For the next couple of days, Seraphina, frankly speaking, was paranoid. It got to the point wherein any second now, she expects the Headmistress to barge inside her room, pulling her hair, calling her such names.

Not only is the man she swore herself not to meddle with bunkered in her chamber, but she was also frightened at the idea of the Headmistress finding it all out, expelling her.

Imagine ascertaining a so-called-respectable gentleman sleeping in her bed all day long, asking for this and that.

Acting all mighty and all.

Zachary, due to his gun wounds, cannot, or so he said, walk all by himself, leaving Seraphina no choice but to let him stay in her room.

Seraphina's original plan was to hail a carriage, driving this wounded man off back to Colchester but I'm afraid our heroine has no such heart to do so.

That left the poor maiden to play nurse towards the playing ill. Her job includes spoon-feeding him three times a day, reasoning he has no energy to blow the hot soup or even grab the glass of water with his frail hands.

Sitting beside Zachary, one hand holding a bowl of potato soup and the other a spoon, completely feeding Zachary like an infant.

Zachary was, of course, all smiles to the point one might think his face will tear.

He even requested for a back massage. Who does that?

Obviously, Seraphina, despite having no clue how to properly massage someone, was left with no choice but to oblique him.

She would be lying if she said walking down his back as a back massage did not cross her mind. But look, she was stuck with giving him back rubs and had to suffer through his extra request.

He even dared to ask her to sing in the midst of the night while Seraphina was at the foot of the bed, reading.

Looking up from her book, Seraphina had a sudden urge to smack the book in his head. Instead, she pretended not to hear such a thing.

The opportunistic man let out a soft sigh, "Come on, study shows singing could fasten one's recovery,"

Rolling her heavenwards, Seraphina is not one to fall into ridiculous traps. "well, study shows book smacking can fasten one's death,"

That alone earned her a chuckle from Zachary whom she thought will finally shut up but no, he kept on bugging her for the next hours.

Both of them came up with a truce, agreeing they could share the bed as long as there's a divider between them- a mere pillow.

Besides, truth be told, Zachary was well aware he is the only heat source of Seraphina. Due to the constant downpour, every night seems so cold.

"That won't stop me," uttered Zachary, his lips brushing over Seraphina's earlobe, her cheeks turning into red.

And so, during his stay, every morning, Seraphina would wake up around the arms of Zachary, his chin on top of her head, her head against his chest, her fingers clutching his poor shirt which she washed yesterday. What made it all awkward was how her arm and even her leg slumped over him.

As soon as she realized the horror of it, Seraphina pulled the covers up to her head, hiding though she cannot deny how much she wants to seek his warm arms again since it is, indeed, freezing.

Seraphina was forced to digest the smirks Zachary would give her every single morning.

Dear God, little does the damsel in distress know, Zachary is all okay now as if he was not shot two times the other night.

Nevertheless, Zachary continued the sick little charade, acting all wound up whenever Seraphina is not in a class, glued inside her chamber with Zachary.

On day three, Zachary, who seems to not be recovering from his wounds, or so he insisted, was persisted by Seraphina to consult a doctor.

Frankly speaking, they knew how both of them loathe the idea of doctors for it brings such memories one would rather forget. First with Seraphina's parents whom she lost at such a young age, next was Zachary's parents and there's Dorian. With that, Zachary was stunned when Seraphina bothered suggesting one.

Zachary, at the mention of the doctor, sat straight in Seraphina's bed, abruptly shook his head, "I'll be better in the next couple of days, Sep,"

Closing her eyes for a moment due to the inappropriate deed of the man before her calling her by her Christian name once again, Seraphina found herself, let's just say, amiable.

Seraphina slept in her chair, one evening, there were no classes so she stayed solely in her chamber, reading a book or two, stunned to see a warm blanket over her shoulders, and that's when she knew something was amiss.

Emerald eyes wandering around the room, her mind could perfectly recall how he stated he cannot stand up.

