16 Please

"Elian?"

Today, Zaria Smith brewed the tea herself and delivered it to Elian's room in the early morning, ignoring the curious looks she was receiving from the maids working on the upper floor of the mansion.

She thought he would be still sleeping, but never she thought he would be staring at his ceiling, staying awake with eyes open wide.

It was so opposite of him.

She knocked on the door twice, but he was deep in his thoughts.

He did not notice her entering his room.

Zaria looked at him with concern. 'Is Elian not well?'

'Why he seems so lifeless?'

Today, his eyes had no light. There were only dullness and dark eye bags.

'Did he not sleep well?'

She wanted to find that out, but she did not dare to ask. What if Elian said it was not her business?

But, she had to try her luck.

"Elian?" She came closer to him and stood above him with tea in her hands, her face worried.

"Are you okay?" Zaria's concerned voice broke his chain of thoughts.

He gazed at her with blankness, but then a little smile appeared on his face.

This little girl knew how to light up his mood when he felt down.

"I, I am fine. Just a fever maybe?" His voice was raspy, and a little cough broke out of his mouth.

She looked at the window and saw it was opened which was letting the cold winds in the room.

Winter was near. With the changing of the season, one was bound to fall sick.

Putting the tea at the bedside table, she quickly closed it.

Elian loved to shower at night.

Ahem.

She was not a stalker. It was her aunt Mia who told her that.

Yes, it could be this reason.

Seeing his pale complexion, she could not help but touch his forehead.

Oh, God! He was burning up.

"Little lady, when did you get so sensitive?" Zaria made eye contact with Elian who was looking at her so close and touched her cheeks subconsciously.

'She looks like a doll.'

She was not even shy that he touched her cheek. The only thought which was running in her mind was that her knight was sick.

She was concerned about him and his health!

She did not realise she had tears in her eyes.

Her eyes were crimson.

"It's... Ah, I was studying last night. I h-had to stay awake to prepare for my tests. This is all because of fatigue which had m-made my e-eyes red." She looked away from him and stood at the previous place she was standing at first.

She could tell seeing his weak state was something she was not fond of.

In their childhood whenever he got sick, he would take days to recover. She did not what him to get sick again.

"No need to work so hard on yourself. Relax and be like a carefree girl of your age."

It was true that she had to stay awake to study, but if she did not study, who would?

If she wanted to stand beside Elian, she had to study hard. She had to become invincible, so no one would question her being with him.

"It's just a little hard for us students. We will be done with it soon. Hardships don't last long when you are optimistic."

"Hardships? You take studies like this?"

'And they would end? Does she not know studies are never-ending?'

'One can gather all the knowledge from this world, yet it will never be enough.'

"Of course! Studies are the sufferings of my past life. Perhaps, I had done something bad to have it being intentionally sent out to me." She grumbled and pouted.

He smiled at her.

She resembled a cute child.

"With the way, you're looking after me; should I start calling you a little wife again like the past?" He weakly chuckled but stopped when he started coughing again.

Zaria's smile froze.

Immediately, her face became worried as playfulness drained away.

"Sshhh. Don't say anything." Her voice was gentle as that of a mother's.

When she saw him getting up, she quickly laid him down and told him to close his eyes for a while.

"Ria, what are you doing? After drinking the tea, I will be fine. I'm not dead," he jokingly said.

"..."

Her heart clenched and her eyes reddened more.

What the h*ll was he talking about?

He did not even know his joke sounded terrible to her.

"Don't. Never say anything like that ever! You just rest. I'll be back soon." She whispered and was about to leave when she saw him reaching for his cup.

"No, it's not going to happen. The tea is not good for you at this moment. You need to be asleep. This drink will deprive you of it." She took the teacup away and left the room hurriedly.

Her uncle and aunt were not present today. Uncle was in his office and God knew where her aunt was.

She reached the kitchen in no time and gathered the exact ingredients to prepare some porridge for him.

The maidservants were shocked to see her in this state.

"Is she alright?" A maid whispered to another one when she saw Zaria's face and her hands moving fast as a machine.

"I don't think so." The other maid shook her head.

"Do you know why is Miss being like this?" The new ones were curious.

"You will come to know of it after a while." They stood quietly in the kitchen.

The old ones knew what could affect her the most.

No, it was rather a who.

Ria dismissed them and told them that they could continue what they were doing before.

Nodding at her, they left.

This was the first time they had seen Zaria worried so much whether the old or new ones.

She was not even this worried about her exams, but she was worried to death for Elian.

When the porridge got ready, she ran to Elian's room at the fastest speed she could go on.

"Elian!" She did not even knock on his door and entered swiftly.

There he was, his face pale and his lips chapped.

She pursed her lips to not cry at the sight and gently strode toward him.

"Elian, wake up. Have some porridge first." His eyes slowly opened and saw her worried face.

She was holding a tray of porridge in her hands.

Putting it aside, she helped him resting his head on the headboard and placed a pillow to have his back feel comfortable.

"Ria, I swear I am fine. Have you forgotten that I am strong?" He managed to smile at her.

When he was abroad, he would only rest for a while and would turn out fine.

The porridge was hot and giving out a delicious aroma.

She adjusted the comfy pillow again and quickly took the porridge in her hands and brought a spoon to his mouth.

He was reluctant.

She knew he hated porridge and every food which did not have any taste.

It was for patients, but she knew that it was nutritious for his health at this moment, too.

"Please." She was pleading. How could he say no to her?

Again reluctantly, he opened his mouth and ate the porridge by her hands.

For the first time in his life, the porridge felt delicious. Swallowing the bite, he once again took a spoon from the bowl of porridge from her.

She smiled when she saw he found it tasty. Though he did not say it loud, she could tell he really liked it.

She was proud of herself and her dish.

When he finished the porridge, he felt drowsy again.

"Ria-"

"Sleep."

She again supported him in lying down and covered him with a blanket.

He fell asleep soon after.

She stared at his face and brushed the unwanted hair from his forehead.

She could not see him like this.

'I hope he gets well soon.'

Zaria placed a small chaste kiss on his forehead and kept watching him over until she dozed off to sleep herself, with her head resting on her hands, beside him.

"Have you seen Ria and Elian?" It was the first thing she asked when Mia Anderson returned to her house after visiting her cousin.

The two maids who saw Zaria making porridge earlier pointed out at Elian's room.

When she went there, she was amazed at the sight.

Her children were sleeping and a bowl of porridge was on the table.

It looked like her little Ria had learnt something new.

She had learnt to fend for the sick.

A sweet smile decorated Madam Anderson's facial features.

She could not wait to see them together as a couple.