Chapter 4: Different

While Aeliana stayed in Silvanus’s mansion, she slowly began to feel a sense of comfort within its walls. Each morning, the first thing that greeted her upon waking up was the fresh morning breeze.

Whenever boredom crept in, Aeliana would stroll through the wide garden visible from the mansion’s main entrance. There stood a small but grand pavilion—its design so old that Aeliana couldn’t tell how long it had been standing there.

Once a week, the couple Bob and Lindy came to the mansion to oversee the general cleaning. On the days the couple weren’t around, Aeliana was left with only Silvanus’s company at night.

Although Silvanus was her husband, Aeliana still felt awkward around him—something she couldn’t quite explain but somehow felt natural.

Every day, Aeliana was alone in the mansion from morning until dusk. Silvanus would return home only after work.

Yet, Silvanus never forgot to bid her goodbye.

Her bedroom was their meeting place every night. As soon as Silvanus arrived, he would head straight there to check on her and ask how she had spent her day.

That was their routine: she would stay home, and Silvanus would go out for work.

But one day, the rain poured heavily without pause until nightfall. Silvanus hadn’t returned home yet, and it seemed he would be late. Aeliana locked herself in her room. The thunder and lightning filled her with fear.

Silvanus had a spare key to her room—something Aeliana never questioned. After all, he was her husband, though she sometimes thought it felt like an invasion of her privacy.

Pulling the blanket up to her chin, Aeliana tried to convince herself to sleep. Yet her mind wandered elsewhere.

“What time will Silvanus come home?” she wondered aloud, followed by a bitter chuckle. How would she even know? She didn’t have his phone number. In fact, she couldn’t even find a cellphone—or anything that seemed to belong to her—in the mansion.

When a loud crash of thunder erupted, followed by a flash of lightning, Aeliana screamed unconsciously in fear, eyes shut tight. Never in her life had she felt so unsettled by nature’s call.

Gathering courage, she stood from the bed and walked to the window, forcing herself to stay composed. She knew Silvanus had the car, but as she peeked outside, there was no sign of headlights approaching—no sign of him at all.

“What time will you come home?” she whispered, shivering as she pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

Then, the door creaked open, revealing Silvanus standing there. Aeliana quickly turned towards him, her face lighting up with relief.

“Silvanus!” she exclaimed, her voice filled with joy as she took a step toward him.

The fear she had felt moments ago was instantly replaced with warmth and happiness.

“You’re looking for me?” Silvanus asked. Aeliana froze mid-step, her eyes drifting to his damp hair, though he was already dressed in clean, dry clothes.

“I got wet on the way here, so I went to our room first to change before coming to see you,” he explained.

His words calmed Aeliana.

“O-okay. What matters is that you came,” she said softly.

Silvanus’s gaze shifted to the window, now covered by drawn curtains. When his eyes returned to her, he seemed to ask silently why she had been standing there.

“I was checking if your car was coming,” Aeliana said, “I didn’t realize you were already here.”

“Hmm. The rain was pouring hard, and I was drenched,” he replied. “Have you eaten? I brought food—adobo, sinigang, and lumpia.”

Truthfully, Aeliana had eaten earlier when the rain was still light. But upon hearing the foods Silvanus mentioned, her appetite quickly returned.

“Let’s go to the kitchen. I already prepared everything before coming here,” Silvanus offered, and Aeliana quickly nodded.

At the dining table, they sat across from each other in silence. It felt almost like a blind date—awkward but oddly comforting.

It was their first time having dinner together in the same place. And though Aeliana felt shy, there was a lightness in her heart whenever she was with Silvanus. She felt safe around him.

“How was your day? Did you wander around the house?” he asked.

Aeliana shook her head while chewing.

“I was enjoying cleaning the whole foyer…and staying at the pavillion. ”

“I told you before, you don’t have to do the cleaning. Aunt Lindy is assigned to the household chores,” Silvanus reminded her.

“But I wanted to,” she replied. “Isn’t that what a wife does at home? Since I don’t have anything else to do while you’re at work, I thought it would help me not get bored.”

Silvanus froze. He slowly set down his utensils. Something about Aeliana's words unsettled him.

Aeliana seemed really… different lately.

Wherein before, she used to hate cleaning.

“I insist you don’t have to do that again. You hated cleaning before,” Silvanus said firmly.

“Really? Was I like that?” she asked in dismay. Silvanus nodded.

“You also preferred living in the city rather than staying here. Although you suggested keeping the mansion when we got married, you were rarely home. You always went out until I came back,” he explained.

Aeliana gasped softly. She couldn’t believe it. She felt so peaceful staying home alone—why would she ever want to leave the mansion before Silvanus returned?

“Do you know why I used to leave the mansion without you seeing me?” she asked curiously.

Silvanus averted his gaze. He didn’t answer. Instead, he looked down at his plate, picked up his utensils, then set them back down again—his appetite gone.

When he finally met her eyes, there was weariness in them, but also a faint, reassuring smile.

A smile that, to Aeliana, carried a hidden sadness.

Why?

Why did she suddenly feel like such a terrible person? Why did it seem like she had hurt a kind and understanding man like Silvanus?

“I’ll just go to the living room,” he said quietly. “Call me when you’re done eating.”

Aeliana could only nod.

Silvanus always avoided talking about her past. He would only mention shallow things, never going deep. And when he did, he’d quickly end the conversation and leave.

When Aeliana finished eating, she didn’t bother calling for him. Instead, she washed their dishes herself.

Silvanus eventually entered the kitchen to check on her—only to find Aeliana already at the sink, her hands submerged in soapy water.

Another act that left him both troubled and amazed.

Standing quietly at the doorway, Silvanus watched her. Unaware of his presence, Aeliana continued washing, her movements gentle and steady—so unlike the woman he used to know, who once couldn’t even glance at a dirty plate.

When she finally turned around, she caught sight of him and gave an awkward smile.

“I know you’re tired, and I understand you don’t want me doing chores,” she said softly. “But it’s the least I can do so I won’t be a burden to you.”

Silvanus froze in place.

When had Aeliana ever shown this kind of thoughtfulness toward him? Never.

He forced a smile—one that didn’t reach his eyes.

“I’m going to bed. You should come upstairs and rest, too,” he said simply.

Aeliana was left alone in the kitchen, her heart heavy from the subtle pain in Silvanus’s tone.