Chapter 157: Honeyed Intentions

Chapter 157: Chapter 157: Honeyed Intentions

Night had settled over Draevenor Manor, and Elysia had nearly finished reviewing the ledgers when Miriam stepped in from the courtyard carrying a tray.

The study had grown quieter with the fall of evening.

Outside the windows, the last traces of daylight had disappeared, leaving only the faint glow of lanterns along the courtyard paths.

Just as Cassiel had instructed, a small dish of honey sat beside Elysia’s cup of medicine.

Elysia glanced at it.

She already knew what that meant.

The medicine had become a familiar part of their routine over the past few days, and Cassiel had been particular about making sure she had something sweet nearby whenever she took it.

She lifted the cup and took a sip of the dark brew.

The bitterness immediately spread across her tongue.

Elysia’s brows drew together.

She reached for the honey, dipped her spoon into it, and tasted a little.

The sweetness eased the bitterness.

She took another sip of medicine.

Then another spoonful of honey.

Back and forth she went until, with considerable patience, the cup was finally empty.

She set it down and exhaled.

"What about Cassiel’s?"

Miriam glanced towards the courtyard.

"His needs a little longer on the stove, but it’s almost done."

Elysia closed the ledger in front of her.

"I’ll go take a look."

She rose from her seat.

Her knee still bothered her if she moved too quickly, but it was improving.

The treatment at the army camp had helped, and she had been careful not to put unnecessary strain on it since returning to the manor.

Miriam followed her out.

In the courtyard, the temporary kitchen was mostly assembled.

For now, Cassiel’s medicine was still being simmered there rather than prepared inside the manor. The clay stove burned steadily beneath the large pot, and the thick liquid inside rolled with slow, rhythmic blips.

Elysia approached and looked into the pot.

Steam curled upwards in heavy waves.

The sharp bitterness reached her before she even came close enough to see the medicine properly.

She wrinkled her nose.

"That smells terrible."

Miriam smiled faintly.

"It probably tastes worse."

Elysia gave her a helpless look.

"I already know."

After a little while, the medicine was finally ready.

The dark liquid was poured into a large bowl, and more steam rose into the cool night air.

Elysia reached towards it.

"I’ll bring it to him."

Miriam immediately stepped forward.

"I’ll carry it for you, Your Grace."

Elysia glanced at the bowl.

After what had happened at the army camp, she had little desire to risk stumbling again, especially while carrying something hot.

"All right."

Miriam picked up the bowl carefully.

Elysia took the small dish of honey instead.

It was light enough for her to manage without difficulty.

Together, they crossed the courtyard and headed towards the study.

At this hour, Cassiel was still there.

When Elysia reached the doorway, she saw him seated behind the desk, his head bent over a book.

He was completely absorbed.

The light from the lamp fell across the pages and caught the sharp lines of his face.

His injured leg was stretched slightly beneath the desk, though he seemed to have forgotten about it entirely while reading.

Elysia slowed.

She did not call his name.

Instead, she stepped inside quietly.

Cassiel turned a page.

Something on it appeared to catch his attention.

His brows drew together slightly, and he paused, his gaze fixed on the page as though considering something with unusual seriousness.

Elysia continued towards him.

As she neared the desk, her eyes naturally skimmed over the open pages.

Then she stopped.

There were illustrations.

She blinked.

Two figures were intertwined in a rather unconventional position.

Elysia’s eyes widened slightly.

What was that?

Before she could get a proper look, Cassiel closed the book in one swift motion.

The movement was so quick that Elysia almost suspected she had caught him doing something he did not want her to see.

Her gaze fell to the cover.

The Chronicle of Kingdoms.

She tilted her head.

She had read that book before.

Several times, in fact.

There had certainly been no illustrations like that in her copy.

The book she remembered was a serious historical record, filled with descriptions of kingdoms, wars, rulers and changes in territory.

Nothing remotely like what she had just glimpsed.

Elysia looked at the closed book.

What exactly was he reading?

And why did it not match the version she knew?

"What brings you in?"

Cassiel’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

He rested one hand casually atop the closed book.

There was something almost suspiciously calm about his expression.

Elysia narrowed her eyes slightly.

She considered asking.

But if Cassiel did not want her to see it, perhaps there was a reason.

And she was not entirely certain she wanted to know what that reason was.

She forced her attention away from the book.

"Your medicine’s ready, so I brought it."

Cassiel’s expression softened immediately.

"Elysia, you always take such good care of me."

Her cheeks warmed slightly.

She gave him a small, shy smile.

Before she could say anything else, Miriam stepped into the room and set the bowl of medicine on the desk.

The steam rose between them.

After setting down the bowl, she quietly withdrew.

Elysia watched her leave.

The door remained open behind her.

She turned back towards Cassiel.

