To His Hell and Back
Chapter 64: In Company of Waterdrops-I

Chapter 64: In Company of Waterdrops-I

Bella panicked and turned backward, her green eyes seeing that Cassius had looked at the opposite wall with his eyes trained there. He wasn’t looking, but he knew. Sulking, she threw the dress into the corner of the room and dipped herself into the bath. The lukewarm water enveloped her body, making her nerves that were so tense to slowly come undone.

She couldn’t help but embark on the peaceful journey of a warm bath on such a cold day. But she couldn’t enjoy it for long as Cassius moved from his place and walked behind her bathtub. Her entire body grew alarmed, and she hid her top with her arms. Thankfully, the water was enough to cover her body, but it still made her uneasy.

No.

This silence. This tension. His gaze on her, his movements, her heartbeat. That was what made her uneasy, whether she liked to admit it or not.

She stared at the water and heard the rippling noise of water drops falling into a bigger water surface. The tik tok sound made the silence more palpable, it made her wonder what he was looking at- her? The water? What made him quiet? She couldn’t look behind, but she could feel his gaze, the crimson eyes looking at her that were permanently colored with a hint of joy and excitement to see what she could do to entertain him. But now it’s different. His expression, his gaze, earlier it felt different.

To be very honest, Arabella didn’t think that the kindness he showed right now was something she had to worship or praise. It wasn’t something that made her like his personality better; no, this man was messed up in the head. But it does put him in a better light.

"You seem used to doing this," she said, pulling her knees to her chest, hugging it tight. This was by far the most comfortable position, and she could see the grime and dirt leaving her body, which put her at ease.

"Why? Jealous?" Cassius lifted a wooden bucket and pushed her hair from her forehead, causing her head to tilt backward a little.

"Why would I be jealous-"

"-Close your eyes," Cassius ordered as he poured the water over her head, and the dirt on her face slowly drifted away from her cheeks. He looked at her face, pursed so tightly as if she thought he would push her face down the water for fun. He chuckled, seeing this, only to feel her small hand on his wrist, tightly pinching him. He yawned, "Ow, ow."

"You’re annoying," she answered him, puckering her lips as he poured water over her face, this time on purpose, causing her to pinch him even tighter.

"I used to do this," he said, which made her surprised. She understood he was answering other previous questions.

"For a pet?"

"Would a pet be as big as you?" He laughed, while shaking her head he continued, "My mother was bedridden, I had to take care of her as servants aren’t always so trusted with these. They’ll pretend they do their work properly only to put her to dip in boiling hot water."

This made her green eyes snap, and she looked at him, slightly turning her green eyes. He was.... Speaking about his mother.

Tonight’s Cassius isn’t the normal Cassius, she noted.

"I didn’t know pure blood vampires could be ill," she looked at her knees. "It must have been a difficult time."

Cassius, who had lathered his hands with soap, momentarily thought of the past. He could see it like yesterday, the sight of his mother who had turned skin and bones and the treatment that the queen had disappeared along as her illness grew. He was always busy at war; that was the only way to prove himself, but whenever he came back to see his mother growing thinner, he never felt so eager to go back to the castle. Oddly, when she was gone, the castle became more unbearable.

"They can," he answered, his words breathed out. "All vampires can, well, except me."

She raised her eyebrows. That sounds like an overconfident statement of his prowess, but at the same time, it felt like a truthful statement. "Why are you different?"

"Well, isn’t everything about me spells different?" He grinned as he pushed his bubbled fingers to her hair, running through the brownish red locks and subtly rubbing on it until more bubbles grew on her head. "I’m merciful."

"You wish," she answered.

"Kind," he continued, ignoring her words,

"Only when there is a benefit," she chirped.

"And ultimately handsome."

Well, that one isn’t completely wrong, but even handsomeness these days can’t fulfill a stomach.

"Oh, so you won’t say this one wrong?" Cassius looks from above her head at the small bubble on her nose and pops it with his finger. "You’re not so bad looking either, don’t worry, birdie. This comes from your very kind, merciful, and handsome master. I have to say, out of everyone in the castle- you’re so much prettier than that old hag, but well- even a dog is prettier than her.

"Yes, yes, thank you for your words my very unkind, unmerciful, and rather objectively handsome under a very dark room master," she shrugged, and though she said that she doesn’t care, being called not such a bad looking for someone who looks as good as him does boost her ego, causing her shoulders to raise which was seen by Cassius, making him to quirk one side of his lips.

As her toes danced under the water, she began to ponder and question the thoughts she had kept in her mind, "Was the King and your mother... in love?"

Cassius had lifted a water of bucket, his hands moved to cover her eyes and she let him do so as warm water now wash over the back of her head, "Very much. The king loved her, and she... perhaps she does to some extent."

"What do you mean?" Her pink lips moved, and although the water was done to clean the soap bubble, she didn’t remove his hand from her eyes and instead stared at it.

"It wasn’t a marriage out of love. My mother was a princess from a different kingdom. They are a smaller kingdom, but they are all very proud people. Being the beloved princess, she declared that she would only marry someone who is a pure blood and stronger than anyone in her kingdom. She herself is a pure blood, a different tier of her own even."