Back to My Worst Birthday and Starting Anew
Chapter 52 On the Bed
Both landed heavily on the bed, the impact drawing groans from each of them.
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Charmaine’s head hit the soft pillow with a muffled thud. Above her, Emyr’s voice cut through the moment, low and annoyed. “Charmaine, are you trying to kill me?”
“Yes,” she replied, her tone flat as she let out a slow breath. “That’s exactly what I’m doing.”
She didn’t linger. Twisting her body, she slipped off the bed with the grace of a feline.
Emyr fixed her with a sharp glare, though suspicion crept into his expression when she reached behind her back.
From there, she produced a bundle of silver needles.
His body went rigid as his voice turned sharp. “What are you planning?”
“Needle treatment,” she answered without hesitation.
“Don’t even think about it,” he growled, his eyes darting toward the door. “Tad!”
“Tad’s at the hospital fetching your painkillers. The door’s locked. Scream all you like–it won’t do you any good.”
Her fingers hovered over the neat row of needles, pausing briefly before selecting one as long as a finger.
She held it firmly while pressing her other hand against his knee, which had instinctively drawn up against the pain.
Emyr’s eyes widened in alarm. For a moment, he thought he saw a flash of white light sweep across his vision.
Minutes ticked by. Slowly, the torment that had consumed him began to ease. His body, coiled tight with pain, started to relax. Relief, faint but undeniable, washed over him like the first breath after a storm.
Charmaine held out a few tissues. “Here. Wipe yourself off.”
Emyr shot her a sidelong glance, his tone dry. “Was that really necessary?”
She didn’t reply immediately. Her gaze flicked over his soaked shirt and the rest of his disheveled appearance.
With a slight shrug, she pulled the tissues back and wiped her own forehead.
“Feel any better?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
The ache hadn’t disappeared entirely, but compared to the torment earlier, it was bearable.
He felt as though he’d been dragged back from the edge.
His dark eyes, still clouded with exhaustion, settled on her. There was something unreadable in his stare, a depth that suggested questions left unspoken.
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Chapter 52 On the Bed
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When he finally spoke, his voice was softer, more measured. “Where did you learn to do this? Was it during those two years in South Aspus?”
He’d scoured every detail of her life, leaving no stone unturned. Those two years were the only gap he couldn’t account for. She shouldn’t have had any chance to learn skills like this.
Though the needled treatment hadn’t erased his pain completely, it was the first time he’d weathered an attack without medication.
Charmaine worked with precision, removing the needles one by one before tucking them back into their
case.
“Yes.”
“Who taught you?”
“My master, of course.”
Emyr squinted, his gaze sharpening with doubt. “Charmaine, what are you hiding?”
“You have your secrets. I have mine,” she replied coolly. “Just because I work for you doesn’t mean I have to spill everything.”
He gave a half–smile, about to respond, but then his face shifted, the change sudden and noticeable.
Charmaine frowned, confused. “What’s going on?”
“Cold,” he muttered, his voice barely audible.
Cold? That didn’t make sense.
Her brow furrowed. She reached for his wrist to check his pulse, but before she could make sense of anything, Emyr moved with the speed of a predator.
In a single motion, he pulled her onto the bed, pinning her beneath him.
His body, still drenched in sweat, radiated heat. He held her tight, as though she were his only source of warmth.
“Emyr, let go,” she said, struggling beneath him.
“Cold…” he murmured again.
He was shaking. His body trembled uncontrollably as he pulled her closer.
Charmaine gave up fighting, focusing instead on his wrist.
Her fingers pressed against his skin, and then it hit her–a pulse colder than ice.
Frustration surged in her. She had been so focused on the needle therapy that she forgot the basics.
She hadn’t realized how severe his cold energy was until now.
“Emyr,” she said gently, “have you ever had a cold–related illness?”
His voice was quiet, almost too calm. “One winter. I spent a whole day and night drifting in the open sea.”
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Chapter 52 On the Bed
The nonchalance of his answer made her chest tighten.
She stopped resisting and instead carefully wrapped her arms around him.
Her voice softened as she asked, “Is this better? Warmer?”
“Yeah,” he murmured, the shivering slowing in his body.
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The heat from her touch seemed to calm him, and his breathing steadied. He looked at her, a soft intensity in his eyes, before adding, “If it weren’t for the blackout, I wouldn’t be using you as a heater.”
Without any other option, the human body was the most immediate source of warmth.
And, between Tad and Alfred, he’d rather hold her.
Charmaine’s lips curved slightly. “You didn’t want to hug Alfred, did you?”
“Shut up.”
She didn’t argue, figuring it best to stay silent when he was like this.
Oddly, despite the sweat clinging to him, he didn’t carry the usual, unpleasant smell that often came with it.
Resigned, Charmaine found a comfortable position, and the warmth of his body soothed her. Without realizing it, her eyes closed, and she drifted into a light sleep.
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