"It’s better to have it now while it’s still warm."

Cassiel picked up the bowl without hesitation.

Just as he had done earlier at the army camp, he drank it down in one steady swallow.

Elysia watched him closely.

She knew how unpleasant the medicine was. She had smelled enough of it herself to understand why Cassiel always looked as though he had just endured some sort of punishment whenever he drank it.

When he lowered the empty bowl, she asked, "That bad?"

Cassiel nodded.

"Yeah. Brutal."

Elysia’s eyes brightened.

She immediately held out the small dish of honey.

"Good thing I came prepared. Try some. It helps."

Cassiel glanced at the honey.

Then he looked back at her.

Something shifted in his eyes.

Elysia did not notice at first.

She was too busy waiting for him to take the honey.

"Elysia, you know there’s more than one way to get rid of that taste."

She blinked.

"Oh? Like what?"

The moment the words left her mouth, Cassiel reached for her hand.

His fingers closed gently around hers.

Before Elysia could understand what he meant, he drew her closer.

Then he tilted his head and kissed her.

Elysia froze for a split second.

Her mind went completely blank.

Then realisation dawned.

He had not been talking about the honey.

The kiss was light, barely more than a brief brush of his lips against hers.

Still, when he pulled away, warmth had already spread across Elysia’s cheeks.

She stared at him.

"...But your mouth still tastes like medicine."

He gave a quiet hum.

There was no embarrassment in his expression at all.

Instead, he reached for the honey.

He dipped his fingers into the small dish and brushed a little across her lips.

His voice dropped.

"How about now?"

Elysia instinctively parted her lips.

The sweetness melted over her tongue.

There was still a faint trace of bitterness lingering there, but the honey quickly overwhelmed it.

Rich and bright, it washed the unpleasant taste away.

Elysia was still savouring it when Cassiel cupped her cheek.

Then he kissed her again.

This time, the kiss lingered.

There was nothing hurried about it.

The sweetness of the honey seemed to pass between them, and the warmth of his lips made her heartbeat quicken.

Elysia’s fingers curled slightly.

She could feel the solid warmth of him beneath her palm when her hand came to rest against his chest.

The sensation made her suddenly aware of just how close they were.

Heat spread through her face.

Then another thought struck her.

They were still in the study.

The door was still open.

Anyone passing through the corridor could potentially see them.

Elysia pressed her hand against Cassiel’s chest, trying to push him back a little.

But instead of finding a reason to retreat, her palm encountered the firm warmth beneath his clothes.

His chest was relaxed yet solid, the muscle yielding slightly under her touch.

The unexpected sensation made her hesitate.

Only for a moment.

But Cassiel noticed.

His gaze softened, and his arm tightened gently around her.

The kiss deepened.

Elysia’s thoughts scattered.

She had intended to push him away.

She knew she had.

Yet now she could not seem to remember why.

Her head spun, and the warmth spreading through her body made it difficult to gather a coherent thought.

She could not fight back even if she tried.

All she could do was cling to him as he took control of the kiss.

And, embarrassingly enough, it felt good.

Really good.

Her fingers tightened slightly against his chest, giving an unconscious squeeze.

The realisation made her even more flustered.

She had never imagined herself becoming this helpless simply because Cassiel kissed her.

Yet with him, things seemed to happen before she had time to think them through.

There was something unfair about that.

Or perhaps the unfairness was entirely her own.

She had no sense of how long the kiss lasted before Cassiel finally pulled away.

The sudden distance left Elysia momentarily dazed.

The honey in her mouth was down to half.

She had no idea how much she had eaten herself and how much Cassiel had stolen.

Her breathing had become slightly uneven.

Still flushed, she kept her eyes closed for a moment, as though doing so might somehow help her recover her composure.

It did not.

Her lips still carried the faint sweetness of honey.

Without thinking, she lightly touched them with her tongue.

"Enjoying that?"

Cassiel’s voice was low, rough around the edges.

Elysia’s eyes opened.

It took her a moment to understand what he meant.

Then she realised.

Her hand was still resting against his chest.

Her face burned instantly.

She turned her back to him and covered her cheeks with both hands.

Cassiel watched her.

The amusement in his voice was impossible to miss.

"I’m not complaining."

Elysia refused to turn around.

She could practically feel his smile behind her.

Then his voice came again, warm with teasing.

"Elysia, I didn’t spend all those years building this just to let it go to waste."

Her face became even hotter.

She knew exactly what he meant.

And she absolutely refused to acknowledge it.

"Cassiel, please stop..."

Her voice came out small, thick with embarrassment.

Cassiel knew perfectly well that she was thin-skinned when it came to teasing like this.

If he pushed any further, there was a very real chance she would simply bolt from the room.

For a moment, he seemed tempted.

Then, mercifully, he let her off.