Tangled By Fate

"How can you say that? Sebastian was sleeping and you were ready to take advantage of that. Who else takes a patient's pants?"

Catherine snapped. "I wanted to help him out. You two have a twisted mentality, always thinking about perverted thoughts. Unlike you, I don't have experience. I don't understand these things!"

After that, she glared at Sebastian. "Why don't you go to the bathroom and take a bath?

"Do you want me to come out naked? I knew something was going on in your head!" Sebastian covered his chest with his bare hands.

Catherine's lips twitched. "My boyfriend is bringing your clothes. And be sure to wash my bed sheet. Today, you will sleep on the ground."

Without giving them another chance to talk, she left the room. The door shut with a 'bang'.

"Ouch! My ears hurt!" Darius rubbed his ears. Then, he glanced at the man in the bed. "She said 'boyfriend', eh? How cheeky. Are you upset?"

Sebastian lowered his head. Noticing the red color on the bed, he realized he bled a lot.

"That Vincent guy… he proposed to her today," he disclosed.

"What?!" Darius was surprised. "What did she reply? Did she say 'yes'?"

Sebastian spoke in a low voice, "I interfered before she could. Sigh! I don't know what I'm doing. But I can't stand it when she is with another man."

"Then why don't you propose to her?" Darius naturally suggested.

Sebastian shook his head. "…I just can't. She doesn't like me like that…"

"Dude, if you don't try, you won't know. There is always room for development," Darius tried to persuade him.

However, it didn't work. "What if she comes to hate me or avoid me? I don't think I can handle it." Sebastian didn't want to imagine the next.

Darius breathed out loudly. "You are a coward. I can't believe I rooted for you. Don't regret it when you saw her carrying another man's seeds and producing children one after another for him."

"Stop it!" Sebastian hissed. "Don't say anymore."

"Fine, do whatever you want. I won't bother you. Have a good rest."

After Darius left, Sebastian hung his head, feeling devastated.

Sometime later, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in," he allowed. He thought it was Catherine who came back but it was Vincent. There was a set of clothes in his hands.

"Are these for me? Thank you," Sebastian bowed.

Vincent silently placed them on the table and then said, "I don't know who you are to Catherine. But as her boyfriend, let me warn you. If you ever make her cry again, I won't forgive you."

"What?" Sebastian was surprised. 'Did she shed tears because I was acting like that? I was just planning to tease her. It was nothing serious. I will talk to her and apologize.'

He stood up to go after her.

Vincent frowned. "Please don't tell me you are going out half-naked on a winter night? Catherine's friend worked hard to heal you."

Sebastian looked at him vigilantly. "How do you know someone healed me?"

Vincent shrugged. "Even we have healers in Tybu. I know there is nothing that can heal people so fast or accurately other than healing power. Please take a bath and wear these clean clothes."

Sebastian took the clothes and went to the bathroom without a word.

The room was empty. Vincent let two housekeepers come. They took dirty clothes and placed a clean bedcover before leaving.

Vincent left the cottage after checking the room one last time. He recalled Catherine shedding tears and it made his blood boil.

He looked for her and found her in the flower garden. "You will catch a cold if you stay here any longer," saying that he gently wrapped her with his coat.

Catherine smiled at him. "I was enjoying the view. It's a nice place."

Vincent carefully observed her face. "Are you all right?"

Catherine tilted her head to understand what he meant. She couldn't guess anything just by looking at him.

Therefore, she replied, "…Yes, I'm great. I'm sorry Sebastian created such trouble."

Vincent shook his head. "It's not a problem. You shouldn't apologize to someone else. He was injured. It would be inhumane not to save him even if he wasn't your acquaintance."

Catherine stated, "We are more like colleagues, working under the same master."

Vincent's expression eased. "Oh, I thought you guys were close."

Catherine giggled. "Do I smell jealousy?"

"What if I'm jealous?" Vincent didn't deny it.

