Chapter 75: Safe Now
If looks could kill, Alove was taking her final breaths.
Should he leave, only to return and find her no longer breathing again?
His eyes flared in alarm.
His gaze remained cruelly fixed on the two demons bold enough to ask him to leave her alone again.
To trust her fully again in the care of demons that weren’t him.
Alveerah swallowed hard, feeling like they had just committed a grave sin. One that was unheard of and unforgiveable. She turned to madam Alove again who still looked calm and composed under those burning embers that glowed in the dark.
For a moment, Alveerah was convinced why they made this demon the head of all the staff that worked in this building.
No one ordinary could still maintain that calm pose before a primordial being who was rumored to be extremely sensitive when it comes to the matters of this human.
’’I should leave?’’
Alveerah let out a shaky breath. Even if she wasn’t the one currently answering to the prince, she sensed the danger in the direction this conversation was currently heading. Like they were venturing into an unknown territory that guarantees nothing but fear and death.
’’Yes, Your Royal Highness,’’ Alove said calmly, stilling the tension that rose the moment the prince refused to give them privacy to work.
’’We would undress her and take her to the bathroom to clean and change. Her scars will be treated properly with the concoction I had prepared with me. She would be given lots of Hell water for energy as well,’’ she explained and Alveerah held her breath as she turned toward the prince slowly for his response.
Grim loosened his grip as his gaze flickered quietly in understanding.
Her reason for asking him to leave was valid...
His eyes found her again and lingered.
...but it was not enough to ever leave her alone again.
He had promised himself he would never leave her side again and he will never make the mistake of trusting her alone with anyone again.
’’You can both leave and I will take care of her myself,’’ he said, not meaning it to sound like a threat. If they wanted the impossible of cleaning her up without him being there to ensure they were gentle and respectful about it, then they could both get lost.
’’N–n–no, your divine! We will do it and take care of her for you even if you are here to watch it all happen!’’ Alveerah said quickly. It was after Alove turned to give her a strange look she realized she had just agreed to something highly inappropriate to the head maid and dared call his highness ’’your divine’’ once again.
Her eyes popped out of their sockets in horror, refusing to make eye contact with anyone as she begged the ground to open up and swallow her whole.
Oh, why do I just keep embarrassing myself like this?
She bit down hard on her lower lip and without any further disagreement, Alove had to obey by stepping forward towards Corrine. Grim pushed back further to give them room as Alveerah rushed over to the trolley and pushed it close to Alove, waiting beside the bed.
Grim stood by a corner, watching their every move and ready to act if anything went wrong. Alove started by briefly observing the human that managed to have a place in the heart of their prince. Seducing and clouding his thoughts, making him behave coldly towards them and treating them like his enemies.
Her deep violet gaze hardened before she pulled the covers carefully from the body of the human and asked Alveerah for one of the clean white towels with golden edges around.
Alveerah nodded and quickly handed Alove one of the napkins.
And they began cleaning her up by firstly trying to get rid of the dried up blood from her face and body, dipping some of the towels in cold water, placing it carefully on her forehead to cool down her temperature a bit. Then a greenish like substance, almost like mashed pasted was carefully applied on her scars and some parts of her body after Alove spent several minutes explaining on what the substance was, it’s source, how it was prepared, the use of it and if she was willing to have all bones of her body picked should anything go wrong after the substance was applied before Grim.
Alveerah just stood behind the trolley tensely, giving the head maid so many sympathetic looks while admiring her courage and composure before the overprotective lover.
’’And what is that you are pouring into the cup now?’’
Alove held back the urge to sigh as she gently placed the dark flask back on the trolley, turning around to face the prince again for the one millionth time to explain what she was about to do next.
She held a small cup filled with a liquid that resembled water.
’’It’s just a cup of Hell water, Your Highness.’’
Alveerah stared worriedly again at Grim.
Why was it so hard for him to trust everything they did?!
’’I am giving it to her to boost her internal organs while rejuvenating all sleeping cells in her body and to improve her memory.’’
Grim said nothing but listened to the demon speak.
’’It’s very healthy, proven millions of years now to be safe to consume and so far so good, no one has died from drinking it.’’
Was she...mocking him?
Grim stared at the demon and thought he would never like them. He could not blame them when none of them knows what it means to fight against accepting a reality without your loved one in it.
Hell, they probably thought the concept of love and being happy with someone was a fairytale. A weak dream and desire to have a demon.
Alveerah’s lips parted slightly when the serpent asked for the water with an outstretched hand. Alove stared at the demon prince in calm disbelief before stepping forward to place the cup of hell water gently on his left palm.
Grim’s fingers wrapped around the cool body of the glass cup. His golden eyes observed the tiny bubbles the water displayed on the surface, moving from the bottom of the glass cup to the surface before floating from one end to the other.
Grim scoffed and surprised them by turning the cup over completely until every drop of the water was wasted at his feet.
Alveerah flinched when the prince of hell let the glass cup slip from his hold and crashed into a million pieces by his feet.
