Night had deepened. One by one, the hallway lights of the hospital flickered gently, their pale glow made all the lonelier by the stillness of the late hour.
Livia pushed open the familiar hospital room door, her steps soft and measured, as if afraid to disturb whoever might be inside. But she had barely stepped in when she stopped in her tracks.
The man in the bed wasn't asleep.
He was half-reclined against his pillows, a thin blanket draped over his lap, several IV tubes still connected to his arm. The curtain was half drawn, and a cool night breeze drifted through the cracked window, lifting a small curl of hair at his temple.
He was staring out the window, motionless. There was no real focus in his eyes—only a quiet, heavy kind of waiting.
And in that moment, Livia understood—he had been waiting for her.
A strange calm settled in her heart.
She stepped closer, voice soft. "You're not resting. Were you waiting for me?"
Marcellus slowly turned his head at the sound. His complexion looked even paler beneath the dim light, but his eyes remained clear. Even through the fatigue, the sharpness in them had not dulled.
"How did it go today?" His voice was low and hoarse, the kind of gentle sound pushed up from deep within the chest.
Livia sat on the chair by his bedside, eyes lingering on the noticeable hollowness of his cheeks. Then she spoke quietly, "Today… I met with Eryx."
Marcellus raised an eyebrow, not in surprise—but with a calm that said he had already expected this.
"And? Did you tell him the plan?" he asked, his tone even.
Livia didn't answer right away. Instead, she looked at him for a long moment, something subtle and searching flickering in her eyes.
"You really did know he'd come," she said softly. "And it seems… you had no intention of telling me."
"I did," Marcellus replied with no attempt at evasion. "Like I said before—someone like him, no matter how high his station, never misses a critical moment. The instant you stepped forward, he would appear in person. Not just to assert dominance, but to test you."
He paused, his breathing heavy. His words slowed, each syllable deliberate.
"I didn't tell you… because I didn't want to make you overthink it. I didn't want you anxious. But yes—part of me also wanted to see how you'd handle it."
"Because if you couldn't manage Eryx now—when he hasn't even made a real move—then things down the line… would only get harder." He added slowly, "I'm sorry."
Livia looked down at his pale fingers, resting atop the blanket. After a moment, a faint smile curved her lips.
"It's not unreasonable. You didn't trust me yet."
Then she lifted her gaze, a teasing glint in her eye. "But if you don't trust me, then don't expect me to do anything tomorrow morning."
Marcellus blinked. Then gave a wry chuckle. "No, don't say that… I've been savoring today all day."
"You deserved it," she huffed gently, though her eyes were tinged with unmistakable warmth.
In those few playful exchanges, it was as if the heavy shadows of night had momentarily parted.
Once the mood had settled, Livia slowly recounted the events of the meeting. How she announced the territorial division, how—just as planned—she handed the eastern and northern districts, the ones most likely to hide the Grail, to Eryx. Meanwhile, she made a show of keeping control over the southern and western zones, making it appear as though she was protecting a critical secret.
And what surprised her most—Eryx hadn't objected. He'd agreed instantly.
"He really didn't see through it?" Marcellus murmured, frowning.
"He thinks all we want is more power, more autonomy." Livia nodded. "He sees me 'seizing control'—but doesn't realize I was simply leading him into a trap he thinks he built himself."
Marcellus closed his eyes for a moment, weighing everything in silence.
"Good," he said at last. "The next step is to see if he sends people to monitor you. If he turns his focus to your side, then we'll know he's taken the bait."
"And when he begins concentrating his forces on the areas under my command—" A sharp glint passed through Livia's eyes. "That's when we strike."
She turned toward the window, where the curtains stirred in the wind. Moonlight poured in, bathing the floor beside the bed in silvery light.
"The more he tries to find something from my side… the less he'll realize the real target is already in his hands."
Marcellus gazed at her profile, silent for a long while.
And suddenly, in that stillness, he understood—those edges he had once tried so carefully to shield… she now held them firmly, confidently, in her own grasp.
She had changed.
But it wasn't something to fear.
"You did well today," he said quietly.
Livia turned back, and when she saw the genuine recognition in his eyes, she couldn't help but smile.
"I know."
She took his hand, resting atop the blanket, as though passing along something that needed no words.
The night wind stirred the curtain again. They sat there, side by side, saying nothing more.
But both of them knew—a storm was gathering.
And this quiet corner… was where it truly began.