Eros let out a soft sigh and changed the subject. "I’m going to see how the construction of my bathhouse is coming along."

  As he headed toward the backyard, Undine watched his retreating back and muttered, "So mysterious."

  Estelle smiled faintly. "Let him be. It’s just tearing down a few rooms, after all."

  Eros walked quickly, but he forgot one thing: Irina could not stay too far away from him. Consequently, shortly after he left, Irina—who was talking to her mother—suddenly vanished into thin air.

  Madam Florika froze for a moment, then realized what had happened with a wry smile. Now that she knew her daughter was fine, her heart was at ease; they would have plenty of time to talk later.

  On the other side, Irina stepped out of Eros’s shadow once more, looking at him with a slight pout. Eros blinked, realized his mistake, and gave a dry laugh. "Should I... walk back?"

  Irina shook her head. "No need. Mother always repeats the same boring things." She then shifted the topic. "Are you planning to put that bead into the bathhouse?"

  Eros nodded. "Yes. That way, the life force within the bead will seep into the bathwater. A quick soak will provide beauty benefits and slow down aging."

  Irina cast a sidelong glance at him and whispered, "You are truly extravagant."

  If a concentrated essence of pure life force like that were put up for sale, Irina believed it would fetch a price equivalent to at least two Grade 2 Sealed Artifacts. After all, if refined into a potion, it could truly extend one's lifespan—and not just by a mere decade.

  Hearing her call him extravagant, Eros’s lips curled up. "Isn't this all for your beauty and youth?"

  Chatting as they walked, the two soon reached their destination: an exquisitely designed building with a pointed roof. Inside, two rectangular pits had been excavated into the floors of two adjacent rooms, separated by a wall but connected beneath.

  Looking at the pits lined with stone slabs, Eros nodded in satisfaction. All that was missing was the water.

  Irina looked at the bathhouse curiously. "What’s next? If you use cold water, it’s already October. If you want hot water, the servants will have to boil it constantly."

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Eros rubbed his chin. "We can use a ritual array to turn this into a natural hot spring."

  "But ritual arrays consume materials and spiritual essence," Irina said hesitantly. "The family’s resources aren't exactly abundant right now. Wouldn't this be too wasteful just for a bath?"

  Not abundant? Eros knew the family’s low-sequence resources were practically non-existent. He never intended to use his own materials. The Church’s "New Energy Steam Train" had given him an idea—he wanted to see if the family had a similar Sealed Artifact. If so, he’d have Barbara seal its corruption, toss it in the pool, and let the servants just add water.

  Eros returned to the main hall and leaned toward Estelle. "Mama! Does the Ducal Mansion have any fire-type Sealed Artifacts? Something that generates high heat will do."

  Estelle thought seriously about the artifacts stored in Indiles. After a moment, she spoke: "Nothing with fire abilities, but there is a Grade 2 Sealed Artifact of the Sun Domain—The Radiant Sun."

  "It constantly purifies corruption within a 10-meter radius. Its side effect, however, is that it keeps its surroundings in a state of intense heat. Furthermore, if anyone below Sequence 4 holds it for more than five minutes, the spirituality in their body will be gradually purified until they become an ordinary person."

  Eros frowned. That was a severe side effect. He immediately consulted Barbara in his mind. Upon receiving a positive answer that the effect could be partially sealed, Eros relaxed and said to Estelle, "I want that one!"

  "What do you want it for?" Estelle asked, worried.

  "To make a hot spring. I think it’s perfect. The Artifact Spirit just told me its side effects can be suppressed."

  Eros spoke nonchalantly, leaving Estelle and Madam Florika stunned. Using a Grade 2 Sealed Artifact for a hot spring? And the Artifact Spirit is actually willing to help with such nonsense? The Spirit truly dotes on this child.

  Since the Artifact Spirit didn't object, Estelle didn't hesitate further. She led Eros to the secret underground vault and retrieved a specially sealed box from its deepest corner.

  Eros took the box and opened it immediately. Estelle gasped, unable to stop him in time. An orange radiance flooded the room, and the air instantly grew hot.

  "How could you open it without any protection?" Estelle scolded gently. "It’s lucky this is a slow-acting artifact. Any other Grade 2 item and you would have been corrupted the moment you opened it!"

  Eros shrugged. Corrupt me? Every item he carried was more corruptive than this. With Barbara watching, a mere Grade 2 artifact was nothing. But knowing Estelle’s concern was genuine, he just grinned. "The Artifact Spirit is watching over me. It'll be fine."

  Eros reached out and picked up the orange orb of light. In the next second, the light suddenly went out.

  Huh? What happened? Even Estelle was bewildered; she had never heard of this happening before.

  Eros quickly asked Barbara, "What’s going on?"

  Barbara’s expression was strange. "This is a Sealed Artifact with 'Living' characteristics. The moment you touched it, it sensed your aura... and it felt fear."

  Eros felt helpless. My fault again. "So what now?"

  "Just show it some kindness," Barbara replied.