Elias slowly opened his eyes. His body felt weak, but a soft warmth surrounded him. On the bedside table, he noticed a small note. Picking it up with shaky fingers, he read:
"Rest well. I'll call you later. Hope you feel better."
— Adrian.
His eyes lingered on the words before he slowly placed the note back down.
Meanwhile, Adrian sat alone in his room, quietly staring into space, thoughts of Elias swirling in his head. The silence was broken when his mother, Isadora, entered and sat on his fluffy bed.
With a gentle smile, she said, "My son, why don't you visit the company at least once a week? One day, you'll take the seat—it's time to prepare."
Adrian turned to face her. "Mom, Nao takes care of everything. I'm not interested in that life. I just want some peace."
Isadora's smile faded. Her voice grew colder. "Why is it always Nao, Nao? You're so irresponsible with your future. Luckily, I'm here to manage things for you."
She stood up abruptly and left the room, her heels clicking against the floor. Adrian watched the door quietly and clenched his fists.
He whispered to himself, "That accident… I know it was your scheme, Mom. I won't let you risk Nao's life again. I need to do something."
—
At the Vermillion office, Nao sat at the long table, going through reports and files. His thoughts drifted to Elias and Adrian. Why were they together for so long? What happened between them? he wondered.
Raviel stepped in quietly, holding a glass of juice. "You must be tired," he said gently. "This will help refresh your mind."
Nao smiled, his heart warmed. "I'm happy to have you, Raviel."
Raviel returned the smile. "And I'm always with you."
As Nao took a sip of the juice, curiosity danced in his eyes. "Can I ask you something… How did you end up like this—bound to my family?"
Raviel was silent for a moment, then began softly, "Once, a kind and beautiful lady helped an old man. As a reward, the old man gave her a demon child—me. He told her that the child would protect her family for generations, that I would protect her heir like my own blood."
Nao blinked. "What do you mean… a lady?"
Raviel smiled, nostalgia filling his voice. "Yes. A Vermillion woman. She loved me like her own son. Her name was Miss Rose Vermillion. I promised her I would always protect her family—and the rightful heir."
Nao's heart sank. "Then why were you locked in that cave?"
Raviel's eyes darkened slightly. "No one else in the Vermillion family knew I was a demon—only Miss Rose. After her death, another family member found out and claimed I was dangerous. They feared me. So, they sealed me away in that underground cave... and forgot about me."
He paused and looked at Nao with soft, unwavering loyalty. "But I never broke my promise. Even in the dark... I waited to protect her heir."
Nao stared at Raviel, eyes wide with emotion. His heart swelled with respect. He waited… all this time… for me.