"Was that... A Proposal?"
"Whatever you think of it as." He replied with a serious face.
Aefia looked at him with widened eyes as her wrist stayed stuck between his fingers. However, she didn't pull on it just yet. Then, her eyes narrowed down as she looked at the place of the floor that her blood had spilt on.
"Although I am not into romance and all, if you can give me happiness... And since you are my caretaker, then I guess it is alright." She let out a sigh as her gaze turned back towards his face, sitting across from her.
Immediately, he lit up and moved forward to hug her. "Thanks. I was worried about your response. Alright then. Now since you are officially under my control, you better drink some water, take your medicine and go to sleep." He stood up while putting back the glass on her hand and then walking to a far part of the room to grab a single tablet and place it at her hand.
Aefia looked at it and then frowned at it. "Isn't it really bitter?"
"My words against yours. You have to take this painkiller and go to sleep. You might wake up with your legs feeling like they took a trip while you were out. So as a precaution, take these medicine. Otherwise, I will have to feed it to you. Remember that I am your personal physician from now on so–"
"Fine fine! I will take it." Aefia interrupted him while bringing it close to her mouth, then stopping midway. "Do I really have to? You have your element–"
"Just take it!"
Taking the medicine from her hand, he used his thumb to pull down on her jaw, then push the medicine into her mouth. Then, he closed her mouth and held it that way.
"Swallow. Its not that hard."
Having been cornered, she did as he said, then immediately gulped down the entire glass of water. "Bleugh! Did you do that to force the potion into my mouth?!"
"Yes."
Then, Aefia's eyes flew to a different place, and returned an irritated reaction at her face. "I am seriously done with this woman..." She muttered to herself, while he was still hovering over her.
"Wha–I am not a woman!"
"I know! I didn't mean you!" Aefia added while her eyes stayed locked at the same place again. "Its only been mere seconds since I agreed to your care and this is the situation already."
"Well? Trust the process. You are a very short-tempered person." He blurted while taking the glass at his own hands. "Go to sleep now."
With that being said, he flashed a smile and placed his glowing fingers to put her to sleep. Before leaving the room, he tucked her in and shut the window. On his way out, he made sure not to make a sound, stealing a last glance before dissapearing through the corridors.
In that exact moment, one of the three orphan kids came out while clenching his teddy at one hand. He was the youngest, and strangely the most quietest out of the rest.
"Oh. Sorry, I couldn't sleep, so I wanted to come around and look for you." The little boy added with puppy eyes, as he stopped in front of him, clenching his teddy tightly in half-fear and half-hope. But seeing as to how Helio was smiling unusually longer than expected, the kid contemplated between returning and continuing.
However, in the midst of his thoughts, he got picked up and craddle at his arms. Then, got carried towards the kitchen without a warning.
"What are we doing?" The kid asked out of a sudden.
"Why? We are going to get some ice just in case for a special someone you wanted to meet." Helio replied with a smile.
"You seem very happy about it."
"Of course... Something special happened to me. That is why."
When they returned to the bedroom, Aefia was already burning up with a fever like she would usually do after having taken a harsh injury and surviving it after quite the stretched amount of time.
"Huh?! Oh it's her!" The kid rushed over while climbing onto the bed, then settling beside her quietly, rubbing his small palm against her face. "Wow! She is still pretty as always although she is sick."
"Isn't she?"
Helio muttered to himself while placing a fabric on her forehead first, then placed the crushed ice onto the fabric. Meanwhile, the kid placed his teddy bear onto Aefia's hand and then curled her fingers around it.
"What are you going?"
"Mom used to tell us that when someone is sick, they always want one of their favourite things. I don't know hers, but she can have mine." The kid replied while pulling Aefia's arm, then laying his head before wrapping her forearm around his own body. Only after a short while, did the kid fall asleep in that state.
***
Although it was still dark due to the long nights and the planet's axis, it was practically in the middle of the afternoon when Aefia had woken with an excrutiating headache that lasted only a swift moment.
She sat up following that and gazed around the room in confusion. That was until she caught the sight of her loyal ghost, leaning with a tilted head at her direction, with a smirk at her face.
"You–You really are a ghost!"
Aefia moved all the way to the centre of the bed while still trying to recover her momentary trauma. "What do you want?!" She finally blurted out while letting out a sigh.
"So... I wanted to ask... Did you really mean the kiss to the palm that time?"
"What the absolute heck?! I just woke up and you started with this?!"
"Just asking you know? You have a bunch of things to do when you return to the Countess' estate. And you are here pressing a kiss to his palm and then being carried around. Then accepting a proposal."
"Wha–you were the one who said it was a proposal! But he just said I was supposed to entrust my life to him so he can take proper care of me!"
"And what about before that? Huh? You know what I mean, so don't even bother lying." The ghost folded her arms and then sat beside Aefia on the bed.
"For the sake of god!" Aefia shouted while slamming a pillow into the ghost's face, and then hiding her own face in her knees.
"Your ears are turning red."
"That's because I have a fever!"
"No you don't!"
"Alright! Alright! I don't even know what's wrong with me. So I am somewhat confused." She muttered while lifting her gaze again. "You saw everything... So now what? You still have to do me a favour. You are going to get me a few leaves yourself. Nada can't know about my staying here temporarily. And do check on Cedric. Maybe leave him a note that I am alright."
The ghost nodded, then smiling at her direction. "As you wish... However, I think you are lying to yourself when you say Nada can't know about you 'staying' here. Are you?"
"Just... Shut up! I had enough of it! Now get going!"
