the red apple (lady dimitrescu x fem)

III

Hours later, I awoke to a cold hand over my forehead. I half-opened one of my eyes and the three daughters were watching over me, but none had the back of their hand on my forehead.

I turned my head slightly and the Lady's face was very close to my own, she was bent over, lightly putting the back of her hand on my forehead then switching to her palm.

"No, darlings, I don't believe she has a fever." she said, quietly.

"Mother, you're sure? Daniela seemed positive." one of the daughters exclaimed, worryingly.

"Yes, mother. She was sweating when we first walked in." another said.

The Lady got up and looked at the fireplace. "I presume it's only the fire. It's too hot in here, either way." she said, then switched her view towards another of the daughters. "Tone it down a bit, dear.", the daughter nodded and went out of my own view towards the fireplace behind me.

I rubbed my eyes and opened them completely and the Lady looked down at me. "Oh, I apologize." she warmly said, in a sort of whispering tone.

"Daughters, may we leave y/n to rest?" she said to the girls, all of them suddenly looking down at me too.

They smiled, one opened her mouth to say something: "But mother!-"

"Doves, each of you will get all the time to speak to her another time. I understand your excitement to talk to a human, and such a great one too, but please, allow her to rest. I'm sure it's overwhelming for her." she said, slowly walking towards the daughters.

They all hesitantly agreed and nodded, "Yes, mother." they said, now looking up at her standing in front of them.

I closed my eyes and rubbed them, hearing footsteps then a door to my left close. I opened my eyes and only the Lady was in the room, closing the door behind them.

She walked around the table and went to open
the door to her own bedroom, I quickly got up,
"Wait, uhh, Lady Dimitrescu?" I said.

She turned towards me and looked down at me, laying down on the couch. She slightly smiled, "Yes, dear?"

"Can- no.. Uh, I don't know how to.. say it." I stuttered and mumbled.

She came towards the couch and I moved my knees up, she sat down at the end of it and held my ankle through the blanket with her hand, gently and quickly brushing her hand up and down from the side of my ankle to my calf.

"It's alright, dear, what do you need?" she asked.

I looked down at her hand and got butterflies. What if she just went a bit higher up, between my thighs? I thought to myself, blushing. This is crazy. My thoughts are crazy.

"Y/n?" she said, noticing I was distracted. I looked back up at her. "What is it?" she asked.

Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it, don't say it, don't say it, don't say it.

"Can you- uh- stay? In here, with me?" I asked, fuck, I said it.

She stopped moving her hand up and down, from my ankle and up, then back down, and lightly squeezed the area slightly above my ankle to comfort me.

She smiled, tilting her head slightly to the side and scrunching her eyebrows. "I'm sorry, dear, I mustn't-", she said, me interrupting her. "Right- sorry, that was stupid either way. I don't know why I said that. I'm sorry." I said, embarrassed.

She moved her hand away from my leg, "You can go, sorry again." I said.

She nodded and got up, walking to her bedroom door then opening the doors, bending over and closing the door behind her. My eyes kept moving, one second I was watching her leave, the next I was looking down at the floor and trying to be respectful.

I've come to the conclusion that I probably have a concussion to be acting like this. My thoughts are shameful, really. I don't understand them myself.

I turned and sat on the couch. I should move around this place a bit. I can't just lay around all the time.

I slowly stood up and felt a dull pain throughout my side. I put a hand on the area which hurt and carefully arched my back to stretch it out. I grunted, quietly, then continued to walk.

I stood before the door and slowly opened it, a light creak escaping it. I walked into the hallway, turning left then seeing another door.

I opened it to a bigger area with stairs leading up to, what I suppose, is the main hall.

I'm almost positive those are the same stairs I was dragged up and the same stairs the Lady walked up, only a few hours prior.

I carefully went up the stairs, making sure I don't hurt myself. The same chandelier I looked up at while on the floor was hanging from the ceiling.

A fireplace with a fire slowly dying out was in front of two couches, opposite from each other.

I looked to my left, more stairs. On the railings of the stairs were a lot of candles, lighting up the path.

Farther, straight ahead, there was a double-door with giggling on the other side of it. I walked towards it and the giggling suddenly stopped, then a swarm of flies appeared, right in front of the door and moving to my direction.

I forgot, the daughters have been excited to speak to me.