Chapter 53
“Ah, right.”
The doctor had left the medicine.
Raylenne reached out and grabbed the glass bottle, taking out one of the antipyretic pills. However, she hesitated, unsure of what to do next.
“How do I make him take this…?”
The antipyretic was in pill form. Although it was not large, about half the size of a fingernail, it would be difficult to administer to someone who was unconscious.
As she deliberated, Raylenne placed her fingers on Aiden’s lips. She pulled down his dry lower lip to create a gap and quickly slipped the pill inside.
“…”
Aiden, lying there, remained completely still. She hoped to hear the sound of him swallowing, but nothing happened. It was a foolish thought. There was no way an unconscious Aiden could swallow the pill on his own.
Raylenne gently opened Aiden’s lips again. His unresponsive jaw easily opened. The pill was awkwardly sitting on his tongue. Staring into the red interior of his mouth made her feel oddly tense. She had never had a reason to put her hand inside someone else’s mouth before.
“No… wait. There was one time.”
Coincidentally, that one time was also with Aiden. Worried about him refusing to eat, she had forced his mouth open with her fingers to check inside.
Recalling that moment, Raylenne cautiously inserted her finger into his mouth. She picked up the pill and pushed it deep down his throat, then touched his Adam’s apple. In a previous life, she had owned a cat and had administered medicine this way. By pushing the pill deep and touching the throat, the cat would swallow involuntarily.
“Cough.”
However, the sudden foreign presence made Aiden cough and expel the pill.
Raylenne stared at his closed eyes, wondering if he had woken up, but there was no response. It seemed he had spit it out unconsciously, not because he was awake.
Still, she was relieved to see any reaction. She had been worried because, aside from his heartbeat and breathing, he showed no signs of life. Raylenne looked at Aiden with a slightly lighter heart. Then she noticed beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
He hadn’t been sweating earlier, but now it seemed his fever was rising.
“I need to hurry.”
Raylenne retrieved another pill from the glass bottle and placed it in Aiden’s mouth again, pushing it deep inside and quickly closing his mouth to prevent him from spitting it out.
But once again, Aiden started to cough, trying to expel the pill.
“Please, Aiden. Swallow it…!”
Soon, the coughing subsided. However, his unmoving Adam’s apple signaled that the pill hadn’t gone down.
When she opened his mouth again, she confirmed her suspicion. The partially dissolved pill was still sitting on his tongue. Raylenne removed it with a disheartened sigh. The pill, melted by saliva, stuck to her fingers, but she didn’t find it particularly disgusting, which was surprising.
In her previous life, she would have refused to eat even a piece of bread touched by her brother’s saliva.
Raylenne placed the dissolved pill on the floor and picked up the glass bottle to retrieve a new one.
The bottle was almost empty now. Only one pill remained.
“There were three, and I wasted two of them.”
Raylenne looked at the two partially dissolved pills on the floor. She had no choice but to try again.
Determined, she clenched her fist and looked around. She needed water. There was water in the bucket she had used to wet the towel earlier, but it wasn’t clean. She quickly went outside to fetch fresh water.
On her way out of the underground prison, Haele stood up abruptly and asked, “Is Aiden awake?!” but she quickly reassured him that he wasn’t and told him not to worry.
Returning with fresh water, Raylenne saw her tense face reflected on its calm surface. She sat down calmly beside Aiden and took a deep breath. The task ahead made her very nervous.
Her plan was to place the antipyretic in Aiden’s mouth and then give him water. Hopefully, he would naturally swallow the pill with the water.
The problem was… the only way to administer the water was by mouth-to-mouth.
Her face flushed at the thought. She shook her head vigorously.
“No, it’s like performing CPR.”
She was doing this to help Aiden take the medicine.
Steeling herself, Raylenne looked at Aiden. His face, unaware of what was about to happen, looked peaceful.
Raylenne pried open Aiden’s lips with her fingers. She placed the third pill deep on his tongue and quickly scooped water into her mouth. Leaning close to Aiden, she pressed her lips against his.
“Now…”
She let the water flow from her mouth into his. The water carried the pill down his throat.
Gulp.
Finally, the sound she had been waiting for.
