143: Chapter 143 Elena's Sorrow! Rowan's Comfort! Inspiring Fighting Spirit!

Elena's room.

Located in the east wing of Golden Flame Castle, it had an expansive view.

The interior furnishings were not much different from when Elena was still Miss Farrell.

Soft, light gold wallpaper.

Cherry wood furniture carved with vine patterns.

The floor covered with a thick Tilna velvet carpet, and that four-poster bed draped with light purple gauze curtains...

Everything remained as it was.

Even those few small pieces of jewelry she once used on the vanity were still in their old places.

The winter afternoon sunlight cast a warm yellow patch of light on the clean carpet.

Elena stood alone in front of the window, wearing only a thin, light purple silk nightgown.

Her exposed arms and slender ankles appeared somewhat pitiful in the air.

These days, the increasingly restless atmosphere in the city due to the approaching beauty pageant had also disturbed this relatively quiet corner.

The servants' excited, hushed discussions, and those snippets of conversation about beauties from all over, inevitably reached her ears.

She knew this was the first major event planned by Rowan after he replaced her father and became Count Golden Flame.

But, a beauty pageant?

She could not understand it!

Consequently, she became unhappy again, her gaze looking out the window appearing somewhat melancholy.

Just then.

The room door was gently pushed open, and familiar footsteps sounded.

Elena was startled out of her daze almost instantly and turned around abruptly.

When she saw Rowan's tall, straight figure, a flash of surprise could not be suppressed in her eyes.

But immediately after, she felt somewhat anxious and hesitant again.

"Rowan..." she called out softly, her fingers unconsciously clutching the soft fabric of her nightgown.

"What's wrong? The servants said you were looking for me?"

Rowan walked up to her, reached out, and wrapped his arm around her slender waist.

Elena tilted her head up, and the words she had been brewing for a long time came out trembling:

"I, I think... I am pregnant."

After she finished speaking, she immediately held her breath, waiting for Rowan's reaction.

Ever since she finished practicing the Breathing Technique that day, her perception of her own life state had become increasingly acute.

And so, she discovered some physical abnormalities.

But saying this fact aloud still made her heart beat like a drum.

"Oh." Rowan responded lightly.

This overly calm reaction made Elena freeze for a moment.

She couldn't help but look up to carefully examine Rowan's expression.

In those perfect amber eyes, there was no surprise, only a calm of knowing.

In a flash, a thought darted into her mind.

"You... you knew already?!"

Elena widened her eyes, her voice rising slightly in disbelief.

That's right, his strength was unfathomable; his sensing of life energy might be even sharper and earlier than her own!

So, he had known all along!

Yet he had remained calm and composed all this time!

Rowan smiled without speaking.

Elena was somewhat annoyed by his composed manner.

She had clearly mustered up so much courage to...

She suddenly stood on her tiptoes and quickly planted a light kiss on Rowan's lips.

Immediately after, she buried her face in the crook of his neck, her voice muffled and tinged with sadness as she spoke of her deepest worry and grievance:

"I... I don't want the child to have the surname Gladstone."

The surname Gladstone represented that marriage of hers where she had no choice.

She did not want the crystallization of her love with Rowan to have any connection to that surname she detested.

Rowan heard this and remained silent for a moment.

He could feel the expectation of the body in his arms.

However, he only needed offspring to fill the system milestones, as for the child's surname...

Under the framework of imperial law and noble inheritance, it was not actually his primary consideration.

Elena inherited the Mist Territory as the widow of Gladstone, so her offspring should naturally bear the surname Gladstone; this was an important link in maintaining the legitimacy of the territory.

Therefore, he gently lifted Elena's chin, making her look at him, and said in a calm voice:

"Elena, we need to abide by some of the empire's overt rules."

"We do not yet have the strength and ability to break these rules."

"Don't forget, our child will be the future legitimate heir to that territory."

Upon hearing this, the light in Elena's eyes dimmed instantly, and a layer of mist covered her beautiful eyes.

She stubbornly turned her head away, no longer speaking, only looking out the window, her facial features tensed tightly, full of frustration and silent protest.

She knew what he said was the truth, but precisely because of that, it made her feel even more wronged.

This made her hate that cold and damp place, Mist Castle, even more.

Seeing her like this, Rowan's eyes flashed slightly.

She couldn't stay like this!

He needed to let Elena learn to use resources to enhance her strength, so that her score would be higher, and he could Drain more attribute points.

More importantly, if she didn't practice well, there was a risk of her score dropping after giving birth.

If he had to rely on himself to pull the score back up, it would consume 1600 points of Breathing Technique proficiency...

Therefore, he reached out, somewhat forcefully turning her face back, his fingertips gently stroking her delicate cheeks, his voice lowering slightly, with a hint of guidance and promise:

"Elena, only when we are both strong enough, strong enough to ignore these imperial rules, can we truly decide everything for our child, including the surname."

He looked into her eyes:

"So, we need to work hard; I need to become stronger, and so do you. Mist Territory is your foundation and the starting point of your power."

"Make good use of it and improve yourself. When we stand high enough, these obstacles will be nothing more than dust that can be brushed away."

"Strong enough... ignore the rules..." Elena murmured, repeating these words, the unfocused gaze in her eyes gradually gathering.

That's right, complaining and sadness cannot change anything.

If you are dissatisfied with the status quo, then go and change it!

Go and obtain the power to change it!

Had she been too indulged in the comfort of this castle recently, becoming a bit lazy?

Wasn't the new power she had gained within her body the very ladder to strength?

A faint but clear fighting spirit, like a spark beneath the ice, was quietly ignited in her heart.

She needed to become stronger!

But immediately after, another softer, more private longing surged into her heart.

She lifted her moist eyes, staring blankly and with a hint of humble expectation at Rowan, and said softly:

"I just... want our child... to call you father."

Rowan looked at the incredibly clear sorrow in Elena's eyes, and for a rare moment, his heart was slightly touched.

He was silent for a moment, his fingertips brushing away the moisture at the corner of her eyes, his voice softening:

"There will be a chance."

Sensing that Elena's emotions seemed slightly off, Rowan timely shifted the topic.

He lowered his head, moving close to her sensitive ear, his warm breath brushing against her along with a whisper:

"But for now, perhaps we can do something... more interesting to celebrate this good news, hmm?"

Upon hearing this, boom—Elena's cheeks, along with her ears and neck, were instantly stained with a large, alluring crimson.

Watery light began to ripple in her eyes, and she glared at Rowan with some shy annoyance.

The fighting spirit and sadness she had just raised seemed to have been washed away a little by these sudden words.

Rowan chuckled lowly, no longer giving her time to react. His arm slid under the bend of her knees, and with a slight effort, he lifted her up horizontally with ease.

"Ah!" Elena let out a low cry, subconsciously wrapping her arms around his neck.

Rowan held her and walked towards the large four-poster bed in the center of the room.

The winter daylight outside the window remained.

Inside the room, the fireplace burned quietly, and the air began to warm up silently.

The gauze curtains fell gently.

Rapid breathing sounds began to rise...

[ Charm lv3 proficiency + 16 ]

[ Drain lv3 proficiency + 24 ]

[ Free Attribute Points + 36 ]

...