Falling for the Goddess

Applying the Medicine

In the afternoon, Alice Miller called to inform Sara Hart that she’d be returning to the old house for the night, so Sara Hart had dinner with Ella Duvall before heading home.

As soon as she stepped inside, Sara Hart noticed a pair of shoes by the entrance - Adrian Blake's shoes. He was home?

From the kitchen came the sound of pots and pans clinking together. Sara Hart walked over just as Adrian Blake emerged, holding a bowl of oatmeal.

He had casually rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, and the white porcelain bowl in his hand stood out against the warm glow of the kitchen lights. For a brief moment, Sara Hart felt a sense of unreality, as though she were dreaming.

"You’re cooking?" Sara Hart asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Adrian Blake replied, sitting down at the dining table. "Auntie Alice’s not here."

He had originally planned to return home for dinner after work, but upon arriving, he found the house empty, with no one around.

"There’s more oatmeal in the pot," Adrian Blake added, spooning some oatmeal into his mouth. After a pause, he said, almost reluctantly, "Help yourself."

It took a second for Sara Hart to realize what he meant, and she couldn’t help but smile. "Okay."

She served herself a bowl and sat across from Adrian Blake.

She wasn’t really hungry, but the chance to eat something Adrian Blake had cooked himself wasn’t something she could pass up, so she didn’t mention that she’d already eaten.

The oatmeal was rich and creamy, with a light fragrance. He had added sugar, giving it a subtle sweetness.

Sara Hart sipped her oatmeal and stole a glance at Adrian Blake. His left hand held the bowl, long fingers curling around the porcelain. His right hand guided the spoon with elegant precision. His movements were so graceful they were almost mesmerizing, and she found herself captivated by the slight motion of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed.

Biting her lip, Sara Hart forced herself to look away, struggling to find something to say. "I went to meet a friend today - the one you saw last time, Ella Duvall."

"Mm," Adrian Blake responded, his tone indifferent.

And then came the silence again.

Sara Hart didn’t press the conversation further. She was never great at small talk, and besides, she didn’t want to push him.

Adrian Blake finished eating first and cleared the table, putting the dishes into the dishwasher. Sara Hart took her time, savoring the oatmeal. She hadn’t served herself much, but she ate slowly, hoping to extend their time together.

When Adrian Blake left for his study, Sara Hart washed up and returned to their bedroom to work on her laptop. She was preparing for a project meeting with her professor and senior mentor, so she needed to finish her presentation slides.

By the time Adrian Blake entered the bedroom, Sara Hart was still typing. He glanced her way before heading to the walk-in closet to grab his sleepwear and disappeared into the bathroom.

When he came out, Sara Hart had already begun tidying up her workspace.

"Your phone rang earlier," Sara Hart said as Adrian Blake passed by.

She hadn’t checked who was calling, but she had noticed the sound while she worked.

Adrian Blake nodded, walking over to check his phone. It was a missed call from his grandmother. He called her back immediately.

"Grandma..." he began.

Sara Hart could only hear his side of the conversation, but she noticed his expression shift slightly, though she couldn’t quite tell what he was feeling. After a brief exchange, Adrian Blake hung up.

Turning to Sara Hart, he said, "Come here. I’ll help you apply your medicine."

---

At the old house, Adrian’s grandmother hung up the phone, a satisfied smile spreading across her face. "I knew it would work."

Alice Miller, standing nearby, seemed uncertain. "Do you really think the young master will help her apply the medicine?"

The elderly woman nodded confidently. "He will. Adrian Blake is cold by nature, but we know why. Still, he’s someone who repays kindness. Sara Hart got hurt because of him. He wouldn’t leave her to deal with it alone."

She sighed, her smile fading slightly. "If Adrian Blake were truly heartless, he never would have agreed to marry for my sake. He may not show it, but deep down, he’s always been weighed down by the past…"

Seeing her growing pensive, Alice Miller quickly reassured her. "Don’t worry too much. Now that Sara Hart is by his side, things will get better."

"Let’s hope so," Adrian Blake’s grandmother murmured. "Still, go back and check on them tomorrow. I’d feel better knowing how they’re doing."

Alice Miller agreed.

She hadn’t planned on returning to the old house today, but after giving Adrian Blake’s grandmother a brief update in the morning - mentioning the severity of Sara Hart’s burns - the older woman had immediately come up with the idea to give the couple more alone time, hoping to encourage their relationship to grow.

And her plan seemed to be working.

---

At the villa, in the bedroom, Sara Hart lay on her stomach with her shoulders bare, the straps of her nightgown slipped down to her waist.

Adrian Blake sat beside her on the bed, carefully applying the ointment according to the doctor’s instructions.

The cool touch of his fingers against her skin made Sara Hart shiver.

"Does it hurt?" Adrian Blake paused.

Sara Hart shook her head quickly, then corrected herself. "No, it doesn’t."

It did hurt, but she could bear it. What made her more nervous was the closeness, the intimacy of the moment. Her entire body was tense, her fingers gripping the sheets tightly.

When someone is nervous, their senses become heightened. Sara Hart was hyper-aware of every gentle brush of Adrian Blake’s fingertips on her back. The burn throbbed faintly, but more than that, she was overwhelmed by the feeling of him being so close. Her heart raced in her chest, each beat loud in her ears.

Adrian Blake’s touch was delicate, but it sent shivers down her spine. She buried her face in the pillow, her cheeks burning.

This was Adrian Blake’s first time being so physically close to a woman in this way. Sara Hart’s frame was slender, her skin fair like porcelain. But the angry red burns and bruises on her back stood out, harsh reminders of the injury she’d taken for him.

After finishing with the burn ointment, Adrian Blake wiped his hands with a tissue, then opened another container of medicine - this one for bruises.

Sara Hart heard the faint rustling and thought he was done. Just as she reached for the blanket to cover herself, Adrian Blake gently held her wrist.

"There’s still another ointment," he said.

Sara Hart froze, her focus suddenly shifting to where he held her. His fingers were cool against her skin, but the spot where he touched felt like it was burning. The heat spread all the way to her chest.

"You’ll need to massage this in. Otherwise, the bruises won’t heal properly. It might hurt a little," Adrian Blake explained.

Sara Hart kept her head down, her face still flushed. She thought she detected a trace of warmth in Adrian Blake’s voice, but she quickly dismissed it as her imagination.

The pressure he applied to her bruises made her wince, but she bit her lip, determined not to make a sound. Instead, she focused on the feel of his hands, on his presence next to her. Somehow, it made the pain more bearable.

Adrian Blake noticed how her body tensed as he worked on the bruises, but despite the obvious discomfort, she remained silent, never once complaining.

The doctor hadn’t been exaggerating, Adrian Blake realized. Sara Hart had a remarkable tolerance for pain.

She might look delicate, but her spirit was strong.

"All done," Adrian Blake said after a while, finishing with the last of the ointment before heading to the bathroom to wash his hands.

Sara Hart remained lying on her stomach, waiting for the ointment to dry. A light sheen of sweat covered her skin, making her feel sticky and uncomfortable.

But despite the discomfort, she couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of sweetness. The tenderness Adrian Blake had shown her tonight, even if just a small gesture, made all the pain worthwhile.

It meant she had moved a little closer to him.