Chapter 77 The Ice Begins to Melt
Miracles.
However, despite his lack of belief in the existence of such a thing, nothing could ever adequately explain what had taken place.
Kael had never been more scared in his life than he was a few moments ago when he saw Lilia plunge to her imminent death. He thought he had lost her when he saw her fall off the railings. He's certain that his cold heart had stopped beating. But somehow she lived. His Kukla is now safe and sound tucked between his arms. He almost lost her twice this night. The wound on his underarms throbbed, but he could not care about it.
She had fell asleep, her head leaning into his chest. Her features are relaxed, but he caught a glimpse of a scowl here and there, and some whimpers on her lips. It's likely that the terrifying night had even followed her into her dreams at some point. Kael gave her a gentle peck on the forehead before drawing her close to him as if she were about to vanish before his very eyes at any moment.
This night had been eventful. He found it to be much too eventful for his liking.
He already dismisses the thought and questions as to how they ended up in that lagoon just outside the canal unspotted. At this point, the only thing that matters is that Lilia is safe. He is aware that Flavio is entirely to blame for all that has taken place. He must have been planning it ever since the day they stepped foot in Italy, and he must have seen Lilia as his best chance to get close to him. He was, in fact, successful in some aspects. But, it appears that circumstances have turned against him and his own shortcomings have led to the cause of his death. Even though he had the ability to make the most of his second chance at life, he nevertheless made decisions that led to his own destruction.
Kael had never been more proud of thinking that his Kukla had merit for Flavio’s death. Her reflexes saved him from murdering that bastard brutally. He looked at his doll. His angel Kukla. Grazing his swollen knuckles into the soft mound of her cheeks, and planting another kiss on her forehead. Listening to her soft breathing and sighing. The memories of them in the islet came flooding back into his mind, indulging himself in such amorous recollections while they travel the road.
He knows he said something in there that made her upset and he promised to make it up to her.
Ensnared…
That was the word that Flavio used. He knows nothing of any warm emotions, yet, one thing that describes his feelings towards Lilia the first time he laid his eyes upon her was anything but denouncing everything that he was before.
This night had made him realize something he hadn’t noticed before.
He was changing. This small woman right here had somehow managed to melt the ice covering his frozen heart. However, he will become the monster that he is before if someone will cause her any harm. Tonight was the gist of it, and he’ll rip this world apart if he’ll lose Lilia again.
Kael just stared at her the entire time they ride back to his villa, and it went uneventful as he had hoped for. Aya and Val were in a different car. He wanted to have this alone moment for himself and his Kukla.
He carried her inside and was about to take her to their room, which she and Aya shared, but he suddenly changed his mind and took her to his room instead. He was afraid that if he took his eyes off of her for even a little longer this evening, she would be gone forever.
No…Kael won’t take any of that chances.
“Mmhh.”
Lilia stirred in his arms soon as he laid her down on his bed. Her arms reached through the hem of his blood-soaked shirt, whispering in a plea. “Don’t…”
“Shhh…It’s alright, Kukla. You’re safe.” He responded tenderly, brushing away the hair that had fallen into her lovely face in order to reassure her that she was secure. The moment he touched Lilia, she was instantly put at ease, and he took her hands from his shirt in a very delicate manner.
The throbbing on his underarms intensified, and indefinitely in need of cleaning and to be dressed. Lilia’s clothes were drenched with his blood as well, and she needed to take a bath to rinse all the memories from this night, but he could clean her right after he was done with his wound. He stood straight and padded to his bathroom, stripping off his shirt and discarding it on the floor.
He took a shower first cleaning himself from all the grime he had accumulated throughout the day and to washed all the impurities such as blood from those bastards that had clung to his skin.
After taking a bath, he looked over himself through the mirror with only a piece of the towel covering his lower body. He had seen there was still more blood coating his skin that he hadn’t removed. It had dried already that is why it was hard to scrub off. Kael lifted his arm and looked to see whether there were any little shards still buried on his flesh. He heaved a sigh of relief when he discovered that the wound was just a long gash and not anything more serious. Although it needed some stitching to close up the deeper part.
Nothing that he cannot do to himself, that's for sure. He had been injured before in ways that were far worse than this, and he is highly skilled at repairing himself rather than asking for assistance. After opening the marble-painted cabinet that was situated on the wall directly above the mirror, Kael retrieved all of the supplies necessary to clean the wound and set them aside. He had a suturing kit kept inside his room in such case of emergency like this one.
He began by washing his hands and preparing the area surrounding his incision in order to lower the risk of the wound becoming infected, cleaning out any dirt with running water. Remove as much of the dried blood as he can without causing him to exert himself too much more than is necessary given his injury. Kael took a long, deep breath as he picked up the needle-driver and grabbed the needle, then he took out all of the threads from the suture kit and started sewing himself together. It took five stitches to repair the flesh wound on his arm. He then cut the excess threads before he wrap his underarm with a sterilized bandage.
Kael stared at his work for a moment, satisfied with how he had tended himself before he picked up the clothes he abandoned and left the bathroom.