There was only noise from outside.
Birds chirping and whistling in one messy tune, the breeze colliding with the leaves of tall trees. People working outside, and the distant hum of mountains colliding with clouds of wind. There was a distinct sound of trickling water… so close to her…
"You?"
Caius did not waste any time raising his attention to that weary voice when it broke the silence of the room. He dropped everything he was doing and hurried near the bed, sitting at the edge. Odette was looking up at him with extremely fatigued eyes and a forehead wrinkled in worry.
"Odette." He could not control his joy and cupped her face, one hand stroking her hair. Leaning over, he felt for increased temperature and then checked her pulse. "You're feeling better now?"
Was he tending to me before I woke up?
Eyebrows scrunched up, she wriggled slowly under the quilt, trying to prop herself up. However, this motion was completely sabotaged by strong arms pushing her gently back onto the bed. His eyes were demanding.
"You're not supposed to move that fast," he said.
"Did you hurt Nathaniel?" One of the few memories that ran across her mind before passing out included Nathaniel urging her to run before Caius got her. Hence, the question. She expected a glare from him, but what brushed her face instead was a sigh.
Caius looked at her with heaviness and felt an eye twitch. With a gentle shift, leaning closer to her, he nodded guiltily. "I… locked him up." He pursed his lips, observing her face grow sadder.
"If you want me to, I will free him," he added quickly.
Odette smiled weakly. "Thank you, Caius." She seemed to realize something, and hastily she sat up in the bed.
"How's Gideon?"
The image of her son crying, starving, or seeing her like this made every nerve in her stand on high alert. She grabbed Caius's hands, searching for an answer. He stared at the way she held on to him and smiled, lightly chuckling.
"He ate well… and he also took care of you. I let him come see you whenever he wanted."
"Thank you, Caius… really, it means so much."
The joy in her face, mirroring the bright sunshine peeking through the window, left him speechless. Generally, his mind brimmed with doubt and suspicion whenever he was near someone at this proximity. What made her an exception was the way she made his mind go numb from all the loud screeches. The world was at peace in front of her weary gaze. And it dawned on him…It was time.
"Odette…" he stared at the way she held his hand, "I want to apologize." She shuffled a bit farther from him. Memories of that night under the rain, the brawl, and the kiss rushed back to her.
She slowly retracted her hands and leaned back.
"I'll act like it never happened," she said. At this, his head shot up, almost in tears.
I mean… that is what she deserves… that is the right answer…
"No." Even he himself was shocked. "When I said I liked you, it was true." He stood up. Tears in his eyes crystallized into grief so heavy he bowed his head. "But how I expressed that was too much. I know… I know you said we are from two worlds. We are different. But that won't stop me. You can...not like me or not reciprocate back, Odette."
He bit his lip, gulping hard so he would not break down. Never in his life had he been shattered into such a vulnerable piece of creation in front of someone else.
Odette stared. She wished she could interrupt and respond. She wished she had the energy to love him back… or accept him so she would not be killed. She also could not ignore the painful tickles that nibbled at her chest.
"You can not like me… but it's my business to like you. Don't worry… don't overthink. Just forget me." Caius balled his fists and took several steps back. "All you need to know is that I will love you even if you won't—but I will never force a response from you again, Odette."
"I should—"
"The doctor said you need to recover for at least a month!" Almost spitting it out, he turned around to look toward the exit. "After that, if you ever want to leave, you can."
* * * *
In the loud screeches of traffic, he stood right in the middle.
Steel ripped off, the car was flipped upside down. Glass shutters were no more; the windows in the front only had sharp remnants lining the frame. Inside, it burned. It burned high and loud. One tire, visibly shredded to pieces, showed evidence of slipping before the accident. From one door that clung to the hinges through the strength of a single bolt, his most beloved uncle, with a broken neck, hung low. Eyes wide open. Tongue bitten to pieces and blood filling the pupils. He could see that his aunt had already been thrown out of the car, her lifeless back resting against a tree, her head partially crushed, and her arms entirely dislocated. Eyes closed.
"Mamaa!!"
Caius gasped when the lights were suddenly turned on. The old portrait of his uncle and aunt hung above his bed, and he was well accustomed to greeting it now and then—silently regretting the way they had left him all by himself.
"Sir…" Toby entered the bedroom and bowed. "I am deeply sorry for waking you up in the middle of the night, but we have gotten some horrible news."
"Why? What is happening?" Caius draped a thin cotton shirt over himself and stood up.
"We found the dead body of the guard we sent over to spy… left with only a letter stuck in his mouth."
He sat on the bed at this. Eyes shut tight, he silently prayed for Collin—young and very talented. He had been the man for the job, and even at the risk of death, he set off with no regrets. Caius hoped that this silent battle would stop already. He found himself in a loop of grief, followed by guilt eating him alive. It would lead everything to waste, loved ones to betray, and finally, all he would do was lose control of himself and kill… he never died, he never escaped.
"His body is with us?" The butler nodded. "Send him off with respect. Leave twenty men to guard his house and family."
"Very well, sir." With that, Caius watched the butler leave after a heavy sigh of disappointment.
Next entered Daniel, who had been listening from outside. He had been there when they found Collin's body buried under mountains of dried leaves.
"The letter." Caius stretched out his hand, and the guard handed him a crumpled piece of brown paper. It read, in short:
You were correct all along, Master.
This night… changed everything. All the speculations, assumptions, and the attacks he held back—just for the sake of the loved ones hanging above his bed—proved to be a great waste. He was right… that insolent traitor had joined hands. He was right… he never should have let that brat live. All the minor families should have been terminated the same night he murdered his father in cold blood. He should never have gone soft at heart.
"Retract my order." Caius ripped the piece of paper and threw it aside. He glared at the portrait and spat. "Never let that imbecile out alive until he learns a fucking lesson!"