The Young Master I Carefully Raised Became Obsessive-Chapter 93

Chapter 93

“I had the dream today.”

“Laila, since you’re connected to Rowell, that dream could be dangerous. So stay here with me for a while. This is where you belong anyway.”

“In this imperial palace?”

Ardion nodded nonchalantly. Seeing me glance at Derol, he added, “I’ll prepare a separate room for him.”

As I nodded, Ardion calmly took my hand. His gaze roamed across it meticulously, inspecting every detail.

When I tried to pull my hand away, he looked up. “Are you really okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean you.”

“I’m fine,” I said with a smile.

But Ardion’s expression didn’t ease. I made another effort to free my hand, and he finally let go.

He sat still for a moment, then met my gaze. “Laila.”

His voice was calm, but mana light swirled intensely around his arm.

I stared, startled.

He smiled back at me. “My mana just flared up all of a sudden.”

I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being tricked.

❋ ❋ ❋

I finally lay down. My whole body ached with exhaustion, and as soon as I closed my eyes, I fell asleep.

At first, darkness enveloped me. Then, suddenly, a blinding light flooded in. The sudden brightness made it hard to open my eyes. Shielding them with my sleeve, I slowly opened them. That was when I saw someone.

It was Rowell. He was clutching his chest, head bowed. Startled, I stumbled back and stepped on something. My foot slipped, and I fell.

Despite the loud thud, Rowell continued staring at his desk.

Is this happening again, like last time?

Come to think of it, Rowell had been in pain like that before. I stared at him silently. It seemed that whenever he was in such pain, I was drawn here, as though an unseen force pulled me in.

Just then, someone knocked on the door. Rowell lifted his head immediately. I flinched and stepped back, but he didn’t seem to notice me at all.

“Come in.”

The door opened right away. A figure cloaked in black entered, somehow familiar. The person removed their cloak upon entering the office. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

It was Serina. She approached Rowell and bowed.

“How did it go?”

“We lost Laila. But I believe I know where she is.”

“Then why are you here instead of bringing her back?”

“She’s currently with Ardion, in his palace.”

“And?” Rowell snapped irritably.

Serina hesitated briefly before responding, “If she’s in Ardion’s palace, it’ll be hard for us to get to her.”

“Weren’t you the one who devised all those schemes to kill Ardion? And now you’re hesitating over something like this?”

Serina gazed steadily at Rowell. “Then why did Your Highness grant Laila a pardon so hastily? If not for that, we could’ve captured her by now.”

“There was no choice. The palace staff were already threatening to testify, claiming injustice. Ardion even offered to give up all his mana. There was no reason for me to stir up more trouble.”

“…”

“If we just let things be, it’ll resolve itself. A pardon means nothing.”

“But there’s already a lot of gossip spreading among the people. Trust has eroded, especially since we framed the incident as a palace mistake.”

“That kind of talk fades with time. What you should be focused on is capturing Laila, not worrying about public sentiment.”

Rowell let out a sharp laugh. Serina glared at him, then glanced at his chest.

His expression hardened subtly. “Now that I think about it, it’s strange. Someone who never cared about politics is suddenly worried about public opinion?”

“What are you implying?” Serina raised her voice.

Rowell leaned back in his chair, watching her coolly. “I’m starting to wonder if you're just waiting for me to die so you can take my place.”

“Are you accusing me of using the magical drug on you intentionally, Your Highness?”

“If not, then why have you failed to accomplish anything when things have gotten this bad?”

“That’s…”

“Find Laila before I die from this heart condition. Or I’ll kill you.”

Serina’s face went rigid. “Your Highness! How could you say that to me…?”

“Laila made it all the way to Ardion’s palace. What exactly were you doing? Are you stalling for time on purpose?”

“No!”

“Then prove it.”

Serina clenched her fists, trembling. “I will definitely capture Laila.”

Rowell gave a mocking smile. “Get out.”

He gestured towards the door. Serina bowed and turned around. She was almost at the door when she suddenly paused and looked back at him.

