Trashes of the Counts' Families || Trash of the Count's Family || OC

56

The next morning, she slept late. Cale had woken up before her; even the maids who checked on them were concerned for her.

She finally opened her eyes when the sunlight streamed across her face, making her face scrunch up. Cale was next to her, and he was reading a book. Her eyesight was hazy, and she wasn't sure if this was a dream.

When she lifted her hand, wanting to touch the beautiful man with the sun giving his bright red hair a glow to make sure he was real, her arm did not feel slow and stiff, only slightly other-worldly.

Maybe it was a dream.

But then the image of Cale turned to her, concern in his eyes. "Are you awake?"

She was sure it was not a dream.

If it was, no matter how nice the scenery was, Cale would be attacking her, screaming in her face for leaving him alone.

Since she met Kim Rok Soo, a few of her dreams revolved around Cale. Sometimes, he was screaming at her; other times, he clawed at her, trying to scratch her skin off. Once, he was at the foot of her bed, a kitchen knife in his hands.

But most often, Cale was in his room, surrounded by cushions and pillows, sleeping soundly in his bed. He would wake up, either because she would shake him or on his own. And then he would look at her, with eyes unfamiliar. He would ask one question. It was always one question. And it shook her to her core.

"Who?"

But the Cale next to her was real. And he was frowning. "Adara? Are you awake?"

She groaned, putting her arm over her eyes to block out the world. Her arm did not feel that otherworldly anymore.

She could still hear Cale's voice. "Is the sun annoying you? I can close the blinds."

And then she felt him get off the bed, a cold space next to her. "No," she muttered, her voice hoarse. "Don't bother."

She heard him stop in his tracks.

She wasn't blocking out the sun. She was simply blocking out his concerned eyes. It was too much. She was barely able to handle the idea that Count Deruth and Countess Violan Henituse cared for her, much less Basen and Lily. But seeing eyes so concerned for her was too much.

She sat upright, taking her arm off her eyes. She blinked, getting used to the light of the room.

Cale was walking again. When she saw him, he was sitting on the edge of the bed on her side, the left side. "What happened?" he asked.

She blinked a few more times. "On my way back from the bar, an assassin attacked me. I was tired, and my reactions were slow. I got cut on my shoulder, but the assassin put poison on the blade, and I was slowly dying. The Vitality of the Heart was overworking to keep me alive. I managed to kill the assassin, but I still needed to get back to the palace. I managed to, but I forgot which room was ours, and I accidentally ended up in the Crown Prince's room."

Cale nodded, following with the story. "And then he brought you here."

Adara nodded. "Yes, after I annoyed him a bit, he did bring me here."

Cale opened his mouth, about to ask if she was okay. She couldn't be. Because he knew there were a few details, she neglected to tell him.

The way she had come back yesterday. Cale had thought she was dead for a second until he saw her hand twitch, and he was reassured she was at least alive. Some part of him thought it was an excellent idea that the Black Dragon was staying with Roslayn and Choi Han until they left for the Breck Kingdom. After the Crown Prince left, after her bath, she needed his support to walk to the bed.