Dear Lord

A pity things don't always go as planned, because the opposite of what she said was exactly what she did.

After searching every nook and cranny of the room, trying every possible escape route, Eira finally gave up. Frustrated, she threw herself onto the bed and waited.

Downstairs, Lyle stood impatiently by the stairs, waiting for his butler to bring the doctor. His tense presence inadvertently frightened the maids passing by.

Master Lyle never comes downstairs unless it's to eat, and he certainly never waits around with such a strange, unnerving expression on his face!

This was the thought of the workers as they passed the staircase, trying to make themselves as invisible as possible. His usually cold demeanor now carried an even more intense, unfamiliar tension.

Finally, the mansion's door creaked open, and a middle-aged man hurried in, carrying a medical bag, followed closely by an older man dressed in a butler's outfit.

The butler bowed as they approached Lyle. "Master Lyle, Doctor Reed has arrived as requested."

Lyle gave a curt nod, his eyes never leaving the staircase that led to Eira's room. "Follow me."

The doctor exchanged a quick glance with the butler, sensing the urgency. "Is she injured badly?" he asked as they ascended the stairs, but Lyle didn't respond.

When they reached the room, Lyle slowly pushed the door open, revealing Eira still lying on the bed. She immediately sat up when she saw them enter.

"What now?" she demanded, her eyes darting between the doctor and the butler before settling on Lyle, arms crossed, glaring daggers at him. The tension in the room was palpable.

The doctor cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Miss, I'm Doctor Reed. I've come to check on your injuries."

Eira's eyes flicked to the doctor, then back to Lyle. "I don't need your doctor," she snapped. "I'm perfectly fine."

Doctor Reed glanced at Lyle, who stepped forward and took hold of Eira's shoulder to stop her from backing away. He reached for her hand, tracing his fingers over her wounded knuckles, his gaze locking with hers.

"Are you sure," he trailed off, moving his hand to her arm where her uniform had been cut, "you're perfectly fine?"

Eira quickly looked down at her arm, surprised to see the red blood seeping from the torn fabric. She hadn't realized she was injured. One of the men's knives must have cut her during the fight.

"So?" Lyle continued, his eyes still on hers. "Will you let the doctor treat you, or do I need to hold you down again?"

Eira clenched her jaw in frustration. She wanted to argue, but the sting in her arm reminded her that the wound did need attention. Slowly, the pain was seeping in.

"Fine," she muttered through gritted teeth. "Just hurry up."

Lyle released her arm, motioning for the doctor to proceed. Doctor Reed approached cautiously, aware of the tension in the room as he set down his medical bag and began preparing his supplies.

Eira kept her eyes fixed on Lyle, her mind racing with possible escape plans. But with him standing so close, she felt trapped. She hated how easily he overpowered her, not just physically but mentally too. His presence was suffocating, yet there was something about him she couldn't quite figure out.

Who was he? What did he want from her? Why did he care about her injuries when he had practically abducted her?

And most importantly—How the hell did I get into this mess?!

As Doctor Reed cleaned and bandaged her wound, Eira remained silent, her thoughts tangled in frustration and confusion. She felt like she was missing something important. Then it hit her.

The AI!

She hadn't heard its voice since this man had appeared.

[Hey.] 

[Hey, are you there?] 

[Hey AI, AI? System? Are you there?] 

[Hello? Why the hell aren't you answering me?! AI? AI?!]

What the hell is going on? Why wasn't the AI responding? Was it malfunctioning?

Just fucking great.

"Try to stay still, miss," Doctor Reed said softly as he finished bandaging her wound. "You'll need to avoid any strenuous activity for a few days."

At that moment, Jania entered the room.

"Master Lyle," she greeted, but Lyle paid her no attention.

Meanwhile, Eira nodded absentmindedly, not even realizing Jania was in the room. The doctor packed up his things and turned to Lyle. "She's fine for now, but she'll need rest."

Lyle gave a brief nod, his gaze never leaving Eira. "Thank you, Doctor. You may leave."

"Uh, Master… you're injured as well. Shouldn't you have your wounds treated too?" Jania's voice was filled with concern as she gestured to the bloodstain on Lyle's shirt.

Lyle glanced down at his own injuries, barely acknowledging them. "I'll deal with it later," he replied dismissively.

Eira, now even more irritated due to the AI's sudden disappearance, rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, I'd love it if you could die from your injuries."

At her words, a variety of expressions appeared on everyone's faces. The doctor paled, the butler shifted uncomfortably, and Jania cleared her throat.

"Master—"

"On second thought, let's take care of it now," Lyle said, his gaze soft but taunting as he stared at Eira.

Eira thought Lyle was staring at her with a strange, doting tenderness.

The doctor nodded rapidly and hurriedly began treating Lyle's wounds.

---

Fifteen minutes later, the doctor finished wrapping the last bandage around Lyle's torso. The tension in the room had only grown thicker. Eira sat on the edge of the bed, her arms crossed, glaring at Lyle the entire time.

Doctor Reed finished his work and stepped back cautiously, clearly not wanting to provoke another outburst. "Master Lyle, you should avoid strenuous activity for a few days. The stitches need time to heal properly."

Lyle gave a brief nod but barely acknowledged the doctor's words. His focus remained on Eira, his violet eyes holding that same strange, possessive softness that always managed to send chills down her spine.

"You should rest now," Lyle said quietly, his tone firm but gentle. "We both need it."

Eira huffed in frustration, unable to contain her anger any longer. "I already told you—I'm not staying here."

Ignoring her, Lyle stood and motioned for the doctor and butler to leave. As they exited, Jania lingered for a moment, her gaze flicking between Eira and Lyle with a mixture of concern and curiosity.

"I'll be right outside, Master," Jania said before following the others out. The door clicked shut behind her, leaving Eira and Lyle alone.

The silence was unbearable. Eira could feel the walls closing in, her mind racing with a thousand escape plans. But with Lyle standing there, so calm, so unreadable, she knew it was hopeless. She needed a plan. She needed that damn AI to wake up and help her.

"So, what's the deal with you?" Eira asked, breaking the silence. Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. "You think because you patched me up, I owe you something?"

Lyle's lips curled into the faintest hint of a smile. "I don't want you to owe me anything. I just want you to stay safe. Here. With me."

Eira scoffed, standing up from the bed. "Safe? Do you even know my name? Do you even know who I am? Huh? Answer me—do you? You don't know a damn thing about me—my name, where I'm from, nothing!" She pointed at herself. "The same goes for me. I don't know you or anything about you! We just met today! But you keep saying I'm yours. Like I'm your girlfriend or something!"

Eira's chest heaved as she finished her outburst, her anger and frustration spilling out. The room was silent for a moment as her words hung in the air. For the first time, she thought she might have gotten through to him, that maybe he would realize how ridiculous this situation was.

But instead, Lyle's lips curled into a soft, almost amused smile. "You're right," he said quietly, his voice disturbingly calm. "We don't know each other. Not yet." He paused, his gaze steady. "My name is Lyle Aelion. What's yours?"

Eira's eyes widened in disbelief. "W-what did you just say?" She stammered, her voice breaking. "You're asking what my name is? Did you not hear anything I just said?!" She stepped back, placing her hand on her forehead in disbelief.

"Oh dear Lord," she muttered, then suddenly stormed toward him and grabbed his shirt. "Are you fucking crazy?!"

She didn't understand when Jania had confirmed that her boss was Ill but now she understood.

This guy was fucking mentally retarded!

~~

Read Author's Note. ♡