Chapter 63: Chapter 63

Garren awakened me when we reached the mansion. I accompanied Greyson to his room and told him to take a bath.

I did the same thing and felt relieved when I finally got to take off my damp dress and change into comfy clothes.

The night went well. I wasn't at all surprised when Cynthia barged into my room and bombarded me with a bunch of questions about our day.

I knew she wouldn't stop nettling me, so I narrated everything. She was grinning like a mad hatter the whole time I was telling the story. But I just ignored her insanity.

When morning came, the repetitive sound coming from my alarm woke me up from my slumber. I yawned and pulled myself up.

However, a curse fell from my lips as an excruciating pain shot through my head. I can also feel my body burning.

I breathed deeply and attempted to stand up, but I ended up falling back to bed. I sneezed, feeling a bit dizzy while rubbing my runny nose. There's also this irritating obstruction in the back of my throat.

Damn it. It seems like I caught a cold because of the rain yesterday.

I badly want to stay in bed and rest for the meantime because I feel extremely weak right now. But Greyson has classes.

With that in mind, I compelled myself to stand up despite my head spinning like mad and my body shivering.

"Cleo, you seem pale," Aunt Esther said while looking at me worriedly when I went to the kitchen.

I flashed a frail smile. "I'm fine, Aunt. I just got a little headache."

She walked up to me and put her hand on my forehead.

"Good God! Your temperature is high! You should drink medicine and have some rest, dear," she advised.

I was about to answer when Garren appeared out of nowhere and chimed into our conversation.

"What's going on?" He asked with furrowed eyebrows.

The senior maid sighed. "Cleo has a cold. It's probably because she was soaked up in the rain yesterday."

Garren turned to me. I avoided his piercing gaze and pretended to be busy stirring my coffee.

I jolted when I felt his hands on my forehead. I took a step back, but he glared at me, so I stayed still.

He hissed as he took his hands off. "Stay here in the house today."

I shook my head. "N-No, sir. I'm okay. I'll take-"

"You seem like you're about to pass out and your body is aflame. That's your definition of okay?" He scorned. "Don't be stubborn and listen to me, Cleo."

My lips puckered. As much as I want to stand my ground, I know that I can't do anything because there's already a finality in his voice.

"Garren is right. You might worsen your condition if you insist on working today," Aunt Esther seconded.

I let out a sigh of defeat. "But who will accompany Greyson?"

Garren scrunched up his nose. And for some odd reasons, I found that criminally adorable.

"Don't worry about him. I won't go to work today. Now go inside your room and have a rest."

Well, I guess I couldn't do anything. I turned my back and strode to my room. I promptly lay on my bed and wrapped myself in a blanket.

I just woke up, but I already want to fall asleep in hopes that it'll assuage the agonizing ache in my head.

The door suddenly opened. Aunt Esther entered with a glass of water and medicine. I stood up from the bed and took them.

"This will at least help take the edge off your fever."

I responded with a faint smile.

"I'll cook porridge for you. Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything, alright?"

Now I feel ashamed. I'm supposed to be looking after Greyson right now, and yet I'm here being taken care of instead.

"Thank you, Aunt."

She smiled at me before leaving my room. For the next hours, I just stared blankly at the ceiling.

Then I heard the sound of a car, which means Garren and Greyson had already left.

I closed my eyes when I felt my lids getting heavy. I tried to fight the drowsiness, but I failed.

"Cleo."

My eyes slowly fluttered open when I heard someone.

"You have to stuff yourself."

I thought it was Aunt Esther, but when I heard that baritone voice, I knew for a fact that it wasn't her.

I squinted my eyes at the person who's looking down at me. If  my body isn't weak right now, I would have jumped out of bed after seeing Garren's face.

Didn't he leave earlier?!

"What are you doing here, sir?" I asked. "Where's Greyson?"

"He's already in school," he answered.

He extended a hand to help me stand up, but I stopped him.

"I-I can manage, sir. I just feel weak, but I'm not paralyzed," I said, half smiling.

He hissed. "You really are stubborn."

I didn't respond because I'm still confused as to why he's here in my room.

Garren walked towards the table near my bed. There's a bowl and a glass of water there.

"Aunt Esther came here, but you were asleep when she knocked. How are you feeling anyway?"

"My head still hurts, but I'll be fine."

He let out a sigh. "You always say that."

What does he want me to do? Act incapacitated and fragile? Hell nah. not in front of him.

Garren handed me the bowl of porridge.

