Chapter 12: Who Changed Her Clothes
Rosalie:
The moment those words left Eiden’s lips, my heartbeat spiked so violently that the monitor beside the bed immediately started beeping loudly, startling both of us.
I froze in horror.
Oh Goddess.
Eiden’s brows pulled together instantly as he looked toward the monitor before his gaze returned to me and asked, "What’s wrong?"
"N-Nothing." The response came out far too quickly. Which only made me sound guiltier.
Heat rushed straight into my face as I tried desperately to calm my breathing, but unfortunately my body seemed determined to embarrass me further. My pulse kept racing uncontrollably while horrifying thoughts continued attacking my exhausted brain.
He lived alone, which meant - no, absolutely not!
I swallowed hard and looked away, mentally scolding myself for even thinking about it. But the more I tried not to think about it, the more aware I became of the soft pastel-green clothes covering me. The clothes someone had definitely changed me into.
My face grew hotter, and the monitor beeped even louder.
Eiden looked genuinely concerned now. "Rosalie." His voice softened slightly. "You are alarming the machines."
"I’m fine," I muttered weakly, which convinced absolutely no one. Unfortunately, there was no escape anymore. I had already thought about it, and now I needed to know.
It took me nearly a full minute to gather enough courage to finally ask, "...Who changed my clothes?"
The question came out so quiet I almost hoped he hadn’t heard it. But of course he did.
Silence followed instantly. The only sound left in the room was the steady beeping of the monitor beside me, though thankfully it had started slowing slightly now. Unable to handle the silence, I slowly looked back up, and caught him watching me with a faint curve on his lips, like he was trying very hard not to smile.
The moment our eyes met, he immediately schooled his expression into calm professionalism again before lightly clearing his throat. "Though I live alone," he replied smoothly, "I do have househelp."
Relief crashed through me so fast my entire body physically relaxed.
"She’s the one who changed your clothes."
"Oh." The sound escaped me embarrassingly fast. Eiden definitely noticed. I knew he did. But thankfully, he chose not to tease me about it.
And honestly, I somehow knew he wasn’t lying. Even though I hadn’t seen anyone else in the house until now, something about him made it difficult to imagine him lying over something so small.
Still, that faint almost-smile from earlier lingered suspiciously in my memory. But I decided not to think about it. Mostly for my own dignity.
Eiden finished checking the rest of my injuries afterward, his fingers moving carefully and efficiently as he examined my ribs one last time.
"You have healed remarkably well," he informed me calmly. "There’s still slight inflammation around some injuries, so you may feel lingering aches for another day, but overall your condition has stabilized." His blue eyes lifted briefly toward mine. "Your body recovered faster than expected."
I blinked slightly at that. Maybe it really was because of his abilities. Because there was absolutely no way my weak wolf had suddenly become miraculous overnight.
"You are still physically weak, though," he continued. "You haven’t eaten anything in days, and your body has been under severe strain. You need food."
Almost on cue, a knock sounded at the door. Eiden glanced toward it and called softly, "Come in."
The door opened immediately afterward, revealing a young girl who looked around sixteen or seventeen at most. She stepped inside carrying a bright softness that somehow instantly changed the atmosphere of the room.
She was cute. Not breathtakingly beautiful like Charlotte or elegantly striking like Eiden, but adorable in a very warm and lively way. Her dark curls were tied into a messy braid, and her eyes brightened immediately when they landed on me.
"Oh! You are awake!" She smiled warmly as she approached the bed. "Hi, I’m Aria."
There was something naturally cheerful about her that immediately eased part of my awkwardness.
"Hello," I replied softly.
Aria then turned toward Eiden. "Are you leaving for the pack house now?"
Pack house?
I noticed Eiden nod slightly.
"Yes."
Then he gestured lightly toward the girl. "This is Aria," he told me. "The househelp I mentioned earlier."
Right. Instantly, the last traces of earlier embarrassment finally disappeared from my mind completely.
Eiden continued calmly, "She’ll help you with a bath and make sure you eat something afterward. You also need to take your medicine."
Aria saluted dramatically. "Understood."
A faint trace of amusement crossed Eiden’s face before he added, "And keep an eye on her while I’m gone."
"I always do," Aria replied proudly.
Gone? I looked toward Eiden instinctively. He was leaving? For some reason, the realization created a strange little discomfort inside my chest. But before I could think further about it, Eiden crouched near the bed and started collecting the shattered glass pieces from earlier using tissues.
I stared at him in surprise.
A man like him... crouching on the floor cleaning broken glass himself... the image felt strangely unreal. Especially because he did it so naturally. There was no annoyance, no complaints. Nothing.
Once he finished, he stood again and looked toward me and said, "Take care of yourself, Rosalie."
My name in his voice made that stupid flutter return to my chest instantly.
"I’ll return before nightfall."
And then, he walked out of the room.
