"Not possible today. Reschedule. Adrian."
Adrian typed a simple line and ignored all other incoming queries. He called the staff and informed them to deliver food to their room. Arella was still asleep. Adrian called a few more people and talked to them in a hushed voice. He did not want to disturb Ella's rest.
A few quick calls were made and a few instructions were given. The food was delivered in a timely manner. He set the table and waited for her to wake up naturally. No matter how long she took, he was willing to wait for her.
Meanwhile, he grabbed the so called letter and started examining it. He looked at it in light and in darkness. He put it over a flame to darken a patch on the plain paper. He intended to trace any indentures imprinted on it.
But to his astonishment, even in close proximity to the flame, the paper did not darken. Surprised, he tried to burn a corner of the paper, but the letter refused to burn!
Startled, he surfed archives to look for the existence of any paper that could not burn. But there was no such thing available. He took a glass of water, folded the letter into a small square, and dipped it into the glass.
As expected, the water remained untouched by the water. It was still crisp. A paper that could not be destroyed. Adrian's eyes furrowed in irritation. Why was it that every time he wanted to help Ella, all his clues would end at a dead end?
He clicked on his watch and typed in succinctly.
"A blank sheet akin to a paper. Doesn't burn or become wet. Any idea? Adrian."
He did not have to wait any longer because the response came within a second.
"Now you are ready to talk to me? The paper made from the bark of Mother Tree. Anna."
"How to read it? Adrian." His words were brief.
"Different for different clansmen. No correct answer. Only the receiver can read it. Anna."
Adrian revealed a contemplative gaze. Why was it that he could not help her?
He could not help her awaken her Beast. He could not find more about that seal. He could not help her find the content of the letter. He could not do anything for her. With every passing second, his face became more and more cold.
The frustration was eating away at his core.
He stayed still like a cold statue, holding the letter tightly in his death grip, until he heard a soft hum. Habitually, his eyes found Ella and he found her wide awake, looking at himself.
He walked and gently sat down next to her. He touched her forehead.
"Feeling better?" His voice was cold but his eyes had a gentle charm.
"Hmm." Arella nodded slightly and then, raised her hands in his direction. He without any second thoughts, grabbed her hands and let her lean in his arms. Only then did he feel a little better.
He wordlessly carried her and took her to the bathroom. She washed her face as he gave her a night dress. Arella took it nonchalantly. She did not mind. When she woke up, she was naked but that wasn't concerning. What bothered her the most was Adrian's ink dripping cold face.
Why was he in low spirits? She ruminated over the events and could not find a good answer. Was he concerned about her? But then, why was he in such a bad mood? Arella let every other thought fly out of the window.
What mattered the most was Adrian. So, after waking up, she acted coquettishly, without mentioning any sour topics. And just like that, they freshened up and had dinner.
That night, Ella took the initiative and acted too enthusiastically. Adrian could not refuse and soon found himself being pleasured. He felt like floating. She had had plenty of rest, so she went for it again and again, trying to make up for the missing days. She squeezed him dry.
Both of them were exhausted to the bone. Only when she found Adrian sleeping deeply and peacefully, did she let her guard down and sighed in relief. She did not want him to think any further.
She snuggled quietly in his arms, she was exhausted but not sleepy. After her nap, she was sure of one thing. As long as both of them were together, other things could be taken slowly.
Her questions would definitely have an answer, it was just a matter of time. Sooner or later, she would figure out everything. At best, everything could be found out slowly. At worst, she could just hold Nicholas and let him speak out whatever he knew.
Thinking and planning her next action, she fell asleep in his secure arms.
The next day, when she woke up, she found Adrian dressed casually. It was his day off. Noticing the stirring, he looked at her.
"Woke up? Have lunch. We have somewhere to be." Adrian caressed her cheeks as he spoke slowly.
Ella freshened up without any queries and ate a sumptuous meal with relish. Afterward, they boarded the airship and flew to another area.
Adrian informed them that it could take them a quarter of an hour. So, Ella decided to have some rest. Last night, she was a little too much. Her legs hurt, and her knees were still red. It was a trouble for her to walk straight. But she had no one to blame but herself.
Once the time was up, the airship landed, and she heard a soft knock on the door.
She came out. Adrian grabbed her hand as they alighted the airship. All the way, he had not told her where they would be going today. So, she had no idea. But looking at the giant castle like building in front of her, she was sure, they were in the royal mansion!
As if this wasn't a shock big enough, she soon found a girl walking toward them with a small smile on her face.
This…wasn't this her love rival, Princess Anna?
Arella's mind crashed within a second!