Chapter 241

Ryan woke in the middle of the night. He'd dozed a few times earlier, but only half-consciously, quickly closing his eyes again upon seeing Carissa. Late at night, the room was brightly lit. While Ryan slept, Carissa had washed his face with warm water. Though his small face was painfully thin, he still bore a striking resemblance to his father.

When Ryan woke, he cried, but managed to smile at Carissa through his tears. His thinness made his dimples more pronounced.

Carissa helped him bathe, immersing him in the tub and carefully washing his hair. She gently applied olive oil to untangle the matted strands before rinsing them clean.

After his bath, Ryan was dressed in new clothes bought for a seven-year-old. They were slightly oversized, but at least he looked neat and tidy. When food was served, his eyes lit up instinctively. He grabbed a piece of meat, stuffed it in his mouth, and quickly ducked under the table.

It was a reflexive action. After hiding for a moment, he cautiously sat back up, his eyes brimming with tears as he looked at his aunt.

Carissa turned to the side to wipe away her own tears before turning back with a smile. "Eat slowly," she said. "I will keep you company."

When Rafael tried to enter the room, Ryan immediately grew wary and put down his utensils. Seeing how frightened the boy was of men, the prince took a step back.

"You two enjoy your meal. I'll eat outside," he said.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Carissa said, standing and walking over to Rafael. Her eyes were filled with sincerity and gratitude. "I'll never forget this kindness."

"There's no need for such formalities. We are about to be married. Stay with him. I've arranged for some writing materials to be brought later. I know Ryan started studying when he was three, so he knows how to read and write."

Carissa nodded. "Alright, I'll ask him about it after we finish eating."

Once Rafael left, the wariness in Ryan's eyes disappeared. He snuggled close to Carissa and began to eat ravenously.

BONUS

Chapter 241

Carissa looked at his thin face and body. Ryan seemed to have barely grown taller over the past two years. She could only imagine the suffering he had endured.

"Eat slowly, don't choke," she said gently.

Ryan slowed down, but to Carissa, it looked like he was still devouring his food with desperation. The meal was finished in no time; he polished off several dishes and a whole loaf of bread.

Afterward, Carissa cleared the table and set out the writing materials. She grasped his thin, fragile wrist.

"I remember you can read and write. Even if you haven't written in the past two years, you should still remember the things you learned. Could you tell me how you escaped and how you ended up in this state?" she asked, her tears falling slowly into the inkpot.

After giving her nephew a bath, Carissa had seen the extent of his injuries—large and small, old and new. His body was covered in wounds, to the point there was almost no unblemished flesh left. Also, his left leg was crippled. The physician had examined it and found that the bone had healed crookedly after being broken. To fix it properly, the bone would need to be rebroken and set again.

Ryan wiped his aunt's tears away with his thin, bony hands, then shook his head. He had a pitiable and heartbreaking expression on his face. His eyes were deep-set, his cheeks sunken, and his body stick-thin. To Carissa, he seemed like a mere wisp of a person. It pained her greatly to see him like this.

If she had known Ryan was still alive, she would have searched for him across the land to spare him from such suffering.

Once they settled down again, Ryan began to write. Perhaps due to not writing for a long time, combined with poor nutrition and abuse, his fingers were somewhat deformed. Seeing him struggle to hold the quill firmly, Carissa held his hand to steady it.

After a long while, Ryan slowly started to write, each stroke a tremendous effort. Writing was a laborious task for him, as he lacked strength.

After what seemed like an age, he managed to write a simple sentence: [Went out to buy candied apples.]