Seraphina gave a bitter smile. He was protecting her out of professional habit, not because of any personal feelings.
After being rejected by him, Seraphina hurried back to the camp, her head down.
She just wanted to put some distance between them to salvage her last bit of dignity.
After all, it was the first time she had ever confessed her feelings, and being rejected was something she found incredibly embarrassing.
Back in her room, Seraphina leaned against the door, her body slowly sliding down. She covered her face with her hands, feeling a mix of regret and self-reassurance.
So what if she got rejected? It wasn't the end of the world.
There were plenty of other people out there.
Seraphina thought of many ways to comfort herself before lying down and slowly drifting off to sleep.
The next morning, Seraphina went for a run and encountered Knox and Ezra along the way.
She greeted them with a relaxed smile on her face.
Knox and Ezra exchanged a glance, thinking that last night's date must have gone well and that Seraphina and Zachary had made up.
They chuckled to themselves.
Seizing the moment, Seraphina asked, "Knox, does Zachary have a girlfriend?"
Ezra laughed and replied, "Not that I've heard of." Knox nodded in agreement, "Yeah, Mr. Baker has been all about work for years."
Seraphina smiled knowingly.
Then, she casually added, "I don't have any intentions of dating Zachary. He's too good for me. You guys don't need to play matchmaker anymore; it just makes things awkward."
With that, she pulled out her hair tie, letting her long hair flow freely in the morning sun, looking stunning.
Knox and Ezra were momentarily stunned. It wasn't until Seraphina walked away towards the path by the spring that they snapped out of it and called after her, "Be careful!"
Seraphina spent the entire morning by the spring, lost in thought.
By noon, Knox and the others started to worry when they couldn't find her. They speculated, "Could she have gotten lost?"
"Or maybe she's feeling down and did something drastic?"
At that moment, Zachary, who had been silent, suddenly stood up.
Everyone watched as he walked away.
Dane couldn't help but speak up, "What's wrong with Seraphina? Why does Mr. Baker treat her like this?"
"Don't you remember?" Isaac, chewing on a pen, shook his head, "Mr. Baker's mission is to protect Seraphina. Now that she's in danger, it's not about romance."
Dane nodded in realization, "You always see things clearly."
The spring was shrouded in mist, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. Seraphina was lost in thought when she sensed movement behind her.
Turning around, she saw Zachary's tall figure blocking the sunlight. Her heart skipped a beat, "How did you know I was here?"
Seraphina felt a warmth in her heart.
She looked up at him, her eyes softening.
Her heartbeat quickened uncontrollably, and she clutched her chest, taking deep breaths to calm herself.
"I'll take you back," Zachary said as he approached, his voice cool and distant.
Seraphina frowned slightly, "No need, I want to sit here a bit longer. You can go back to your work."
"Mr. Baker, about last night..." Her tone shifted, and Zachary understood.
Zachary frowned, "Don't dwell on what I said last night."
Seraphina brushed her hair back, her clean face looking even more charming in the morning light.
She smiled bitterly, "I should be the one apologizing. I was being foolish and bothered you. It won't happen again."
Hearing this, Zachary's expression darkened, and he turned to leave.
Seraphina watched his retreating figure, a flash of disappointment in her eyes.
Just when she thought he had left, Zachary suddenly turned back, his gaze intense. She instinctively looked away, and he said, "Let's go back together."
Though reluctant, Seraphina got up and followed him.
On the way back, her hair got caught in a branch, causing her to yelp in pain. She instinctively looked at Zachary.
Zachary reached out to help untangle her hair, and when his hand brushed her wrist, he felt a strange sensation.
Both of them avoided each other's gaze afterward.
Seraphina suggested, "Mr. Baker, you go ahead. You don't need to wait for me." She started to walk ahead.
Zachary left first, and Seraphina slowly made her way back to the camp, heading to her room to freshen up.
Knox brought her breakfast, "Seraphina, you didn't eat anything this morning. Some hot porridge to warm you up."
Seraphina accepted it with a smile, "Thanks, Knox."
Knox mentioned that Zachary had been worried about her and went out to look for her. When asked if she had seen him, Seraphina nodded, a hint of sadness in her eyes, and casually asked, "Did you find the lipstick?"
When she learned they hadn't, Seraphina clenched her fist and coughed lightly, hoping they would find it soon so she wouldn't keep troubling everyone.
After breakfast, Seraphina made five cups of coffee and brought them to Knox and the others in the meeting room, smiling, "I made coffee for everyone."
They were pleasantly surprised and quickly took the cups. Only Zachary reached out indifferently, and Seraphina placed the last cup on his desk.
Zachary glanced at the pink thermos cup, his fingers briefly touching it, and said softly, "Thanks."
Dane praised Seraphina's coffee-making skills, saying she could open a shop.
Seraphina smiled modestly, dimples showing, "I actually took a course on making coffee. If you all like it, I can make it every day."
"That would be awesome," Dane said, clapping.
As Seraphina left, Knox watched her go, only to be brought back to reality by Zachary's light cough.
Zachary drank the coffee, finding it to his taste, but felt a strange irritation at not being the only one to enjoy it. He put the cup down and rubbed his temples.
At noon, Knox brought Seraphina a tablet, telling her he had downloaded over a hundred movies for her to watch when she was bored.
Seraphina appreciated Knox's thoughtfulness and promised to make coffee for everyone every morning as long as she was there.
She then immersed herself in the movies, feeling envious of the male lead's tenderness towards the female lead. In reality, she had never met such a man, and her mood soured. Her relationships always ended before they even began.
This time, it ended before it even started.
She didn't even get the chance to break up in person.
She feared that romantic movies would mess with her emotions.
At six in the evening, Seraphina faced a dilemma. The communal bathhouse was mostly used by men.
Wearing a silk nightgown with nothing underneath, she felt it was inappropriate. After much hesitation, she knocked on Zachary's door.
"I want to take a shower. Can I use your bathroom?" Seraphina asked, feeling embarrassed when Zachary opened the door.
Zachary nodded, "Sure, come in."
Seraphina quickly walked into the bathroom and closed the door. Soon, the sound of running water filled the room, and a faint silhouette appeared on the misty glass door. Zachary put down his book, his thoughts becoming clearer and more chaotic as he watched the outline of her figure. He raised his hand, gently tracing his lips, lost in thought as he stared at the bathroom door.
After about ten minutes, Seraphina emerged from the shower, wearing her silk nightgown. Her hair was loosely tied in a bun, still wet, with water droplets sliding down her neck, soaking the neckline of her nightgown and clinging to her curves before disappearing into the hem.
She carried a basin, ready to leave.
Zachary looked up and was momentarily stunned.
His expression darkened, and he said in a displeased tone, "You're going out dressed like that?"
Seraphina glanced down at her nightgown, puzzled.
"I'm taking a shower. What else should I wear?"
Zachary stretched his arm and pointed at her nightgown, "That nightgown is too thin. Change into something thicker."
Seraphina was speechless.
He grabbed a nearby camouflage jacket and tossed it to her, "Put this on."