Time slipped quietly by, carried along by hidden undercurrents.
Marcellus's recovery was even faster than anyone had expected. The hospital air still carried the sharp scent of disinfectant, but for Livia, the initial strangeness and aversion had long faded—this stark, sterile space had, for the time being, become another battlefield of hers.
During the day, she moved with poise through every corner of the city, from the castle to the hospital, from meetings to investigations, with effortless grace and fluidity.
And every night, no matter how busy, no matter how exhausted in body or mind, she would drive to the hospital, change out of her day clothes, step into the familiar ward, and quietly slip into the modest bed, nestling silently beside Marcellus.
Her presence, like an invisible balm, soothed the man's pain and anxiety.
Marcellus sensed it. From the initial guilt and heartache to the later peace and growing reliance—every time he awoke, there was always that familiar warmth in his arms, those soft yet steady hands, that faintly smiling face.
And beneath this tender surface, the war's layout grew ever tighter.
According to Livia's arrangements, Elias had Red and a few trusted aides conduct a very public search within Allen's sector.
Those areas were indeed marked in the archives as potential targets, but with their sharp instincts, they all knew the likelihood of finding the Holy Grail there was extremely low.
This was nothing but bait.
They were waiting—for the enemies lurking in the dark to show themselves.
And so, a few more days passed.
That night, the hospital's curtains were half drawn, and moonlight slanted through the window, casting a silvery glow over the white bedsheets.
Livia had just finished freshening up, changed into soft loungewear, her hair still damp. As she quietly toweled it dry, she moved toward the bed, ready to slip into Marcellus's embrace and accompany him to sleep as usual.
But just as she lifted the covers—
The phone on the bedside table buzzed.
The sound was jarring in the quiet of the room.
Livia froze, her gaze snapping to the screen—
Elias.
Her heart tightened sharply. Without hesitation, she snatched up the phone and walked quickly to the corner of the room to answer.
"Hello?"
A moment of tense breathing on the other end—then Elias's voice came through in a low whisper, tinged with barely restrained excitement:
"Someone couldn't resist. They've made a move."
Livia's nerves instantly tightened, her blood seeming to rush faster.
On the bed, Marcellus, though his eyes remained closed, had already sensed the change in atmosphere. He cracked his eyelids open slightly, a flash of alertness glinting within his gaze as he looked toward Livia.
Taking a deep breath, Livia steadied her voice and asked as calmly and naturally as she could, "Who was it?"
Elias immediately understood.
He knew why Livia had phrased it that way—
She didn't want Marcellus to realize that, back during her abduction, they had already confirmed Eryx's involvement.
Livia wanted to shield him from any further suspicion, even now.
Thus, without missing a beat, Elias played along, his voice smooth and natural:
"It was Red who found them."
He paused briefly, as if organizing the information, or perhaps choosing his words carefully.
"While we were carrying out our search in our assigned sector, Red was pretending to scour the area but kept a sharp eye out," Elias continued, his tone steady but carrying an undercurrent of tension. "Two days ago, he noticed something odd—someone seemed to be watching him from afar."
Livia said nothing, only narrowing her eyes slightly as she listened.
Elias continued, his voice dropping a fraction lower, the atmosphere turning colder:
"Red stayed calm. He didn't spook them. He reported to me immediately. We lay low and watched them quietly for a few days. Eventually, we confirmed—it wasn't some random passerby. They were deliberately lurking."
His tone tightened a notch, carrying a faint but unmistakable edge of deadly intent:
"After that, I personally took action. Tracked them in reverse. Turns out—he wasn't alone. Their movements were extremely cautious, almost leaving no trace, but in the end… they couldn't shake me off."
The voice over the phone dropped even further, sounding almost like the silent footsteps of someone stalking through the night—quiet and lethal.
"They finally retreated back into Eryx's sector." Elias enunciated every word, his voice carrying a cold finality. "Just a few streets away from the area we're covering. Looks like our guess was right—Eryx couldn't hold back any longer."
The hospital room fell into utter silence, broken only by the faint rustling of the night breeze through the trees outside.
Livia narrowed her eyes slightly, the corner of her lips curling into a faint, meaningful smile.