Chapter 339

Faint voices drifted from outside, indistinct and unintelligible. Soon, Reynaldo returned. My heart was slightly relieved to see no doctor trailing him. He carried a medical kit, which should have accompanied the doctor.

In a deep voice, he said, “You don’t want to see a doctor; there must be something you’re hiding.”

“I can’t wait a month longer,” I replied. “After we return to Freybourne, I’ll take you to the hospital for a full body checkup!”

I wanted to protest, opened my mouth, but no words came. It was a matter for later; I’d deal with it then. I closed my eyes, falling into a confused state. My body felt simultaneously immersed in a furnace and intensely cold.

After a time, Reynaldo half-embraced me, letting me rest against his chest. In one hand, he held a water cup; in the other, two capsules.

“Take the antipyretic to bring down your fever,” he instructed.

I shook my head, pushing away the capsules. Pregnant women cannot take certain medications.

Reynaldo’s face darkened. “You said you’d behave!” he said angrily.

“I want to drink water first,” I said, licking my chapped lips. I drank the water in one gulp.

He then took the capsules and swallowed them himself. The gloom on his face lifted. He helped me lie down, then retrieved more medicines from the cabinet. I quickly spat out the capsule and hid it under the bedside table while his back was turned.

Reynaldo took some ointment and sat at the foot of the bed. He placed my feet on his legs and said, without looking up, “This is frostbite medicine and some anti-inflammatory drugs. I’ll apply some for you.”

“Um,” I murmured softly before falling into a deep sleep.

I don't know how long I slept, but I grew colder and colder. Curled in the quilt, my whole body trembled. Suddenly, a burning body was enveloped in a cold embrace—skin to skin. I let out a comfortable sigh. Despite the cold, his cool chest against mine felt soothing.

He hugged me tightly, covered me with a blanket, and asked, “Are you still cold?”

I struggled to open my eyes and met Reynaldo’s dark gaze in a daze. He was very close, our noses nearly touching. Our breaths mingled, growing warmer. Suddenly, he kissed me.

My head spun; I instinctively responded. His lips were moist, warm, and soft, subtly sweet. The feeling was like cotton candy—soft, sticky, sweet… My consciousness drifted again.

I vaguely felt him biting my earlobe, gently, yet his words were harsh: “Go to sleep. I’ll clean you up when you’re better.”

I don’t know how long I slept. My head remained heavy and foggy. Someone touched my forehead.

Reynaldo’s voice immediately followed: “Why hasn’t the fever subsided yet? Take the medicine again. If it doesn’t work, we go to the hospital—you must go.”