Chapter 20 Chapter 20. Recurrence Of Allergy
"Let me go, I can walk on my own."
Zephyr acted as if he had not heard her and instead tightened his grip on Zoria’s wrist, pulling her along faster.
Then suddenly Zephyr stopped in front of a tightly closed room.
"Why did you bring me here?"
It was a storage room, a place no one normally entered. Zephyr pulled her inside, could it be because...
Zephyr signaled for the servant to open the door. As they pushed it open, a wave of dusty air rushed out, making Zoria cough several times, her eyes turning red.
"Faye will sleep in your room. From now on you will sleep here!"
Zephyr’s cold and emotionless words made Zoria tremble. She stared into his eyes in disbelief. She could not believe Zephyr could be this cruel.
Zoria had been allergic to dust since childhood. When exposed to it she would feel dizzy, nauseous, and itch all over her body. For years, she had to take medicine and live in a clean environment for her condition to improve and not relapse.
Now, Zephyr forced her into a storage room filled with dust. She had not even stepped inside yet she already felt itchy, her eyes burning until tears fell. Zephyr knew very well about her illness and had even taken her for medical checkups. The doctor had explained her condition clearly to Zephyr, and he had even once bought her allergy medicine.
But now, had he really forgotten so quickly?
"Do you not know I am allergic to dust?" Zoria asked, trembling.
Zephyr sneered. "What does that have to do with me?"
His gaze on Zoria held no trace of sympathy. Zephyr knew about her illness, but he had never seen her have an allergic reaction. This time, locking Zoria in this dusty room was only his way of punishing her, to make her remember her mistake longer and never dare defy him again.
"What kind of relationship do we have?" Zephyr looked at Zoria with indifference. Then he reached out, grabbed her, and pulled her into the room. The door slammed shut with a loud bang, sending dust swirling up from all sides.
Zoria fell to the ground, the medicine bottle in her hand slipping and scattering its contents across the floor.
The fall left her in pain. Seeing the bottle rolling in the dirt, she used the faint light in the room, trembling as she picked up each pill from the ground and put them back into her bag.
Her whole body was covered in grime, and the once-clean face was now smeared with dust.
Zoria sneezed and struggled to stand up. She stifled a cough and staggered toward the door.
"Zephyr, let me out." Her voice was caught in her throat.
Outside the door, the servants had already been ordered by Zephyr, so even though they heard her cries, they paid her no attention.
Zoria felt helpless as her tears slowly fell. Realizing she would not be able to leave the room that night, she removed her coat, covered her face with it, and curled up in the corner by the door.
She kept sneezing. She dared not move too much, afraid of stirring up more dust. Gradually, her body grew hotter and itchier, but she did not dare scratch. She could only bite her fingers and sob.
Her tears continued to fall, soaking her clothes. Zoria quickly wiped them away, pulled the medicine bottle from her bag, and poured a few pills into her mouth. With no water in the room, she had no choice but to swallow them dry.
Her esophagus was smaller than normal, making it even harder to swallow the pills dry. She clenched her teeth, suppressing the urge to vomit as she forced them down her throat.
Her stomach felt unbearable, and Zoria could no longer hold it back, retching dryly. The bitter taste lingered endlessly in her mouth. The light in the room gradually dimmed until everything sank into darkness, and the silence grew so profound that Zoria could hear the sound of laughter outside, could hear Faye clinging sweetly to Zephyr.
She felt abandoned, unwanted, and forgotten.
Tears welled in her eyes once more, though she could not tell if they came from her body or her heart. She pulled her coat close, wiped her face, and curled herself up on the floor. Hugging her knees, she buried her face between them and let out trembling sobs.
Zoria bit her finger, trying to stifle the sound and cursing herself in silence.
"Zoria, you must not cry, you have to restrain your emotions. Why are you letting tears fall so easily? Are your tears worth anything? Do you think that when you cry, anyone will care about your pain?"
Her forehead grew hotter, her mind spinning. Her body burned like a furnace, blazing on the outside yet chilled within. As she drifted on the edge of consciousness, Zoria heard the door creak open, a blinding light spilling into the room. But by then she was nearly unconscious.
Zephyr pushed the door open, cast a cold glance at Zoria, and said icily, "Get out."
When she did not move, Zephyr frowned, walked over, and nudged her with his foot. Unexpectedly, Zoria toppled to the side, lying at his feet. A mocking smile curved his lips as he bent down and lifted her in his arms.
Zoria had slipped completely into unconsciousness, her breathing broken and shallow. Zephyr noticed her limbs were ice cold. As he leaned closer, he heard her breathing grow labored. He let out a sigh of relief, then pulled away the coat covering her face. Only then did he see her cheeks flushed red, and a faint mark blossoming across her neck.
Even in her unconscious state, Zoria still felt the pain coursing through her body. Her lips pressed tightly together as she panted for breath, cold sweat dampening her temples.
Zephyr held Zoria in his arms, glancing down at the floor where a discarded shirt had been soaked through. A dark stain of blood spread across the fabric.
Had Zoria been injured and was now bleeding?
He examined her closely and finally discovered the wound, the distinct shape of a bite mark on her hand.