“By the way, if your heart pain worsens, your mana will start to resonate more strongly. That means more things will be shared with Laila.”

“What are you saying?”

“She might be able to hear what we’re saying.”

Rowell raised an eyebrow. Serina said nothing more and walked out. He looked around the room. His eyes met mine for a brief moment, but he quickly looked away. Even though I wasn’t visible in this space, moments like this always left me unsettled.

How do I get out of here anyway?

I wanted to escape this place. Since I had come here in my sleep, maybe this was a dream… I bit my tongue. But the pain was too sharp, too real. I was scared to bite again.

What if I really die?

Then, suddenly, I turned my head, and there was Rowell, staring straight at me. He looked right at me, like I was truly standing there.

My eyes widened in shock, and in that instant, the surroundings went dark. I gasped awake. My chest heaved as I clutched the blanket tightly.

Was it a dream? Or reality?

Something felt wrong. I didn’t want to go through anything like that again. I stared blankly ahead and slowly exhaled. Gradually, my surroundings came into view. It was still dark, and I could hear quiet breathing.

Turning my head, I saw Ardion sleeping on his side, facing me. I checked the time. It was the middle of the night, when everyone else should be asleep. I lay back down, trying to sleep, but rest wouldn’t come. I tossed and turned for a while, then grew curious. Was what I experienced real?

I had overheard Serina, so I had a vague sense that it was, but I wanted confirmation.

If the light was on in Rowell’s office right now, then it had really happened. His office was on the opposite side of the palace and visible from the corridor. I carefully shifted my body.

Just as my foot was about to touch the floor…

“Laila.”

Startled, I looked up to see Ardion watching me. “You’re awake?”

“I figured you’d come back to my side, so I kept my eyes closed. Where are you going?”

“Oh, just stepping out into the hallway for a bit.”

“What for?”

“I had another dream. Rowell and Serina were in it again, and this time… Rowell looked right at me. Like I was really there.”

“Even with the magical drug, he shouldn’t have been able to see you.”

“Right?”

Ardion nodded. Then he gently took my hand and placed it against his cheek. Warmth pooled in my palm.

“And besides, I’m here.” He smiled. A glow of mana was already forming around his arm. I looked at it, startled, as he said in a low voice, “Laila, are you planning to keep staying away from me like this?”

“…”

“My mana is surging out of control right now.”

“Ardion, you’re lying.”

“It’s true.”

While speaking, he pulled me towards him. Suddenly, I was in his arms. I looked up in shock, but he only held me tighter as he whispered in my ear, “Want to check for yourself? See if it’s real?”

“No thanks,” I murmured.

Ardion kissed my forehead, gently patted my back until I fell asleep, and whispered softly, “Laila, don’t be so anxious. Someday, all of this will end.”

His voice was so mature. The moment felt strange, being comforted like this by him. It was both soothing and unfamiliar.

❋ ❋ ❋

As soon as I woke up the next morning, I sprang into action. Derol showed up at Ardion’s office, already having filled his stomach.

“Derol, we’re going to use that plan you mentioned, starting now.”

“Yes, Master, I’m ready!” Derol nodded eagerly, eyes sparkling.

Ardion, however, didn’t look pleased. “Laila, if I sense even the slightest danger, I’m coming to get you immediately.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll avoid letting things go that far.”

Only then did Ardion nod, seemingly resigned.

“Serina is desperate to find me. I’ll go to a secluded alley and…”

“No, that’s not going to work. There could be others, and it’ll just cause trouble.”

“Then is there somewhere safe, not too crowded, and easy for you to keep an eye on?”

At my question, Ardion furrowed his brow in thought. Derol also stayed silent. I walked over to the window.

From Ardion’s office, I could see a glimpse of the market outside and a river flowing gently beyond that.

I studied the area closely. There weren’t many people, but it was open and spacious, perfect for someone to keep watch unnoticed. There were even roads nearby, ideal for parking a carriage.

If Ardion’s watching from a carriage and Serina shows up…

I turned around immediately.