Falling for the Goddess

Not Unpleasant

When Sara Hart woke up at 7:30 the next morning, the spot next to her was already empty. The bed was neatly made, as if no one had slept there. She quickly got ready and headed downstairs, where Adrian Blake was already seated at the dining table having breakfast.

Over time, Sara and Adrian had developed an unspoken routine. She had never forgotten what he told her the first time he dropped her off: to be ready by 8 a.m. every day.

"Good morning, Aunt Alice," Sara Hart greeted.

"Good morning, Young Madam!" Alice responded warmly.

Sara sat down at the table and nodded toward Adrian. "Good morning."

Adrian gave a slight nod in return.

Used to Adrian's cold demeanor, Sara glanced at his bowl, noticing that his porridge was almost gone. She unconsciously began eating faster.

Adrian noticed how Sara was hastily shoveling food into her mouth, her cheeks puffed up. His hand froze mid-scoop as he turned to Alice Miller. "Aunt Alice, is there more porridge? I’ll take another half bowl."

"Sure, right away." Aunt Alicesmiled, took his bowl, and headed to the kitchen.

Sara Hart quietly exhaled and resumed eating more slowly, taking her time.

By 7:55, Sara Hart had finished her breakfast and pushed her bowl aside. "I’m done."

Adrian Blake stood up and addressed Aunt Alice, "We’ll be off now."

"Drive safely," Aunt Alicesaid, watching them leave.

Sara Hart followed a step behind Adrian Blake, maintaining her usual small distance. Once seated in the passenger seat, she hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Have you been busy lately?" Sara Hart asked as the black Maybach moved forward.

"It’s fine," Adrian Blake replied, his eyes fixed on the road.

"Oh." Sara Hart nodded, unsure what else to say.

The rest of the drive passed in silence.

Adrian had always believed that marriage would be a hassle, which was why he’d resisted when his grandmother kept urging him. But after spending time with Sara, he realized that little had changed in his life.

Sara didn’t cause trouble or talk much. Besides sleeping in the same bed at night and driving her to school in the morning, they were practically strangers.

Adrian was satisfied with this arrangement. As long as Sara remained quiet and well-behaved, and his grandmother was happy, he had no problem letting her carry the title of Mrs. Blake.

As usual, Sara got out of the car a hundred or so meters before the school gate, where Adrian could easily turn around without drawing too much attention.

"Thank you for the ride. Drive safely," Sara said with a smile.

Adrian nodded and turned the car toward his office.

Sara watched as the black car disappeared from view before turning and heading toward the school entrance.

In the lab, most of her colleagues had already arrived. Sara set up her experiment, kept an eye on it for a while, and then returned to her desk. She took out her phone and made a call.

"Hello, Sam…" Sara spoke into the phone.

There was a slight pause before a warm, gentle voice responded with a chuckle, "Sara Hart? What’s the occasion for this call? I’m flattered."

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Sara apologized, "Sam, please don’t tease me."

"Alright, alright, what's going on?"

"I wanted to ask if medicine has any good treatments for insomnia," Sara Hart asked.

"Insomnia? Are you not sleeping well?" Sam Lewis's voice was filled with concern.

"It’s not me; it’s… a friend of mine."

"If it’s serious, you should bring this friend to see me. It’s always better to get a proper diagnosis," Sam Lewis said.

Sara Hart hesitated. "He’s not the type who’d want to see a doctor. Do you know any remedies that don’t involve medicine?"

Sam Lewis thought for a moment. "If they don’t want to see a doctor or take medication, it might be difficult to guarantee results. But I do know of a herbal sachet that could help calm the nerves and promote sleep. It’s not a cure, but it might offer some relief."

"That would be great. Thank you, Sam."

"You don’t have to be so formal with me. Can you come by and pick it up today?"

"I’m in the middle of an experiment right now, so it’ll have to be later tonight."

"I’m flying out tonight for a medical conference abroad. How about I have someone send it over to you?" Sam Lewis suggested.

"Oh, that’s really not necessary. It’s not that urgent," Sara Hart replied. She didn’t like inconveniencing others, and it had already taken her a lot of internal debate to ask for help.

"It’s no trouble. Just stay put, and I’ll have it delivered."

Reluctantly, Sara agreed, "Alright. I’ll treat you to dinner when you’re back."

"I’ll hold you to that," Sam Lewis laughed softly.

"Deal."

—

Sara ran into some issues with her experiment later in the day. A pipe got clogged, and she had to spend a while fixing it. By the time she returned to the villa, it was nearly ten at night.

Aunt Alice was still waiting for her downstairs. Seeing Sara Hart enter, she quickly walked up to her. "Young Madam, I was starting to worry about you!"

"I’m sorry, Aunt Alice. The experiment took longer than expected because of some issues with the equipment," Sara explained apologetically.

"That’s alright. I was just concerned since it was getting late," Aunt Alice replied kindly. She didn’t understand much about the work Sara did at school but knew it was important.

"Has Adrian come home yet?" Sara glanced toward the stairs.

"He came back early tonight. He’s probably in the bedroom now," Aunt Alice informed her.

"Thank you. I’ll head upstairs now."

Sara opened the bedroom door to find Adrian just stepping out of the shower. He was wearing a gray silk robe, his damp hair falling messily across his forehead. The relaxed look gave him a soft, almost regal appearance.

"You just finished showering?" The words slipped out of Sara’s mouth before she could stop herself.

"Yes." Adrian continued drying his hair as he walked toward the bed.

Sara pressed her lips together, then stepped forward and handed him a small bag.

Adrian looked at her, clearly puzzled.

"It’s a herbal sachet for calming the mind. It might help you sleep better if you keep it by your pillow," Sara Hart explained.

Adrian didn’t take it immediately. "These things don’t work on me."

"This is from a very skilled medicine practitioner. It’s meant to soothe the nerves and ease fatigue. It’s all natural, no harm to your health," Sara quickly explained, thinking he might be hesitant to accept it.

She held out the sachet, her hand unwavering.

Adrian glanced at her. Her clear, sincere eyes were fixed on him, her expression determined, as if she wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Not wanting to argue, Adrian took the sachet. "Thank you."

Relieved, Sara broke into a smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Just try it. If it doesn’t work, you don’t have to use it. I’m going to shower."

Feeling a bit more cheerful, Sara grabbed her pajamas and disappeared into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of running water filled the room.

Adrian turned his attention back to his book but found his eyes drifting to the small bag on the nightstand. After a moment’s hesitation, he picked it up and opened it.

Inside were two small sachets, both simple and elegant in design. He brought one closer to his nose and sniffed lightly. It had a faint herbal scent - subtle and not unpleasant.