"Y-yes," Adaline nervously replied. Their faces were too close, barely an inch apart, making Adaline feel awkward. "Are you alright? Your body is hot."
"I don't feel well, everything aches," he answered softly. Adaline tried to get up, but Altezza stopped her. "Where are you going?" he asked softly.
"To get medicine. Is there a medical box here?"
"In the kitchen cabinet," Altezza replied.
His arm, which had previously hugged Adaline, released her, and quickly Adaline got out of bed and went to the kitchen.
The digital clock on the kitchen counter showed two in the morning. Adaline opened each cabinet until she found the medical box she was looking for. At least she hoped there was a fever reducer in there. Then she filled a large glass with warm water and took it back to the bedroom.
"Here's some paracetamol. Drink up," Adaline opened the packaging and handed it to Altezza, who accepted it and drank almost half the glass. "Do you want to change your clothes? Yours are wet," Altezza nodded.
Adaline opened the wardrobe and found a thin material shirt and sweatpants that could absorb sweat, then handed them to Altezza.
"You can change your clothes yourself, right?"
"If I can't, would you help me change?" His teasing tone irritated Adaline.
Without waiting for Altezza's response, Adaline left the room and headed back to the kitchen. She went to the storage area and found a small towel for compressing. Then she searched for a bowl big enough to hold water.
She waited outside for five minutes until she felt Altezza had finished changing. He was standing, about to put his laundry away, but Adaline moved quickly.
"Just go to bed. Let me put them away," Adaline took the dirty clothes from Altezza's hand and put them in the laundry basket near the bathroom door, then filled the bowl with water. "I'll compress your forehead, okay?" she said, and without waiting for a response, Adaline dipped the small towel into the bowl of water, wrung it out, and placed it on Altezza's forehead.
"You should've taken the medicine before going to bed, instead of letting the pain linger like this. If you're still sick tomorrow, you might not be able to attend Claire's wedding."
Altezza smiled, his eyes never leaving Adaline as she wrung out the towel again.
"Why are you smiling like that? Is there something weird about my face?" Adaline asked, puzzled.
"Nothing's weird, I just didn't expect you to be so chatty," he replied, still smiling mischievously. "Should I be sick every day so I can hear your complaints? You hardly ever talk. It's like your voice is so precious, but when I listen to it, your voice isn't as melodious as Mariah Carey's or Taylor Swift's." His teasing remark made Adaline scowl in annoyance.
Adaline didn't respond with anything verbal, but she did realize that she became chatty when dealing with sick people. Or was Adaline naturally chatty, but her shyness dominated? Her chattiness only seemed to emerge when she was feeling panicked, like now.
"Madam, just relax, your boyfriend here is strong. Tomorrow morning, I'll be back to health as if nothing happened tonight," Altezza replied, still trying to joke. Adaline didn't respond. She chose to wipe Altezza's face and neck with water.
"Go back to sleep, the medicine must have started working, right?" Altezza nodded slowly and began to drift off as his eyelids felt heavy.
"You too, go back to sleep so you'll be fresher tomorrow. Don't let Mom think I did something naughty to you all night," he teased again, making Adaline's cheeks blush.
"Why does your face look red? Is my fever contagious?" Altezza chuckled. "Come here, go back to sleep. I don't want to be alone," he coaxed, patting the empty space on the bed where Adaline had been.
Reluctantly, Adaline obeyed and walked back to that empty space. She pulled the blanket up to her waist, sleeping on her side facing Altezza, who lay on his back.
"If the towel becomes uncomfortable, wake me up," she ordered softly. Altezza glanced at her briefly before nodding.
"Yes, Madam," he replied softly, and both drifted back into the realm of dreams.
Adaline woke up at five and checked Altezza's body temperature. His fever had gone down, which relieved Adaline. She left the room and promised to wake Altezza up when breakfast was ready.
By seven in the morning, Altezza had woken up to the enticing aroma of food. "Madam, did you cook?" he asked with his typical groggy morning voice.
"Yes, I made soup," Adaline handed warm water to Altezza. "Do you want breakfast now?"
"Mmm... sounds good. Madam, where did you go shopping?"
"To the nearby minimarket. I asked one of the security staff," Adaline replied.
"Wow, impressive. You're already acquainted with the security," he said in a tone that sounded annoyed, almost mocking. But Adaline brushed it off. "What vegetables did you use?" he asked again when Adaline didn't respond.
Adaline mentioned the vegetables and spices she used, then poured the soup into a large bowl. "Are you sure you're strong enough to go to Claire's wedding?" Adaline felt Altezza's forehead to check his body temperature.
His fever had indeed gone down, but Altezza's face still looked pale. Altezza nodded and took a spoonful of soup into his mouth.
"This is really delicious," he sincerely praised.
"Eat as much as you want. If necessary, just finish the whole pot," Adaline chuckled as Altezza ate heartily.
Altezza asked for seconds twice, which surprised Adaline enough that she didn't try to hide her astonishment.
"Are you really that hungry?" she asked, causing Altezza to lift his head from his soup bowl.
"Not really, but this soup contains magic that makes me unable to stop eating," he replied casually. "It's your fault for making such delicious food," he scolded when he saw Adaline's puzzled expression. "Let's get ready, we shouldn't be late for their wedding." Altezza got up and was about to take his bowl to the sink, but Adaline stopped him.
"I'll take care of it, you go take a shower."
Altezza nodded with gratitude and went to soak in warm water to relax his body. Fifteen minutes later, in the bedroom, he was stunned to find his bed neatly made as if it had never been slept in, and his clothes neatly arranged and hung on the wardrobe door.
Altezza searched for Adaline to express his admiration and gratitude, but he couldn't find the girl.
When he finished dressing and stepped out of the room, he heard the girl on the phone with her back turned to him. "Yes, Mom. We'll leave in about ten minutes," she answered reassuringly.
"..."
"Yes, Mom. We'll head straight to the hotel."
"..."
"Yes, see you." Adaline placed her phone back into the long bag in front of her.
"Mom?" Altezza's question startled the girl. Adaline turned around, and Altezza almost gaped at her.
Just like at Antony's engagement event, this time they were also wearing matching outfits, as was the custom with the entire Antony family, of course.
The silver midi dress looked stunning on Adaline. Its skirt appeared soft as it touched Adaline's white and delicate calves. The top was tailored to fit her body, accentuating parts that Adaline usually hid beneath her loose shirts and casual wear.
The neckline was adorned with an exquisite decoration that Altezza couldn't name, but it shimmered beautifully, matching the belt that made Adaline look slim. The sleeves reached just above her elbows, allowing Altezza to see some of her small, fair-skinned hands. Her natural makeup enhanced her charming appearance. Her lips were tinted with a subtle shade of red, not too striking, and her hair flowed beautifully, adorned with a pearl hairpin on the left side, matching her earrings.
Altezza was truly speechless. Was the beautiful girl in front of him really the wife he married two weeks ago, or was she an angel who had purposely visited his apartment and got lost? Because if she was, he would search the entire room to find her wings and hide them for himself. He wouldn't allow the angel to return to heaven just like that.
"Are you daydreaming?" The question snapped him out of his thoughts. Altezza shook his head. "Are you having a headache again? Do you want to take more medicine?" Adaline asked with concern, to which Altezza shook his head.
"No, Madam. I'm fine. Shall we go now?" Adaline nodded, and they left the apartment, leaving Altezza still in awe.