Leaning against the headboard, Roman ate his breakfast in small bites.
His graceful legs were curled beneath the blanket, raising it into a suggestive curve that sparked the imagination.
Back in his previous life, he loved having a bowl of plain congee for breakfast, paired with some pickled vegetables.
Of course, there were no pickles in this world, but Luo Xiya had thoughtfully replaced them with meat floss, and the combination tasted surprisingly good.
Standing nearby, Elise looked at him the way one might look at a squirrel nibbling on a pinecone.
“Lord Roman, here you go.”
Noticing Roman’s glance, she kindly helped pass him something from the tray.
“Thank you…”
Roman tugged awkwardly at the collar of the shirt he was wearing.
After waking up, Luo Xiya had tossed him a shirt.
He’d slipped it on without a second thought, but now he understood her intention.
The collar was just high enough to cover the skin below his neck.
If he’d worn anything else, he probably wouldn’t have been able to walk out of Luo Xiya’s room today…
Elise stifled a laugh.
When she came in earlier, he’d been completely bare under that shirt, his body marked all over with both light and heavy “strawberries” from Luo Xiya’s night-long attention.
“This is freshly made toasted bread. How does it taste?” she asked softly.
Roman took a bite, and the rich aroma of cream filled his senses.
It tasted almost exactly like what he remembered from his previous life.
“It’s good,” he said gently, his cheeks puffing slightly as he chewed.
Elise instinctively lowered her head, her hands clasped before her, fingers subtly moving as if to ease the itch building in her chest.
“Elise, have you had breakfast yet?”
Roman’s question reached her ears, and she looked up, smiling as she shook her head.
Roman didn’t think much of it.
He pushed the tray slightly toward her.
His appetite wasn’t big, usually he couldn’t even finish a bowl of porridge.
The only reason he’d eaten so much today was probably because of how much he’d been drained last night…
But Elise wouldn’t dare do anything so improper.
She quickly waved her hands and declined, saying, “This is my lord’s room. I don’t have the right to dine here.”
Roman didn’t quite understand.
His status wasn’t even as high as Elise’s, she was the head maid of the estate, while he was, at best, Luo Xiya’s slave.
Fortunately, he kept those thoughts to himself.
Otherwise, Elise would likely have launched into a serious explanation about so-called “favor.”
Once Roman finished breakfast, Elise quietly carried the tray out of the room.
He lifted the blanket and stepped barefoot onto the floor.
In the full-length mirror, the oversized white shirt reached down to the tops of his thighs.
Faint red marks were still visible on his calves.
After hesitating for a moment, he picked up the “clothes” Luo Xiya had prepared for him: a pale blue pleated dress.
He tucked the hem of the shirt into the waistband of the skirt, tying the sash tightly around his waist.
In the mirror, his waist looked slim enough to be held in one hand.
That sense of security from being fully covered slowly washed over him, and Roman finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
He reached back to smooth out his slightly tousled long hair, brushing down the curled ends.
Only then did he open the door and step outside.
Ever since his Sacred Seal had awakened, Roman could clearly feel changes in his body, his senses, even his mind.
Inside the estate, he could easily hear the movements of the maids with just a bit of focus.
No wonder they were all so afraid of Elise.
Anyone who even hinted at rebellion was probably dealt with before they could act.
The physical changes were the most obvious.
Last night, his once-fragile body had managed to hold out nearly an hour against Luo Xiya’s advances.
If it had been the old him, just being pinned down would’ve been enough to render him helpless.
Then there were the mental changes, he could now maintain focus for long periods, and the fatigue from the night before had faded unusually fast.
This was only the beginning, it was hard to imagine the kind of heights people like Luo Xiya and Elise, who had completed their Sacred Seal Awakening in childhood, had reached by now.
When Roman arrived on the first floor of the estate, the maids all froze at the sight of him, staring in a daze and accidentally causing a series of mishaps.
Someone even stood there holding a kettle as it overflowed with water, completely unaware until Elise scolded them harshly.
Only then did the others snap back to their senses, quickly lowering their heads or looking elsewhere, doing their best not to glance at Roman standing near the stairs.
Brushing the hair beside his ear, Roman walked through the parlor, oblivious to the cause of the commotion.
Even he hadn’t realized just how much “influence” he now had over those around him.
Originally, though delicate and cute, he had still looked more like a child, undernourished and pale.
People looked at him with a sense of pity and protective affection.
Now, with no worries about food or shelter and having been emotionally nourished, the once-dry well of his heart had been opened at last.
His complexion had greatly improved, and the softness of his face now held a clear and healthy glow.
Since the Awakening of his Sacred Seal, magic flowed through his body.
His figure had also changed, still slender, but no longer childishly frail. Now, he carried a healthier, youthful vitality.
Stepping outside the estate, a breath of fresh air filled his lungs.
Roman raised an eyebrow in comfort and squinted his left eye.
Life.
The thought of his Sacred Seal surfaced, and he opened his eyes again, a look of confusion on his face.
A high-tier Sacred Seal was undeniably powerful and filled with potential, but also far harder to comprehend than a lower-tier one.
Take the lower-tier Seal of Healing, for example, simple and straightforward.
Even someone illiterate could grasp its effects.
But his Seal of Life encompassed far more.
Healing was only one small part of its meaning.
Better to take it slowly, Roman thought.
He decided to start by trying the most basic, healing.
Looking around, he quickly ran into another problem.
Healing needed a subject.
As if something had heard his thoughts, Roman suddenly felt a tickle at his ankle.
Looking down, he saw a small white creature rubbing against him.
Roman peered closer, it was a white-furred kitten.
He gently held up the hem of his dress so it wouldn’t touch the dirt, then squatted down and picked up the friendly little cat.
Boy and cat locked eyes.
The kitten meowed softly, its voice sweet and pleasant.
What beautiful eyes.
Roman admired the sapphire-like color of the kitten’s gaze.
He smiled faintly and stroked its fur.
The kitten closed its eyes contentedly, clearly enjoying the attention.
“Ah… it’s you!” a surprised voice called out nearby.
Roman turned and saw a young maid with a fresh face.
Reading the look in her eyes, Roman understood immediately.
“Is it yours?”
Reluctantly patting the kitten one last time, Roman extended it toward her.
Blushing deeply and keeping her head down, the young maid accepted it with trembling hands.
As they passed the kitten between them, her fingers quietly brushed the back of Roman’s hand.
Cradling the kitten in her arms, she stole a glance at Roman.
When she saw his expression hadn’t changed, she finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.