Chapter 18: Fight

The two turned to see Matthias and Olivia standing at the door, Matthias’s usual mocking grin in place, and Olivia wearing a neutral expression that made the situation even more tense.

Olivia raised her hand slightly, apologizing coldly:

“Sorry to interrupt, but there’s something that needs to be discussed with you both.”

At that moment, Kyle and Matthias’s gazes locked. There was something invisible between them—an old rivalry or perhaps a sense of duty. They stared at each other in silence for a moment before Matthias took firm steps toward Kyle, stopping directly in front of him.

Matthias smiled with a strange innocence, then suddenly raised his fist and struck Kyle’s face with force. The blow was so violent that Kyle fell to the ground, and Leila rushed toward him, shouting in concern:

“Kyle! Are you okay? Your cheek is completely bruised!”

Kyle spat blood aside and wiped his mouth with his thumb, then looked at her with a reassuring smile:

“Don’t worry, it’s just a light blow.”

He stood up, adjusted his disheveled clothes, and looked at Matthias with a sarcastic smile:

“It wasn’t a strong punch, my brother-in-law.” He emphasized the last word clearly, increasing the tension in the air.

Leila shuddered in fear as she looked between the two men. Her husband stood with overconfidence, and her brother was burning with anger. She turned to Olivia, who had folded her arms coolly and showed no interest in what was happening, calmly sitting on the chair.

Leila pleaded with her:

“Your Grace! Help me, they’ll kill each other!”

Olivia looked around the room indifferently and said carelessly:

“What? Me? What’s it to me? Let them fight. They’ll stop when they tire.”

As she spoke, the two men were already engaged in a fierce struggle, throwing punches, each trying to land a blow on the other. Leila stood frozen in terror, her eyes filled with tears, and once again, she turned to Olivia, seeking help.

“Please, Your Grace, do something!”

Olivia sighed in annoyance, as though she had been forced to intervene:

“Fine, I’ll stop them.”

She stood slowly from her seat, her voice stern:

“You…”

But suddenly, everything began to blur in her vision. She felt the ground spinning violently beneath her feet, and her limbs went limp. Before she could finish her sentence, her body collapsed to the floor with a thud, causing everyone in the room to freeze.

Leila screamed in fear:

“Olivia!”

Kyle and Matthias immediately stopped fighting and rushed toward her in panic. Matthias gently caught her in his arms, clearly worried, and tried to wake her with loud calls:

“Olivia! Wake up!”

He turned to Kyle with anger and shouted:

“Get the doctor quickly! There’s no time to waste!”

Everyone froze for a moment in the intensity of the situation, then quickly moved to bring help. Matthias carefully lifted Olivia, as though she were fragile glass, and placed her on the bed, his eyes watching her pale face as though begging her to awaken.

As they stood silently at a distance, the air between them tense with unspoken words, Leila moved forward with measured, deliberate steps toward the figure lying motionless before her. Her gaze, fierce yet composed, rested on the girl’s pale face. Kneeling beside her, Leila’s hands began to work with an almost mystical precision, moving as if channeling some ancient, hidden energy.

The silence was broken by Matthias, his voice sharp with worry.

“What are you doing? We should wait for the doctor!”

Leila turned her head abruptly, her expression a mix of exhaustion and simmering anger. Her tone was sharp, cutting through the room like a blade.

“I am a doctor, am I not? Or have you forgotten? None of this would have happened if not for your recklessness. She needs rest now—so both of you, stay back.”

Kyle placed a calming hand on Matthias’s shoulder, his voice a gentle murmur in an attempt to ease the tension.

“I’ve never seen Leila this upset before. Maybe we should give her some space.”

But Matthias wasn’t one to back down easily. He turned toward Kyle, his tone dripping with sarcasm and irritation.

“You? You’ve known her for barely a month and a half, and now you think you understand her mood?”

Leila ignored the exchange entirely, her focus unwavering as she continued examining the girl. After a moment of silence, her voice cut through the room, steady and composed:

“She’s exhausted and slightly anemic. Has she been eating properly?”

Her gaze shifted upward to meet Matthias’s bewildered expression.

“Why are you asking me? Ask her maid!”

Leila’s eyes narrowed, her stare piercing him like an unspoken accusation.

“You’re her husband. Shouldn’t you know if she’s eating well or not? Did you not notice that she’s been starving herself for months?”

