Free Web NovelChapter 38: Ch 38: Naida (2)
"A night, huh..." Raidan muttered, slightly relieved to know that just a day had passed on Earth.
"Anyway, you should take some rest, Mr..."
"The name is Raidan Gray," Raidan said, noticing her awkwardness.
She offered a soft, charming smile.
"Well, Mr. Gray it is."
Afterward, when Raidan returned to the bed, she started giving him a massage.
Her hands were tender and smooth, applying the exact pressure where needed.
Raidan enjoyed it fully. He noticed the sway of her brown hair, her attentive eyelashes, and, ahem, her proud twin peaks.
Raidan looked away, respecting her dedication and honesty.
Naida noticed his consideration, and her heart fluttered unknowingly.
"Ahem!"
All of a sudden, a cough was heard, breaking the romantic atmosphere of the room.
"Is the brat finally awake?"
An old man asked, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Yes, Grandpa. He should be fine by today," Naida replied, looking up.
"Then tell him to get out of the house at once. We cannot have a troublemaker in our house." The old man seemed annoyed.
Naida pouted.
"Grandpa, do not be such a meanie. Let him stay as long as he wants."
Raidan joined in, saying,
"Um, I am sorry for causing trouble for you two. I promise I will leave once I get better."
The old man harrumphed. "That would be better for all of us. We just want to live in peace."
After saying that, he left.
And the awkward tension brought by her grandfather slowly faded away.
Naida let out a soft sigh and pulled a wooden stool closer to his bed. She resumed her task of grinding some dried herbs in a small stone mortar, her delicate hands moving with practiced grace.
"Please do not mind my grandfather, Mr. Gray. He has just seen too much cruelty in this City of Gods. He is actually a very kind man."
He noddded a little.
"I understand completely. And please, just call me Raidan. We are already past the formalities."
Naida offered a bright, enchanting smile that made his heart skip a beat.
"Alright, Raidan. Then you must call me Naida."
For a while, they just glance at each other in silence. Except the grinding noise of the mortar.
Raidan became curious to know the girl more.
"So, Naida. Why do you work in such a small run-down place? With your skills, you could easily work in the inner city."
She set the pestle down and looked right at him.
"It is my dream to open a grand apothecary shop one day. But I do not want to serve the wealthy nobles or the corrupt priests. I want to make affordable medicines for the ordinary people. The Shrines charge a fortune for even the most basic healing magic, leaving the poor to suffer. I want to change that."
Raidan listened, and became captivated by her unselfish ambition.
She looked absolutely radiant when she spoke of her dreams.
"That is a beautiful dream. I am sure you will achieve it."
Naida blushed furiously. She tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear, then said:
"Thank you. What about you, Raidan? What is your dream?"
The question caught him off guard.
He looked up at the cracked wooden ceiling, his mind drifting back to his painful past. Emma handing him those divorce papers, the sudden transportation to this cruel world, and the tragic loss of Nia.
Raidan flashed a self-deprecating chuckle.
"Me? I do not have anything grand like that. Honestly, I am just looking for a way to fill my solitude."
Naida’s eyes were full of sympathy, imagining the tragedy he had suffered in the past.
"I have been betrayed by the people I trusted. I have lost a friend who actually cared for me. Sometimes, the world feels so massive and cold, and I am just wandering aimlessly, hoping to find a place where I truly belong. A place where I will not be left all alone again."
Everything went quiet all of sudden.
Raidan immediately regretted sharing such depressing thoughts with someone so pure.
He expected her to awkwardly change the subject.
But, he felt a soft, warm touch on his palm.
He looked down to see Naida gently holding his hand. Her touch was incredibly comforting, sending a soothing wave of warmth straight to his heart.
"You are not alone anymore, Raidan. As long as you are here, I will gladly keep you company."
Raidan paused abruptly. Why did he feel like everything was progressing too fast?
Why was she showing green signals all over the place?
Why was she trusting a stranger?
Was it her naivete? Or something else?
If he only realized how attractive he was becoming to the opposite gender day by day, he would not be thinking that right now.
Nevertheless, despite all of his doubts, he decided to give this a chance.
Later that day in the afternoon, Raidan saw a genuinely surprising scene.
In another part of the wooden house, there was an entire section opened wide. freewёbnoνel.com
Chairs and tables were placed neatly inside.
There, Naida, wearing her simple medical tunic, attended to the elderly commoner patients with absolute saintly grace.
"Grandma, I told you not to put too much pressure on that leg," Naida gently scolded an elderly woman while carefully wrapping a clean bandage around her swollen ankle.
The old woman gave an embarrassed laugh. freewёbnoνel.com
"But, Lady Naida, if I don’t work, who will feed those useless grandchildren of mine?"
"Then make those useless grandchildren work for once. Your only task for the next three days is to rest."
"But..."
"No buts. If I see you walking around tomorrow, I will personally drag you back here."
"Haha! As you command, my lady."
"Good. And remember to take the medicine after eating, not before."
She then moved toward another patient.
"Uncle Harven, has the pain in your chest lessened?"
"A little, my lady."
"Hmph, a little isn’t good enough. You need more rest. And stop pretending you’re healthy whenever your family asks."
"How did you know?"
"Because every stubborn patient makes the exact same face when they lie to me."
She was practically glowing in that moment.
At that point, Raidan had no doubts about his feelings.
She was truly a worthy woman who can fill the solitude in his wounded heart.
But new doubts rose within his heart.
Was he perfect for her?
What if he accidentally shattered her peace?
What if she got into trouble because of him?
These thoughts threatened to consume his heart.
However, he forced them out with his absolute will.
’Screw it. I will make her mine, no matter what! And I will protect her peace and virtue, whatever it takes. From today, that is my lifelong goal.’
