here just to walk away again?
"I’m hungry..." Astrid whispered beside him, pulling him out of his thoughts. He sighed, resigned to taking her downstairs.
The Dragon Child hadn’t left after all. She was waiting at the bottom. Ethan felt awkward at the sight, but then noticed how freely she moved among everyone else. Could it be the feud with the Whitmore family had been settled?
"I’ll take you to eat," the Dragon Child said, ignoring Ethan entirely. She took Astrid’s hand and tugged her along. Astrid glanced back with clouded eyes, hesitated, then followed, leaving Ethan standing alone, rubbing his nose.
Outside, dusk had fallen. He really had slept the whole day. Beside the villa, dozens of people worked busily, assembling a second one. Everyone was there: Aunt Melinda, Matriarch Whitmore, Astrid, the Dragon Child, and all the others—everyone except Lyla, who was still sleeping.
Ethan made his way over, scanning the workers. One person was missing.
"Victor, where’s Leo? Is that guy slacking off?"
"Oh, you’re awake?" People turned to him with knowing smirks.
"Boss, take care of yourself!" someone called.
"Yeah, why don’t I have that kind of luck..." Blackie and Micah chimed in, their teasing leaving Ethan red-faced. He knew exactly what they were implying, but he hadn’t actually done anything. How was he supposed to explain? He let it drop and asked again where Leo was.
"He’s locked himself in his room and won’t come out," Victor said, grinning.
"What’s wrong with him?" Ethan asked.
"What else? He doesn’t want to eat crap upside down!" Williams burst out laughing.
"Eat crap... upside down?" Ethan froze, then remembered. Yesterday, Leo had boasted that if the things Ethan carried out were real gold, he would eat dirt while standing on his head.
Ethan realized he hadn’t seen Leo at all during the drinking last night. He had been too distracted by Lyla to notice. Now, after blacking out and waking to the mess with Astrid and Lyla, he almost felt guilty. Leo’s beloved Celeste was still in danger, while he himself had somehow stumbled into "fortune" that didn’t feel like fortune at all.
"I’ll go find him," Ethan muttered. He strode to Leo’s tent and called out, but got no reply. He pushed the door open and peeked in—empty.
Ethan almost laughed. ’All this just to avoid eating dirt upside down? Where could he have hidden himself? Serves him right for bragging. Let’s see how long he can keep this up.’