"Physically, he's fine. Perhaps, he needs to take a break and rest. There's really nothing wrong with his body..."
Mikael frowned as he heard a familiar and yet so unfamiliar voice, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself staring at a white ceiling.
This was not his office.
Suddenly, he shot up to sit on the bed, and his action alarmed everyone in the room.
He frowned some more when he looked at the people around him.
Raeya, Klara, Min-Jin, and Alison were present, and then there was Doctor Hale and his nurse Judy.
He was in the clinic on the 5th Floor of the Tower.
Inadvertently, he glanced at the clock and tried to get up when he saw that it was nearly 5 pm.
"Relax, Mikael. You need to get some rest."
"I am fine, Doctor." He politely smiled, but the man pushed him down to lie back in the bed.
"Relax." He smiled and then adjusted the bed so that it was slightly inclined, making eye contact comfortable for him.
"So, what happened?" He raised his brow at Raeya, who frowned as she met his eyes.
"Min-Jin and Alison found you screaming and groaning in your sleep as if you were having a nightmare and were in a lot of pain. They panicked, and then your guards immediately contacted the Clinic. We happened to see you being taken, and here we are." Klara smiled at him. "What's going on with you?"
Mikael frowned and found himself a little confused. As far as he remembered, he had successfully integrated all the knowledge of Hand-to-Hand Combat before he fell asleep...
Suddenly, he found himself possessing a ridiculous amount of knowledge about Architecture, and he sighed in his heart.
"Can you please not do this again?" He requested the System.
{It was the best time for it, Host. The pain was not even half as intense and you were not conscious enough to focus on it. The System does what is best for you.}
He sighed in his heart again and closed his eyes.
"Mikael, I have a friend who is a brilliant psychologist. Maybe he can help you get over whatever issues you are facing recently."
His left eyelid twitched as he heard Doctor Hale's words, but he knew that they were not at fault for holding these thoughts.
"I am fine, Doctor. It's just that I have been thinking too much lately, and I seem to be unable to control the stream of thoughts. It gets too much at times and happens when I am sleeping as well."
"I did observe an increased brain activity when you were asleep, but there really isn't anything wrong with your body. You should try meditation to try and control your thoughts. I would even recommend some medicines, but I know you won't be taking them." He chuckled as he was familiar with Mikael's personality ever since he was a kid.
"I hate medicines." He scrunched up his nose and heard Min-Jin fail to hold back her giggle. "Oh, has Jenna helped you two sign the contracts?"
"No, we didn't get the chance."
"Go, there's still time." He gently said to her, and she nodded to him and took Alison out of the ward.
Klara and Raeya were about to go out as well, but he stopped them.
"We are waiting outside. You should rest." The younger twin advised, but he shook his head.
"Stay."
Doctor Hale and the nurse left the ward after a minute, and Mikael amusedly looked at Raeya, who was sitting on the sofa, pretending to read a magazine.
"Come here, Rae." He told her, and she furrowed her brows as she met his eyes.
She hesitated for a moment, but then stood up and walked to his bedside. She wrapped her arms around her chest and raised her brow at him in question.
"Yes?"
"My phone?" He sweetly asked.
"No," and she bluntly refused to return it to him.
Raeya turned around to go back, but he grabbed her wrist, and before she could react, he grabbed her waist and pulled he onto the bed with him.
"Let me go!" She glared at him as she found herself lying on top of him, and since she was supporting herself on her hands to look down at his face, her heartbeat became quicker at how close their lips were.
"Let me hold you to sleep, please?" He requested, but she did not answer him.
A minute later, he sighed and let go of her, and she immediately stood up to escape his arms.
Seeing their interaction, Klara immediately excused herself, saying that she had to wrap up the work at the office.
Now, with only two of them left in the ward, Mikael gave her a light smile and closed his eyes.
Though it looked like he was sleeping, he was, in fact, going through all the Architectural Knowledge that he had received.
Since all System-assigned Skills were at the peak of their level, he was already a Half-Master in Architecture, one of the finest in the world if not the best.
He was so fascinated by all the knowledge that he did not even realise the passage of time.
Suddenly, he felt a very soft hand touch his forehead, checking his temperature, and he fought back the urge to open his eyes and look at his wife, who was showing some care to him, thinking that he was fast asleep.
"I hate you..."
He heard her whisper, which made him laugh in his heart, and then listened to her steps as she moved back to the sofa.
Knowing that she did not leave his side, made him feel very warm.
A while later, the door of the ward opened, and someone came inside.
