Evrin was woken up by a knock on his door. He groaned as he sat up. 'What could have happened so late?' he thought as he grabbed his robe and tied it around his waist. He opened the door to see the butler standing outside with a troubled expression. The butler had worked with his father and was the same age; there were very few occasions when he had such an expression.
"Sir…the Madam has returned."
"Did you wake me just for that?"
"No, sir, it's…she has returned in a cab and can't stand up straight. She refuses to let the staff help her. I worry she might make too much noise and wake everyone else."
Evrin sighed and frowned, his jaw clenching in anger. "Have the bathtub filled with warm water. I'll get her myself." Evrin rushed to get her, not wanting to wake the whole house. The moment he was out the main door, he saw her stumbling two steps forward and three back, two housekeepers going back and forth with her, worried she might fall. 'Why does she drink if she can't handle it? How much did she even drink to get like this!' he thought as he got closer. The neckline of the dress seemed looser than when she left. He relieved the two staff members and grabbed her by the arms.
The moment his hands touched her arms, she looked up at him, her violet eyes glowing as her gaze locked onto his face. He felt a sharp pain pass through him, and with gritted teeth, he endured it.
"Enough! Clearly, you don't realize who I am." he stated, gripping her shoulders as the pain he felt only got worse.
"You might want to tell me before I turn your organs into forbidden jelly."
"Ugh-! Ev…Evrin Wolfram. Your…husband."
The pain was excruciating; he felt like his body was being ripped apart, and then it all stopped. He could finally breathe right, and his body relaxed. He looked up at Lilith when he heard her mumbling.
"Wolfram? I married a Wolfram?"
"Yes, now come on, let's go inside."
"Wait!" she said, grabbing his forearms when he began to take his hands off her arms.
"Tell me, did I marry the ugly or pretty brother?"
'So she thinks I'm ugly? At least I know how she feels now.' he thought, embarrassed by his childish thoughts. He turned his attention back to the stumbling mess before him.
"Aren't they both the same to you? Come on, don't make this harder than it needs to be," he said, trying to pull her, but she shoved his arms away and swayed, almost looking like she'd fall backwards, but she caught herself. Her arms stretched out to balance herself; she looked like a baby who stood up for the first time. The elegant and chic woman was no longer in sight; her hair was a mess as she blew the strands in front of her face away.
After a few seconds, which felt like hours for Evrin, she stood somewhat straight, tucking her hair behind her ears so she could see him better. Honestly, Evrin doubted she could even see him correctly.
"It is imperative that I know which one you are."
"And you expect the truth?"
"Of course, you aren't like the Vipers. You won't lie, not to your wife at least."
"Ok?" His annoyance with her strange behaviour was dying down. He didn't want to talk to her longer than he needed to. Yet he was here doing just that. It annoyed him that she called him ugly. Evrin knew he might not be as handsome as his brother, but he was in no way ugly.
"Come on, tell me, which one are you!!" she said.
"I'm the ugly one. Happy now? Come."
"What—no, no way!" she said, now walking with his support.
"Yes, yes, very sad. Poor you."
"I can't have married him!"
"But you have."
"That pig-headed lunatic! No way. You lie!" she said, sounding comical as she accused him of being a liar.
"I'm not pig-headed." Evrin was holding her from behind as she walked in front of him, careful not to step on her feet.
"Of course, you aren't, darling. Look at you; you're gorgeous. I may be drunk, but I know a pretty man when I see one. Why couldn't I marry you?" she said, her hand patting his cheek, tilting her head back a little so she could see him.
"You did marry me."
"But you're not Damien."
"I told you I'm Evrin."
She gasped and stopped walking, turning her body around so she had her palms on his chest and her head tilted up, looking at his grumpy face.
"So I did marry the pretty one~" she sang and lightly pinched his cheeks.
Evrin only then understood what she meant. His body froze, caught off guard by her sudden tone and loving gaze. His hands naturally found their place on her waist. He couldn't help but laugh at the fact that Damien got called pig-headed. Lilith, drunk out of her mind, was amazed by her husband's beauty. She cupped his face in the palms of her hands, making him stop and look down at her. She grinned foolishly at him.
"How can my hubby even laugh pretty? Should I just lock you up?"
"You're forbidden from drinking ever again."
"I feel so sleepy, my dove. Mind carrying me up to our room?" she said, leaning against him, her head resting on his chest.
"I'm only doing this so we reach faster. Don't get the wrong idea." He lifted her in his arms with ease, and she hummed happily.
Once they got up the stairs near their room, the butler awaited them. At the same time, Alice came out of her room and saw them both. At that moment, a drunk Lilith was kissing the side of his face repeatedly.
