Chapter 511
Eivass’s Bottled Soul
Night fell.
Eivass, clad in a pure white bathrobe, walked leisurely to the side of the bathtub, holding a glass bottle in one hand and a newly opened wine bottle in the other.
He placed the glass bottle on a shelf nearby. Then, he poured the ruby-red liquid into a glass filled with ice and offered it to Isabel, who was in the bathtub.
Isabel shyly pulled her knees up, shielding her chest with her right hand. Her slender, fair hand gracefully accepted the glass.
“Why are you still hiding?” Eivass teased, pouring himself a glass as well.
He pulled up a chair and sat close beside the bathtub.
“…You’re nosy,” Isabel murmured, propping herself up slightly in the tub and gently clinking glasses with Eivass.
The glasses made a crisp sound as they touched. The crystal-clear, ruby-like wine sloshed in the cups. As Isabel tilted hers, a little spilled onto her collarbone and chest, which Eivass reached out to wipe away.
“Mmm…”
Perhaps due to the hot water, Isabel’s face was flushed. She didn’t move Eivass’s hand away, but rather pressed it down with her elbow, covering his hand with her own.
“…There are still people outside,” she whispered, shrinking back beneath the water.
Although Eivass had closed the door quickly when he carried her in, the Queen’s guards sent by the Pope hadn’t been able to follow him into the room.
However, as it was their duty, they couldn’t simply step aside. They could only surround Isabel’s bedroom.
Eivass raised an eyebrow, not retracting his hand. Instead, he slowly and gently caressed her. “You know there are people outside… Then why were you screaming so loudly earlier?”
Honestly, it had startled Eivass. Considering that someone was definitely listening, he was the one who became shy first.
But he gradually got used to it later—or rather, he simply ignored it.
Brought up by Eivass mentioning this, Isabel became flustered and angry. “I’m going to bite you!”
She lowered herself, lightly biting Eivass’s palm like a little cat. She could smell the faint aroma of wine and the scent of rose petals from the bathtub—the scent that permeated Isabel.
Isabel ground her teeth but didn’t break Eivass’s skin.
She released her lip, her face flushed, and stated seriously, “I just felt… very happy. So I wanted to show it off.”
“Show off what?” Eivass asked with a smile.
“Show off that… I have you,” Isabel said softly, her eyes shining.
For Isabel, who always suppressed her emotions, choosing “Actor” as her first specialized domain hinted at her subconscious desire for expression.
“So it was intentional?” Eivass pretended not to hear, asking quietly in Isabel’s ear.
Isabel batted at Eivass’s arm in embarrassment, but couldn’t even leave a red mark.
Eivass chuckled and pulled his arm back, draining his glass.
It was at this moment that Eivass truly understood why the upperclassmen in the Fourth Department at school were so popular.
At times like these, knowledge of fire worship and illumination techniques proved so useful—sacred skills of self-restoration and restoration of others could be said to be helpful to oneself and others.
They had cast aside all worries and genuinely played for an entire afternoon. Now, both of them could bathe and drink here, full of energy. If they weren’t a bit hungry, they could have continued well into the night.
“This is…”
Upon tasting the wine, the peculiar cold fragrance and the numbing, expanding sensation surprised Eivass. “Is this ‘Sacred Tree No. 1’?”
“Mm,” Isabel hummed softly, murmuring, “I only recently discovered that Grandmother had hidden such a good wine… Even before emerging from the Ascension Ritual, I was curious about its taste.”
As she spoke, she looked resentfully at Eivass. “I originally planned to use it to commemorate tonight…”
“It doesn’t conflict… it can also be a commemoration,” Eivass chuckled and hung his bathrobe on a nearby shelf. He stepped into the bathtub, parting the layers of rose petals.
As Eivass entered, the water level suddenly rose. The increased buoyancy caused Isabel to instinctively grab the edge of the tub, her body floating slightly. Eivass gently nudged her upwards, using the water’s buoyancy to lift her. He then lay at the bottom of the tub like a cushion, pulling Isabel close and embracing her.
“Wait, I’m hungry… Let’s eat first…”
Isabel realized what was happening, her face flushing.
She felt that if this continued, the promised dinner would be ruined again.
She struggled to get up but was gently pressed back down by Eivass.
“It’s okay, I just want to hold you like this,” Eivass soothed softly. Isabel slowly lay back down.
She gradually nestled onto Eivass’s supple yet firm muscles, curling her body subconsciously. She felt a tranquil sense of security.
When Isabel turned her head, she realized she didn’t have to lie on the cold jade pillow by the edge of the tub, but was resting exactly on Eivass’s chest.
She closed her eyes slightly, feeling as if the whole world had fallen silent.
Eivass gently caressed her hair, picking up strands one by one, letting the smooth strands flow through his fingers, and inhaling the fragrance of Isabel’s hair.
In fact, it wasn’t just Isabel who felt at peace.
Eivass’s heart had never been as calm as it was at this moment.
As if he didn’t need to think about anything, didn’t need to worry about anything.
Eivass held Isabel like this for quite a while. When Isabel’s breathing gradually became calm and long, and she seemed about to fall asleep, he gently helped her sit up, fully waking her.
“Don’t fall asleep,” Eivass said, picking up a towel and carefully wiping Isabel’s body—a task that originally belonged to her maids, now her Queen’s guards. Being wiped by Eivass instantly brought Isabel back to full consciousness.
“…You’re really quite shy,” Eivass quipped, drying himself and putting on his bathrobe. White steam rose from his body. He walked to the shelf and picked up the glass bottle filled with golden liquid.
It was like a bottled sun, yet not dazzling. In the dimly lit bedroom with the lights not fully on, it shone like a nightlight.
Isabel had noticed it earlier, but Eivass hadn’t mentioned it, so she hadn’t had a chance to ask.
“What is this?” she asked curiously.
“What I mentioned earlier,” Eivass chuckled, holding up the crystal bottle, which resembled a perfume bottle, “is the wine brewed from my soul.
“When I’m no longer here, if you feel pain, fatigue, or fall ill, and there’s no one to take care of you… open it and smell it. You’ll immediately become sober and feel better.
“If you suffer an incurable wound, drink it all. It can effectively prolong your life.”
This tiny bottle, only about the thickness of a thumb, used a small amount of “Sacred Tree No. 1” as a medium, infused with a full third of Eivass’s soul.
After this soul division, Eivass would likely need at least one to two months to fully recover.
Isabel’s face turned red. “So that wasn’t a metaphor…”
She had thought… it was some kind of poetic expression.
“…Hmm?” Eivass blinked, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
He gently drew Isabel closer and whispered, “Then I’ll give you a trial size first.
“This is… my soul.”
He lowered his head and kissed the Queen of Avalon. As he breathed, a small amount of intoxicating golden mist was exhaled, and Isabel inhaled it.
It was a feeling of spiritual comfort and emotional healing. Isabel’s keen intuition could even clearly perceive her soul being purified and becoming stronger.
This was not just a medicine, but a highly valuable tonic.
If she drank the entire bottle… she probably wouldn’t die even if she sustained a fatal injury during an Advancement Ritual, Isabel thought.
