Watching Alia's figure gradually vanish at the far end of the corridor, Elias frowned slightly, a strange, indescribable feeling rising in his chest. Everything before him was completely different from what he had expected; each breath seemed laden with oppressive weight.
Once he was certain Alia had fully left, Marcellus spoke slowly, his voice low and cutting, as though an invisible pressure pressed against the very air: "Aren't you… curious? Don't you find all of this strange?"
Elias swallowed hard, his brow furrowing deeper, his gaze tinged with confusion and unease. "Indeed… everything here is… unsettling. Livia too… you as well… and this newly found fragment… why is everything proceeding so… unnaturally, so difficult to make sense of?" His tone wavered between bewilderment, anxiety, and a faint, unspoken fear.
Marcellus's eyes were sharp as blades, his cold voice slicing through the tension. "You and Livia… there must be secrets between you that I don't know about, right?"
Elias felt his chest tighten, his complexion paling slightly, his voice trembling. "W-what… do you mean?"
At the sight of this, Marcellus's lips curled into a cold, sharp smile, a glint of mockery and disdain flashing in his eyes. "I didn't expect even our ever-calm and rational Young Master Elias to have moments like this. Actually… I know everything."
Elias froze, his breathing quickening slightly, lowering his voice. "You mean… everything? Fine, whether you're testing me or not, I don't care… I can be honest. I loved her once, no—more accurately, I still love Livia. But clearly, her recent attitude… she's completely chosen you. I have nothing to say."
Marcellus snorted lightly, his tone laced with irony. "At least you're candid… able to admit it so calmly."
Then he sighed, his voice deep and heavy. "Forget it… I admit, I once indulged myself. I even thought… maybe Livia would be better off with you…"
Elias's brows knitted tighter, his emotions edging toward agitation. "What nonsense are you spouting?! You knew all this?! And more importantly, Livia isn't an object. Her choice isn't yours to make—it belongs to her!"
Marcellus lowered his head, his gaze filled with deep regret and self-reproach, his voice so soft it seemed he was speaking only to himself. "You're right… I didn't respect her or our relationship. All that has happened… perhaps it's what I deserve."
Elias stood still, emotions swirling within him—anger, confusion, pity, and a trace of indescribable melancholy. He stared at the Marcellus before him, familiar yet strangely foreign, and his voice softened, low and cautious. "Then… what exactly happened? What on earth went on…?"
In the ancient sickroom, the dim yellow light cast flickering shadows across the walls. The air seemed to thicken; the pressure and weight coiled together, making every word strike at the most sensitive nerves of the heart. Their eyes met in the cramped space, both familiar and distant, carrying unresolved questions and tangled emotions, as if even the air itself was holding its breath, waiting for the truth to emerge.