“Poison? What are you talking about? Why all of a sudden?”

“It appears that poison was mixed into the coffee you often drink, sir. We are currently investigating, but nothing has been confirmed.”

Riley looked worried, in contrast to Sock, who was utterly calm. She seemed quite familiar with this kind of situation.

“Poison isn’t uncommon, but in this case, it seems to be a new type of poison you haven’t encountered before. You collapsed because you have no resistance to it.”

“……Is it not life-threatening?”

“I can’t be sure, but perhaps.”

“……Perhaps?”

“Even a highly lethal poison can’t easily take a magician’s life. When magicians sense something is wrong with their bodies, they maximize their regenerative abilities using magic.”

“……”

“Until your body completely adapts to the poison and gains resistance, you’ll either remain unconscious or be in agony for at least a few days to a few weeks. If you regain consciousness, that’s fortunate, but if you remain unconscious, well… I can’t guarantee your safety.”

Sock comforted the pale-faced Riley.

“Don’t worry too much. Poison isn’t that fatal to magicians. Unless their throats are slit, their hearts pierced, or they suffer a fatal blow to a vital organ, they don’t die easily. However, they will weaken significantly. Because they’ll be using a lot of magic continuously, their lifespan will significantly decrease over the long term.”

Shouldn’t this be a concern?

Sock’s nonchalant attitude surprised her. He’s lying there as if he’s dead, like a coffin…

“So, we should pray for him to regain consciousness?”

“Right now, yes. We don’t know the type of poison, so we can’t rashly administer any antidotes. The plan is to continually monitor him by calling in a doctor.”

“……”

“Please take good care of him for now. I have to go back to the tower.”

“Alright, go without worrying.”

After Sock left the mansion, Riley sat beside Gibnen’s bed and stared at him.

Sophia entered with a wet towel.

“You must be quite startled, miss.”

“Not just Sock, even you, Mrs. Sophia, seem calm.”

“The master has frequently experienced this sort of thing since he was young. So, there’s really nothing to be surprised about anymore.”

“……Since he was young?”

“Given his environment, it was inevitable that he would have many enemies.”

“……”

“Born with the charisma of the Lianster family, and after joining Horizon, his competitors increased, and things worsened. Since becoming the tower’s master… well, it’s self-explanatory.”

Riley clenched her lips, thinking that his world must also be filled with hardships.

When she first saw him, she envied him—a person from a completely different world, who seemed to have everything.

She never thought that behind the glamour was a shadow. Even if that shadow existed, she thought, how could his life be more miserable than hers?

Riley had only fantasized about what it felt like to look down on others from a high point, owning everything. She hadn’t thought about the weight of that position, or what it takes to sustain it.

“It must have been very frightening.”

“It would have been. Very lonely and isolated since he’s always had to bear it alone.”

“I will take care of him.”

“Will you? Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

Sophia handed over a wet towel and an ice pack, then left.

Riley gave a bitter smile. This was the first time she was alone in this bedroom with him, but seeing him lying there as if dead didn’t feel good. Her heart ached. Everyone else was calm, but Riley struggled to maintain her composure.

Carefully, Riley held his pale, large fingers.

“Wake up soon.”

I’ll wait for you.

In the dead of night.

Gibnen slowly opened his eyes. As soon as he saw the familiar ceiling, he furrowed his brow.
The ceiling he always faced when his condition was at its worst. Whenever he was in pain, had collapsed, or felt something wrong with his body, he always woke up in this place. That’s why Gibnen didn’t like his private bedroom in his residence. It was a space where he confronted his weakened self.

‘…Pathetic.’

Even though he had regained consciousness, his body was still grappling with the poison.

He wasn’t sure what type of poison it was, but this one seemed to be more lethal than most. It had been a while since his body had deteriorated this much. His battered body was still somehow fighting off the poison.

His paralyzed body wouldn’t move, and his insides felt as though they were on fire. His head ached as if it would split open, and his airways were so constricted he could barely breathe. The pain was one thing, but the frustrating inability to move was worse.

With this level of poison, he’d have to lie in bed without moving for at least three days.

Gibnen hated that. The vulnerability of lying in bed immobilized induced a fear of not knowing when or where he might be attacked again.

When the body crumbles, so does the spirit. His irritation grew because his body couldn’t keep up with his emotions.