Chapter 5
There was something spectacular about Alexander Diadem, which made Heather's heart flutter like never before. The alertness of his existence made every organ in her body pleasantly shiver. He made her anxious, nervous, and giddy in a good way, all at the same time.
He opened his eyes, and she knew she had a connection with him. His gaze seemed to slice through her soul, rousing all of her body's dormant cells and touching every vital fibre.
His voice sparked electricity in her veins. The emotions he awakened in her were as fierce as he appeared. Despite his soul weeping in mild agony, his tone was gentle and profound. She was certain that he was a man with power, and his voice conveyed authority.
She did not need to know the identity of this stranger to believe that he was a powerful man.
It was clear from his sheer presence that he was not someone who would easily be intimidated or dissuaded. She was aware that he had aggressively and fully responded to whatever monster had assaulted him.
"We need to get you to take a bath, and then I will apply a fresh batch of my herbs to your body to help it heal faster," Heather informed him, still sitting with both her hands interlaced on her legs.
She could see that the man was worn out as the effects of her herbs were wearing off. It was time to resume the role of healer once again to aid him back to his feet.
"Are you a medical scholar?" Alexander asked her with curiosity.
It is not every day that one finds such a compassionate medical practitioner. Especially a female medical professional.
But Heather just shook her head in reply. "Simply a healer."
She was surprised when he voluntarily accepted her help because she had anticipated him to object.
She guided him through the bathroom attached to her room and into her bathtub, similarly to how she brought him to her home. But unlike the last time, she did not have to withstand all of his might.
Both Alexander and Heather were completely aware that he was still completely naked, with only a blanket tactfully wrapped around his waist.
"I don't know if I should be fearful of your comfort in the presence of a naked man." Alexander could not help but comment impishly on his observation while she assisted him in sitting comfortably in the bathtub.
A small smile played on her lips at his observation. It was rather an endangering element for her to be this comfortable beside a naked man, much less a stranger who could be dangerous, but what potentially could she revert?
She never once felt odd when she had to aid a helpless person. It was her responsibility and her calling. But, unlike the other patients she had treated, none of them had had such an imprint on her.
Alexander Diadem was different, and he had made an impact on her.
"There is no need to fear for my safety, Alexander Diadem. As a healer, it is my willful obligation to be of assistance to every person in this universe, especially those who are in need of me. Your safety takes precedence over my comfort to be near a naked man."
"What if I am not a righteous man? I could certainly use you to my advantage." Alexander could not help but ask the self-assured woman next to him.
"Are you not an honorable man?" She asked him the same question as his.
Her glance felt as if it had penetrated his soul, as if she could see him for who he indeed was.
"Answering my question with the same question is not the answer I seek, Heather Crown." He said it with a faint smile.
"I do not worry about you not being a virtuous guy because I know in my heart that you are an honorable man, and my virtue is safer with you than anyone else who exists in this universe." She gave him an honest response.
Even though he was no less than a stranger to her, a man of his size and strength, even in his present condition, might easily take advantage of her, but she was safe. She had no intellectual justification for it, yet she felt secure with him.
On the other hand, Alexander was powerless to refute her faith in him. But he was aware that she was special—a distinct species introduced to this world.
"I do not know how to repay you for helping me. I am eternally grateful to you." Alexander did not know what else to say other than to freely surrender all of himself to her.
"And I am eternally grateful for the gift of being of any assistance to you and the rest of mankind."
She then pours hot water into the tub and mixes it with the herbs to help his wounds heal faster and relieve him from discomfort and anguish. She swirled her hand through the hot water to mix the portion while unwittingly air-brushing Alexander's body, making him alarmingly aware of the presence of a beautiful woman.
"It may hurt a bit, but it will help you heal faster," Heather told him, mistaking his chill of innocent pleasure for pain.
Alexander nodded silently, as he did not trust himself to speak, soaking in what she was doing. She continued the exercise of sweeping her hand in the water until she was satisfied.
After a few minutes of repetition, she spoke, "I am going to cleanse your face. Just close your eyes for me."
Alexander had no reservations about obeying every word of hers. He complied with her request voluntarily, savoring every sensation of her exquisite touch. She was a miracle worker, and he desired nothing more than to have her as his miraculous lady.
Heather Crown was a woman with elegance. She swiftly caressed his dry face with her damp palm as she touched him. She started with his forehead and moved on to his eyelids and cheeks, which now had stubble on them, but she was unaffected by it and did not cringe.
Alexander relished the feel of her touch on his rough cheeks, and it nearly made him sigh when she slid her palm down to his neck, pausing where the depth of the water did its own work.
Even though she was not healing him with her touch anymore, he knew she was still there and wanted to hear her voice.
He needed to.
He was annoyingly aware that he was being greedy, as he wanted to feel her with at least one of his senses even though his eyes were still closed.
"Your fingers are delightful, Heather Crown. How does it light so gloriously while working so miraculously?"
"Until it worked its charm on you, Alexander Diadem, it had never shined so beautifully," Heather remarked frankly. "I am astonished, though. Not once have you labeled me as a witch, as many of the outposts have done mercilessly."
Alexander's eyes were still closed as her words made him enraged. He wanted to open his eyes and speak to her with conviction about the misguided people in this world, but her herbs prevented him from doing so. But it did not prevent his jaw and whole body from tensing.
He slowly reached out from the tub to Heather Crown to emphasize his point. Heather Crown looked at him bewildered but nevertheless placed her hand in his, and in response, he guided her palm over his heart.
"You, milady, is nowhere close to a witch. You are a goddess sent down to this planet to make the world less painful."
"I would want nothing less for that," Heather whispered.
"You are already making my life less painful just by your mere presence."
Her heart was moved by his words. There were no more words exchanged between them until the conclusion. The mere presence of each other brought both of them a sense of calm that neither had felt in a long time.
With Heather's hand on his chest and his on top of her, Alexander lingered in the water for another forty-five minutes.
"All done." Heather Crown whispered, making him slowly open his eyes.
They gazed at each other for a few seconds before Heather Crown rose up to assist him in getting out of the tub. She aided him in drying his damp body and putting on his new clothes.
He did not lie to her when he said he was seeking a pearl because the instant his body felt hers and his eyes saw her after the blackness faded from his vision, he knew he had found his missing piece.
He discovered his pearl.
One glance at her, and he fell for her.