Eternal Devotion

Vivianne finally relented, her voice ringing out. "Stop! Enough punishment." She turned on her heel and strode out of the store, her entourage trailing behind her.

Grace's knees buckled, her breath unstable as she collapsed to the floor. Her heel slipped off, revealing a deep cut on the back of her toe. Blood trickled down her foot, staining the marble beneath her.

Aries didn't hesitate. Ignoring his own wounds, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and gently lifted her foot. His touch was tender, his movements careful as he wiped the blood from her injury. He wrapped a bandage around her toe, his voice soft yet steady. "You always find a way to get yourself injured, don't you? You're very careless."

Blood dripped from his own hands, his clothes soaked in crimson, yet his focus remained solely on her. Grace's sobs grew louder, her tears falling harder as she watched him. His pain was evident, yet it was her small wound that seemed to hurt him more.

Grace buried her face in her knees, her shoulders trembling as sobs wracked her body. "I'm sorry," she whispered, the words spilling out over and over again. "I'm so sorry."

Aries knelt beside her, his bloodied hand hovering uncertainly in the air. He didn't know what to do, how to comfort her. "Grace," he said softly, his voice steady despite the pain. "It's fine. I'm fine."

She lifted her tear-streaked face, her eyes searching his. "How can you be fine?" she demanded, her voice breaking. "How can you say that?"

Aries' lips curved into a faint, reassuring smile. "Did you forget already what I told you?" he asked, his tone gentle. "It's fine as long as it's you."

Grace's sobs quieted, her breath hitching as she stared at him. "Why?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why are you so nice to me? So tolerant, so patient? I've done nothing good for you."

Aries tilted his head slightly, his gaze steady. "Then why are you nice to me?" he countered. "Why do you keep risking your chance to gain Vivianne's favor for me?"

The question hung in the air, unanswered. Neither of them spoke, the silence heavy with unspoken truths.

The sterile white walls of the hospital were a stark contrast to the chaos of the day. Aries sat on the examination table, his hand freshly bandaged, the crimson stains of earlier now hidden beneath layers of gauze. Grace sat beside him, her own foot wrapped in a small bandage.

As they left the hospital, Aries glanced at her. "We should have dinner together," he suggested, his voice light, as if trying to lift the weight of the day.

Grace hesitated, then nodded. "Okay."

At the restaurant, Aries struggled to hold his spoon, his injured hand refusing to cooperate. Grace watched him for a moment before sighing. "You know what? Stop," she said, reaching across the table.

Before he could protest, she took his plate and began cutting the steak into bite-sized pieces. "Here," she said, holding up the first piece. "Open up."

Aries blinked, startled, but then a soft chuckle escaped him. He leaned forward, taking the bite she offered. "You're really something," he said, his voice warm.

Grace furrowed her brows, her lips curling into an exaggerated frown as she leaned forward. "I'm something? You are something, Aries," she said, her tone sharp but playful, hinting at mock anger.

Then she crossed her arms, fixing him with a look as though she were uncovering a great conspiracy. "Tell me the truth—did you offer to have dinner just so you could make me feed you?"

Aries tilted his head and playfully said,"Maybe....."

Grace laughed, a sound that felt like a balm to the wounds of the day. For a moment, the weight of their shared pain lifted, replaced by the simple joy of each other's company.

For the first time that day, the tension lifted, replaced by the simple joy of shared laughter and lightheartedness. In that quiet moment, amidst the faint hum of the restaurant, the wounds of the day began to fade—if only a little.