Chapter 73.1

A dignified figure, the equivalent of a legion commander, was startled by the fraudulent Kevin and took a step back. His eyes widened in surprise, and his face flushed with embarrassment.

After regaining his composure, he cleared his throat with a cough. He turned his head to glance at the old and young individuals behind him, who were all staring at him with varying degrees of amusement.

Seeing Ian's expression resigned inevitability of "I knew this would happen," he exhaled a long breath and patted his chest in a futile attempt to rouse himself from this nightmare.

"Wake up, wake up, just wake up!" he muttered to himself, as if by sheer force of will he could will himself out of this waking dream.

Sinia tossed aside the book she was holding and dashed to the side of the ebony coffin. She grasped the edge tightly, her eyes shining with joy as she raised her face.

"Fafa!" she cried, her voice filled with delight.

Her smile was so wide that her eyes were nearly obscured, but the happiness in her expression was unmistakable. She had been waiting for this moment for so long, and now it was finally here. Her "fafa" was awake.

Mio: "..."

He twitched the corner of his mouth, a faint flush of embarrassment rising to his cheeks. He had overreacted, he knew, but in his defense, any normal person would have been taken aback by such a sudden and unexpected event.

He glanced at Ian and Sinia, who were both looking at him with bemused expressions. They seemed to be taking the whole thing in stride, as if they had seen something like this before.

He sighed.

He supposed that he was the abnormal one here. He had never been one to handle surprises well, and this one had been a doozy.

Compelled to match the composure of the old and the young, he gently inquired of Kevin, "Are you awake? How do you feel?" It seemed that Kevin had risen from a bed, not a coffin.

Kevin lowered his head, his eyes hidden from view. He gripped the edge of the coffin with one hand, and with the other hand, he waved weakly at them.

He then furrowed his brows, his eyes closed in discomfort. He tapped his temple twice, as if trying to clear his head. He seemed disoriented, his brows creased and his expression troubled.

Ian, the old butler, stood by, his eyes scanning the room. He seemed to be trying to figure out what was wrong with Kevin. Finally, he snapped his fingers. "Water!" he said. "I'll ask the attendant to bring some!"

Mi Ao watched in astonishment as Ian hurriedly left the room. He had known Ian, the former manor housekeeper and now the chief internal servant, for a long time, and he had never seen him in such urgency.

The servants waiting outside quickly prepared a silver tray with water, delicate and simple food, and thick soup. Ian rushed back in, his face flushed with exertion.

"Here," he said, placing the tray on the table. "Drink this water and eat some food. It will help you feel better."

Kevin was patted on the back twice, after which he let go of the hand rubbing his temples. He raised his bleary eyes, closed them again, and then opened them fully.

He was indeed very thirsty. Taking the glass of water, he drank more than half of it in one go before fully opening his eyes.

The food was simple, but it was delicious. Kevin felt his strength returning as he ate.

"Thank you," he said to Ian. "I feel much better now."

Kevin flicked his fingers at Mi Ao, his voice hoarse and strained. "Don't stand in front of me," he said. "I feel a little sick."

Mi Ao's eyes widened in hurt and confusion. "Am I that repulsive?"

Kevin's face was pale and his eyes were bloodshot.

He swayed slightly, and his voice was hoarse. "Stop talking so much, I'm so dizzy," he said.

Mi Ao let out an "oh" and silently stepped aside.

With no obstruction in front of him, his field of vision suddenly expanded, and the dizziness and discomfort began to subside. After finishing the glass of water, Kevin finally breathed a sigh of relief, his brows relaxing.

Then Mi Ao suddenly remembered that Kevin had been presumed dead, and he directly asked, "How are you alive after being dead? Your heart didn't beat, and there's been no response for a whole month!"

Kevin looked at him for a moment and responded angrily, "How can you count the days if you were unconscious?"

Mio: "..." That's true.

"No, it's been a month. How did you wake up?" Mi Ao pondered and realized he was once again puzzled.

Even if he wasn't breathing or his heart wasn't beating, it had only been four or five days since the coffin had been closed.

In such a confined space, even if he were alive, he would have suffocated to death. How did he manage to push open the lid of the coffin?

Kevin lazily teased him, "Why don't you seem to be happy that I woke up? Are you plotting a rebellion, Deputy Commander?"

Mi Ao: "...Get lost."

The old housekeeper, Ian, trembled beside them, catching Mi Ao's attention. He looked over suspiciously and asked, "Why are you shaking so much? Are you too tired?"

Ian cast a peculiar expression in Kevin's direction, but his gaze didn't rest upon Kevin's face. He merely closed his eyes, a repentant expression on his face, and waved his hands dismissively, saying, "Cough, it's nothing."

Indeed, it was nothing. He couldn't help feeling a bit weak when he heard Mi Ao telling Kevin to "get lost."

Ian was a very pious individual, albeit with a different reverence from most.

He wouldn't casually reveal to anyone that he still retained memories of what had occurred on Mirror Island and beyond, and most importantly, that he remembered His Excellency Kevin Fassbender as the God of Light, Phaer.