Catherine was stunned. "No way! Really?"

"You didn't reply to my proposal. Rushed to a man's aid. Took him to your bedroom."

"Don't say it like that. It's not that I didn't want to reply. How can I leave an injured man alone? Then he happened to be my colleague. There was nowhere to take him. I can lend a hand to my colleague. My other friends booked cottages. I can ask them to lend me their couches."

"Your female friend is with her husband. Others are all male friends. Don't sleep in their rooms. You can stay in my room…"

"That won't be necessary."

As a voice spoke from behind, they turned around. Sebastian bathed and changed his clothes. No one could tell if he was hurt thirty minutes ago.

Catherine asked him, "Are you okay? Do you have any pain?"

Sebastian gave her a short nod. "I'm fine. You should go back to your room before you catch a cold."

'He repeated the same words Vincent mentioned earlier. What a coincidence!' Catherine thought. "It's funny how you two tell me the same word. But what about you? Where will you rest?"

Sebastian replied, "I'll ask the others to give me some space."

"All right then. I'm going to sleep." Catherine looked at Vincent and smiled at him sweetly. "Good night."

"Good night." Vincent stared at her petite back as she disappeared in the dark. Then, he looked at Sebastian. "You made the right decision by choosing someone else's room."

Sebastian calmly stated, "Of course, I did. I'm not someone who lusts over the woman I love. I respect her and wait for her when she is ready to become mine. I don't force my desire on her even if she wishes for it. I wait for her to get ready for it on her own and tell me that she is ready."

After speaking his mind, he also left Vincent alone in the flower garden. Vincent stood there alone. He didn't seem happy.

----------------

The next day, the sun finally showed his face at noon. He peeked out of thick foggy clouds. Despite trying his best to share the sunlight with the people of the earth, the sunlight was rather dim.

Veronica opened her eyes when she noticed a warm hand gently caressing her back.

Arthur noticed her eyelashes fluttering. "Did I wake you up?"

Veronica shook her head. "I'm hungry."

Well, after last night's vigorous exercise, who wouldn't?

Her dinner might be already digested.

"Shall I bring the meal here?" Arthur inquired.

"Why? I can get up!!! Oww!" Veronica cried out in pain as she tried to move. Her whole body was aching.

There wasn't any spot where her body was left alone last night. As for the aftermath, her entire body was throbbing.

Her painful cry made Arthur a bit guilty. 'I should have gone slower,' he lamented.

However, even he knew that it wasn't easy for him either. He wasn't in the right mind last night. He was left in hunger for a long time.

And then, to add oil to the fire, Veronica added that herb in the water. Everything went out of control.

"Don't move. I'll rub your back until you feel better," he said.

'Is this why he was stroking my back?' Veronica thought.

She flinched whenever he touched her lower back. It was so painful that a droplet of tear rolled down from her left eye.

"Can you try using your power to heal yourself?" Arthur suggested. "If you can't, we ask Ovior to bring his famous ointment from the tower."

"Let me try." Veronica gritted her teeth and focused on her inner energy. She tried to bring out her power. Her body glowed dimly before she became exhausted.

She breathed hard. Then took a deep breath and then tried again. However, she failed once again.

"Okay, stop," Arthur interrupted her. "It's only becoming more painful. I'll ask Ovior to bring me the ointment." Then, he disappeared in a flash.

Ovior was having a wonderful breakfast in his room. It was a tranquil atmosphere just like he loved but soon his little peace was gone when Arthur appeared out of nowhere.

"Gosh! You cannot just appear in someone else's bedroom like that! Do you want your wife to call us a couple again?!"

"She was just joking back then. Don't take it to heart. I want your ointment that relieves pain. Go, bring it."

"Are you nuts? Can't you see I'm eating? How did she get injured? If it's nothing serious, I'll finish my breakfast first."

"We had sex last night."

"&*%&$%^#!!!!!"