Chapter 158: Chapter 158

"What am I looking at?"

Ian asked, turning to the two brothers in his cold room. He had been absent-minded for the past few minutes after the duo had arrived and had been explaining their hunches to him. This was unusual, considering that the topic was about his one and only Elfin.

Without Geneva and the rest in sight, the brothers had used their native way of transportation from the hospital and had, therefore, arrived before the rest of the household.

Currey and Murray had tried their best not to prompt him. However, they would have been amazed to know that Ian’s thoughts were still locked on Shelby’s sleeping form back in his room.

Shelby was a full human. There was no doubt about that, but Ian could not understand how the visible injuries had all but disappeared from her. He doubted that it had anything to do with his nectar vial he had offered back then.

In this case, Ian would have also been shocked had he brought this up with the two brothers. They had noticed this when Ian had carried Shelby out of the hospital. In fact, they had assumed that to be the main reason why Ian had carried her out of there.

How were they supposed to explain that a visibly injured girl had all but healed within a few hours?

"Mistress Shelby drew this back in the woods..." Murray whispered. His face was pale, and his mouth patched as if he was wilting away. His voice was barely a whisper, and one could feel his pain with the way he struggled to bring out the words.

At the mention of that name, Ian paid extra attention. He turned to look at the man who was being supported by his brother slightly. Never once had Murray complained about his punishment.

"Get that bracelet off of him."

Ian directed at Currey, who nearly jumped back in fright. The thought of even touching iron was enough for him to tremble in apprehension.

"M-e? Yo-u m-ean, me?"

He stuttered in askance while turning to his brother almost robotically. Gone was the talkative Currey, and in his place was a tongue-tied one. He let go of his brother and took a couple of steps back, keeping his eyes trained on Murray.

Currey commended Murray for standing his ground on the punishment meted out to him, but he could not be himself to even take a fraction of it off of him! Even though taking it off was to give his brother relief, Currey could not bring himself to do that. It was almost like, ’I love you, brother, but not enough for this.’

Ian reached out his hand and yanked off the iron bracelet, throwing it into an open drawer and then turned back to the brothers.

Currey and Murray stared wide-eyed at him. They knew he had that ’capability’, but seeing Ian handle the iron as if it were an everyday item made them look at him in a new light.

Currey, not at all guilty for turning down his one and only chance to help his brother, nodded.

’As expected of His highness!’

A closer look at Murray showed that his complexion was getting back to normal as the offensive item had been removed from his person.

He went down on one knee and bowed his head.

"Thank you for lifting the punishment, your Highness! This will never happen again! I swear on my life! If -"

He paused when he sensed Ian’s slightly deadly gaze. Clearing his throat, he changed whatever he had been about to say.

"There will never be a second chance for this again on my watch!"

Ian ignored him and then asked again, "What am I looking at? Is there anything in particular as to why you want me to look at my wife’s painting?"

Murray heaved a sigh of relief as this signalled that he had been let go.

"Thank you, your highness!" Murray shouted.

Murray was extremely grateful because he knew that back in their native lands, a crime like that warranted certain death with no chance to redeem himself. Some might think that Currey had been cruel for not stepping in to help when the chance was granted, but Murray was not surprised at all.

It was not a Currey-like thing but a Fae-like thing. In their lands, the crime of not being able to protect your ward as a shadow guard was so bad that all the people around would have the mutual mind to execute you on the spot without bringing you to the authorities.

This was when Currey stepped in and helped Murray up.

Ian ignored them, marvelling at the realistic drawing of the forest scenery. It was so realistic and inviting that Ian could have sworn that he saw some of the tiny vines move.

"That’s some impeccable artwork!" He puffed up his chest in pride.

In fact, if the picture had not been in the room, and was not that small, Ian would have believed that it was a pathway to the live forest space in the park!

Currey shook his head and decided to take a back stance on that.

"It’s the figures in the background..."

"Background?" Ian frowned and got closer to the drawn picture before he saw the outlines of two hooded figures that seemed to have blended into the darkness of the painting, but they were there, nonetheless.

He would have missed it had it not been pointed out.

Murray nodded, "It’s likely that she saw them without realizing it because these were the same two figures that caused the harm to her."

"anything about them apart from what we see here?"

"I’m sorry, your highness! Please punish me!"

Ian sighed, "What’s with you and ’punish me’.... Will that solve the problem? I want concrete data on who these two are and why they targeted my wife!"

Murray nodded and disappeared from the room. He was prepared to make sure to get to the bottom of the issue. However, he would need a few days to rest and recuperate before he could function normally. He had tried to hide it, but the iron had drained too much energy from him. He needed to get back to a similar habitat close in energy to his home in order to make a quicker recovery. As for going back home, that was definitely out of the question!

In the room, Currey also nodded and then headed for one of the chairs in front of the large screens because when it came to research, he was the best of the best, and Currey knew that he would make headway soon enough. Unluckily for him, just as he sat down, something landed on the lap that made him scream out loud. Currey jumped up from the chair. He rubbed his thighs painfully and looked around, only to see the iron bracelet, lying at his feet on the floor.

He turned accusing eyes to his boss because no one could handle the iron but him, and also, they were the only two in the room.

"Don’t complete that statement if you do not want the bracelet to appear on your wrist by some miraculous means."

’Petty man!’ Currey thought. Pursing his lips so hard that he would not mistakenly say anything out loud.

"You hired and brought your brother on-board this. Therefore, you should bear a part of his responsibilities as well!"

Currey’s mouth dropped open.

’Why should I bear part of Murray’s punishment just because I brought him here?’

Of course, Currey did not ask this question. He folded his mouth tightly, not trusting himself to speak another word. He knew that a little hiss from himself would have Ian really do what he had threatened.

Ian turned and left the room, back to his wife.

He heard his mother banging on the door when he re-entered. Ian frowned and went to check on the sleeping Shelby. Seeing that she was yet to stir awake, he stormed up to the door and yanked it open.

"I want to see my daughter-in-law and make sure that she is okay!"

Ian took a glance at her back and noticed his father standing not too far away with a helpless look.

"She is asleep, mum."

"Old man, take your wife away from here before I lose my patience!"

"You brat! Why are you talking to me like that?"

"Is it not facts? You are old, and that is what I will call you, so what is wrong with that?"

"Are you a young man, then?"

Alex was struck speechless. He had nothing to say, as did Geneva.

’Why did he even come out? He should have stayed locked up in there to spare me these annoyances and headaches!’ Geneva thought as Alex approached her.

"Are you already regretting the fact that I came out?" Ian teased.

Geneva did a double-take.

"Oh, so that was what you were thinking of?"

Geneva bit her lips, sad and angry to have been caught red-handed.

"That was not what I was thinking of? Do whatever you want for all I care! Make sure that Shelby is well-cared for, or you have to answer to me!"

"You don’t have to tell me how to treat my wife! You two old people should go off so that my Elfin can get enough sleep to recuperate!"

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