Abigail’s face was burning red. Her throat was finally better now after the third time Alex made her drink water from his mouth. He didn’t even give her a chance to decline him.
“Want more?” he asked, causing Abi to frantically shake her head.
“I… I’m fine now, Alex,” she told him as she covered her lips with the back of her hand. “I… I can drink on my own. Y-you don’t have to do that,” she stammered.
For Abi, what he did was extremely embarrassing and she felt like she’d end up being choked to death instead if he continued doing that. She thought that this man had no idea how his actions were affecting her. No matter how much she told herself that he was only doing that to help her, her heart couldn’t take it. She was afraid she might totally forget to breathe or swallow the water if he did that again.
“What. You don’t like my method?” he asked, his fingers were already on her chin and his thumb wiping her wet lips.
“T-that’s not it.”
“So you like it but you’re embarrassed?” he bent down and stared deep into her eyes. “Answer me, Abigail,” his sweet breath touched her face.
Before Abi knew it she said the word “yes”. This man was too much. How could she say no when he was asking her this way?
“Good girl,” he replied. At that moment, Abi finally realized that there seemed to be something off with this man since she woke up. He didn’t smirk or smile mischievously at her. She noticed that he always did that even in serious moments but now, he actually didn’t smirk or smile even once. Also, why did his eyes look like they were colder than ever yet felt warmer than before? Did something happen during the seven days that he was away…?
Suddenly, the memories finally started flooding into Abi’s head. That’s right, she and Kelly had attended the ball and then… she was…
Abi’s eyes slowly widened in both shock and horror the moment she remembered everything that happened to her. The darkness, the pain, the fear, the seemingly endless dungeon and the music… everything appeared in her head so clearly.
It was as if she just remembered a horrifying nightmare! Her hands suddenly clenched, clutching tightly on to Alex’s shirt and her reddened face instantly became pale.
The next moment, her arms flew towards Alex’s neck as they wrapped around him and pulled him down towards her. Abi hugged him as tight as she could as if she wanted to fix him permanently into her embrace.
“A-alex… I am not dreaming, right?” she asked. Her voice filled with doubt and fear.
“You’re not, Abigail.” Alex assured her.
“I… that… that dungeon… I was…”
“Mn… you made it out of that place on your own,” he replied. His hand moved towards her head and he gently patted her hair in comfort. “You’re amazing, Abigail.”
With just those words, Abi’s trembling lips and hand calmed down. The panic in her heart started to subside and her grip on him loosened up.
Alex moved and looked at her dumbstruck face.
“Everybody said no one had ever escaped from that place since it was built, but my naïve little lamb actually made it out. I think I can’t underestimate you from now on.” He pinched her cheek as Abi looked at him in disbelief.
Abi couldn’t speak for a while as she simply stared at him until Alex pulled himself up and sat up.
“You have to eat now,” he said and without waiting for her response, the man carried her carefully in his arms. “I only have one servant here and she’s pretty old. She can’t even climb the stairs anymore so I have no choice but take you downstairs,” he added as he walked out of the room.
Abi now noticed that this room where she was seemed even older than her room in her house.
Wait… where were they? Were they inside that palace?
“Ah… Alex, where’s Kelly?!” Abi finally remembered her friend.
“Don’t worry about her. Kai’s looking after her. She’s back at the hotel where you two were staying at.”
“Does she know that I am here?”
“Yes. I told her I am taking you with me. You will stay with me until you get a little better and then we will go back home. She and Kai will fly back tonight.”
“She’s alright, right?”
“Yes. Nothing happened to her.”
As Alex carried her down the stairs, Abi realized that they were not inside a palace. It seemed like they were inside a much older but a little smaller version of his house back home. The house was not as extravagant as the mansion. Instead of being made of marble, it was made from bricks, like the old castles, but it was still well in a very good condition, considering it looked about centuries old.
“Where are we?”
“My house.”
Abi was surprised. So he had a house here, too. Could it be that his family was here? But the house was even quieter than his house back home!
Abi wanted to ask more questions but for some reason, she felt Alex’s mood was a little strange. He was answering her questions without beating around the bush, almost as if he was answering an interview, straightforwardly.
He wasn’t like this before. He used to tease her and smirk at her like a devil but now, he seemed to be suppressing something. She even noticed that he seemed to have to make an effort to control his voice. What’s going on? Was this just her imagination?
“Careful with your leg,” he told her as he put her down and helped her to her seat. The table in the dining room looked even more ancient than anything she had ever seen.
“Eat,” he ordered, as he scooped a spoonful of soup to feed her.
“I can do it my-“
Abi couldn’t continue what she wanted to say because of the sudden chill she felt from him. She finally realized what was wrong. This man was extremely angry and he had been trying very hard to suppress it or hide it from her. It was as if he was quietly raging.
Gazing at his serious face, Abi obediently opened her mouth and ate the food. The quietly sat there, with Alexander feeding her nonstop while Abi just obediently ate every morsel of food he gave her. Well, she was starving and needed to get back her strength so she had no complaints.
Once Abi’s somewhat awkward, serious and quiet yet fulfilling meal was over, she gazed intensely at the man before she asked.
“Alex… are you angry?”
