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Hyde woke up early the next morning. The Dojo was very quiet. He used the extra time to wash up.

Itaria had an intricate pipe system, but because the Dojo belonged to Arnest's grandfather, it didn't have an ideal way to take a shower, like the newer buildings on their street. But it did its job.

Hyde turned off the faucet and grabbed a towel from one of the bins. He wiped himself and put on a pair of baggy pants, before throwing the towel over his head to dry his hair.

Then he quickly brushed his teeth and slid the doors open. He froze when he noticed Harper's body lying lifelessly on the concrete.

Did she stay in the living room and sleep? He didn't notice her when he walked into the bathroom. He strolled over casually, thinking she was probably on the ground looking for something.

But when her body was in full view, a small twinge of worry hammered in his chest. She looked as if she were dead.

"You'd better not have..." He mumbled.

Hyde grabbed her wrist and relaxed when he felt a pulse. But the worry didn't disappear completely. Her arms, no, her entire body was very warm.

She was burning up.

"Hey," Hyde shook her shoulders. "Hey!" He shook her again, trying to wake her up but she didn't respond.

Harper's eyes squinted and she drifted into consciousness slowly. "Huh?" A strained groan left her. Her voice sounded deep and grainy.

Hyde placed his hand on her head to confirm whether she had a fever or not. Sure enough, she had one, a really bad one.

"Shite..." Hyde seethed. "You're Sick. Get up and quarantine in the bedroom. I don't want your germs spreading around."

Harper coughed. "Okay."

"I thought you were dead," Hyde growled. "Clean yourself up. Why are you just sitting there?"

Harper slumped over as her head throbbed. Hyde was about to say something else but a loud knock to the front door caught his attention. He walked over and opened it.

A look of shock spread on his face.

Gidone, one of the shopkeepers from the market, was standing there with a package tucked between her arm and side. She tilted her head and began to tease him.

"What's with the daze, Hydeous? Hello? You there?"

"I wasn't expecting you."

"Ah. I wasn't expecting to be here either but Pops made me deliver this to you. Your bestie ordered them." Gidone grinned. "How's your wifey, anyhow?"

"She's doing fine. Hand it over." Hyde waved his hand forward to take the package, but Gidone snatched it away.

"Ah ah! What? No tip for my troubles?"

"I wasn't the one who asked you to deliver it. Quit playing, give it to me before I slit your throat."

"Woah! You're handing out threats for breakfast! Who aggravated the Wicked Man of the West? Did you argue with your wife?"

"Gidone," Hyde breathed and massaged the bridge of his nose, feeling a migraine coming.

A loud set of coughs followed and Gidone looked over Hyde's shoulder, curious about the horrible sound.

She saw Harper on the floor, leaning over the coffee table, clutching onto it as if her health depended on it. "Woah... she looks, I mean... just, yikes!"

"You really caught me at a bad time..." Hyde grabbed the package.

"She's got the Itarian Blumes. I recognize that kind of cough anywhere."

"What an interesting observation, bye," Hyde stepped back and closed the door.

Gidone shoved her foot in and pushed it open, managing to move Hyde away from it.

"Do you even know how to treat it?"

"What?" Hyde clenched his jaw.

"Of course you don't. From what I hear, everyone says you've never caught the Blumes ever. Your immune system must be overseerlike." Gidone skipped over to Harper and crouched. "Hey, hon! How are you feeling—"

Harper wheezed and Gidone scrunched up her face in disgust. "Gee, it ain't doing you any good. First time?"

"I... I can't move..." Harper voiced, weakly.

"Yeah, unfortunately, numb legs come with the sickness. But hey, that's what happens when you go waltzing around at night in the cold Itarian air. The Blumes will strike you."

"She doesn't need anything," Hyde stepped in, "I'll take care of it."

"He's right, I'm fine,"

"You two are childish." Gidone placed her hands on her hips. "Don't refuse my help. Listen girlie, your husband doesn't know a darn thing about your sickness. If I leave you in his care, you may not make it to tomorrow."

"Gidone,"

"Don't Gidone me, Hydeous! You know it's true! Pick her up and lay her on..." Gidone peeked into the bedroom beside her. She noticed 2 cushions on the floor beside each other.

