Chapter 30: Inventory

"What is the problem?" Elias asked Stella.

Stella immediately huffed and turned her face away, crossing her arms over her chest as she deliberately avoided looking at him.

"You told me that you would play with me, but instead you are once again playing with Natasha!" she complained, her cheeks puffing up as she glared at him from the corner of her eyes.

"You liar!"

Elias raised a hand to his forehead and rubbed it slowly.

He remembered making that promise when Stella had been insisting on sleeping in his room, much like Natasha had been doing, and at the time, he had simply agreed so she would stop complaining.

Now that promise had come back to haunt him.

’Am I her husband or her caretaker?’ he wondered with an inward groan.

He lowered his hand and forced a smile before explaining, "I was out of the manor yeste—"

Before he could finish, Stella suddenly grabbed both of his shoulders.

"What?!" she asked while rattling him back and forth.

"You went out? Why did you not take me with you?! And what did you bring for me? Tell me!"

Elias’s body swung with every movement as though he were nothing more than a piece of paper caught in a strong wind.

Even though Stella was behaving like a child, she was still a Lord, and the difference between their physical strength was enormous.

"Calm down! Calm down!" Elias stammered as his head was shaken from side to side.

Stella continued rattling him.

Elias gritted his teeth and quickly thought, ’Add ten Stat Points to my Strength!’

The system responded immediately.

[Strength/Constitution: 20 → 30]

A surge of strength spread through Elias’s body, and his muscles tightened as his physical power increased.

The difference wasn’t enough to make him anywhere near Stella’s actual strength, but it was enough for him to finally resist her movements.

Elias planted his feet firmly against the floor before grabbing Stella’s arms.

"Wait!" he muttered as he finally managed to stop her.

Stella frowned at him.

"Hmph!"

She turned her head away again.

Elias let out a quiet sigh of relief before releasing her arms and thinking about what he could do to calm her down.

Then an idea suddenly came to him.

’I can give her those extraordinary sweet fruits... but how?’

The thought had barely crossed his mind when an unfamiliar orange screen suddenly appeared before him.

He blinked and stared at it.

Unlike the ordinary system windows he had seen before, this screen looked completely different.

At the top center was a single word.

[Inventory]

Beneath it was a grid divided into numerous squares, although only the first square contained anything.

Inside that square was a sliced fruit covered in a layer of solid sugar syrup, and the bottom-right corner of the square was the number one hundred.

’Inventory? What is this?’

An orange tab immediately appeared beneath the screen, displaying an explanation.

[Inventory]

[A special storage space belonging to the host that can store items without affecting their physical condition.]

Elias’s eyes widened slightly.

’A space where I can store anything?’

He had never known that the system possessed such a function.

The discovery was particularly useful because he could now carry the rewards he received and probably other items without needing to physically carry them all the time.

His gaze returned to the first square.

Noticing his silence, Stella’s expression darkened, and she mumbled somberly, "Did you not bring me anything?"

Elias looked at her.

Stella’s expression slowly became more pitiful as tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.

"Do you... sniff... not like Stella anymore... sniff?"

A deadpan look appeared on his face.

He shook his head before he acted like taking something out of his pouch.

’Take out one extraordinary sugar fruit.’

A moment later, he felt something incredibly light appear in his hand.

Elias’s eyes flickered with an amazed glint.

’It actually worked...’

He slowly pulled his hand out of the pouch and smiled as he moved it toward Stella.

"See?" he said, opening his palm. "I brought you your favorite sugar fruits."

Stella immediately looked down.

Her eyes widened when she saw the fruit resting in his hand, and the sadness that had covered her face vanished almost instantly.

Her expression became bright and excited, resembling that of a child who had just received the gift she had been waiting for.

"Thank you, husband!" she said happily before quickly taking the fruit from his palm.

She tossed it into her mouth without hesitation and began to chew it.

For a moment, she remained completely still, and then her expression slowly transformed.

Her eyes widened as an intense sweetness spread across her tongue, while the fruit’s soft texture melted almost effortlessly in her mouth.

"This..." she mumbled. "This is amazing!"

Elias chuckled softly.

"Of course it is."

’It was given by the system after all.’

Stella continued chewing, and her entire expression became one of pure bliss.

The sweetness was completely different from the ordinary sugar fruits she had eaten before. The flavor was richer, the texture was smoother, and even the lingering sweetness seemed to spread warmth throughout her body and mind.

She closed her eyes as she enjoyed the taste.

"Yummy..." she mumbled happily.

He smiled faintly while watching her.

’At least she is not angry anymore.’

Suddenly, her expression changed. Her brows tightened, and she raised one hand toward her head.

"Argh!" Her body stumbled to the side.

Elias’s expression immediately became serious.

"Stella?" He called out worriedly as he quickly stepped forward and caught her before she could fall.

Stella’s body leaned against him as her hand remained pressed against her head.

He held her firmly and asked, "What is wrong?"

She remained silent for a moment, then she slowly moved her hand away from her head.

Her brows remained furrowed as she looked up at Elias.

The childish excitement from moments earlier had disappeared, replaced by deep confusion.

She stared directly into Elias’s eyes before she frowned and asked in a slightly sharp tone, "Who are you?"