Chapter 4

On the night of Nina's first birthday banquet, news that Loretta was demanding separation and planning to return to Valleria swept through the Valen estate.

At midnight, Caine kicked the door wide open, peach petals from Willow Court clinging to his boots.

"I heard Loretta cough up blood," he said, tearing off his clothes. His black robe fell on the carpet like a dead snake.

"Your father died saving me. So tell me... How can I ever repay that debt?" he asked.

I instinctively shielded Nina in my arms and retreated until my back slammed against the bed.

"Do you plan to use my blood for your redemption?" I whispered, sarcasm lacing my voice.

He gave a low laugh, his fingers brushing over the old scar on my collarbone.

He said, "Lauren, you've got more backbone than Loretta. Can't you try being a little softer? Don't be so tough all the time—it always makes me feel guilty."

As the quilt rustled and twisted beneath us, I counted every fresh bruise he left on my neck, hearing him whisper "Lorrie" to me eight times.

Spring rain drummed steadily outside, leaking in to stain the letter Loretta had sent to him, the ink bleeding at the edges.

I stared at those graceful, flower-pinned strokes—her neat handwriting spelling out, "Thinking of you as if you were here." Suddenly, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Caine froze, and I seized the moment to sink my teeth into his shoulder. The metallic tang of blood flooded my mouth.

"Are you crazy?" His hand clamped down harder on my chin.

"Yes, I am," I said, staring up at the ceiling. "Ever since the night my father died, ever since you swore to protect me..."

Suddenly, he flipped over, the quilt slipping aside to reveal the sharp lines of his slender back and waist.

With the soft drip of water and the patter of rain outside, my heartbeat thudded in rhythm with the night, carrying me through until morning.

After that night, he made himself scarce—I hardly caught a glimpse of him during the day.

But when night fell, he'd slip quietly into my bed, wrapping his arms around me while I slept, only to sneak away before I woke up.

He thought I was oblivious to his midnight visits, but I knew everything.

Still, I kept up the act, because I couldn't help clinging to even that fragile, pitiful bit of affection.

More than once, I'd thought about grabbing Nina and running away, but with her life hanging by the Celestine Lotus, how could we possibly survive?

I knew clinging to the Celestine Lotus meant chasing after false hope, but I was counting every borrowed day, treasuring every stolen breath—for as long as I could save her.

When Nina was a year and a half, her health took a turn for the worse, leaving her more frail with each passing day.

The soft blush of her cheeks faded into a sickly pallor, and those eyes—so like Caine's—now stared out dull and lifeless.

"Mommy... it hurts..." Nina whimpered.

She curled up against me, her feverish little forehead pressed to my neck, tiny fingers feebly grasping my collar.

I gently patted her back, watching her lips dry and crack from the fever.

"I'm here. Nina. Bodhi Harrow will be here soon," I murmured.

Rain kept drumming outside, and inside, that heavy medicine smell just wouldn't go away. It was already the third time this month I'd had to call Bodhi, the doctor.

Ever since autumn started, Nina's cough just refused to stop, and every time she ran a fever, it would linger for days before finally fading.

Amara Kensington stepped in, carrying the bowl of medicine with her eyes red from crying.

I gently accepted the bowl from her, then held it to Nina's lips.

I softly coaxed, "Sweetheart, take your medicine—the pain will go away soon."

Nina scrunched up her little face, shaking her head to avoid the spoon, the medicine dribbling down onto her tiger-print collar.

I had to hold back my tears, forcing myself to soothe her with a gentle voice. "How about this—drink up, and Mommy will give you some candy, okay?"

"No... it's too bitter..." Nina whimpered, her voice small and pitiful.

Her tiny cries sounded just like a helpless kitten, but that weak little sob tore right through me.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Bodhi rushed in, still trailing the dampness of the rain clinging to his coat.

He began to check Nina, the lines on his forehead deepening with every passing moment.

"Nina's fever just won't go away, and now she's caught another chill. This time... it doesn't look good at all. My lady, you should be ready for the worst," Bodhi said, voice thick with sorrow.

He hesitated, glancing at me with a look that said more than words ever could.

I clutched Nina to my chest, my voice trembling. "Bodhi, you have to save her! She's only a year and a half old!"

"I'll do everything I can," Bodhi said, his voice heavy with sorrow. "But you know as well as I do—Nina was born premature, and she's always been frail. The only reason she's still with us is because of the Celestine Lotus."

Bodhi sighed deeply, "The Celestine Lotus we've relied on for her medicine... that's gone now."

"Didn't the Emperor just grant the only three Celestine Lotuses, just last month?" I pressed, desperate.

Bodhi's face grew conflicted. "Yesterday... folks from Willow Court showed up and took every last one."

"Without the Celestine Lotus, there's nothing anyone can do—even a god couldn't save her now!" Bodhi said, his voice weighed down by hopelessness.