Chapter 102: Loving Warmth And Embrace

Elias had originally planned to rest his head on Natasha’s lap for only a few minutes before waking up and returning to whatever needed to be done, but he had completely underestimated the warmth and relief that came from being cared for in such a way.

Within moments, the tension that had remained buried inside his body began to disappear, and before he even realized it, his breathing slowed as he drifted into sleep.

Natasha continued patting his chest and gently brushing her fingers through his crimson hair, watching his sleeping face with a soft expression.

At first, she had only wanted to respond to the care Elias had shown her, believing that returning even a small portion of his kindness was something she could do.

However, when he had fallen into her lap while they were bathing, something inside her had awakened, and she had discovered a strange feeling she had never expected to experience.

It was like trying something new and suddenly realizing that she loved doing it.

She liked caring for him.

More importantly, she liked seeing him like this.

Elias usually wore a stiff expression filled with worry, exhaustion, and calculations about what might happen next, but now all of that had disappeared.

His face was peaceful, and his body had completely relaxed against her as though, for these few moments, he had forgotten every problem waiting outside the room.

Seeing that made something warm spread through Natasha’s chest.

Perhaps she still had a purpose.

It was not as grand as becoming the saintess of the Sun Church, nor was it the magnificent future she had once imagined as a powerful spiritualist, but it still held meaning.

For five years, she had been unable to hear, unable to speak, and unable to properly use the abilities she had once possessed, and during those years, she had slowly begun to believe that there was nothing left for her to give.

Yet now she had discovered something simple.

She could still care for someone.

She could still make someone feel safe.

She could still provide something of value, even if it was something as ordinary as allowing her husband to rest his head on her lap.

That realization alone was enough.

The emptiness of the past five years had been more than enough for one lifetime, and as long as her heart still allowed her to do these things, Natasha had no intention of shying away from them.

Her fingers continued moving through Elias’s crimson hair as she looked down at him, and the warmth in her eyes slowly deepened.

There was affection there, gentle and sincere, but if someone looked closely enough, they might have noticed something else hiding behind it.

Something that bordered on obsession.

At the moment, however, it was only a possibility, a small seed that had yet to take root.

Whether it would ever grow into something more was something only the future could reveal.

Minutes passed, gradually turning into hours.

Nearly two hours after Elias had fallen asleep, Stella finally stirred from her slumber, and the moment her eyes opened, she immediately looked around for her husband.

"Elias..." she mumbled sleepily, but before she could call out any louder, Natasha raised a finger to her lips.

Stella blinked before looking at Elias, who was still sleeping peacefully.

Natasha then gestured toward the door, silently asking Stella to leave the room.

Stella pouted slightly, clearly reluctant to leave, but after looking at Elias once more, she reluctantly nodded and slipped out of the room.

Natasha then glanced toward the door and decided to skip dinner rather than risk waking Elias.

She did not mind missing a meal, but after another period of time passed, she began to feel a different problem.

Her thighs were going numb.

She looked down at Elias and carefully shifted her position.

Moving as gently as possible, she supported his head and changed the way he was lying without waking him, allowing herself to rest more comfortably while still keeping him close.

By then, night had already fallen, and the room had grown quiet beneath the darkness outside.

Natasha continued watching Elias for a while longer, but eventually, even she fell asleep.

At midnight, Elias’s eyelids trembled before slowly opening.

’Where...?’ he wondered groggily.

He looked around, but the room was almost completely dark. The curtains had remained closed, preventing the moonlight from illuminating the room, and for several seconds, Elias could not determine where he was.

However, when he tried to move his head and body, he immediately realized something was different.

He narrowed his eyes and looked forward.

A faint line of moonlight had slipped through a gap in the curtains, and it reflected off the golden border of Natasha’s dress.

He was lying in Natasha’s arms.

At some point during the night, she had pulled him against her chest, with her right hand supporting the back of his head while her left arm was wrapped securely around his waist.

Elias remained half-asleep, and judging from the darkness outside, he could already guess that it was somewhere around midnight.

He could have awakened her or freed himself.

Instead, he simply stared at her for a moment before deciding there was no reason to do either.

Natasha was holding him as though she did not want to let him go, and Elias found that strangely comforting.

He slowly moved one arm around her waist and held her in return, carefully matching the embrace she had given him.

His face pressed deeper against her chest as he settled into her warmth, and a rather strange thought suddenly appeared in his mind.

’No, I am not a child anymore...’

He immediately pushed the thought away, feeling slightly embarrassed despite being half-asleep, and then closed his eyes once more while continuing to embrace his wife.

For the first time in what felt like a very long while, Elias did not think about the uncertain future waiting for him.

He simply remained there, held by his wife.

He was overjoyed, and his heart fluttered as he felt her body press against his.