Shalei ducked her head and rubbed her nose, desperately wishing that the dim lights could hide how the rims of her eyes had reddened.
As far as she could remember, no one… had ever offered her such goodwill before. Her parents were often busy and the most they gave her was a quick hug before they left.
But then, everything changed after the shaman claimed she was cursed right before she died. Her father left and her mother started to become harsh toward her. No more hugs, no more praises, it was all demands, expectation that she would do stellar in everything.
The gossip had quickly spread in the inner circle and the people her age who used to flatter her started to shun her. Nobody dared to get close to her for fear that the curse would affect them. They were scared, yet they mocked her all the same.
She had never realized how much she missed this kind of intimacy with another until she met Sebastian. The strange yet gorgeous man with thousands of secrets who treated her like a celestial being, who promised that he would stay by her side even though they had practically met in only less than 24 hours. He was so rigid and awkward yet he offered warmth that none had ever given her before.
But this was all temporary. In a few days — or it could even be a few hours — someone from her family would arrive to take her back. That was as far as they could go. But maybe… she could do something for Sebastian so that he could remain by her side?
As much as Shalei wished she could do that, she knew her mother too well. Men like Sebastian — exceptional features, superb combat ability, dubious background, and more importantly, his bionic arms. All of that screamed 'suspicious' — it was unlikely that her mother would believe her.
We are not a charity case, Shalei, she could hear her mother's voice inside her ears. Don't think that you're a hero who can save anyone when you can't even save yourself.
Stop. Don't go there, she chided herself. She didn't want to ruin her mood, especially not now.
"Seriously, you should stop doing that." Shalei laughed wetly. "I don't need anyone to serve me, Seth. You are not and will not be my servant. But I will appreciate it very much if you want to befriend me?" She widened her eyes and blinked slowly at Sebastian to appeal.
"That…" He said slowly, a frown forming between his brows. "...is not very appropriate."
"What is not appropriate?" Before she could think further, she had reached out to press on the center of Sebastian's brows and smoothed the creases away. A sense of satisfaction bloomed inside her when the frown ebbed away, replacing it with astonishment. Shalei snorted out a laugh. "You know my name. I know yours. And we have talked more than ten sentences with each other. We are friends now!"
Sebastian gave a skeptical look but Shalei couldn't care less. She clapped cheerfully. "It's decided then! First thing first, you should get rid of your formal way of speaking. No more 'this humble one' this, this 'humble one' that, understand?"
He opened his mouth, presumably to launch an argument yet the words died down in his throat when Shalei stared at him with a hopeful look. The corner of his lips twitched and he looked faintly amused. "...I understand."
Shalei snapped her fingers. "That's a great development! We will work on it slowly until you can get rid of 'Your Excellency'."
Sebastian snapped his jaws shut and bit out, the lines of his shoulders went rigid. "That's not plausible."
"Huh…?"
"This humble one—" Shalei gave him a pointed stare. He huffed, mildly exasperated. "I can't comply with that one. Anything but that."
For the next few seconds, they were engaged in a staring contest, none with intention of backing down. In the end, Shalei was the one who broke eye contact. Sebastian's eyes, especially when he was stubborn about something, were especially intense and distracting. Shalei didn't want to fight a losing battle. "Fine, do whatever you want." She sighed. "You're really a stubborn fellow, aren't you?"
"...Mn," was all he said, radiating smugness.
This cocky bastard. Shalei could feel laughter bubbling in her throat. Fine, she would let him get away with this, only because he was too adorable. The silence between them didn't feel oppressive and heavy. Instead, it was warm and comfortable. Shalei stifled out a yawn.
Sebastian perked up in attention. "Are you sleepy now, Your Excellency?"
Shalei shook her head and dabbed the dampness on the corner of her eyes away. "I am certain that I will be unable to sleep if I return now, anyway. Perhaps, do you still have my mp3 player?"
"Mp3… player?"
"Uh-huh. It was with me when I came here."
Confusion leaked from Sebastian's silence, giving her the answer to the question. Shalei tampered down her disappointment with a sigh. "Well, I expect it to be lost somewhere along the way. Don't worry about it."
Sebastian pondered quietly for a moment before walking to the cabinet near the window. Shalei was puzzled until the man opened the bottom drawer of the cabinet to drag out a dark blue, solid case. She gasped audibly. "Is it a violin?"
He hummed in response. Once again, Shalei was struck by how gentle his hands were as he caressed the surface as if he was greeting the musical instrument. With the same gentleness, he clicked open the case and took out the pure white violin with blue engravings. White and blue, somehow it suited him so much. Pure and untainted. It was beautiful, Shalei sighed in awe.
Every aspect of this man was purely a work of art. His lowered eyelashes, the flex of his shoulders and the way his finger worked seamlessly to adjust the tightness of the bow. "Please wait a moment," he said without looking up. "It's been a while since I last played so I have to adjust it a bit."
A wide smile spread across Shalei's face. How many times had she smiled today? She really couldn't help herself. "You will play for me, Seth?"
Sebastian shot her a look, exasperated by the rhetoric question. Shalei pulled her legs up to the bed and leaned against the headboard so she could look at him better.
It took no time for Sebastian to finish the preparation. He placed his chin on the rest, positioned his fingers and lifted his eyes to peer at Shalei through his eyelashes. It was sufficient to say that Shalei had ceased breathing. Her heart quickened and her toes curled up in anticipation. She gave a nod.
A string of melodies drifted out, hesitant at first as Sebastian let himself adapt to the sensation. Then, he took a breath and his fingers began to dance. Shalei's heart lurched to her throat. This… This wasn't a song she had heard before. It didn't sound like a classic either yet there was just something haunting and mellow about it that made her goosebumps rise.
Shudders ran down her spine as she let the melody wrap around her, seeping into her skin and warming her heart. It was certainly a sad song, every note was mournful and forlorn. It spoke of a past she had no idea of and her heart squeezed painfully, tears springing to her eyes without her realizing. However, underneath the poignancy was a budding hope, a trace of laughter and happiness.
It was one of the best serenades she had ever heard.
Sebastian played, played and played, moving from one tune to another and before Shalei could give the applause which he heavily deserved, she had drifted off to sleep, lulled by the song that echoed in her mind again and again.
In her hazy consciousness, she seemed to sense the man coming closer as he tucked the blanket around her. His voice was softer than usual, tinged with emotions which she failed to comprehend. "Good night…" He paused. "...Shalei."