UNEXPECTED COMFORT

LILIAN'S POV

"You don't need to discuss it."

As the nightmare gradually left my mind, Darian's voice remained steady and composed. My chest ached from panic, and my breathing remained unsteady.

Feeling ashamed of the tears, I quickly wiped my face once more.

I said softly, "I'm fine."

Clearly, it was a lie.

Fortunately, Darian didn't press the issue further despite his lack of confidence. Rather, he got up from the bedside and moved in the direction of the little table by the window.

"You're trembling," he whispered.

It was only then that I realized how much my hands shook under the covers.

Fantastic.

I now appeared unsteady as well.

After a moment, Darian came back with a glass of water and carefully gave it to me. "Drink."

I took it in silence, making a combined effort not to look at him once more. Seeing someone like Darian awake and worried about me in the middle of the night was strange.

Odd and risky.

I took a tiny sip and whispered, "Thank you."

He nodded briefly and then laid back on the couch.

Silence returned between us as the rain continued to fall gently outside. However, there was something different about this silence. lighter.

Darian suddenly remarked, "You really scream loudly."

I almost choked on my water. "Excuse me."

"I believed that someone was dying."

Heat shot directly into my face.

"Oh my Goddess," I said softly. "This is embarrassing."

"Apparently, you strike too."

My terrified eyes grew wide. "I didn't kick you."

"You did."

"I won't accept that."

His mouth lifted slightly on one side. "Your foot tells me otherwise."

I immediately buried my face in the blanket, hoping that death would pass away quietly while I slept.

Initially, I mistakenly entered his room while half naked.

Apparently, I was now attacking him in my nightmares.

Fantastic.

He let out a low laugh, which surprised me.

I instantly froze, then carefully lowered the blanket.

Darian's expression quickly returned to normal, but he appeared just as surprised as I did.

"Are you able to laugh?" Before I thought, I asked.

One eyebrow shot up at once. "Is that offensive to me?"

"A little."

"Hm."

I looked closely at him, almost expecting him to deny it ever happened.

To be honest, I was surprised by how well the sound fit him.

I said softly, "You're different from what people say."

I felt regret as soon as I said the words.

Darian's face became a little colder. "And what particularly do people say?"

Oh no.

Stop the mission right away.

"Nothing," I quickly lied.

"That sounded believable."

I sighed softly and pulled the blanket closer to my body. "People think you're scary."

His face was still unreadable. "Are they incorrect?"

I started to speak, then stopped.

Unexpectedly?

Indeed.

I honestly replied, "I don't know yet."

That seemed to make him Lough once more for some reason.

After that, the room became quiet, but my thoughts would not calm. Too many ideas kept crashing with one another.

Taryn.

the separation.

The nightmare.

The fact that I was already starting to feel at ease with Darian.

I was most concerned about the last part.

Darian saw me staring blankly into space and said softly, "You should sleep."

I gave a slow nod and then returned to my proper position.

Unfortunately, after that nightmare, sleep no longer seemed attractive.

I always saw flames when I closed my eyes.

After a while, he spoke once more, so Darian must have noticed.

"You're scared to go to sleep now."

I fround a little. "Are you a mind reader in secret?"

"No. You're simply obvious.

rude.

I said, "I'll go to sleep eventually."

After another moment of silence, Darian suddenly got off the couch.

My heart skipped a beat.

"What are you doing?”

He approached a big shelf close to the wall without responding right away and then took something from it.

A book.

He went back to the couch, and I blinked in confusion.

I said, "You read?"

Darian slowly raised his head. "Was that meant to be offensive?"

"No!" I shouted out. "You simply don't appear to be a reader."

"So, what do I look like exactly?"

risky.

Fearful.

annoyingly attractive.

Instead, I said, "I don't know."

"Hm."

I looked at him in shock as he calmly opened the book.

"Are you really going to start reading now?"

"Are you really going to keep looking at me?"

My cheeks instantly became hot, and I quickly turned away.

Everything was noticed by this man.

I hated it.

In reality, no.

Perhaps the hatred was too intense.

