Chapter 90: Questions and Answers

Nikolai had never felt such intense anxiety in his life, not even when he had been stabbed by a spear. The unsettling feelings gripping him now were unlike anything he had experienced before. As he observed Ophelia, he was overwhelmed by fear and concern. Her reaction to the book he had presented was unsettling. As soon as the book came into view, her expression changed. Her eyes, once lively and full of curiosity, now glowed with a strange golden light. Tears began to form in her hazel-gray eyes, which slowly turned bloodshot as though she had been crying for hours. Nikolai's mind raced with questions. Had Boris threatened her? Had she encountered his mother? Was she hurt in some way? The urgency of his worry grew with each passing second. He questioned her repeatedly, but she seemed lost, her eyes filling with tears that she didn't even seem to be aware of until she raised her voice. Ophelia soon fell asleep on the bed, still covered by Nikolai’s cloak, while he sat in a chair bes