Try Begging

Episode 246

Robert Fisher's visit to his wife in the hospital was just a day away. The deadline Nancy Wilkins had set for the release of my father was also just over a day away.

Leon had prepared plans for every possible scenario. The operation sites were expected to be near Winsford Asylum, where David Wilkins was located, and the northern border of Norden, where Braeton State Hospital and Nancy Wilkins had designated.

To narrow down the operation sites, David Wilkins was transferred to the northern asylum. They made the transfer quite noisy in case Nancy Wilkins was monitoring Winsford Asylum. That way, even if that rat was in the west, she would have no choice but to follow to the north.

Then the two moved to a hotel near Braeton State Hospital, where Fisher's visit was certain to take place.

Leon sat on a rug in front of the bathtub, leaning against the bathtub wall. His gaze did not leave Grace, who was standing in the shower, taking a hot shower.

Was she not closing the shower curtain out of habit from the torture chamber? Because of that, the bathroom quickly became humid. His shirt was damp, but Leon didn't take it off. He had been dealing with this kind of dampness all week. The anxiety that had plagued them both in the annex had clung to his skin and followed him all this way.

He wanted a drink, but he gave up the idea because an unexpected situation might arise that required a clear mind.

The sound of the water stopped. Leon got up and approached Grace. He handed her a towel and scanned her body for bruises and wounds, meeting her eyes. He grinned, pretending to enjoy the view, but Grace rolled her eyes. If you're going to look, then cover it.

However, Grace only wrapped the towel around her head before wrapping it around her body. It seemed like an unintentional action, and it was somewhat irritating.

As Grace stood in front of the sink, Leon stepped back. She unwrapped the towel from her head and began to dry her wet hair. Her hair was a dark brown, not a bright gold.

Over the past few days, Grace had been repeating the cycle of holding on and then breaking down. Leon had watched countless times as she slumped over like a corpse and then suddenly stood up, burning with the will to live.

Yesterday, she suddenly asked me to buy hair dye because she said her hair, which was dark at the roots and light at the ends, was a mess. Leon had his maid bring over a color that matched Grace's natural hair.

"Ellie will be disappointed," Grace muttered as she dried her hair.

"Not at all," Leon murmured, gathering a handful of her dark brown hair, which was now even darker from the water, and pressing it to his lips. "You look good in anything, but I like you best when you're not all dressed up."

Grace frowned at the man in the mirror.

"You're most bearable when you're being a haughty, sarcastic jerk."

"Are you shy, my dear?"

The man chuckled and whispered in her ear, causing Grace to flinch and throw the wet towel at his face.

"You have a rather violent way of showing shyness."

The man tossed the towel into a basket and opened a pouch on the shelf above the sink. Inside were ointments and bandages.

He examined Grace's pinky finger, applied ointment where the nail should be, and wrapped it thickly in gauze. This was just the beginning of the doctor's game he played twice a day.

The man sighed softly, holding up the ointment jar as he stared at Grace's reflection in the mirror.

"Ellie will be surprised."