Alove could no longer maintain that calm facade anymore. Her violet gaze challenged the golden gaze in disbelief.
That Hell water costs a lot to let even a drop of it waste like that.
’’Safe to drink. Proven before genesis to be good. No one has died from it yet.’’
’’But a mere human like her can’t withstand something of mysterious origin. Yes, you can awaken all dead cells in her body with it and they will grow into something else that can kill her slowly.’’
Alove eyes softened genuinely in surprise.
She didn’t know not everyone could consume Hell water and survive.
She was too convinced by all its good sides and capabilities to consider if it will be compatible with someone of different race and make up.
She felt foolish for trying to make the prince feel foolish for being too overprotective and annoying.
’’And I might never be able to save her again.’’
Grim said seriously as he stared down at the two demons trying to make him feel like he was doing too much for the one thing he cared about the most in his life.
’’Did you ever think of that?’’
Alove and Alveerah were suddenly overwhelmed by guilt as they each stared at the prince, doing his best to stay calm and not take out all that he was feeling within him.
Alove felt bad and slowly fell on her knees to apologise to her prince for her oversight. She genuinely didn’t think the water was capable of harming the human in any way and it was her fault for not researching properly.
Grim only looked away. Not in the mood for all this sentiment. He just wanted his love to be back on her feet, fighting again.
’’Get her changed into something comfortable and leave,’’ he said, refusing to look at them. Alove remained on her knees, feeling bad but at the same time not wanting to anger the prince further.
She stood up and signaled quickly to Alveerah to go and prepare the water in the bathroom as she slowly began to undress the human. Peeling off the bloodied dress off her body gently while Alveerah placed a dark bathrobe with gold linings beside the human.
Grim blinked, staring the other way quickly the moment she was bare enough to see her shoulders. Gulping softly at the image, he made sure she was properly covered again before he looked and saw the two demons struggling to lift her up from the bed without dropping her.
He rushed quickly to collect her from their hands and carried her instead effortlessly.
He followed behind the humans as they led the way towards his large bathroom. One that was twice the size of Corrine’s entire apartment. He lowered her gently inside the water, ensuring the water was warm enough and she was placed in a way to avoid any accident.
Alveerah wheeled in the trolley, setting up everything they would need to wash the human as Alove checked the water’s temperature.
The bathrobe was quick to absorb water, clinging to her skin as she sat in it, her head leaning against the demon kneeling beside the golden bathtub, holding her against him.
When it was time for her to be scrubbed from head to toe in the water, he had to let go, releasing her slowly until she balanced inside the tub, her head above the water.
Then Alveerah began to strip her of the bathrobe. Grim moved far enough to only see her head resting against the bath tub as she laid inside of it naked and Alveerah was in charge of washing her hair while Alove took over her body.
Surprisingly, they were very gentle with her.
They dare not be with his eyes heavy on them both, watching their every move.
He stood silently by a corner throughout the entire process, enduring his own exhaustion quietly as he cared only for her well being.
When she was done and wrapped in another bathrobe, with her hair tied up to dry in a matching towel he blinked, noting how blurry everything was slowly becoming.
He walked and carried her again when they were done with cleaning her. He found himself drawing close, his eyes falling mesmerized by the scent she gave.
After she was cleaned and dried from head to toe, they changed her into a simple dark and free gown that fell inches above her knees and was armless.
Her hair fell around her shoulders and back in waves and he found himself just silently admiring how gorgeous she was.
This was what death wanted him to give up.
What those monsters wanted to take from him.
’’....Your Highness?’’
Grim blinked, not paying attention to whatever the demons were saying to him. He just wanted to hold her again and couldn’t wait for when she would let him love every inch of her being.
Alveerah slowly placed her back on the bed, making her comfortable under the covers and for a moment all he saw was her.
Even when his hearing faded and his eyes dulled.
He loved her so much.
He feared no one would ever be able to understand what he felt for her.
His heart slowed to fading beats as the noise around him muffled out, blending with the stillness he felt within him.
’’Your Highness...Your Highness...are you alright?’’
His golden eyes flickered to the concerned look of the demons now moving to reach him as he swayed, his world tilting in odd angles as he searched to look at the face of the thing he loves most in the world.
Anais...
’’Your Highness! Your Highness!’’ They tried to reach him again, but it was already too late.
He had really outdone himself this time.
It was really time for him to rest too.
You are safe now.
He fell to the ground as he felt the last strip of strength slipping away from him. That act alarmed the demons in the room. Alveerah was quick to catch the prince before he fell completely to the ground. His head on her shoulder as she embraced him while trembling, not knowing what to do.
Alove’s voice echoed as she screamed for help, calling out to the other demons.
One name rang the loudest as he felt himself sinking deeper and deeper into this darkness that promises no return from.
’’Azazel!’’
’’Azazel!’’
’’Azazel...!’’
His eyes fell close and slept in the arms of the demon that embraced him.
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