The weight of her words plunged the room into an uncomfortable silence. Kyle coughed lightly, desperate to diffuse the tension.

“Leila, are you done treating her? When will she wake up? Maybe you and I should step outside for a moment and let Matthias stay with his wife.”

But Leila shook off his suggestion with an abrupt motion, her voice trembling with suppressed rage.

“I don’t understand any of you! My brother doesn’t treat his wife with kindness, she doesn’t seem to care about anything, and you stand there like none of it concerns you. Honestly, are you even a family?”

The room grew heavy with silence once more, the weight of her words too sharp to ignore. No one dared to respond. Finally, Kyle grabbed Leila’s arm and guided her out of the room, his movements brisk as if trying to end the confrontation before it spiraled further.

Out in the dimly lit corridor, Leila turned to him, her eyes blazing with a mixture of frustration and confusion. She spoke, her tone edged with defiance.

“What did you mean in there? What is this supposed to be?”

Kyle met her gaze briefly but then averted his eyes, his voice low and measured.

“It’s nothing. Just… watch your words. This castle holds more secrets than you could ever imagine.”

Inside, Matthias stood beside the bedpost, his gaze fixed on his wife, who lay seemingly at ease, as though unaware of the world around her. His voice, calm yet tinged with the sharpness that had always defined him, broke the silence.

“So, how long do you plan to pretend you’re asleep, my dear wife?”

The words prompted her to lazily open her eyes, as if waiting for the right moment. She sat up on the bed and fixed her gaze upon him.

“Hmm, looks like you knew I was awake.”

He smiled slyly and took a step closer.

“Your tricks don’t fool me, remember? So, what do you want? And why all this drama in front of everyone?”

She didn’t respond immediately. Instead, her gaze wandered for a moment before she spoke in a tone laced with regret.

“I guess I’m just not good at convincing people to stop fighting.”

Matthias chuckled bitterly, his laugh laced with sarcasm.

“Ha! As if you ever intended to do that! Then why pretend to faint?”

Her expression shifted suddenly, becoming serious in a way that unsettled him. Her eyes were filled with a mixed emotion—part sorrow, part pleading.

“Matthias, First, I didn’t pretend, Second you have to find a better solution. Don’t let things come to divorce.”

Matthias’s eyes widened in disbelief for a moment. He stared at her, not understanding.

“What?”

She continued, her voice pleading now.

“Please, find another way. Don’t deny them their happiness. I can’t tell them about your harsh decision. My brother loves her deeply, and he’s proven it. He’s willing to sacrifice his happiness for hers—he let her go to another man just to see her smile. As for your sister, she won’t refuse you, no matter what, because you mean so much to her. I know, you would have forced them to make the worst decision of their lives.”

Her words were filled with sincere sorrow, and Matthias could feel it. He wasn’t accustomed to being asked for something directly. Everything had always gone through Isabella, his loyal assistant. But now, he saw something different in her eyes—something that troubled him because he knew she was right.

He sighed heavily, turning toward the door with slow, deliberate steps before speaking in a low but firm voice:

“Fine, Olivia. I’ll find a solution.”

He paused at the door, glancing back at her with a faint smile, one that held a hint of challenge.

“By the way, from now on, you’ll be dining with me.”

Olivia watched him leave, her eyes following him with a sad yet warm smile. She whispered, barely audible:

“I know we’re not on the best of terms, but he’s a man who keeps his promises. The smile I saw on Kyle’s face today deserves me setting aside my pride and asking Matthias… just for them.”

The days in the palace passed with the same monotony Olivia had grown accustomed to, yet one thing had changed: meals were now taken with Matthias, a new commitment he had imposed upon her without discussion. She didn’t mind much, but there was a weight to these shared moments, where the silence between them was always like a cold knife.

One night, as the hours grew late, a sense of unease crept upon her regarding the matter of Kyle and Lila. She decided to confront Matthias to learn what he had done about it. She walked toward his room with quiet steps, knocked softly on the door, then pushed it open and entered without waiting for permission.

What she saw inside was far from what she had expected. The air in the room was thick with a strange yet familiar scent, a heavy metallic odor… the smell of blood. There, in the center of the room, stood Matthias, still and silent, covered in blood on his chest and face. His cold eyes reflected no emotion.

“You should back to your room, Olivia!”

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