"Oh! Sorry, I'm…I just wanted to get some water."
"Glen, send some water up to her room," he ordered the butler.
"Yes, sir."
Glen left immediately, not wanting to be between the three.
"This isn't what it looks like, Alice."
"I'm glad you're giving her a chance. I want to see you happy," she said, smiling at him.
"I'm telling you it isn't like that. I only—I don't care about her."
"Whatever you say, Evrin. Good night."
His mood had finally calmed down due to her strange behaviour but was now once again bitter. 'How could I make her see such a thing, all because of this drunk woman!' Before he knew it, he had gone inside the room and put her down. He grabbed her arm and dragged her to the bathroom.
"Ow, that hurt you know! Is this how you treat your wife." she said trying to pull his hand off her arm. "Even if you don't love me I thought you would at least care about me as a person." She winced as he continued to grip her arm.
"Don't be overdramatic. You're only my wife on paper, and I couldn't care. Agh!" she pinched his hand, making him let go of her arm.
"What the fuck is wro-"
He stopped talking when he noticed her skin was bruising. Her brown skin had a near-perfect imprint of his hand. Guilt bit at his conscience a little as he didn't mean to hurt her, he looked at her face all scrunched up as she rubbed her arm.
"Can you help me? I need to get the zip of the dress down if I'm going to shower." She said wobbling as she tried to turn around almost falling forward.
Evrin grabbed her by the waist and pulled her toward his body, her hands on his chest she looked up at him.
"Hey~slow down, if you wanted to shower with me all you need to do is ask." She said with a tune in her tone. He was about to respond when she made a strange sound, once then twice it took him a second to realise she was going to vomit, he pushed her away too late and they stood frozen for a few seconds before he groaned and she began to tear up.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I'm sorry, hear let me" she said trying to move closer.
"Just sit here and don't move." He said in a tone that was too harsh for her drunk self so she shut her mouth as tears continued to drip down her face. She hiccuped as she sat in place, Evrin sighed and took off his clothes and put on boxers, he filled the tub with water and had a maid clean the bathroom floor. He didn't want Lilith to scream about the maids touching her so he simply thanked the staff apologetically for bothering them so late and then went back into the bathroom.
The most difficult task sat in front of him, his strange wife who was so different from what he heard of her. He approached her carefully, she was pouting and wiping the tears off her face, her make-up smudged as she did. 'I should be calm, it's the only way to get this done quickly.' Evrin thought.
"Lilith can you stand you need to get in the tub."
"Hmm. I'll stand." She said taking his hand to get up.
"I'm going to take your dress off."
"Ok." She said
He unzipped the dress and it fell to the floor with ease, he was shocked to see her wearing nothing under it. He did his best to not touch her anywhere inappropriate, he had her get into the tub after he put her hair up with a hair clip he found on her dresser and then put her dress with his clothes separately so the maids knew which ones to wash. He got back into the bathroom and let her soak in the tub for a bit while he showered, he caught her looking at him or rather staring intensely at his dick. He clenched his jaw feeling strangely embarrassed by her stare, he cleared his throat as he finished his shower.
"Did you stare at all of the men you shower with?"
"Hmm….I don't know, never remembered it." She said head tilted back, eyes now shut as she rested against the tub. "You can look too if you want, I don't mind." She said tilting her head back and resting it against the dip in the edge of the tub.
Evrin raised his brow but didn't say anything else and wrapped a towel around his waist before he helped her out. When he grabbed her arm "I know I was wrong so don't push me underwater ok. I'll be good I promise" She said looking up at him with worried eyes, it made him frown again. He didn't care enough right now to think about what she said as she grabbed the side of the tub and stood up almost slipping if he didn't steady her. He rinsed her body careful not to get any water on his own body.
Once he got her out of the bathroom he sat her down on the dressing room chair and tossed her a towel so she could dry herself as much as she could. He helped her out a little after noticing water dripping from her hair. After putting on his clothes opting to only wear the bottoms, he looked through her clothes finding a night suit he put it on for her. She fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow, it was no different for him. She made him feel like he'd just run a marathon.
Evrin was the first to wake up in the morning with his arm feeling numb. The cause of the numbness was peacefully asleep. Lilith was curled up next to him, her face tilted up, lips slightly parted, face puffy and squished against his bicep. He couldn't believe he thought for a split second she was cute. He wanted to move but couldn't as her leg was hooked on his hip. He shook her shoulder in an attempt to wake her up and it worked, she stretched her body as she groaned and moaned. He could hear her joints popping and then she snuggled closer hugging him tight but then her entire body froze up. As if she had realised where she was, she slowly looked up to meet his golden eyes. Lilith would have said something flirtatious right now but her cursed memory returned in a flash. She always remembered drunk incidents no matter how wasted she was, feeling embarrassed but too proud to show it she sat up and turned her body so she could get off the bed.