Raeya immediately stood up and left the room, which made him frown, but soon he felt a pair of lips land on his forehead, and he guessed who it was.
Slowly opening his eyes, he stared into her beautiful hazel eyes, which widened in surprise and then worry.
"I did not mean to disturb you..."
"You did not. What time is it?" He asked her."
"It's 7:30 pm."
"I see. Time to go home." He sat up and then lazily stretched his limbs.
"Doctor said that you can stay here overnight." Min-Jin seemed quite worried when she saw him standing up, and yelped when he suddenly picked her up and spun around with her.
Mikael then put her back on her feet and captured her lips, consuming her in a kiss that made her heart flutter.
"You look very sexy in a suit." He told her when he separated, and took a good look at her.
Min-Jin blushed at the compliment and then followed him out.
Alison was sitting on the bench outside his ward, and she was elated to see him fine.
"Boss, Jenna gave me a tour around the office and handed me the tasks you had prepared for me." She informed him. "And the New Finance Director signed his contract in the afternoon. He will report at work tomorrow morning."
"Good. How was your day?" He asked her, and she lowered her head, smiling a little.
"It was good, Boss. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Go through the files tonight, and you will be making all the arrangements tomorrow. We have an auction to attend on Friday, and you will be representing me there."
"Yes, Boss."
Alison was quite nervous as the Auction was the biggest annual auction in the city, presided by the City Lord himself. Jenna had also told her that this auction was very important for their Corporation, and she was praying in her heart that everything would turn out fine.
"I will do my best." She whispered the promise to herself, but both of them heard her words.
"That's all that matters." Mikel gently said to her and patted her head, which caused her to flinch. "Sorry."
"No, no. I just..."
"You don't have to explain yourself. I understand." He gently said to her and then kissed Min-Jin on the cheek. "I will see you tomorrow."
"Be safe!"
"Always." He grinned at her before he walked to his office
Mikael wanted to make a call but remembered that his dear wife had confiscated his phone, which made him helplessly shake his head.
After picking up some files from the office, he arrived in the parking lot and happened to come across Raeya and Klara, who were about to get inside their car.
"You are up." The younger twin frowned when she saw him carrying files.
"Yes. I feel good now. Oh, can I have my phone, please?" He smiled at Rayeya, who took out the phone from her pocket and handed it to her sister, who then came over to give it to him.
"You can come with us." She suggested when she saw that he was not taking a driver with him.
"I have to go someplace first..."
"Huh." Raeya scoffed at his words and then entered the car, not willing to hear another word from him.
Klara flinched at how hard she closed the door and then sighed before looking at her husband in the eyes.
"When will you be back?"
"I will be there for dinner. Oh, and don't tell Anaiah about what happened today. She will create a scene and Mom will be very distressed."
"Okay. We won't tell her." She nodded to him and then walked back to the car.
Mikael watched them leave and then drove out, heading to Richard Street, where the Royal Pet House was located.
It was a very posh premises, which catered to the people in the upper echelon of the society, and they dealt with all sorts of exotic animals.
"Good evening, Sir!" At the front desk, a lady in her thirties greeted him, and he smiled at her before he gave her his name.
"Mikael Zarayne."
The lady quickly checked her records and then brightly smiled at him.
"Please wait here a while, sir."
A few minutes later, she returned to the lobby, carrying a large wooden basket, which was closed on top.
Mikael smiled when she carefully opened the top and allowed him to peek inside.
There were three beautiful and fluffy silver-shaded Siberian Kittens huddled together.
"They are the finest of their breed that we have ever come across, Sir. I hope you will treasure them and give them a lot of love."
"They will be cherished." He promised her and accepted the basket from her hand.
There were two attendants behind her, who were carrying two litter boxes, fresh litter, and some boxes of kitten food.
They felt a little weird as they put everything inside his REGAL Phantom, and he gave them a generous tip before he left.
Thankfully, the kittens seemed to be in a deep sleep and stayed asleep all the way to the Villa.
Anaiah, Klara, and Raeya were sitting in the lounge, and the twins were surprised to see him come back so soon.
However, their attention was soon on the basket that he was carrying, and when he placed it on the table between them, he brightly smiled.
"Gifts for the three of you."
"What is it?" Anaiah excitedly came over, and as soon as she lifted the lid, she froze.
Seeing her reaction, Klara and Raeya stood up as well, and Mikael silently walked towards his room, amused at how charmed the three of them were by these precious kittens, and yet kept quiet, fearing that they might disturb their sleep.