Villain, Let Me Touch You! - Chapter 35
I could feel Helios cheering me on without saying a word. There was no need for conversation in the exchange of support. Still, it wasn’t awkward, and the air in the room circulated gently.
The clamor of all the attention faded and all I could hear was the sound of sand flowing from the hourglass I had turned over to check the time. I let the time pass in silence. It was the first time in a long time that I’d been able to escape my thoughts.
As time passed, my palms began to sweat. I glanced at the hourglass. The last handful of sand trickled down from the 30-minute hourglass.
“It’s done!” I exclaimed, releasing my hand.
As if he had just awakened from a nap, Helios looked startled, staring at the hourglass.
“Indeed, it’s done,” he said, sounding a little disappointed, and flipped the hourglass back over.
“Let’s see how long the effects of holding hands for 30 minutes last.”
“I hope it lasts a long time,” I said sincerely.
***
Sadly, the effect of the 30-minute hand-holding faded after two hours. The pain came on surprisingly quickly.
“Ah, it hurts so much!” I screamed, clawing at the sheets.
The pain was similar to a hangover the day after a night of drinking. My vision was spinning. I felt nauseous even though I had already thrown up, and my head was throbbing.
Helios took my hand again, and the pain slowly subsided. However, it took another 30 minutes for the pain to completely disappear.
“We need to make contact before the pain sets in.”
I unconsciously nodded in agreement. Preventing pain was a great discovery and plan.
“Like a shot, huh?”
“Something similar. How’s the pain?”
“It’s all gone.”
“Shall we continue the experiment?”
For Helios’s sake and my own, I had better find a way to make it work.
“Let’s do another experiment using our hands. If it lasts two hours in half an hour, then mathematically it should last four hours in an hour. Let’s see if that’s right.”
“Good idea.”
Helios climbed onto my bed again. As I contemplated placing the cushion between us, I found myself caught in a dilemma.
Could we really hold hands for an hour? Sitting in one position for that long would be a challenge.
I glanced quietly at Helios, who despite recovering his health, seemed a bit tired these past few days. He didn’t easily show fatigue, but it seemed like he had been paying more attention to me lately.
He might end up with dark circles at this rate.
We had worked so hard to get his skin back to its baby-fresh glow! Keep it up, milky Helios!
“Your Highness, would you like to lie down?”
Helios’s eyes widened, and a shimmer of red flickered in his pupils. He seemed taken aback by the suggestion, making me feel awkward for proposing it.
“Sitting and holding hands for an hour can be tough. So, let’s lie down.” I spoke cheerfully, patting the bed. I exerted more force than intended, and a cloud of dust arose from the mattress.
“Alright then.”
He wore a contented half-smile. Helios waved his hand to dispel the dust, then gracefully stretched out on the bed. Despite his nonchalant tone, his movement felt rigid, almost like a piece of lumber.
Why am I feeling so embarrassed? I’m making things awkward.
I lay down next to him, rubbing my heated ears.
“Hand,” he said.
This time he reached out to me first. I cautiously placed my hand in his. The difference in size between our hands was so obvious when they overlapped like this. I would only be exaggerating a little when I say that he could have enveloped my hand entirely in his.
He had big hands, he was tall, he had big feet… What else was big? Everything about him was big.
A rustling sound made me turn my head, and there was Helios, flipping the half-hour hourglass.
“Already?”
Maybe because we were lying down, time passed more quickly than it had earlier. Moments later, I awoke to a gentle touch.
“Did I fall asleep?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.
Helios responded with a soft chuckle. Letting go of my hand, he slid down the bed and pressed my shoulder as I tried to follow suit.
“Keep sleeping. I’ll handle the time check.”
“I can do it too. Let me try.”
“Patients should rest. That’s what you used to say. Get some rest. That’s how you get well.”
He had a point, so I quietly lay back down.
“Sleep well, Rienna.”
Helios pulled the covers up and walked away. I continued my half-awake slumber, thinking.
Hopefully, this time, the effect will last longer.