"Geez... you still haven't decorated this place? What's the 2 sleeping bags for?" She opened the door completely. "Are y'all having problems? Relationship issues? Have you lost your touch, Hyde? Are you having some issues down there?"

The question made Hyde's blood boil, and yet his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. While it had been a few weeks since he'd been with a woman, he knew very well what his capabilities were.

"That's none of your business,"

"We've got some medicine for that at the stop. Actually, I may have some on me—"

Hyde scooped Harper into his arms and shoved Gidone away from the door. "Enough,"

"I guess I struck a nerve," Gidone chortled softly.

He nudged the mat with his foot and placed Harper on top of it. Then he began folding Harper's arms in a way through her sleeve, trying to take off her shirt.

Although she was sick, she still had a little bit of strength to grab onto him. "What are you doing?" She groaned.

"If Gidone is right,"

"Which I am!"

Hyde rolled his eyes, "If you have the Blumes, you need to keep as little layers on as possible. This shirt is too big for you."

"I don't want to!"

"Do you have an undershirt you can wear?"

Harper flinched when Hyde raised her shirt. His question was answered when he saw a fitted-cropped tank top underneath. No wonder she was burning up.

"Don't you touch me!"

"I thought it was a regular cold," Hyde grunted. "Itarian Blumes is more serious. So if you want to get better, I have to touch you."

"No!" Harper squirmed, but her movement was short-lived when exhaust took over her.

"Well, whaddya know. I guess you do know a bit about the Blumes,"

"I may not have caught it, but I've had to take care of Arnest several times when he did." Hyde removed Harper's shirt and fixed the tank top on her shoulders.

"What happened to her neck?" Gidone gasped. "Is that a new symptom?"

"I've got it from here, Gidone," Hyde stood and nudged her out of the room.

"You're aware of the medicine she needs, right?"

"Yes,"

"Really?"

"Would you like to test me?" Hyde spat. He was this close to smacking her.

"Hmm... nah, I'll take your word for it." Gidone joked cautiously. "I swear, My pops always gets it bad, just like her. Since he fled the West to come here to give my family a better life, he wasn't aware of all the crazy diseases on the other side of Cryston. He still never takes precautions. Anyhow,"

Gidone walked out of the entrance with a smile. It was genuine, not meant to tease Hyde as she usually did. "I'm proud of you."

"Why?"

"It's nice to see you taking care of your wife. Very refreshing."

"Okay, bye." Hyde rolled his eyes and slammed the door shut on her.

"Keep it up Hydeous!" Gidone shouted, knowing very well he could still hear.

Hyde grabbed a bucket and filled it with cold water from the pipe. Then he grabbed another rag and pulled a bottle of Yardish oil from the cabinets.

Yardish was a type of vegetable that only grew in Itaria, used in foods and more specifically to treat this kind of ailment. It tasted horrible, but the scent was very calming.

He walked back into the bedroom and sat the bucket next to Harper's mat. Then he drenched the rag in the cold water before sloshing it over Harper's exposed stomach.

She squealed and rolled on her side, surprised by the sudden change in temperature. Hyde grabbed her arm and straightened her out.

"Do you want to get better or not?"

"The water is cold!"

Hyde smiled and held back a chuckle. Her voice sounded like a Kragite throat singer. "If you keep moving, I'll leave you here to get worse."

"Why are you helping me?"

"I've stitched up your wounds before and cleaned your blood. This is nothing new."

"You're helping someone you hate."

Hyde moved the rag over to her arms. "I already told you, Yanpu will follow my orders as long as I spare you."

"Does sparing my life include this? Is this a horrendous slayer premium life package?"

Hyde laughed. It surprised Harper. The sound of it was light and hearty, not dark and devilish. It was a genuine laugh, one she hadn't heard before, not even toward Giada or the others.

"A premium package of treatment would look a lot better than this," He continued rubbing her arms with the rag. "You still have work to do for me."

"I figured," Harper voiced in a hushed tone. "I won't be able to turn in any reports today."

"I know," He wiped her forehead, not paying much attention to the way her facial expression changed. "You won't have to do any more reports going forward."

"Huh?"

"Yanpu doesn't need the vital links." Hyde whispered to himself, "Not anymore."

"I can't hear you—"

"Stop talking," Hyde folded the wet rag and placed it on her head. He grabbed the bottle of oil and placed some on his hands before smearing some on her arms and hands.

