Chapter 40: Bathing Her
"You are completely, irrevocably mine now," Eveyr said, his eyes burning with absolute devotion. "Now...even the gods can’t take you away from me, Esme. Never."
Esme’s breath hitched as she felt the weight of his stare. The vulnerability and devotion in his eyes made her heart soften a little.
No!! What the hell is this feeling?? Stop!!!
She pulled her hands back from his face and pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe the blood away. But before the handkerchief could touch her skin, Eveyr moved.
He took the handkerchief from her hands and threw it onto the carriage floor beside him. Then, he wrapped his hand around her bloodstained hands again.
"Eveyr, they are dirty," Esme said as she tried to pull her hands back. "Let me clean the blood."
"No," he replied.
Slowly, he lowered his head and brought her bloodstained knuckles to his lips. Then he pressed a long and soft kiss over the dried blood on her knuckles.
"You are so beautiful when you are ruthless," Eveyr whispered. "I still can’t believe you did all that for me."
Esme’s spine stiffened. Her mind screamed at her to pull away, to build her walls back up and to remind him that she did it for herself not him. But when she looked into his eyes, full of love for her, she couldn’t pull away.
Suddenly, the system interface appeared in her vision.
[CRITICAL SYSTEM UPDATE: OBSESSION HAS MUTATED INTO CO-DEPENDENCY]
[Status: Target no longer views host as prey. Target views host as an accomplice now]
[Points will now be awarded for shared cruelty, synchronized dominance, and mutual protection]
The rules of the game had changed once again. The system was actively adapting to Eveyr’s willpower. She could no longer survive just by playing hard to get, acting scared, or manipulating him.
If she wanted to survive this world, she now had to actively participate in his monstrous acts. She had to stand by his side as an equal now.
How am I going to survive now??
The carriage finally stopped in the courtyard of the Aldric Townhouse. Eveyr pushed open the door and stepped out, lifting Esme down beside him.
Usually, the shadow guards in the townhouse looked at Esme as a fragile hostage. They considered her as their master’s favoured, delicate pet who needed to be shielded from the outside world. They were polite to her but never actually respected her.
But today, when they saw her step out of the carriage covered in blood, torn clothes and standing as equal with their master they were stunned. They also noticed how Eveyr looked at her now. For him, Esme was no longer just his possession, he looked at her as a deity who had just pulled him out of his grave.
Commander George looked at the blood on her hands, then at her eyes that were radiating chilling authority. He took a slow step towards them. And for the very first time, instead of addressing Eveyr, he turned towards Esme. He put his right hand over his heart, and gave her a deep bow which meant absolute military respect.
"Welcome home, Your Grace," George said. "The whole northern army is ready for your orders."
Surprised, Esme glanced at Eveyr. He was smiling, his lips curled into a proud smirk. The fight in the forest had earned her the permanent loyalty of Eveyr’s pack as well.
Once inside, Eveyr immediately dismissed the maids and servants with a sharp wave of his hand. He took Esme straight to their private bathroom.
"I can bathe myself, Eveyr," Esme said as he closed the bathroom doors.
"I know you can," he replied with a smile. "But you are not going to."
He removed his coat, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, he knelt beside the bathing tub.
"Come...let’s get you washed."
Esme froze. She stared at the steaming water, then at Eveyr waiting patiently for her.
Esme felt scared. She wasn’t afraid of Eveyr. She knew he would burn the world before he let a single hair on her head be damaged. She was afraid because she felt weak.
This was not part of her plan. Stepping into that water meant surrendering herself to Eveyr completely.
Eveyr noticed her hesitation immediately. He rested his arms on the edge of the tub and looked at her, his eyes filled with understanding and patience.
"You don’t have to hide from me, Esme," Eveyr said softly. "Not anymore. I have already seen your soul. I know exactly what you are, and I worship every piece of it."
Esme swallowed hard. She closed her eyes for a second, silencing the alarm bells ringing in her mind. She moved her hands and slowly untangled the laces of her tunic.
After removing her clothes, she stepped into the steaming water, lowering herself until the water reached her collarbones. She let out a long sigh as the heat seeped into her aching muscles.
Eveyr took a sponge, dipped it into the soapy water, and began to carefully wash the dirt and blood from her arms. It was a very intimate, and vulnerable moment for both of them.
Eveyr’s touch was surprisingly very gentle. He washed her wrists, her arms, her neck as if she were made of the something precious.
"Julian will retaliate," Esme said, breaking the silence as Eveyr washed her collarbone. "He signed over the mines to save himself today, but he won’t forget this humiliation. He is too proud."
"Let him try," Eveyr replied, calmly rinsing the sponge in the water. "He was able to drain my magic because he used you as a bait. He will never get the chance to do it again. He maybe proud, but he is a fool as well. He will make a mistake soon. We just have to wait for it."
Esme nodded.
Wow! The monster is actually talking about waiting. Nice improvement, Eveyr!
Eveyr put his wet hand on her shoulder, urging Esme to lean forward so he could wash her back. She obeyed and rested her chin on her folded arms against the edge of the tub.
Eveyr gently brushed the sponge on her shoulders but as he moved towards her left shoulder, he paused. Esme frowned, waiting for him to continue. When he didn’t, she glanced back over her shoulder.
"What happened?" she asked.
Eveyr was staring at the glowing blue mark just under her left shoulder. It was a scar left behind by the system’s constant [Vitality Drains].
Eveyr slowly traced the scar, his magic instantly recognized that it was something unnatural. The softness from his eyes was replaced by fury, and the warmth instantly vanished from his face.
"Esme...who is draining your soul?"
