Chapter 1798

That night, Lucian's high fever progressed as Roxanne anticipated—his temperature fluctuating throughout the night. Near dawn, it reached 38.7 degrees Celsius. Since fever reducers could only be administered every six hours, Roxanne resorted to a physical method, repeatedly sponging him down for over an hour until his temperature subsided.

Lucian remained semi-conscious throughout. Though his complexion improved, his lips remained pale, and he appeared exhausted. "Thank you, darling," he murmured, his eyes glazed, before falling into a deep sleep.

Roxanne sensed something was amiss; the fever seemed unusually severe. She collected two blood samples, then summoned Cayden to attend to Lucian. Cayden, still drowsy, instantly roused upon hearing of Lucian's illness. While he cared for Lucian, Roxanne, despite her fatigue, rushed to the laboratory.

Half an hour later, she identified the virus; the previous medication had been ineffective. She retrieved the correct medicine and hurried back to the mansion, only to find Lucian awake. After inquiring about his condition, he described aching muscles and a pulling sensation. "This is a viral fever, isn't it? Darling, did you stay up all night? I'll be fine. You don't need to work so hard," he said.

Roxanne administered the medicine and checked his temperature. Seeing her weary face and slightly swollen eyes, Lucian smiled and gently caressed her cheek. She reassured him, "I'm fine. I'll rest after watching you for a while."

An hour later, after breakfast and with Roxanne's permission, Cayden departed. Lucian appeared more comfortable, his temperature stable, though still weak. His rapid illness and slow recovery were attributed to his immune system's intense battle with the virus, resulting in some collateral damage to healthy cells.

Finally succumbing to Lucian's pleas, Roxanne went to sleep, but not before cautioning, "Let's quarantine ourselves from the children when they wake up, to prevent infection." Lucian nodded, then washed and ate breakfast.

Shortly after Roxanne fell asleep, Sonya arrived. Seeing Lucian's pale appearance, she anxiously inquired about his health. "I'm fine, Mom. Just a slight cold. Roxanne has treated me; I just need time to recover," he replied. However, Sonya, sensing his continued fever, suspected something more. "You went to the aquarium yesterday, didn't you? The incident is all over the internet. Did you catch a cold there?" she asked.

"I think so. Headaches and fever are expected. Look, I'm fine; it's just a test of immunity," Lucian dismissed her concerns.

But Sonya wouldn't let it go. "How can you say you're fine? If Roxanne had taken better care of Essie, she wouldn't have fallen in the water, and you wouldn't have this infection."