Lira pushed open the hospital room door with a brusque motion, expecting to find Rian lying in bed, probably whining about his wounds or asking for something to eat.

But when the door swung fully open, the room was empty.

The bed was perfectly made, its white sheets pristine, and there was no trace of bandages or the antiseptic smell that usually lingered around a recovering patient.

The silence in the room was almost deafening, broken only by the faint buzz of a mosquito passing by her.

"Damn it!" Lira muttered through gritted teeth, clenching her fists. "I knew I should've sent a servant to keep an eye on him. That idiot never stays put…"

Her eyes scanned the room, searching for any clue of where Rian could be.

The window was closed, and nothing was out of place—no note, no forgotten item, nothing.

Just Rian's absence, mocking her from the void.

Lira felt a mix of frustration and worry. Rian wasn't in any condition to be wandering around, not after the fight he'd had.

A lightning bolt had struck him, and though he'd walked away like it was nothing, any sensible person would be resting.

Just then, a nurse passed by in the hallway, holding a tray of medical instruments.

Lira intercepted her with a quick gesture, blocking her path.

"Where the hell is Rian now?" she asked, her tone leaving no room for evasion.

Her voice was low but laced with an authority that made the nurse take a step back.

The nurse, a young woman with her hair pulled into a tight bun, blinked nervously.

"Uh… according to the other nurses, he said he was going for a walk," she replied, her voice hesitant.

Her hands gripped the tray tighter, as if afraid Lira might lash out.

Lira furrowed her brow, leaning toward the nurse.

"Another walk?" she repeated, her tone dripping with disbelief and anger. "And why the hell didn't you stop him? That bastard should be resting! Don't you know how to do your job or what?"

The nurse swallowed hard, clearly intimidated. She averted her gaze, avoiding Lira's piercing blue eyes.

"We tried, ma'am…" she said, her tone more excuse than explanation. "But… he threatened to make a scene if we didn't let him leave. He said he didn't need to be here and felt fine. We didn't want to cause trouble."

Lira opened her mouth, ready to unleash another scolding, but the nurse's words stopped her.

Rian had threatened the staff?

That didn't add up.

The Rian she knew never did that—he was the type to lower his gaze before any authority.

But this week… everything had been different.

The fights, the lightning, his defiant attitude…

A small spark of suspicion reignited in her mind, but Lira shook her head, trying to smother it.

'No,' she thought, almost like a mantra. 'I made a promise. I'm not going to overthink this.'

The nurse looked at her, clearly confused, not understanding half of what Lira had said.

"Excuse me…?" she said, tilting her head. "Is everything alright, ma'am?"

Lira snapped her gaze up, realizing she'd spoken aloud.

Her expression hardened, and she took a step toward the nurse, pointing a finger at her.

"No, everything's not alright," she said sharply. "From now on, the medical team isn't just responsible for Rian's treatment but also for keeping tabs on him. Everything about him goes through me, got it? Because clearly, you're all incapable of doing your jobs."

The nurse paled, a slight tremble running through her hands as she clutched the tray.

"Oh… please, Lady Lira," she said, her tone desperate. "Don't report this to Leader Kraus. We'll make sure it doesn't happen again. I swear."

Lira raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms.

"I'm not reporting anything," she said coldly.

After all, if she reported this, she'd be the one in trouble.

Still, seizing the misunderstanding, Lira declared, "But only if you keep quiet and do exactly what I say from now on. Understood?"

The nurse nodded quickly, pulling a notepad and pencil from her uniform pocket.

"Yes, ma'am," she said, her tone submissive. "Tell me what you need, and I'll write it all down."

Before Lira could respond, a familiar, cheerful voice echoed down the hallway.

"Lira! So good to see you!"

It was Selena, approaching with quick steps and a bright smile.

Before Lira could react, Selena wrapped her in a hug from behind, her hands brushing dangerously close to Lira's chest.

"It's been forever! How've you been?"

Lira stiffened, turning her head to look at Selena. Her face flushed red, more from surprise than the contact.

"Selena…" she said, her tone serious, trying to mask her nerves. "Everything was fine until now. What are you doing here?"

Selena let out a short laugh, releasing her but keeping a hand on her shoulder.

"Came to visit… Rian," she said casually. "Haven't seen him in a while, well, except for yesterday's fight. I was there, you know? As a spectator, out of curiosity. What a fight! That guy's got something, don't you think?"

Lira got a bad feeling at those words.

She knew Selena always carried her white phone, and if she'd been at the fight, it was almost certain she'd recorded everything.

The lightning, the tattered tunic, the way Rian got up like it was nothing…

If that video reached the other Coles, suspicions about Rian would skyrocket.

But asking Selena not to show it would be like admitting she was hiding something.

She couldn't afford that.

"I see…" Lira said, her tone neutral, trying to stay calm. "Well, I'm heading back to my room to keep working. I've got things to do."

Selena tilted her head, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.

"Hang on a sec," she said, raising a hand. "I heard something interesting from Kain the other day. Did you know he said you've been looking after Rian a lot lately?"

Lira sighed, feeling the conversation veering into territory she didn't like.

"I thought you hated Kain," she replied dryly. "Since when do you care what he says?"

Selena laughed, shrugging.

"Well, he says interesting stuff sometimes," she said, her tone playful. "And this caught my attention. According to him, you're putting a lot of effort into keeping Rian afloat. More than anyone would expect."

Lira furrowed her brow, a pang of irritation hitting her.

"That's none of your business, Selena," she said sharply. "What I do or don't do with Rian doesn't concern you."

Selena smiled, but there was something sharp in her expression.

"Oh, come on, Lira…" she said, leaning closer. "I thought we all agreed not to help Rian. You know, let him fend for himself. But now that he's showing some… talent? Suddenly you've changed your mind?"

Lira pressed her lips together, sensing the conversation turning dangerous.

"The deal was until Rian showed some worth," she replied firmly. "And now he is. He's won fights, survived things no one expected. I'm not breaking anything by helping him."

Selena went quiet for a moment, her expression thoughtful.

Her fingers toyed with the edge of her tunic, and Lira knew she was scheming something.

Before Selena could respond, Lira took a step back.

"I'm not in the mood to argue," she said, her tone leaving no room for debate. "I've got work to do."

She turned to leave, but Selena's voice stopped her.

"One more thing, Lira," she said, her tone losing all its cheer. "I'm going to be investigating Rian. Orders from Father. And if you want to keep your place in the clan, I suggest you keep a low profile."

Lira froze, a chill running down her spine.

She turned her head, glancing at Selena over her shoulder.

"Mind your own business, Selena," she said coldly. "And let me do my job."

Without waiting for a reply, she walked down the hallway, her fists clenched and her heart pounding.

Selena stayed where she was, a tense smile on her lips.

Her gaze shifted to the nurse, who'd been silently watching the exchange, eyes wide, still clutching her notepad.

The poor woman looked like she wished the floor would swallow her.

She tried to slip away discreetly toward the hallway's exit, but Selena raised a hand, stopping her.

"Hold on a second…" Selena said, her tone serious, a stark contrast to her usual demeanor. "What were you talking to Lira about before I got here?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.