With that, how come he managed to drape a blanket over her, a few steps away from the bed he now lays. Unless a bunch of birds magically appeared inside her room, kind-heartedly used their beaks to warm her up.

Sitting in the chair straight, suspicious eyes surveying the man before her who stares back at her, Seraphina was on the verge of opening her plump lips, confronting him when he raced her off with a loud consecutive grunt.

And so, Seraphina was, once again, playing nurse. Zachary kept rubbing his wounds, saying he couldn't take it anymore.

Seraphina couldn't imagine this man before her as a drama queen. However, at the end of the day, she obliques everything he requested.

Tell you, even changing his shirt, it was her responsibility. Frankly speaking, at first, it was all supposed to be his full attire but our maiden in distress couldn't take it anymore after stripping his shirt.

She was blushing, hard. Her face now parallels a tomato. Seraphina, her eyes closed in humiliation, threw the cloth she bought yesterday downtown at him, storming out of the room.

Her ears picking the sound of his chuckles as she shut the door hard, her back against the door, her hands covering her face, her cheeks red.

During class, Seraphina couldn't really focus much since her mind kept on drifting back to the man hidden inside her room.

Wincing as the memory of yesterday pops into her mind. It was humiliating, every single second of it.

Traveled all by herself to the town's market sans the Headmistress' permission solely to purchase a set of clothes for Zachary.

The whole time at the men's shop, her heart was hammering in nervousness and embarrassment since it seemed like, looking around, she's the only girl there.

What's worse, she completely made herself a laughing stock for when the staff approached her, she got tongue-tied.

The man, probably in his mid-forties, his suit well ironed, his raven hair waxed, surveyed her from head to toe with such curious gape. He then introduced himself as Ivan Whitley.

Why wouldn't it be? It's not typical for an unmarried woman like her to barge into a shop such as this. The last time she went here, she was 18, all innocent and all regarding the norms. She could perfectly remember buying Dorian a suit.

Clearing his throat, "Anything caught your attention?", asked Mr. Whitley, his hands behind him.

Eyes wandering around the room, across the hundreds of shirts and trousers to choose from, Seraphina confirmed men's shopping is as complicated as women's.

"Three shirts and trousers would be nice," replied Seraphina, flashing such an awkward smile to Mr. Whitley whose brow just lifted up.

"What size, Madame?"

That question caused Seraphina to have a mental breakdown. She began uttering profanity to herself in her very mind for how stupid she is. How could someone not know the size of the clothes they'll be buying?

At the back of her mind, the image of a topless Zachary began to emerge.

Seraphina blushed, how in the world would that image of him enter her mind? She only saw him topless a couple of times compared to his traditional shirts which she saw him in ever since day one.

Mr. Whitley, it seems like is growing impatient at her, with that, Seraphina simply pointed a man, a helper in the store, saying, "His size would do,"

Surveying the man, probably the same age as Zachary, in the corner, satisfied as Seraphina knew Zachary shares the same build as him.

"Oh, he's fit, then," muttered Mr. Whitney, disappearing from the room for a second.

Mr. Whitley, after a few moments, flashed three sets of carefully folded clothes before her, saying all these are comfortable for her husband.

At the mention of that, Seraphina, once again, fought back the urge to blush, was on the verge of denying it when she realized it would be more complicated when she was ascertained purchasing such clothes for a man she has no relationship with.

And so, Seraphina simply rolled with the storekeeper who then offered her underwear.

Eyes wide, panic rising within her, Seraphina was about to frantically shake her head but it was too late for a set of underwear now lay before her.

She cannot imagine the look of Zachary when he rummaged into the bag, ascertaining how not only did she buy him shirts, underwear as well.

Seraphina could bet the heavens that fella would spend the rest of the day smirking at her. Such a sight would just turn her into a walking tomato.

"Why don't you avail these as well, Madame, you wouldn't want to keep your husband sad with just shirts and trousers, right?"

