Maria.

All attention shifted toward Davian instantly.

The weak cough that had escaped him moments ago was enough to pull every gaze in the room toward the bed.

Slowly, he tried pushing himself upright, his movements sluggish and weak as though even sitting up required all the strength left inside him.

"Davian!"

His brothers rushed toward him immediately.

Aidan reached him first and quickly slid an arm behind his back to support him properly.

"Davian, how are you feeling now?" Aidan asked almost instantly, concern and panic evident in his voice.

Adrien stood close beside the bed while Damien hovered nearby, his fists clenched tightly as though afraid Davian would suddenly collapse again.

But surprisingly...Davian did not respond to any of them, not even slightly. Instead, his gaze remained fixed directly on me.

Completely fixed.

And the intensity behind his eyes made my chest tighten faintly.

"I thought..." he started weakly, his voice rough from exhaustion, "...I thought I would never get the chance to see you again."

His eyes never left mine as he spoke.

I rolled my eyes away immediately in irritation.

I honestly could not believe him.

The man had just regained consciousness after nearly dying, yet he still found the energy to act dramatic.

Seriously?

"Maria, I am..."

Before he could finish speaking, his body jerked slightly, and then suddenly...he coughed violently and blood spilled from his lips instantly.

My face paled.

The room froze for a second.

Fresh blood stained the corner of his lips before dripping down onto his chin.

What?

I stared at him in shock.

Hadn’t the healer already used my blood?

Wasn’t that supposed to stabilize him?

Then why was he still coughing blood?

My thoughts spiraled instantly as confusion filled my head.

What exactly had gone wrong?

Was the poison still inside his system?

Or was something else happening entirely?

"The fuck..." Damien cursed loudly, panic immediately taking over his expression. "We need the healer right now!"

His voice shook slightly as he rushed toward the door without waiting for a response from anyone.

The door slammed open loudly before he disappeared out of the room immediately.

Meanwhile, Aidan tightened his hold around Davian while Adrien looked completely unsettled.

But despite everything, despite coughing blood...Davian suddenly chuckled weakly.

"Relax..." he muttered hoarsely toward his brothers, his breathing still sounded uneven. "...I haven’t been cherished and spoiled by my mistress yet," he continued weakly before turning his gaze back toward me again, a bright smile slowly spreading across his pale face. "How could I possibly die yet... right, Maria?" he asked softly.

And honestly...that smile irritated me immediately. Even in such a serious condition, he still found the time to say nonsense.

I folded my arms tightly beneath my chest and glared at him coldly.

"Don’t get any ideas into your head, Davian," I said firmly, my tone came out colder than before. "That would never happen."

The smile on his face only widened slightly after hearing my response, almost as though my rejection did not bother him at all.

"Hmm..." Davian hummed softly while nodding his head slowly.

Despite how pale he looked, there was still confidence written clearly across his face.

"You can’t be so sure," he continued calmly. "Anything can happen."

I narrowed my eyes at him instantly.

The confidence in his tone irritated me deeply.

How could someone who had almost died just moments ago still sound so shamelessly certain about something impossible?

Honestly, the quadruplets truly lacked shame.

Adrien and Aidan remained quiet throughout the exchange, neither of them interrupted, neither of them said anything at all.

The room stayed awkwardly silent for a few seconds before suddenly, Adrien stood up and slowly, he walked toward me.

Then before I could even process what he was doing, he lowered himself onto his knees directly before me.

"My lady..." he said softly.

My brows furrowed instantly.

Could he get any more dramatic?

"...could you please allow us to serve you?" he asked while lowering his head all the way to the ground.

I stared at him completely speechless for a moment.

Serve me again?

Why were they still pushing this ridiculous idea?

And honestly, the sight of an Alpha kneeling before me like that only made the atmosphere feel even stranger.

I opened my mouth to respond, but before a single word could leave my lips...

The door suddenly pushed open loudly, and everyone turned immediately.

Noah stepped inside.

And the furious expression on his face instantly changed the atmosphere inside the room.

"There will be no need for that, Alpha Adrien," Noah said coldly.

His voice was calm, but the warning behind it was impossible to miss.

He walked straight toward me without hesitation before wrapping an arm firmly around my waist possessively.

The warmth of his touch instantly grounded me.

"Whatever my wife needs," Noah continued while pulling me slightly closer against him, "I will give it to her."

My heart skipped slightly at his words.

Wife.

The title still sounded strange yet comforting at the same time.

But before I could say anything...

"Careful, Noah..." Aidan suddenly spoke up from beside the bed.

His tone was calm, but there was something sharp hidden beneath it.

"Being in a rush to acknowledge certain titles could bring bad luck," he added.

I swallowed hard instantly.

My chest tightened faintly.

Was he trying to curse us?

The thought alone annoyed me immediately.

Before Noah could even respond, I spoke first.

"You need not worry, Alpha Aidan," I said firmly while lifting my chin slightly. "My husband is filled with good luck."

The moment the words left my lips, Aidan’s face paled visibly.

The room went quiet again.

For a brief second, something painful flashed across his eyes before he quickly looked away from us.

"Whatever..." he muttered quietly.

He turned his face completely away afterward, clearly unwilling to continue the conversation.

Meanwhile, Noah’s hold around my waist tightened slightly, then gently, almost tenderly...He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against my forehead.

The gesture made my heart calm slightly despite the tension filling the room.

And just then...

The door burst open again.

Damien rushed inside hurriedly with the healer following closely behind him.

Both of them looked slightly breathless.

"Check on him fast!" Damien commanded immediately, his voice filled with urgency and authority as he pointed toward Davian on the bed.

The healer nodded quickly and hurried toward the bedside without wasting another second.

Instantly, everyone’s attention shifted back toward Davian once again.