“Thank goodness…”
Even though it wasn’t a physically demanding task, the tension left her feeling exhausted. As she slowly moved to pull her lips away, she felt Aiden’s eyelashes flutter against her skin.
Then, she found herself looking into Aiden’s gray eyes, peeking out from beneath his eyelids.
When did he wake up?
“…!”
Surprised, Raylenne tried to pull away, but Aiden was quicker. He grabbed the back of her head and held her firmly in place. His lips, surprisingly soft despite their previous dryness, began to move against hers.
Raylenne didn’t even think to push him away. To her, this moment felt like a dream.
She had been trying to give him medicine, and now she was kissing him. The situation felt too surreal to grasp. Just moments ago, Aiden had been as lifeless as a corpse, and now he was awake and kissing her passionately.
His movements were strong and forceful, yet at the same time, achingly gentle and cautious. The lips that seemed like they would stay interlocked forever finally parted when the large hand holding the back of her head softly brushed past her ear and came to rest on her cheek.
As the warm touch disappeared, Raylenne froze for a moment. The unexpected kiss had a profound impact on her.
Raylenne’s eyes moved stiffly. Her gaze fell upon Aiden. She couldn’t help but be astonished. Amazingly, Aiden had closed his eyes again, as if nothing had happened.
Raylenne looked down at him in disbelief. He remained motionless.
“What the…?”
Had Aiden done all that unconsciously? Was it like a dream?
Raylenne exhaled a deep breath. The intense sensation that had lingered so warmly vanished in an instant. She felt an urge to grab him by the collar and shake him.
How could he kiss so passionately, yet be unconscious?
Raylenne glared at the lying Aiden before diverting her gaze.
“Fine.”
Perhaps it was better this way. Although the kiss was meant to help him swallow the antipyretic, she couldn’t deny that she hadn’t pushed him away.
“Yes… it’s probably better that he doesn’t remember.”
Though the feeling was unpleasant…
With that thought, Raylenne placed her hand on Aiden’s forehead. Whether it was due to the medicine or her wishful thinking, his fever seemed to have gone down a bit.
Sitting by his side, she waited for him to get better, watching the beads of sweat on his forehead gradually disappear. The fever was decreasing.
“Thank goodness.”
Raylenne smiled faintly at Aiden. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but his expression seemed more relaxed. Now he just needed to regain consciousness. She missed his gray eyes staring intently at her.
She had compared Aiden to a dog earlier, and there were times when he really did seem that way. His gaze could be even more intense and devoted than a dog looking at its owner.
And yet, she had harshly told him:
[You are my prisoner. That’s all you are.]
Raylenne’s eyelashes drooped weakly. She couldn’t understand why Aiden was being punished when she was the one who deserved it.
“Aiden…”
Raylenne’s fingers brushed against Aiden’s eyelids.
“I’m sorry.”
Even if Aiden woke up, she wouldn’t be able to offer such a sincere apology. This was something she could only say now, while he was still unconscious.
Resolving not to treat him harshly on purpose anymore, she felt a pang of regret for only realizing this after he had passed out.
Raylenne hugged her knees and buried her face, crossing her arms and rubbing her forearms. The fabric of her clothes felt cold. It was the first time she had stayed in the cell so late at night.
The cold air and chilly floor seemed to seep into her body and heart, making her feel even more guilty towards Aiden.
“Wake up soon, Aiden.”
Raylenne lifted her head and poked Aiden’s eyelid. As expected, he didn’t react.
With her anxiety and tension subsiding, a chill ran through her body. The thin nightdress and gown she was wearing didn’t help.
“I should’ve asked Haele to bring me some clothes.”
Although she could ask now, she didn’t want to leave Aiden’s side. He might wake up while she was gone, and she didn’t want him to feel alone at that moment.
In the end, Raylenne found a compromise. She decided to share the blanket covering Aiden. It was awkward to share a blanket with someone, but as long as she kept some distance, it should be fine.
If she heard footsteps, she could quickly move away.
With her mind made up, Raylenne carefully lifted the blanket covering Aiden and slipped under it, draping it over herself.
crescentress
Ehe finally