Chapter 332: I need to learn more.

Clara turned around and smiled.

"Mom, I know, and I won’t be late to pick Dad up at the airport. But right now, I have something to attend to."

Charlotte pulled a long face; however, she didn’t refuse. Nodding, she agreed,

"Fine. Then go ahead and do whatever you need to do. But be sure to be on time. Your father is looking forward to seeing you at the airport. Don’t disappoint him"

Clara smiled again and gave a nod of understanding.

Then, turning around, she left with Maria.

Her father was returning, and that was exactly why she needed to find out everything as soon as possible.

She couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity.

—————————————————

Meanwhile—

At Dark Wood Manor—

The morning brought back the warmth and light that the house had clearly lacked the previous night.

No one had slept the entire night, yet somehow, they all felt much better than before.

Perhaps ...

It was because the atmosphere inside the house had shifted.

The terror that had hung over them throughout the night was no longer as suffocating as it had been before.

The healers stood together in one corner, discussing something among themselves.

When Aegean passed by them, they immediately stopped him.

"Aegean, we need to speak with Young Lord later. Could you help us find out when he’ll have some time? It’s something really important."

Aegean stopped and looked at them.

Although they didn’t tell him what it was about, he could already guess. But just because they were in a rush, he wouldn’t just go forward and disturb his lord’s rest.

"Last night wasn’t easy for Young Lord," Aegean said, his tone measured. "Don’t rush him yet. Once he comes out, he’ll meet with you."

The healers didn’t look particularly satisfied with that answer.

However, knowing they couldn’t argue with him, one of them finally said, "Young Lord thinks that by using his blood, he is saving the little one. But in reality, he is only draining himself. He is draining his core. He cannot keep doing this. Or, sooner or later, he will regret it. The blood essence of one’s heart is crucial. If this continues bleeding it every time the little guy’s condition relapses, the process will eventually exhaust his core, crippling him forever."

Aegean’s brows furrowed.

He knew exactly what was at stake.

However ...

His gaze turned serious as he looked at the healer.

"You all know what the little master means to Young Lord. Yet you’re standing here doing nothing. Isn’t healing your job?"

The healers exchanged glances among themselves.

They all looked as though they had been placed in an impossible situation.

"It’s not that we don’t want to cure his condition," one of them said helplessly. "It’s that we simply can’t."

Another healer immediately chimed in.

"We have tried everything we could, but nothing seems to work on him. No magic, no herb. If there is anything that could actually stabilize his destructive state, it would be the Primordial Essence Seeds."

"And that’s something we simply cannot find anywhere."

Aegean didn’t know everything about the Primordial Essence Seeds, but he knew enough.

They are rare and appear only once every ten centuries.

Finding one was practically impossible.

"Aegean," one of the older healers said sincerely, his voice carrying the weight of years of experience, "you might only be a subordinate by Young Lord’s side, but you’re the one closest to him. You need to talk to him and make him understand."

He paused, his expression turning solemn.

"It’s not too late for him to give up hope in that child. The little master was destined to fade away from the moment he was born. Nothing can save him."

Aegean didn’t speak.

Yet he understood exactly what the healers meant.

After giving them a polite nod, he turned and walked away.

At a distance, Oldie had heard everything. Yet he didn’t look surprised. It was almost as though he had known about all of this for a long time.

Baldie came up behind him and suddenly asked, "What are they saying?"

Oldie looked at him and shook his head. "Nothing that we would understand."

With that, he walked past him.

Baldie looked confused.

He turned his gaze toward the healers once more before looking back at the old man.

Scratching his head, he realized that he truly didn’t understand a single thing.

Meanwhile, upstairs—

Nigel hadn’t slept a wink since the previous night.

He sat beside Little Leo like a statue —completely still and unmoving. Even his eyes barely blinked.

The only time he moved was when he noticed the little one beginning to wake up.

"You’re awake?" he asked.

The little boy slowly opened his eyes, revealing a familiar shade of dark blue with a subtle hint of amber hidden within them.

His petite face was no longer as pale as it had been the night before.

The color had already returned to his cheeks, and so had the life in his features.

Yet the boy’s demeanor wasn’t as warm and carefree as one would expect from a child his age.

His eyes were unnaturally cold, and so was his attitude.

He was still quite young, yet every movement he made was surprisingly precise.

"Uncle, did Leo trouble you last night?" he asked.

His voice was still babyish, but there was an unusual smoothness to it.

He seemed like any other child ...

Yet at the same time, he was completely different.

Nigel gazed at him and shook his head.

"You didn’t. Instead, you were much better this time."

His gaze shifted around the room.

"You’ve learned to control it better. You didn’t cause nearly as much destruction this time."

Little Leo followed his gaze.

His deep blue eyes fell upon the shattered vase still lying on the floor, surrounded by scattered shards of glass. He still caused the damage, but not as badly as before.

He stared at it for a moment before lowering his gaze.

"I need to learn more."

His small hands curled slightly into fists.

"Little Leo cannot hurt or scare Mama."