Chapter 602 Old Master Mercer Faints

Over the next few days, it remained completely quiet in Lustre.

They were still tracking Jason Summers’s whereabouts in Aethelgard, but there was no news whatsoever. It was as if Jason had vanished into thin air. Ivy Sherwood had been treading carefully during this time. Things had been far too peaceful lately. It seemed like a good thing on the surface, but in reality, that might not be the case. This tranquility felt like the calm before the storm, and she feared an even greater tempest was brewing just over the horizon.

The winds in Lustre had been quite strong recently. Word had it that out at sea, waterspouts and tornadoes were frequently tearing across the surface.

There were only a few days left until Ivy and Quentin Blackwood were scheduled to get their marriage license. Ivy couldn’t shake a lingering sense of unease, though she couldn’t pinpoint the reason. Everything was just so serene.

Mr. Ovillette was also still in Lustre, though he was surrounded by a heavy detail of bodyguards to ensure his safety. He walked the streets, experiencing the places where Winter Mercer had once lived. He tried desperately to remember something, but in the end, it was all in vain. There were no traces of Winter here, nor any fragments of his memories. However, Mr. Ovillette had been making inquiries about the Sherwoods’ villa, attempting to purchase the property.

When Ivy met with him, she said, "Perhaps my mother spent most of her time in Elandra back then, which is why being here hasn’t helped you recover your memories much. I’m afraid you might need something more potent to stimulate your mind. I probably can’t help you with that."

Mr. Ovillette looked at her with gentle eyes. "Ivy, due to work obligations, I might have to return to Elandra."

He was actually very reluctant to leave, but his status was simply too unique for him to remain here indefinitely. Elandra had already urged him to return several times. How could a national leader be away from his country for so long? There were even speculations circulating that something had happened to him. He had no choice but to go back.

Ivy nodded. "I understand. Your position is exceptional."

"I might be leaving shortly. I really hate to go. If you ever run into any trouble, you can call me anytime." Mr. Ovillette had already given Ivy his private number.

"Alright, I’ll call you often then. Just don’t get annoyed with me."

"Of course I won’t," he replied, deeply reluctant to part ways. He kept thinking how wonderful it would be if Ivy were his daughter. He even wanted to take her back to Elandra with him. "Why don’t you come with me to Elandra? You could be my special guest and stay in The Royal Palace. The security there is incredibly strict. Jason and his people would absolutely have no chance of getting in."

"Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Ovillette, but I think I’ll pass. My family and the man I love are all here. If I get the chance in the future, I’ll definitely visit Elandra for a holiday. I really like the country—it’s beautiful, and the people are very welcoming."

Mr. Ovillette nodded. "Then I look forward to your visit."

They didn’t chat for much longer. Soon after, Mr. Ovillette headed to the airport and boarded a plane, leaving Calypsos.

Ivy hoped he would regain his memories. She, too, wanted to know about the past he shared with her mother. In truth, she harbored a unique fondness for him. It was as if, on a subconscious level, she wanted to draw closer to him. Yet, she wasn’t his daughter, which made the feeling quite strange. She hoped everything would go smoothly for him once he returned to Elandra. Surely, he wouldn’t allow himself to be manipulated by the Princess again.

After seeing Mr. Ovillette off, Nina Scott asked Ivy to meet up. Nina arrived shortly after and waved her hand in front of Ivy’s face.

"Is it pretty?"

Ivy hadn’t even processed what she was supposed to be looking at; all she saw were Nina’s five fingers. "What is?" she asked.

Only then did Nina stop waving her hand. "My massive diamond, of course!"

It was an enormous diamond ring, sparkling brilliantly in the light.

Ivy grabbed her hand to examine it closely. "Wow, did Miles give this to you?"

Nina nodded. "Yeah. He was probably bothered by that offhand comment Christian Sawyer made last time. He might have been worried I’d reject it, so he even sneaked it onto my finger in the middle of the night."

"It seems Miles is actually quite thoughtful. And he picked out a really gorgeous design!"

"Right? I really love it too," Nina said. "Honestly, I think Miles just has more money than sense. I feel like any scheming, pretty woman who acts a little clingy could scam him out of his entire fortune."

Ivy replied, "That can’t be right. Miles isn’t an idiot. I think he’s very smart; he knows who’s genuine and who isn’t."

Nina wagged her finger. "No, no, no. I still say he’s just got more money than sense."

Otherwise, why would he be throwing money at her every single day? And it didn’t even seem like he wanted anything in return. If she were an actual con artist, she could have swindled Miles until he didn’t even have his underwear left.

Just as they were chatting about Miles, speak of the devil—he actually called Ivy.

Ivy looked at the caller ID and picked up. "Miles, I’m hanging out with Nina right now."

Miles’s frantic voice came through the line. "Ivy, something terrible has happened. Grandpa collapsed and is in the hospital now."

Ivy’s expression changed drastically. "I’ll be right there!"

After asking which hospital Old Master Mercer was at, Ivy and Nina rushed over immediately. Miles and Xavier Mercer were both already there.

"What happened?" Ivy asked, hurrying over anxiously. She wondered how her grandfather could have suddenly collapsed when his health had been so good lately.

Old Master Mercer was still inside getting examined, and there were no results yet. Miles explained what had happened: he had been busy with some matters when he received a call from one of the servants at home, saying the old man had fainted in the house and had been immediately rushed to the hospital. Given his history of poor health, everyone was deeply worried.

It wasn’t long before a doctor came out holding the test results.

"How is he, doctor?" they asked, gathering around.

Even the doctor was frowning. "Based on the test results, the old man’s physical condition is highly unusual. His hormone levels across the board are unstable. The situation is definitely quite severe, but the strange thing is, we haven’t been able to pinpoint the exact cause. Our initial suspicion is poisoning. We’ve detected an unknown substance in his blood, but it requires further analysis."

"Is the condition critical?" Ivy asked.

The doctor nodded. "It is quite severe. He needs to be hospitalized for observation to see if his condition worsens. Has the patient been in poor health previously?"

"Yes, he used to be hospitalized frequently," Miles said. "It’s only been over the past half-year or so that he started doing a bit better."

"Did he eat or touch anything unusual today?" the doctor inquired further.

Miles shook his head. "I don’t think so. We all ate the exact same meals."

"Then we’ll need to keep him under observation. As his family, try not to worry too much."

He told them not to worry, but how could they possibly not? A perfectly fine person had suddenly collapsed, and now they were at the hospital without even a clear diagnosis.