"About last night, I apologise. There's no need to lecture me first thing in the morning, if there's nothing else to talk about then I'll be using the bathroom first." she didn't wait for a response.
Evrin turned over stretching his body and left arm that felt sore from her sleeping on it, just as he took a long breath she poked her her out from the bathroom door calling out to him.
"When you leave for work I'll come with you, so please wait for me." Evrin got off the bed walked to the closed bathroom door and leaned against the wall next to it.
"Didn't we give you your car? Why are you bothering me?"
"I'm your wife. I can follow you all day, every day if I want." Lilith didn't like how sometimes Helios would talk as if she was a useless woman who knew nothing and needed his money to live.
"That's not what I asked."
"First of all I have a car I don't need anyone to give me one and second I have some important things to discuss with you and I'd rather do it outside of this house."
"You could just tell me now, save us both the time."
"Evrin don't be stubborn, do I look like someone who does unnecessary things."
"Well, last night." he raised his brow and smirked as he had a feeling she was embarrassed about it. He couldn't help himself.
The door to the bathroom opened and Lilith's towel-wrapped body stood in front of him, one hand holding the door open the other on her hip, hair tied up like he did yesterday.
"Stop it. I apologised for it."
"Do you even remember all of the things you did?"
"Yes, unfortunately, I tend to remember everything even when I'm dead drunk."
"You said a lot of weird shit, I know you're treated like a princess but to throw such a fit at the entrance of the estate."
"You know nothing about me Evrin and I doubt I'm the first person who had such an incident at the entrance." she was starting to get tired of hearing how everyone thought she was treated when they never had the decency to know her directly.
"Know nothing? With your popularity, it's hard to say I know nothing."
"Since when did you consider elite gossip and rumours as facts?"
"So you're saying it's all a lie? There must be some truth to them after all they are very consistent."
"Then should I take your rumours as facts too?"
She let down her hair and walked into the closet, picked out a dark navy suit and white undershirt, some accessories and began to change. Evrin was in the bathroom brushing his teeth and washing his face.
"There aren't many rumours about me to begin with." he said voice slightly muffled by the brush in his mouth.
"There is one very consistent one about two brothers chasing the same white dove."
"Don't drag Alice into this."
"I never said a name dear husband."
Evrin came into the walk-in and began picking out his suit, Lilith spontaneously deciding to match his fit to the best of her abilities. She came out of the walk-in closet, dressed in a black suit and dark green undershirt. A silver watch and a matching green platform leather loafers. She had her hair tied back in a tight ponytail and with light make-up that highlighted her violet eyes. They both wore the same colours, Evrin wore green where she wore black and had a gold watch instead of silver. When he turned around to look at her he raised his brow at her.
"What difference does that rumour make now? Haven't I married you?"
"I thought you forgot about it but since you remember please watch how you act."
"How do you think I should act?"
"Like a husband, I'll explain once we're in your office."
"You're seriously coming?"
"Do you think I've dressed this way for nothing?"
"Whatever it is better be worth my time."
"It will my sourdrop. Now, tell me how do we look together."
They stood in front of the mirror, she pulled him close. Lilith stood a foot ahead of him leaning back a little. Evrin raised his brow at her actions then looked at her and then their reflection in the mirror. As much as he hated to admit it, they looked good together. 'Did she always have such warmth in her eyes?' he couldn't help but notice. Her violet eyes which were usually so cold now looked at him with warmth, it all started when she looked at him just before they kissed on the day of the wedding. He had never see it before that, they had met a total of 3 times for business reasons that were related to their wedding. She never looked at him how she is now, all of her actions were strange and it made him feel unsure. For the first time in his life, he felt uncertain about someone's place in his life.
She was confusing him, while his brother and father told him to watch her closely and keep an eye on her as if they were sure she was going to cause problems. His mother had already lovingly begun calling her Lilly and would boast about having a smart and beautiful daughter-in-law. They had all been concerned about how Lilith would treat Alice, whether she'd belittle her or harm her out of anger and jealousy but Lilith hadn't even spared her a second glance nor did she speak to her. She often treated Alice as an invisible existence and tho it didn't sit well with them it was still better than her being in any kind of danger.
The They both picked up there work bags and went downstairs to join the family for breakfast.