"What... is this stuff?"

"Yardish oil. With it, you'll feel a lot better by the end of the day." Hyde worked his palms up her shoulders.

"It smells... nice." Harper closed her eyes and let herself try to go back to sleep.

Hyde leaned over her front to work the oil in around her neck and face. But his leg slipped and he tumbled downward.

He caught himself before he fell on top of her, but the slip closed the distance between the two. Hyde had his fingers extended above her shoulders.

His lips were very close to her ear.

And what kept distracting him was the rise and fall of her chest against him. He felt her bosom softly grazing against the top of his abdomen. The movement was slow.

There would be a moment of her touch, before leaving for half a second while she exhaled.

He looked at her body, not directly at her chest, but not indirectly at it either.

Briefly, his imagination went wild. He felt his legs stiffen as her body touched his every few milliseconds.

Her lips weren't that far away. If he wanted, he could place his on top of them and vent out all the frustration this woman caused.

It didn't help that the smell of the yardish oil was making him more drawn to the scent. Her skin was so soft. What would that feel like pressed against him?

He came back to his senses. He noticed that his eyes were glowing red in a mirror across from him.

"Shite!" He crawled off of her quickly and stood.

"Hyde?" Arnest rubbed his eyes and peeked around the doorframe. "You okay?"

Hyde smacked himself in the head. "I've lost my mind."

"Um..." Arnest's eyes lowered but quickly moved back up to meet Hyde's. "You might wanna take care of that problem too."

"I'd rather be in hell than this," Hyde growled. He couldn't believe that his mind and body betrayed him. For a solid minute, he felt lust for Harper. And Arnest caught him.

"If you need help, there are plenty of escortoniese not too far from Piccposto."

"A quick toss with a random won't do me much good. Not with Giada and your family watching me like a hawk."

"That's true."

"I'll just take a cold shower." Hyde brushed by Arnest. But deep down, he knew it wouldn't help much. The last 4 years they spent hiding in Westona, he never went more than 2 weeks without playing with a woman. This was his longest.

And with all the women he could easily get the attention of, a woman who worked for a man he hated the most was filling his mind with wretched thoughts.

Initially, he thought she was unattractive. Perhaps it was the clothes she wore. She always had baggy clothes, even when they came to Itaria. Only when she wore something fitted to show her shape would he pay a bit of attention.

That started back at the wastelands. Her tank tops or fitted shirts stirred a feeling within him. And the dress back at Haylestorm looked great on her too.

It would take a while for this shower to help.

"Mama wants us to meet with her later tonight. She's preparing a meal for us." Arnest announced from the other room.

"Whether I'll go depends on her recovery." Hyde turned on the faucet and stripped. "She can't go anywhere in that condition."

"I smell Yardish."

"I put the oil on her."

"Ah. Well. She should feel better enough to move around in a few hours."

"Uh huh."

"I'll head out for a brief moment."

"Gidone left you a package!" Hyde placed his wet hair in a messy bun and stood directly under the water.

"Ah, yes, it came," Arnest murmured. "I'm going to the postal home to check for replies from Harald."

