Kindness Not Needed

Astell ate his meal to realize Adriana had been spacing out. Though it wasn't his problem to mind, he couldn't help but wonder.

Two days had passed since then, and his routine had repeated. Wake up at who knows what time. Wait for Adriana to bring his meal in. Stare out of space as there was nothing to do. And secretly trying to break the magic chains.

Astell wiped his mouth and placed the wooden plate back on the ground. He sat on his bed and waited for Adriana to move or say something.

He gazed at her long black hair not until Adriana turned her back. Their eyes met, which made Astell flustered. He averted his eyes away, hoping she missed him.

"You're done eating? Why didn't you say anything?" asked Adriana.

"You looked occupied that I felt conflicted."

Amongst the servants and maids in the mansion. They all knew something was going on between Adriana and Astell. Since she had been going in and out of prison lately.

It wasn't like Adriana to treat an enemy this kindly unless she had fancied him. Adriana didn't care about what they said. As long as she doesn't seem suspicious trying to help him out.

The past two days, she went out without blood on her hands which was suspicious to others.

Which was why she had no choice but to be violent today.

"Look away," Adriana told Astell. While she placed a white bandage on the side table.

"Why?" questioned Astell as he glared at her, thinking she would do something to him.

"Then don't blame me for not warning you," sighed Adriana, who lifted her dress up, and Astell looked away.

"W-what do you think are you doing?" stuttered Astell as it was his first time seeing a woman act this unladylike.

"I warned you, but you did not follow," reminded Adriana as she pulled out a mini dagger.

Adriana held tight to the dagger and stabbed her left thigh. She softly groans in pain, watching her own blood flow out.

Astell sniffed something unusual, which made him turn to look at Adriana, who saw her thigh was bleeding.

"What do you think are you doing?" Astell immediately stood up and walked towards her. But the chain on his ankle prevented him from touching her.

"The people in this mansion will be suspicious if they don't see your clothes stained with blood. So I decided to use mine and pretend this blood is yours," Adriana answered as she treated herself.

"Are you insane?" snapped Astell.

"Yes. I've been insane for a long time now," answered Adriana as she wiped the sweat on her forehead. "That's done. Now remove your shirt and change into the shirt I brought earlier."

"That's not the point. Who in their right mind hurt themselves just to help their enemy?" angrily said Astell, who brushed his hair back.

"As I've answered. I'm not in my right mind, and no, I'm not willing to help my enemy. It's more for my sake that I'm doing this," Adriana crossed her arms, trying to suppress the throbbing pain from her thigh. "Are you perhaps worried about me?"

Astell saw the smile on Adriana, and it triggered him. He clenched his fist but did not bark. He did not know what Adriana was thinking. He still doesn't understand why she was helping him.

"Isn't it normal to be worried about someone bleeding?" wondered Astell, who changed into the clean white shirt.

Right. Adriana was a Belladonna. Not an average woman, which Astell had not adjusted yet. He only heard rumors about them.

As Astell thought about it. They never met each other when they were a small child. Since his family wouldn't allow him to go near her or to any Belladonna.

"For you people, yes. But for us, Belladonna. It's stupid," answered Adriana. "Give me the shirt," commanded Adriana, and Astell threw it to her since they were pretty far apart.

Astell couldn't stop looking at her thigh, and he was simply worried about the wound she created herself. But it snapped in him. Why was he worried? He shook his head and protested it was normal to be worried.

Adriana wiped her bloody hands using the shirt and flattened it on the ground. She used the dagger and slashed onto the shirt. She wanted to create an image that Astell was being punished, not rewarded.

This will calm the rumors of her sleeping with him and trying to escape him.

Adriana wiped the sweat that trailed off her face. The wound she made wasn't big but was deep. Her left thigh was starting to feel numb, and she needed to go back and have it treated properly.

"This should work," said Adriana, whose eyes met Astell. He looked at her overly worried but irritated, which made her feel differently. "What, you're worried about, your enemy?"

Astell furrowed his brow and surrendered. Being worried about a girl like her is not going to favor him. At the end of the day, they were still enemies.

"No, I don't think I should have," answered Astell.

"At least you now know," provoked Adriana, who turned her back about to leave the room.

"Wait," stopped Astell, which made Adriana turn her head, looking at him. "I can treat your wound."

Adriana broke into laughter and wiped a tear that slipped off her eye. She turned her back and walked to him, trying to hide her limping leg.

"Please don't even try helping me," Adriana removed her heel and placed her barefoot on the bed. She leaned her face closer to him and gazed into his light blue eyes, which reminded her of the color aquamarine.

It looked gentle, like a gentle wave that made her want to kick it away.

Everything felt unusual for Adriana. An enemy tending onto the wounds of their enemy? It made her blood boil. Just how can a person be this kind? No, how can others be so helpful to others? Why?

Adriana did not want it. That kindness of his. She did not deserve it after all the crimes her family had done to them.

"When it comes to a Belladonna. Don't treat us with kindness. I would even beg onto my knees just for you to stop."

Adriana looked at her gloves and beneath that were unremovable scars. Scars that came from someone's kindness.

"You don't know. How I hate others treating me this kind," muttered Adriana.