"Delicate Beauty?" she asked. "I believe I'm not like that." she scratched her head, denying it.
"Do you not see it?" he spoke and tilted his head. She shook her head in reply, she doesn't believe she is somewhat "pretty". She denied that fact so, she doesn't believe it in the slightest.
Her father would primitively associate her as "average" all of the time, Narcester was very confused, how could a woman gifted with beauty be unappreciative of herself? He could clearly see the masterpiece in her.
Avyanna had lacked self-esteem since then, not even anyone could make her believe since the compulsory her father placed her into. How could she believe it whenever since she was a kid she believed that she wasn't? Even though all of it was just make-believe.
Her dark eyes rolled and glistened skyward.
"I'm still learning to love the shattered parts of me that no one claps for."
Narcester looked at her, his eyes pitied her. How he wished he should've met her sooner so that he could save her from drowning in the swamps of her misery.
Narcester and Avyanna went home late at night, they were silent but a glimmer of satisfaction marked her eyes. He looked at her with a straight face, his lips curled to smile once he saw that wonderful expression she wore.
Narcester parked the car in the garage, Avyanna stumbled as she tried to get out of the opened car. The heels she wore were tight, she anticipated she would fall as she closed her eyes.
To her surprise, she felt that not even a part of her body excluding her feet touched the ground.
She slowly opened her eyes and saw Narcester with a worried look on his face, he sighed with relief afterward and lifted her up back to her feet. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she said, her feet wobbled, pain pricked her feet from wearing the shoes.
Narcester who noticed looked at her foot, she tried to hide it behind the other and insisted it was fine. He wouldn't believe her, he kneeled to check on her foot, it had gotten rid from the hurting.
"You shouldn't wear things that hurt you. Are you a masochist or something?" he said, touching her ankle and speaking again. "Lift your foot up."
That caring voice of his melted her as if she was an ice cream out left in the heat. She lifted her feet up, Narcester sighed and took off the shoes from her foot. "The other." he tapped her other ankle.
She raised the other, her left foot keeping her balance. Narcester took off the other pair, but the hurting from her foot couldn't keep up with it anymore and soon she fell off her foot, succumbing to the pain.
She found herself in Narcester's arms, he caught her again for the second time.
He looked at her dumbfounded face and chuckled, "You alright?" she nodded hesitantly.
He peeked over to see her foot, it was swelling, he cast another sigh, "You naughty woman, soon, when you go out don't wear such outrageous footwear."
"But I should be presentable, I should keep your reputation even to what I wear." she reasoned out to what's truthful for her.
He looked at her with a frown, "You are Avyanna Thaddeus, my wife, if they don't like the way you dress, then they might have never known fashion." She flushed, the title they gave Narcester being 'cold-hearted' and 'inconsiderate' isn't true at all. That's how she sees it.
He held her back and placed his other hand on the back of her knees, he carried her — like how grooms would carry their brides.
"W-What are you doing?!" she became frantic, embarrassed. She tried to struggle her way down from his arms but he was unmoved.
"Stop moving, you'll fall. No one will see you here," he said sternly. Once again, he looked at her and beamed softly, "You will not let your husband carry you, Avie?"
With those innocent, puppy eyes, she doesn't even know what to do. Her heart thumped loudly, it fluttered again. She might even have a heart attack at this point. She hid in his chest to hide her burning face. Like bottled butterflies were free-roaming her stomach.
Narcester brought her to her room, she was relieved that not even the maids had seen it, he seated her at her bedside. He kneeled once again and looked at her swelling feet.
"What do we do with this?" he scratched his head. "It's fine, I'll manage.
He looked at her and scowled, "You can't even stand up properly and you fell many times now and you'll say you'll manage it?"
His reprimands scared her, what a horrible enemy he could be. "Stay there, I'll get an ointment," he said and left the room open.
'I should change my clothes before he comes back.'
She struggled to get herself up, limping to go to the bathroom, but cold shivers shot her back when a voice echoed across her room. "What did I say you do, woman?"
She turned to see annoyance embedded in his face. She already reached the bathroom door, she had to change clothes, she needed to. He took consecutive steps towards her, he rested his hand on the wall, up above her head. Looked down at her with a frown. "What're you gonna do? Didn't I say you stay there?"
"I need to change my clothes, don't I?" she asked. He looked at her austerely, deep in her innocent eyes, he cast a sigh.
"Just sit there, I'll prepare everything for you."
"What?" she looked up at him, something must've concerned her.
"Didn't you hear what I just said, Avyanna?" he spoke sternly.
"B-But..." she can't tell him anything, he already approached her closet as her embarrassed face turned very red. Her wardrobe was filled with tight clothing her father bought her, he advised her to look her finest and at least seduce Narcester for a better chance of Klein Entertainment's rise.
"What's with all these uncomfortable clothing? Do you really like discomfort?" he complained, looking at the clothes she had.
"Ummm..."
"Just a minute," he said and left the room once again, somehow, Narcester became very different from when they first met.
'Is this even the famed Narcester Thaddeus?'
He came back with a few sets of sleepwear, "You'll wear this. It's more comfortable." he spoke, keeping a stern expression on his face.
"Whose is those?" she said, pointing at the sleepwear he was holding. "They're Dana's," he replied.
He went back to his wardrobe and silently said, "Now, there's only one thing left..."
He looked around, Avyanna was more embarrassed than how she was before, "Hey, that's my—" another cut off from her words as he saw him holding onto her undergarment.
"...underwear..." she said, with heated blushes on her face. "So what?"
He looked at her without any care for what he just pulled. He left the clothing beside her by the bed and went into the bathroom.
"What are you gonna do there?" she asked.
"Don't be frantic, I'll be just preparing you a bath, you can't do it with your foot's situation. Just wait there," he said, making his way inside the bathroom.
He went to peek out at her, she jolted by surprise, he glared at her with a deep voice as if he was threatening her. "Listen to what I just said."
He went back to the bathroom again, from outside she heard the sound of water rushing out from her faucet, though the door to her bathroom was closed, she could hear the sounds from Narcester's actions inside.
She heard a grunt from inside followed by an annoyed groan. She worried that he might fumble things, so she got up on her foot limping towards the door. She approached the bathroom door and attempted to open it, but it was opened first from inside as she fell.
She saw herself atop him, Narcester's eyes were closed as they slowly opened. He was soaked in the water, excess on the floor, and his skin became visible from the white sleeve he wore.
Avyanna was astounded, "You don't listen, do you?" he said.