Time trickled by, and Lady Elizabeth remained silent. The playful smirk on Felix's face gradually faded with her silence. Eventually, his patience wore thin, and a hint of disappointment uncontrollably appeared on his pale cheeks.

He offered a bitter smile, slowly placing the exquisite enamel crystal cup down. Then, donning a black cloak, he walked towards the door without looking back.

Though he had prepared for the worst, when it truly came, Felix couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow in his heart.

From a delicate toy to now a sinister dark creature, perhaps soon to become a true undead, a bloodthirsty death knight...

Deep down, Felix still longed for Lady Elizabeth to accept his current identity. Perhaps, at his core, he was a person deeply invested in the world of emotions.

"Lady... after all, am I still just your toy?... Is your utilitarianism still that strong?..."

Felix sighed internally. He had received the answer he sought, albeit a disheartening one.

---

Just as Felix reached the door, Lady Elizabeth's faint, soft voice reached his ears.

"Wait."

Her ethereal voice resonated as Lady Elizabeth stood up and slowly walked beside Felix. She opened her arms, embracing the halted Felix, and gently stroked his beautiful brown hair. "You must be tired from traveling through the night."

For reasons unknown, Felix paused, not resisting Lady Elizabeth's embrace. He turned to face her, looking straight into her eyes. In her gaze, Felix saw affection, hesitation, and struggle – emotions this wise woman had never shown before him...

"Catherine, take my little kitten for a bath. He needs to rest well now." The emotions in Lady Elizabeth's eyes quickly settled. She smiled tenderly at Felix, then released him, signaling the knight sister to take Felix for a bath and a good rest.

A mix of joy and bitterness surged in Felix's heart, for Lady Elizabeth's response made the Felix, who thought he understood her, doubtful once again.

He let the knight sister lead him by the hand out of the room. As he stepped out, he suddenly stopped, turned back, and looked at the woman behind him. With a voice tinged with emotions even he couldn't fully grasp, he said softly, "Lady, I've waited a long time for an answer. But now, you've made me uncertain again..."

Lady Elizabeth looked up, her face breaking into a stunning, heart-stirring smile. She placed her hand over her heart. "I, too, have received an answer that confuses me."

"But I believe that the answer we truly seek lies within ourselves," Lady Elizabeth said, smiling gracefully and regally. She opened her lips slightly, like a sage who had experienced much, offering Felix a philosophically profound answer.

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Felix smiled thoughtfully and then turned to leave.

"No, my answer lies in your heart," came Felix's resolute reply.

...

After Catherine took Felix away, Lady Elizabeth immediately lay down on the sofa covered with a soft down blanket. She pressed her pale fingers against her temples and gently, slowly massaged in circles.

Her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed, and her light blue eyes flickered with tumultuous light. Her charming face showed signs of struggle and hesitation again...

"Lady, this was not part of the plan." After a moment, the knight sister returned to the room, her eyes shimmering with an enigmatic light, an aura others would find difficult to comprehend.

In the heart of the knight sister, Lady Elizabeth should have unhesitatingly abandoned Felix at this moment, because she had once said that she did not need chess pieces she couldn't control, especially useless pawns.

Lady Elizabeth had once granted him freedom, and now, she offered him protection.

Perhaps, in the eyes of these two women, Felix was still just a pitiful little kitten, a helpless one trembling in the storm...

They thought Felix had returned seeking shelter, but they didn't know he was actually seeking an answer, one that would decide how he would end the storm!!!

Lady Elizabeth lifted her head. In just a short moment, her charming face involuntarily revealed a hint of weariness. The overly tumultuous thoughts and rapid surges of deduction made her head throb. Shaking her head slightly, she softly said, "Plans are always just plans."

"Have you fallen in love with your little kitten?" the knight sister asked, bending down to meet Lady Elizabeth's gaze directly, speaking to her as an equal for the first time.

This unprecedented act caused Lady Elizabeth to narrow her eyes slightly. She didn't believe Catherine would defy her will. So, the only reason could be... that little guy?

"No." For some reason, Lady Elizabeth wasn't angered by this. She just quietly observed the beautiful knight in front of her. Only when the canary in front of her showed a hint of timidity did she softly say, "If I let him go today, I would surely regret it in the future. That's all..."

That's all...

Catherine repeated these words, then fell into a silent contemplation. She wasn't someone with too many thoughts. Because of Lady Elizabeth's wisdom, she knew everything would be arranged for her.

"Continue with the plan as usual, go and make the arrangements now," Lady Elizabeth said softly, massaging her forehead.

The knight sister's face showed a moment of hesitation. After a brief pause, she said, "But, Queen Angelina..."

"What she and I need is merely a prop to show sincerity to each other. This prop was once a plastic rod, and now it is a man," said Lady Elizabeth in a calm voice devoid of emotion. "As for the identity of this man, it no longer matters."

"No matter what changes occur, one thing will remain constant."

"Felix is the most exquisite gift in this world!"

Lady Elizabeth stood up, slowly removing her snow-white gown, and then lay her delicate body naked on the soft down blanket. "He has left us with indelible, beautiful memories. This is the last gift I have prepared for him."

"I know what you're thinking." Lady Elizabeth shook her head, then curled up like a startled Persian cat, her body tender and soft. For the first time, her face showed weakness and other indecipherable expressions. She pulled the down blanket over herself and said, "When the plan starts, I will give him true freedom!"

"Now, you may leave," Lady Elizabeth waved her hand, speaking in an exceptionally weary voice. "I want to be alone for a while."

Catherine slowly exited the room. As she stepped out the door, she placed her hand over her heart. After a long while, she whispered in a voice only she could hear:

"That's not the sound of a heartbeat..."