His Reason

Chapter 22

Prima opens her eyes to the sound of a keyboard clicking. 

"You're awake."

"yea-yeah" she stammers as she sits up.

Eiser looked at her and kissed her lip, "I made dinner already, let's go wash our hands."

 She nods and mindlessly follows him like a person with no soul. Her heart still hurt. She didn't understand why she had to feel the pain the novel Prima went through, in every scene, she felt that it was her going through it. 

Eiser noticed her low spirit, he took her hand, and applied soap to it, "Bad dream?"

"Yea ..."

Looking at him again, she feels so uncomfortable. "mhm."

"It is just a dream, don't let it ruin your mood alright?"

"mhm."

Eiser didn't say too much, seeing that she wouldn't wash her hand, he took her hand and gently rubbed and cleaned her hand. He then led her to the dinner table. On the table were meat dumplings and a hot soup. 

Her health had improved so much that he would cook her favorite meals these days. She only sleeps now because she likes to not because of her illness. She also didn't show symptoms of the illness anymore. Eiser in appreciation bought Aiden Winter a research island and even funded the future research that Aiden Winter plans to conduct.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, seeing she didn't even touch the fork. 

Prima quickly shakes her head and stuffs her mouth with a dumpling. 

Even if he was unhappy with her behavior, the sight of her face stuffed with a dumpling was cute enough for his mood to not go downhill. They ate in silence until Prima put down her utensil. Eiser's hand also stops moving at the same time she stops eating. 

"I'll wash the dishes," he said.

"Oh okay," she murmured and awkwardly stood behind the chair, not knowing what to do.

Watching Eiser disappear into the kitchen, she sighed a little and went to the bathroom to clear her head. Her dream didn't reveal the part where she was tortured by Eiser but just witnessing the novel Prima getting strangled, she was so scared. She could've been in that place. 

As she washed her hands, she wondered why that specific dream. Does that dream mean anything significant to this body that she possessed? Prima was very anxious and scared that she'd have more dreams. She was so scared of Eiser's cold eyes, especially his crazed gaze. 

The dumpling tasted good and the hot soup Eiser made was so delicious, that she wished she had tasted a few more sips before forcing herself to stop. But if she didn't stop, Prima knew she'd eventually spill everything, which would hurt his heart. She was also very uncomfortable in her heart every time he looked at her. 

There was no reason to feel like this because Eiser is very good to her and she wasn't the novel Prima. She was angry with herself and blamed the body instead because she didn't want to feel this way. 

Suddenly the door flew and hit the bathroom wall. Prima screams in shock and falls to the ground. When she looked up, her entire body froze. Eiser's eyes, it was just like in her dream. 

"I- I"

He picks her up and pin her against the wall. He didn't allow her to speak and kiss her roughly. She struggled too much so he dropped to the floor with her and laid her on the ground before hovering over her. 

"Eise-"

He seized her mouth again and continued to kiss her. 

When she lost all her energy and became very weak, he finally said with a hint of coldness, "Why were you washing your hands for fifteen minutes?"

Her eyes immediately became teary, "none of your business!"

Eiser takes her hand and raises it, "Look at your hand, if I didn't come in, wouldn't you slowly boil it with the running water?"

Only when he said it that she felt a painful sensation on her hand. She looked at it and became more scared. The mirror was very foggy, the bathroom felt hot, and the scariest of all, both of her hands were bright red. 

She unconsciously increased the hot water while she was mindlessly washing her hands. 

"Eiser!" she cries and looks at her hands with a horrified expression, "my hand hurts! It hurt! Eiser! What if I have to amputate it!"

"Don't scare yourself," he sighs and carries her to the living room. 

They argued back and forth because she didn't want him to treat her hand in fear of more accidents. He wasn't a doctor, how would he know how to safely treat her hand without accidentally causing it to become infected, if then wouldn't her hand have to be cut off?

It didn't take long for the doctor to arrive at their doorstep.

The doctor takes out a soothing ointment and gives it to Eiser. 

"The burn is minor and it isn't a first-degree scald burn thankfully. However, it should feel harrowing for a while since they are in this appearance. This is a specialized gauze for wound care," he said and took out a white package. 

Prima couldn't help but cry and complain about the pain when Eiser applied the ointment to her hand. The pain was manageable but every time Eiser touched her, it didn't feel like a burn, rather the skin of her hand was being peeled off. 

...

Prima didn't go to sleep peacefully. She could only cry herself to sleep because she couldn't endure the pain.

"What did I do in your little dream?" he said as he slowly traced her lip with his index finger. She was like an open book, very easy to read so he knew how she looked at him with fear. Her mind was weak and easy to manipulate too. If not, how could a mere dream affect her this much? 

How can he make her not fear him? Although it is just a dream, this is serious because she is different from other people. She grew up pampered and having everything with a word and no one taught her to mature. She didn't know the world because she was so sheltered. No access to social media or friendships beyond one girl who she doesn't even talk to anymore. 

It was so easy for her mind to be corrupted. 

He listened to her soft breathing and found some comfort in it. He went to the bathroom and took a long cold shower to ease his mind better. When he came out, he heard her whimpering so he walked over to see that her eyes were still closed. 

She was still dreaming.