Seiji awoke to the soft light of morning filtering through the small house. His mind was foggy with sleep, but a sudden realization jolted him fully awake—the nobleman's wife was not beside him. Panic surged through him. She had been too weak to even move the night before, and now she was gone from the bed.
He sat up quickly, his heart pounding. Where could she have gone? His thoughts raced. She couldn't have just disappeared…
Suddenly, the sound of running water reached his ears, followed by the abrupt silence as the shower was turned off. Seiji's breath caught in his throat. He turned his head towards the small adjoining room where the bathroom was located, just in time to see her emerge.