CHAPTER 153: SILENT VULNERABILITY

Raven knew something now—after the punch he had given to that guard, which he wasn’t supposed to. He was certain he could do anything just for her to stay by his side, and he knew he was in deep risk. He was the risk. He knew he would risk himself, knowing that sooner or later, they would find out she was a mermaid.

At first, he had simply told himself the reason he allowed her in was because she was a mermaid, and it would be better if he kept a close eye on her as he could not send her away.

She was also helpful because she understood the foreign language they did not. But as time passed, he kept ignoring the main reason. Today proved he could not ignore any longer. It wasn’t like he had never killed before—he had killed lots of people. But never had he punched his own man, his own werewolves. He wasn’t even the type to take things seriously.

He felt her hands rub softly through his hair as he slowly caressed it. His face pressed against her lower flat stomach.

"Raven, are you crying?" he heard her voice, and his face flushed lightly. A drop of tear had left his eyes, and it seemed this little mermaid of his had sensed it. He cleared his throat as he straightened his face and slowly pulled away.

He raised his head up at her and pretended to be clueless.

"Who is crying?" he asked as Pandora lowered her gaze to meet his. She giggled softly at his words as she pursed her lips with a pout.

"I thought you were crying," she said softly, giving him a pointed yet worried gaze as if she had been mistaken.

Raven stood calmly, managing to keep his expression steady and unbothered.

"Go and sit there, I am coming," he spoke, and Pandora nodded. She did not know what he was planning to tell her something she wondered deeply—yet she chose to stay silent and wait.

Raven entered the bathroom and moved toward the sink to wash his hands. He had been so careful, making sure he did not touch her with the blood on his hands. He rinsed them well, then cleaned his hands with the hand towel.

Moving toward the cabinet on the other side, he opened it and took a clean towel. He held it as he opened the bathroom door and noticed she was still sitting there, waiting for him. A soft smile curved on her lips when their eyes met.

Pandora wondered why Raven was holding a towel, but she was just glad he came. She had missed him already and had been thinking about what he was planning to tell her.

Raven walked toward her and placed the dry towel on her, beginning to dry it. Pandora’s lips parted in surprise. She had not expected that at all.

Her lips curled up in both surprise and happiness as she felt his hands gently and soothingly drying her hair.

"Make sure your hair is properly dry, Dora. You don’t want to catch a cold, do you?" he asked calmly.

Pandora shook her head gently, and a smirk formed on his lips. He made sure to be extra gentle.

"B...but I wanted to make sure you were fine. When you are sad, I am sad too," she spoke softly yet sincerely.

Raven’s hands halted at her words. His eyes flashed with something unspoken, and his grin widened.

"You know, if you are ever tired and want to dry your hair, I am here. You could ask me," he spoke calmly.

Pandora turned to look up at him, her bright eyes flashing with excitement. The way she turned so quickly...if Raven had not been faster, he would have pulled her hair that he was drying. She had been so excited about his words that she failed to realize he was still drying her hair.

"Really, so you mean anytime?" she asked again to make sure. Raven simply nodded. She smiled widely, clapping her hands happily before sitting back. Raven continued cleaning her.

After some minutes of care, a soft knock came from the door. Raven stood and walked to open it. The maid arrived with a food cart, of course specially requested by Raven.

"I will take things from here," he spoke calmly. The maid nodded and left. He pushed the cart inside and, after dropping the towel, he walked over and placed it near the middle wooden table in the room.

Pandora’s stomach growled softly. She had been thinking so much about Raven that she forgot she was hungry. A smile graced her lips as she stood and walked over to the wooden table with the bench. Raven opened the food cart, placing the meal plate, a plate of fruit, a jug, and a glass on the table.

"Go ahead and eat, Dora."

Just as he was about to move, she held his sleeve. She looked up at him and then spoke softly.

"Eat with me."

Raven fell speechless as he stared at her. He cleared his throat gently before speaking calmly.

"You need enough, so I will just watch you eat."

He walked over and sat beside her. Pandora smiled, taking a spoonful of the fried rice. As she ate, her face lit up with pure joy. Raven could not help but stare. In his opinion, she was like a shooting star—something that could only be admired from afar, and if lucky, reached. But sometimes, no matter how much one tried, it could never be reached.

His thoughts were interrupted as he noticed the spoon now pointed toward his mouth. Did she want to feed him? He hadn’t expected that at all. She smiled at him and spoke softly, yet convincingly.

"Say ah."

She spoke as if he were a little child. Raven’s ears burned lightly as he cleared his throat, trying to bring back his calm expression. But he couldn’t quite believe it. Slowly, he opened his mouth.

He chewed quietly, and when he glanced at her, he noticed the excited look in her eyes. His lips curved mischievously—was the food tastier because she had fed him?

"How does it taste?" she asked softly, staring at him with genuine curiosity.

Raven looked at her, fighting the urge to smile. She really treated everything so significantly, as if every little detail mattered.

"Very tasty and delicious," he answered.

She smiled softly, her lips curving upward. Raven smirked—he didn’t know why, but this woman looked just too adorable.

She kept eating and feeding him, and he did not mind. In fact, he took it with the greatest pleasure. When they were finished, he poured a glass of water for her. Pandora took it and gulped softly, then handed it back to him. Raven drank as well, and as he gulped, she stared at his Adam’s apple moving up and down.

Finally, Raven stood. He carried the plates back to the cart. After he was done, he wheeled it outside and left it by the side of the door. The maid would come to take it away early in the morning.

He walked back in, went to the wardrobe, and took out a top and pants. Just as he was about to enter the bathroom, he noticed she was still waiting there. He turned and spoke.

"You may go to bed now. I’m guessing that was what you were planning to do before I came inside."

He entered and closed the door behind him.

Pandora walked toward the desk and arranged her papers, placing the typewriter neatly in place. A small smile curled on her lips—she was going to wait for him to come back. Then he would sing her a lullaby to sleep. The thought made her giggle softly. She could imagine how it would be if he really did, and now she couldn’t wait at all.

After putting her things in place, she gently climbed into the bed. Usually, a pillow was placed in the middle because Raven worried she might feel uncomfortable if it wasn’t there.

But tonight, she arranged it herself. Pandora scooted back and then jumped lightly onto the bed, squealing softly as she rolled over. After a while, she settled into her lane and lay down patiently waiting.

Finally, Raven came out, a towel in his hands as he dried his hair. Pandora sat up and patted the bed. Raven was surprised—he hadn’t thought she’d still be awake. Her excitement almost made him chuckle.

He walked toward the bed and climbed in, sitting down.

"Give me the towel. I will be the one drying your hair," she said.

Raven handed her the towel. She took it calmly, knelt on the bed, and began drying his hair.

After a minute, Pandora finally spoke. She had been holding herself back. Moving closer, she hugged him from behind. Raven stilled as his head pressed against the softness of her chest, her arms gently wrapped around his neck.

"Could you sing me a lullaby?" she asked softly.

Raven turned speechless.