Eyes glued everywhere except the unmentionables, Seraphina abruptly nodded. At this point, she is willing to spend a grand just to end her misery.

After paying, Seraphina hurriedly stormed out of the store, ears picking up the elated farewell of Mr. Whitney, saying, "Bring your husband next time you shop, Madame,"

What happened back there was worth a year of humiliation. Seraphina swore to herself to never ever walk past that store.

Even going back to her chamber in the boarding school was pure misery. Zachary teased her about it, of course.

"I could change into these right now if you want," suggested Zachary, lifting the unmentionables in the air.

Sinking down into her chair, Seraphina fought back the strong urge to hide in the corner, "No, thank you,"

Both of them knew it would be Seraphina changing him.

"Later tonight then," teased Zachary, winking at her.

Fortunately (or unfortunately), she did not catch such sight of Zachary in the newly acquired clothes that night for she raced to the bed, pulling the covers to her head, pretending to sleep until she completely dozed off for real.

Well, of course, she did all these after making sure Zachary is pampered. Had his dinner, and tell you, even his midnight snack, and was given a shoulder massage and a hair massage.

Seraphina was fished from her memory at the sound of the bell, startling her for a second.

Jumping from her seat, readying her pens and journals, Seraphina went her way back to her room, back to Zachary.

However, just as she was in the hallway across her chamber, what stood before her almost made her faint right in her very spot.

It was no other than the Headmistress, keys in one hand, the other twisting the doorknob, hammering Sersphina's heart on and on.

Racing towards the Headmistress to halt her, she knew it was already too late for the Headmistress was also inside her chamber, inspecting it.

Of all days and time, why would the Headmistress have her surprise inspection?

As soon as Seraphina got to her room, beads of sweat rolling down her temple, hands trembling, lips quivering, she blocked the Headmistress from ascertaining the man in her bed.

The second Seraphina stepped foot inside her chamber, it beguiles her how Zachary is nowhere in sight. Considering his suspicious 'I-can't-walk' act, he should be laying in bed.

Shaking her head, Seraphina shouldn't doubt him, instead, thank the heavens for giving Zachary such brains to act fast.

However, Seraphina knew Zachary was still within her room, that alone still caused her heart to race.

Seraphina, ready to do what it takes from the Headmistress to spell her for letting a man stay inside her room, began blocking the Headmistress.

The Headmistress, lifting her brows, stared down at her through her glasses, "Move, child,"

However, Seraphina remained persistent. "The girls and I are having tea, care to join?"

The Headmistress, it seems like, doesn't particularly buy her lie for she shook her head, "go ahead, I'll head along later,"

That left Seraphina no choice, she used the forbidden tactic. And so, back facing the Headmistress, she bit her tongue hard and pinched herself, forcing her tears to appear to get on with her act.

She even alternates between hiccuping and sobbing, not a second after that, the Headmistress grew concerned.

"What's the matter, child?" Her frail hand patted Seraphina's back.

Before answering, Seraphina let a staged tear fall down, "It's just that, I know you know how I don't have any friends here. The girls invited me to a tea party with them as long as I bring you along but now I can't have friends because you're not cooperating,"

After that, the Headmistress who seemed disturbed for a moment was left with no choice but to halt her surprise inspection, proceeding downstairs to join the girls.

Seraphina, whose face is now red, fresh from crying, continued her act saying she'll just fix herself for a minute.

Less than a minute later, the Headmistress left the chamber, leaving Seraphina and Zachary, who right after the door flew shut, emerge under the bed.

His blond hair unruly, stall standing up in different directions, his eyebags slowly clearing, wearing the clothes she bought him.

Rolling her eyes heavenwards, Seraphina knew Zachary any moment now would make fun of her judging from that stupid smirk painted on his face.

"Not a word," warned Seraphina, eyes threatening.

Both hands lifting, surrendering, Zachary just flashed another smirk making Seraphima's inside turn.

All Seraphina could do is throw the pillow at him in frustration, earning a chuckle from Zachary.