Yuliah awoke to a burning throat and darkness. "I can't see!" She called out in a raspy voice and spun around in a panic. "Am I dead?"
"Stop." An irritated voice came from behind.
His footsteps were light, almost too quiet, and a pair of sturdy arms, the same ones from the other night, wrapped around her. Immediately she calmed down.
It's the man from last night, the one who saved her. He dragged her into his arms, pinning her head against his chest. Yuliah's body lit up warmly as he held her there.
"What are you doing?" She coughed. She felt like death at the moment, especially after the fight between her and Liang. Good Gods, she hated Liang. "Why are you being kind to me when you treated me terribly yesterday?'
"I'm helping you again... and no, you're not dead. It's your eyes; they're swollen and crusted shut."
Crusted? She shielded her face from him, knowing how hideous it looked. Drops of water came down, followed by a wet cloth that brushed roughly across her face. She winced and clutched both fists tightly. The pain on her face seeped deep into her bones, causing her teeth to chatter. Not able to hold it back anymore, Yuliah fought to get out of his arms. "Stop. It hurts too much."
'Hold on to me and endure it, or your face will fester. Do you want to lose that pretty face and become more unsightly than you do now?' He put her arms around his waist.
"No..." she hugged him tightly while he cleaned her face. How badly did Liang hurt her? That bastard. One day she'd make him pay. He's probably fuming in his room. Yuliah's lips curled up to smile, remembering how the whole Biah Manor went up in flames. Thanks to the man in black. The Biah's were cruel and deserved it.
"What are you smiling about?' His unfriendly tone drew her back.
"No. no. I'm trying to see if it still hurts when I move, that's all���' she lied.
"It'll hurt for a while. Don't open your eyes until I tell you to.' more water poured down. Afterward, he gently applied an ointment that smelled like mint. It stung but soon turned into a cooling sensation.
"What is this?" Yuliah asked.
"Medicine to heal your face." That's all he said.
She opened her mouth, ready to ask him another question. "How bad is it?"
"Unsightly." he answered briskly.
"I'm unsightly. No one... I mean, it's a word no one's called me before."
"What do they call you than?" He answered in the same annoyed tone.
"Beautiful." Her voice quiet again.
"They should have added vain. Open your eyes now." he said, more annoyed.
"I'm not vain."
"Then what are you?' He set the medicine down. "A General would not risk his entire clan to free a daughter because she refused to wed?'
"I don't know what other reason besides that.' Yuliah answered. 'You don't know how mean Liang can be. My Father must have finally realized.'
'Tell me. How mean can this Liang get? and why does he hurt you?'
"I've known him since I was a child. Liang gets angry and punishes me when I don't obey him."
"What punishments?"
"He hits me. Or hurts me in other ways." A lump formed in the back of Yuliah's throat when Liang's punishments came swarming to mind and she turned away.
"You don't fight back?"
"If I fight back. He makes it worse. I've tried." When she lifted her gaze to meet his. The man in black sat listening intensively.
"You'd take a beating because you're scared to fight and he still hurts you."
His remarks made Yuliah uncomfortable. "Yes. Either way, he'll still hit me."
"You fought him well.' He didn't drop his gaze from Yuliah. 'Next time go for the eyes too."
The man in black didn't belittle her, but complimented her. This along with the way he looked at Yuliah, it gave her a newfound strength. "Thank you... for helping me."
"Don't thank me. I didn't save you because I wanted too. I made a decision that I hope will benefit my Kingdom."
There it is again. Cold as ice his words were again. Yuliah
He still wore a mask and removed it. Yuliah couldn't stop staring. His blue eyes were intense. Blue as a clear sky on a chilly day when all the leaves turned to bright colors. She gazed a little too long, and he noticed.
"What is it?" He asked.
Every feature on his face perfectly put together, almost godlike. How can a man this handsome exist? Yuliah wondered, lost in his gaze. A hand lifted to his sharply defined jawline, and she stroked tenderly. No! She realized too late and quickly retracted, but he caught her hands in his.
Surprised, his brows pinched together before he finally spoke. "You deviant girl. This close to death and you molest me?" He shook his head.
Yuliah burned with embarrassment. How would she recover from this? "I'm sorry." She quickly combed through her thoughts for any believable excuse. "It's my head injury, and I... I..." her face turned red.
"Sure. You perverted woman."
She sprung up from his arms. "No, I'm not!" She bumped heads with him. "Ouch!" She touched her forehead. "hmmm." and winced once more. Her aching face. Liang, that bastard...
"Stop - stop moving." He placed a hand around both of her arms.
Yuliah's heart thumped faster than before. He's more handsome the closer she gets to him. And those blue eyes they drew her in.
He tightened his hold. "What's going on in that mind of yours? I'm curious... You keep looking at me and even touched me." His tone different from before. He pulled the hand that Yuliah used to touch him close to his face.
She tugged back but he wouldn't let go.
His tone quickly turned playful. "I could cut this off for touching me without my permission." and squeezed with enough force to send a jolt of pressure through her hand.
Yuliah's eyes widened, locked to his. Unsure if it were her heart that stopped her dead or the fear of him crushing her hand. She needed to escape. This feeling... It made her uncomfortable and scared all at once. "I... I didn't mean to." Yuliah finally wiggled from his grasp, but thought one corner of his mouth curled up into a smirk. It happened so fast that she may have imagined it. Once out of his arms, she crawled away and after what she thought was a safe enough distance, turned around to give him an explanation, hoping to restore her pride, and clear up any confusion between them, but what came out only sent it crumbling.
"I'm not a pervert," her voice cracked. Could she not sound any more guilty?
"Is that right?" his head tilted sideways to take a long look at her and finally walked away.
Great. He didn't believe her. She exhaled. Right now she's a thief caught red-handed. How did things turned this embarrassing? Her face flushed, and she wanted to disappear or melt into the ground to escape from his presence.
He came back over and kneeled beside her with what appeared to be a water bag. The playfulness on his face replaced with a seriousness. "Drink." he grabbed her chin and poured the liquid into her mouth. "Swallow. Don't spit out," he ordered her.
Too embarrassed, Yuliah did as told. If there's a drink to get rid of her embarrassment, too bad this wasn't it. She took giant gulps. Warm, thick, and bitter. Her stomach retched as he tipped the jug forward. She swallowed fast, trying not to choke but gagged.
He sensed it and pulled the bag back. 'You're good. It'll help your throat and body heal. You took quite a beating from your Liang,' he enunciated Liang's name.
Yuliah looked up with a frown. For a moment he sounded like a jealous lover. No. Maybe he speaks to others this way. Liang, she hated that name and the person. He must be in his manor taking it out on the maids or servants. At least she escaped. Good Gods, who knew what state she would be in right now if this man did not save her. Yuliah sighed, and a thought came to mind. "Liang is not my husband." She said to him.
"Why not?" The man looked at her, confused. "I took you from the wedding chamber after your wedding ceremony. What do you mean he's not your husband?"
Not sure if she should tell him this, Yuliah paused for a moment to find the right words. She could see that he noticed her hesitation.
"What now?" his eyes fell sharply onto her.
He would not be happy, but he should know. "We... Ummm... Our customs are different in the North."
"Say it." His face stoic.
"Whoever lifted the veil and left with the bride becomes the husband." she quickly spat out. "We're married." She bit her lip, waiting for the angry storm that would follow.