The Duke's Passion

After that, Sam and I headed back to our bedchambers. I readied all first aid kits and water to clean his mangled arms. Since I'd often get a slight scratch from my training, I didn't need anyone's help to find what I needed.

Also, no one was available. Everyone seemed to desert the entire castle.

"Are you still angry?" Sam inquired as soon as I plopped down on the wooden chair across from him.

"Give me your arm. I'll clean it." Without answering his question, I gave him a sharp look.

Sam pouted, reluctantly giving his arm. With better lights now, his sleeve was drenched with his blood. 

Carefully, I cut his sleeve with a knife. As soon as I did, I clenched my teeth at the sight of it.

His arm looked worse than I thought. I could see his flesh and even bits of his bones.

I could not help but shudder. My hands that were cleaning his arm with water uncontrollably trembled.

Even though it was not my injury, my heart clenched. I couldn't even bring myself to ask what happened, afraid I'd just sob.

How could he be so reckless?

"This is nothing, really." Unlike me, who was bottling up my emotions, Sam reassured calmly.

I kept silent, giving him cold shoulders.

"It's just that, my brother, the fifth prince, wants to have a drink. So I let him have some out of the goodness of my heart. He just lost control, so I had to pull him from his back myself. His fangs tore up my flesh while I do so, though. Such a bothersome brother." He sighed, summarizing how he got injured to this extent.

I glanced at him, and he shook his head lightly. I opened my mouth, but pressed them together again.

Nevermind.

"I'll recover soon. It's not that it actually hurts. I —" Before he could blab his nonsense, I glared cold daggers at him.

Sam immediately pursed his lips. For a meanwhile, we didn't speak. When I cleaned all the blood on his arm, I ground my teeth.

His explanation matched with his injuries. Two long and deep marks sliced across his forearm. If Sam pulled the fifth prince from the back while his fangs drilled into him, the mark made sense.

Still, for a mortal like me, this wound would be lethal. It was not an everyday sight to see, nor it looked normal.

"I'll wrapped it up. Stay still." I informed him coldly as I reached for the cloth.

Red drenched every cloth and even the water; that's how much he had bled. Fortunately, I took out all cloth I could. These were the last ones.

Sam remained silent. I could feel his gaze on me. It never left me even a second.

"It would be better if you wince or just say it hurts." I muttered under my breath, wrapping his injury with cloth.

"Because if it didn't hurt, you wouldn't mind inflicting the same injuries again. And this wouldn't the last time I'm doing this."

I barely got the courage to relay my thoughts. Not that it did not relieve me. He seemed fine with it. However, this just added to my worries.

If this severe injury didn't rattle him, nothing would. And that just broke my heart, slowly and painfully.

My hands that were tending to his wounds slowed down. I'm losing my grip as my vision blurred. Before I knew it, tears landed on the back of his hand.

I bit my lower lip, almost chewing it. It was frustrating. That he was so careless. Did he think even though he's strong, I wouldn't get worried?

For me, this sight felt more painful just to look at. It might just be my selfishness, but I wanted him to take care of himself as well.

Suddenly, his cold palm cupped my cheek. Ironic how I felt, my heart in flames despite his cold temperature.

He slowly guided my head up. A subtle smile turned up on his lips as soon as our eyes met.

"Don't cry." He whispered, wiping the tears rolling down my cheek.

"How can I not? Would you not shed tears for me if we're in the opposite situation?"

"I'm used to it, so I'm fine." He chuckled, which made me feel even worse.

I shook my head and brushed his hand away. "I'm here crying and you're laughing. I don't like it."

I said, as I continued to wrap his arm. Out of frustration, I tied it tighter than I should.

Despite doing that, the corner of his lips stretched from ear to ear. His other hand propping his chin, staring at me, smiling brightly.

"What's so funny?" I inquired, out of frustration. I never thought I had the urge to rip that smile away from him. It was better if he showed more than just smiling.

I'd accept it if he was vexed or in pain. Anything but smiling. This was not a laughing matter.

"How can I not smile when you're so adorable?" Again, he chuckled as he pinched my cheek.

His action just made me frown. If not for the severity of his injuries, I would have beaten him to a pulp.

"Thank you." As he pinched my cheek, Sam searched for my gaze. "It feels good having someone who cares."

I would be lying if I said I didn't feel his sincerity. Thus, my heart calmed down as my shoulders eased.

"Goodness… how can he do this to his brother?" I changed the subject. Looking away as I cleared my throat. Then, I grabbed the cloth I used to clean his wound so I could wash them later.

"Do your brothers always do this to you? How can you get used to it?" 

Before I could think of my words, they already escaped my lips. When I realized it, I pursed my lips. Slowly, I raised my gaze to him.

Sam sported a smile and said nothing.

"They do this to you? All the time?" This time, it wasn't just a slip of the tongue.

"Well…" Sam scratched his jaw with his forefinger. "Not really. My father didn't really like me. So, they used to break my bones and gang up on me when we're kids. But now, they have to ask nicely."

"…" In other words, his brothers used to abuse him? I bit my lower lip, repressing my rage at hearing this.

I slammed my palm against the surface of the table. Sam jolted slightly along with the abrupt clattering noises of the small barrel and cloths.

"Sam, promise me!" Looking at him in the eye, a determined glint flickered across my eyes. "Don't let them take advantage of you again! Even if it means killing them, I don't care. Don't let drink your blood or never shed a drop of blood for them! They don't deserve it."

"Haha!" Sam chuckled, tapping the surface of the table lightly. "Well, will you drink mine then?"