Chapter 257
Chapter 257:
Janice rolled her eyes and moved to the cabinet beside her, extracting a first-aid kit.
Her sudden movement caught Aiden visibly off guard, and before he could respond, she had already crossed the distance between them, kit in hand.
Aiden tilted his head, finding himself lost in Janice’s beautiful eyes. “You…”
“Your confidence is admirable, Aiden. But when it ventures into excess, even the most perfect plans reveal their inherent flaws.” Janice retrieved a can of balm from the kit. “I don’t know what scheme you’re plotting, but caution would serve you well.”
A gentle warmth stirred in Aiden’s heart, only to be replaced by a sharp sting as Janice applied the balm to the corner of his lips.
The pungent medicinal scent, combined with the throbbing from his wound, drew a slight frown from his features.
He expected her to question his injury, but she remained silent, meticulously tending to the wound.
Silvery moonlight spilled through the window, bathing Janice’s profile in an ethereal glow that accentuated her features, casting her in an almost otherworldly radiance.
“Not going to ask about it?” Aiden’s voice emerged rough and low, as if wrestling with emotions he struggled to contain.
Janice paused briefly, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. “When the answer lies so clearly before me, what remains to ask? Though I must admit, I’m intrigued about your choice to duel Lancelot.”
Aiden sighed inwardly. She saw right through him.
Her perception never ceased to amaze him; he could keep secrets from his own mother, but Janice read him like an open book.
gⱯlnσν𝓮ℓs．c𝗈𝗺, a world of tales
“What else could drive a man but the defense of his dignity?” Aiden responded, averting his gaze from hers. A dangerous heat stirred within him; meeting those eyes any longer might unleash something he wasn’t prepared to face.
Janice finished tending to his wound and rose gracefully, her lips curving into a subtle smile. “The dignity of a man? That’s certainly a compelling reason. Or…”
“Or what?” Aiden whirled around, his eyes searching hers with sudden intensity.
“Don’t tell me it’s actually for me?” Janice’s lips curved into an enchanting smile, her eyes sparkling with such mesmerizing intensity that Aiden found himself breathless, afraid the slightest movement might shatter this precious moment.
“Aiden.”
“Hmm?”
Her soft voice pulled him from his trance, and he realized she was already at the door. “Good night.”
After making sure no one noticed, Janice vanished from his room, returning to her own.
This secret ritual had become their nightly dance. If Nina saw this, she would surely insist they share a room. After all, what logic was there in husband and wife sleeping apart?
The solitude of the room enveloped Aiden, yet Janice’s perfume still lingered in the air, wrapping him in a gentle daze. For her? Was that really it?
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