"Make it quick. We have to discuss our next phase of the plan!"

~~~

Harper sat up and a soggy rag dropped to her lap. She raised a brow at it and picked it up. Her body temperature returned to normal as her fever went away.

The bedroom was empty. She looked around for a moment and wondered why it was so quiet. Where did Hyde go?

Harper coughed softly. Her sickness was still with her, but it was nowhere near as bad as it was when she woke up in the morning. And she was able to stand up now.

Her back didn't ache and her body wasn't as heavy.

The alarm clock on the dresser said it was 6 PM. Had she really slept the entire day?

Harper was hungry. She missed 2 meals and didn't want to skip out on dinner. With food on her mind, she opened the door, hoping to walk into the kitchen and serve the carrot stew she made the night before for leftovers.

She stopped in her tracks when her eyes met with a muscular back, one with the beginning of a red scar behind the neck. A shirt covered it and she saw Hyde's arm muscles flex as he placed them in the sleeves.

Another cough came out of her mouth and he turned to face her.

"You're up."

"Yes." Harper massaged her head and looked away from his abdomen.

Hyde stepped forward and placed a hand on her forehead, startling her. "Fever's down, as expected." He voiced passively.

Hyde brushed by her and walked into the room. He was trying to ignore her scent. The yardish oil was still fresh on her skin.

"Here, put this on." Hyde grabbed a long white silky skirt out of the dresser and handed it to her. "It's going to be hot out there."

Harper stared at the skirt apprehensively. Her mind wandered to the events that unfolded yesterday. She didn't want to go anywhere with him alone. What if he planned on choking her again?

"Don't think so much," Hyde grumbled like he read her thoughts. "We're going to Giada's."

"I don't think I should—"

"She's expecting both of us." Hyde shoved the skirt in her hands. "If you don't get ready, I'll put it on for you."

Harper cursed through her clenched teeth. Hyde left the room and closed the door behind him. That surprised her. He was never considerate of doing that before.

She was expecting him to stand and watch her strip. It was humiliating, and she hated that.

It puzzled her to actually see him leaving the room, and on top of that, closing the door to give her privacy. Did he fall and hit his head somewhere? Part of her hoped so.

Harper shook the skirt and realized it was a loose tie around. There was a small hook at the belt that connected the wrap-around. So she wrapped it around her waist and clasped it to hold it in place.

She hated how there was a slit extended so high up to the side of her butt. The belt of it fell right below her tank top. Her stomach was exposed a few inches.

How was she going to face Giada with the mark on her neck?

"Are you finished?" Hyde's voice rang from outside.

"Y-yeah."

"Come out." He commanded, and she followed.

Hyde was already by the door, brushing his long hair back with his fingers. She strolled over to him, and Hyde slid it open.

"Do you have anything to cover this?" Harper pointed to the purple mark on her neck.

"Nope," Hyde emphasized the p confidently.

"What will you tell Giada? She's going to see it."

"You slipped and fell."

"Are you..." Harper glowered. "Do you think Giada is that stupid?"

"That's what you'll tell her. It doesn't matter if she believes it or not. What matters is how you control your tongue. I'm sure you'll act in a way that won't test my patience."

"There's a mark on my neck, and you want me to tell her I slipped and fell! This wound doesn't even look like a—"

Hyde exhaled and backed Harper into the doorframe. "Since you care so much," He caressed the side of her face. "About a bruise that'll disappear by next week," He seethed.

"What are you—"

Hyde closed their distance and placed his lips against her neck, right above her right shoulder. Harper threw her hands up in protest and slapped Hyde's chest repeatedly.

"Get off!" She squeaked. He grabbed a hold of one of her wrists, and bit hard.

Harper gasped when he released her and placed soft kisses upward. Her knees almost buckled at the feeling. He bit her again, and Harper let out a quick breath.

She felt herself slipping. She would fall and possibly break her leg if she didn't get herself together. When Hyde moved to the front of her neck, a soft moan escaped her.

She didn't realize it, but her one free hand was wrapped around his shoulder. Her head was pressed against the side of the entrance to the dojo.

His lips came in contact directly with her bruise and flinched at first, before sinking into him. He paused for a moment, and Harper turned away from him, hoping that he would not see the color drained from her face.

Embarrassment filled the brims of her stomach. She couldn't believe that she gave in enjoyment so quickly, especially to a man like him. She kept her eyes on the path.

Her heart was racing. Her sounds were so loud, no doubt he heard them.

Hyde resumed, placing a lingering kiss on the mark and Harper groaned once more. Hyde pulled away, and her one hand on his shoulder dropped to her side.

Their eyes met. Hyde's pupils began to glow, but his expression was cold. He didn't seem affected whatsoever. He only wiped his finger across her neck to observe. "No need for you to explain it to her now."

"What... did you do?" Her words came out as a stutter.

Hyde tilted his head and shifted his gaze back to hers. "She'll conclude based on the evidence she sees."

Hyde closed the door and locked it.

"Hyde... you... what did..." Harper managed to stand straight. She touched her neck and felt teeth marks imprinted all around. Her face flushed.

"Let's go." He uttered monotonously. He walked ahead, leaving Harper in a disarray. How could he do something so affectionately, and walk away like it was nothing?

Harper coughed. Her face felt hot. She was about to catch another fever, all because of him. And no matter how much she tried to feel a sense of regret, there wasn't.

She had the opportunity to fight him off, but she didn't. Why? What stopped her?

~~