Regretfully.

Exhaustion slowly pulled at my body once more as the sound of rain blended softly with the pages turning.

I tried not to think too much about my ruined life for a while, just observing the shadows moving across the ceiling.

"You know, you need to despise me."

Before I could stop them, the words slipped out.

The page turned to a stop.

I looked at the ceiling and swallowed fearfully. "I was publicly accused of cheating by your brother. I'm probably now viewed as junk by the whole pack.

Darian remained silent for a while.

Next.

"I don't give a damn what the pack thinks."

Strangely, my chest tightened.

"You don't?"

"No."

I turned my head slowly in his direction. "Why?"

For a moment, his gray eyes came up from the book. "Because Taryn is a moron."

Before I could stop myself, I started laughing.

This time, a familiar one.

Afterward, Darian appeared somewhat content with himself, which felt unfair.

I whispered, "You really don't like your brother."

"I put up with him."

"That sounds even worse."

"Yes, it is.”

Talking to him tonight felt natural for some reason.

Too simple.

Perhaps because he wasn't giving me a pitying look.

or disgust.

or disappointment.

Just pay attention calmly.

I was unaware of how much I needed that.

I said softly"You know, you're nothing like Taryn."

His expression briefly changed to something unreadable, then disappeared once more.

"It's probably best that way."

Once again, silence fell.

This time, it was comfortable enough that my eyes began to gradually become heavy once more.

It might have been the rain.

Perhaps the medication is starting to work.

Perhaps it was just the strange sensation of not being by myself this evening.

Suddenly, Darian said softly, "You should stop overthinking."

I gave him a sleepy blink. "How can you tell if I'm overthinking?"

"Every few seconds, you sigh."

Oh.

"It's embarrassing."

"Very."

Weakly rolling my eyes, I bent under the covers.

"Darian?"

"Hm."

"I'm grateful."

This time, the words sounded softer.

more truthful.

He didn't say anything for long enough that I was afraid he would ignore me entirely.

Then, at last.

"Liliana, go to bed."

He said my name in a way that made my chest feel strangely warm.

After that, I closed my eyes, fully expecting the nightmares to come back right away.

However, they didn't.

For the first time during the night, tiredness pulled me under as my body gradually eased into the mattress.

The sound of the rain outside and the pages turning softly across the room were the last things I heard before I fell asleep.

Sunlight painfully spilled across my face the following morning.

I turned away from the brightness and let out a small moan before freezing.

I wasn't in this room.

My stomach twisted as the memories from yesterday came flooding back.

Yes.

Taryn.

the separation.

Darian.

I slowly pressed myself against the pillows and then looked around the space.

empty.

It appeared as though no one had ever slept on the couch across from the bed.

Strangely, I felt let down.

Hold on.

Why did I feel let down?

I dismissed the idea with a quick shake of my head and carefully got out of bed.

Apart from a distant movement downstairs, the room remained silent.

I quickly remembered last night's embarrassment as I looked anxiously toward the bathroom door.

Never again.

Never, ever again.

I grabbed a pillow from the bed and screamed straight into it, still feeling uncomfortable.

My life was a total mess.

I eventually went to the bathroom to freshen up after I had calmed down a little.

I was surprised to find fresh clothes neatly folded next to the sink.

Basic black trousers.

A big cream sweater.

and plush slippers.

I looked at them confused.

Darian could not have chosen these on his own.

Correct?

Even so, the idea made my chest feel strangely warm.

I took a quick shower, got dressed, and carefully made my way downstairs. During the day, the mansion appeared brighter, but it was still intimidating in some way.

The smell of food hit me just as I was about to take the final step.

Immediately, my stomach rolled.

I was first noticed by a maid, who gave me a careful smile. "Miss Liliana, good morning."

I returned the awkward smile, still unfamiliar to being addressed in this manner.

Then a calm voice came from the dining room.

"When you sleep, you scream less."

I instantly froze.

Darian appeared totally at ease as he sat at the table drinking his coffee.

I wanted to throw myself out the closest window in the meantime.