"Alright then. As you have demanded."
As she watched the ghost dissappear, she finally let out a sigh as she hid her face with another pillow.
"What kind of a situation is this?!" She squealed to herself while flushing. "Seriously?! When did I change this much?! I was never really interested into this sort of things. Nada is going to kill me if she finds out."
Finally, she stood up and got on her shoes. Then walked out of the door. On her way, she tried to look around more closely, unlike how she previously didn't get a chance to.
"Surprisingly though, I actually feel much better then back then." Aefia muttered to herself while looking at her bandaged palm, then looking up on her path again.
Suddenly, a kid appeared while holding a teddy bear. As soon as he saw her, he rushed over and hugged her knees, which almost made her stumble.
"You are awake! Did you know that I sleeped with you last night?!"
"Really?" Aefia asked in a confused tone, and then lifted the kid into her arms. "By the way... Do you know where the kitchen is? I want to drink a glass of water." She sweeted added while smiling.
"Sure! There is actually someone who asked me to bring you to the kitchen, so I will lead you there right now." The kid spoke while pointing towards the long corridor. "But I have a question. Why were you so sick last night? You looked pale."
"Well... Because sickness comes without you knowing about it. I don't know either."
"Oh... You must have not washed your hands regularly!" The kid laughed. Aefia knew she could have stopped him, however, she chose to let it slide for now. So she stayed silent for a long while, as the kid continued to laugh.
***
"So... You got the leaves? Exactly when did you leave?" Helio asked while folding his arms in front of him. "I told you to–"
"Stay put! I know I know! But you are the one who doesn't understand!" Aefia raged while slamming her hands beside her in the bed. "I used an accomplice!"
At the corner, the ghost looked away completely looking at a dust speck on the ceiling.
Why?! Is that more interesting right now?! I told you to bring only a few!
"Aefia! Stop lying." Helio glared at her, placing a bowl of soup beside her. The scent already grabbing her attention away to the growing hunger inside of her.
"I am not lying! I swear for the sake of god!"
"Then–"
"I used a ghost! I am the Guardian of Death just so you know! I practically had her go and collect it! I only asked for a few!"
He let out a deep breathe in the form of sigh. "So where is she right now?"
"Over there! She is acting like she doesn't know a single thing!" Aefia shouted back while pointing at the glowing figure at the corner of the room. "Ugh! She teleported away!"
She irritatingly slumped back down on the bed while gripping her scalp with her fingers. "This is all messed up!" She muttered under her breathe, slumping forward in exhaustion.
Helio looked at her with a guilty look. Before he let out another deep breathe, he blurted out.
"Nada wants to meet you. So you will have to leave soon."
"Oh and do ask her why the heck she acts like she doesn't know anything about dimenthyl mercury the next time! I had a hard time explaining about that not so long ago." She spoke with a stressed look. "But anyways, since you already have the leaves, can't you form a cure right now? So that I can deliver it to the duchess? She is still sick."
Helio suddenly dissapeared out of her sight, appearing right in front of her face. Using his index finger, he lifted her chin upwards to force her to look directly at him. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face as she stared in confusion and scare. Her mind tensing up, forcing her to shut up completely.
"Are you seriously thinking about that woman right now?" He asked while holding her chin upwards, making it hard for her to speak for a while. "Whether I want to make the cure or not, is my own choice. So you can't force me unless I think it right. The woman needs to be punished for her negligence. That is why I am delaying."
He finally loosened his grip on her chin a little bit, but still keeping his fingers in place. "Do you have any other confusions? Or do you really want me to neglect the cure even more."
Aefia gulped as her chin relaxed a little, allowing her to speak, however, she found herself in moment of no answer. Her gaze dropped towards the door, as her eyes narrowed down. Then, a smile formed on her face as she diverted her gaze back to his face.
"Lio, answer me this for once."
As she spoke her eyebrows turned more frowned, her hand coming up to cover over his. "If you buy a pencil just for writing from a shop for urgent use, do you think you would come to love it if it is just for a short-term use?"
Helio found himself in a moment of sudden silence, as he pressed his lips into a straight line.
"Then, I think you have chosen yes as an answer. Now the same concept will fall for a tool, and then a chess board, then a real life one. What about me? I was brought in suddenly just because of my usefulness. So even after I have lived with her for a year..."
"Then what am I to expect? I was not a real daughter to them... Was I?"
The words hit the back of her throat before leaving her mouth, as her gaze fell towards the floorboards. "But also, a kid who doesn't know anything about, he didn't do me any wrong. I don't want to punish him by taking away anything from him. So that is why I am trying to protect the empire." Her smile turned from a painful sort to a more numb one. "Afterall, sometimes because of him, I would be reluctant to overdose myself from the toxins."
Suddenly, at the mention of toxins, the grip at her chin tightened, as his hands trembled faintly. This forced her to look back up at his face.
"So you confess that you took sleep medicines due to their toxins?" His voice quivered as he pulled her off the bed to stand directly in front of him. "If you are so desperate to keep the family alive for your little brothers sake, then why not recover your health? That way you could do it better."
Aefia stared directly into his eyes, then looked towards the door for a second. "Maybe that was... Not something I calculated properly. I wasn't really sane in the mind back then." She answered honestly.
"But maybe–huh? Wait! Move away!" She suddenly jolted while staring with wide eyes towards the door. When suddenly, it flew open.
"Aefia?! Wha–" Nada stood frozen at the doorway, her jaw dropping for a while before snapping back. Her eyes stared forward, where they both stayed stood.