"Thank you," I muttered underneath my breath.

I assumed he'd leave my room right away, but to my dismay, he pulled a chair beside my bed.

Now how can I eat in peace while he's here watching me?

The atmosphere would not be this tense if only Greyson is here, but that's not the case. I'm alone in the same room as Garren and breathing the same air as him.

I calmed my nerves and began eating the porridge. My hands are slightly quivering, so I ended up accidentally dropping the spoon. Fortunately, it didn't spill on the bed.

Garren shook his head. I ignored him and resumed what I'm doing. At my second attempt, the spoon didn't plunge, as luck would have it.

But I'm certainly having a hard time because I can't make my hands stay still.

Garren suddenly stood up.

"Let me feed you."

I gave him a puzzled look, but he avoided my gaze.

"You obviously can't feed yourself on your own. Don't malign my help."

I smiled faintly and shook my head. "Sir, like I told you, I merely have a fever. It's not like I'm immobilized or something. I appreciate your help, but you don't need to do that."

He was silent after I said that. It was my cue to continue eating. It would actually be better if he just leave.

I took the soup into my mouth, but this time, it slipped from my hand. The worst thing is that it splattered on the blanket.

"Shit," I cursed.

Garren hissed. "Stop being mulish and let me feed you."

I hadn't had the chance to refuse as he marched and grabbed the spoon from me without any warning.

"Open your mouth."

I fought the urge to blush, but my cheeks betrayed me and turned crimson.

Who wouldn't be flustered if your own boss is assisting you? This shouldn't be happening.

I brushed any unwanted thoughts away. Throwing the hesitation in the air, I didn't argue further and let him feed me.

This feels like deja vu. Back when I was admitted to the hospital, Garren was the one who took care of me as well.

"Who went to school with Greyson if you're here?" I initiated a natter so the air wouldn't be very thorny.

"I asked Cynthia to take her to school," he replied.

I racked my brain for something to talk about, but I couldn't think of anything anymore. So for the next few minutes, we were reigned by sheer silence.

"Thank you," I mumbled as Garren handed me a glass of water and a capsule after I finished the porridge.

"You're welcome."

I was silently over the moon because I thought I could finally wallow in my solitude and that he'd leave at last, but then he came to me holding a blue box and sat back on the chair.

"This will help to cool down your body temperature," he stated.

I watched him as he took out a gel sheet and peeled off its cover- which I later on learned is Kool Fever.

"Stay still."

I caught my breath when he closed the space between us and snugly attached the patch to my forehead.

Can't he at least give me a warning?! He almost gave me a heart attack!

I felt a subtle shiver down my spine after he was done adhering that thing. It gives me a cooling effect.

"You're all set. Don't remove that for four hours."

I swallowed the lump on my throat and thanked him.

"Do you need anything else?"

Seriously, why is he so caring now? I mean, this is not the first time that he did this, but after the dissension that occurred between us last time, this seems far-fetched and paradoxical to me now.

"I'll leave now, then. Don't hesitate to call me or Aunt Esther."

He opened the door and was about to exit my room, but he stopped in his tracks which made me frown.

"Rest and take extra good care of yourself. I hope to see you well as soon as possible."

That left me dumbstruck for a couple of seconds. I shook my head and got rid of that piddling notion.

Since I have nothing to do, I decided to just read a book to idle the time.

Halfway through my reading, Aunt Esther knocked on the door.

"How are you feeling?" She asked as she entered my room.

But what really caught my attention is the basin she's carrying.

I faintly smiled. "I'm doing great, Aunt."

"That's good to hear."

She checked my body temperature. Luckily, it dropped at least a celsius.  The medicine and Kool Fever perhaps worked.

"Did you like the porridge I cooked?" She asked while wiping my arms with the towel soaked in lukewarm water to help cool down my body.

I told her that I could do it myself, but she was persistent. I suddenly miss my mother. She also does this to me and Archeus when we're sick.

I nodded. "It's delicious."

"Thank you. I was supposed to give them to you but Garren volunteered to do it instead."

My eyebrows snapped together.

"You know what? He's really worried about you," she laughed heartily. "He even went to the pharmacy store to buy you medicine because the one I gave you earlier was the last one left."

I was lost for words. Did he really do that? But for what?!

I couldn't fathom why he's been doing these illogical things ever since he arrived home. I know I told myself that I shouldn't make a big deal out of it, but I can't help it.

Garren is seriously driving me into a deep trench of confusion. He's giving me puzzles that I can't solve.