Chapter 869
Carissa hurried back inside, soothing Helen and dismissing her. Even outside, Helen continued, "It's true! You're married now, so what's there to be shy about? When you were younger, you used to tell me everything! I still remember the time a mosquito bit youdown thereand you stripped off your pants so I could apply medicine"
"Mom!" Rafael's roar echoed through the room.
Carissa quickly summoned Violet to escort Helen away and instructed Qiana and Sydney to prepare hot water. She would wash Rafael's hair herself.
Since he couldn't soak in the hot springs, he sat in the bath chamber, leaning forward as Carissa washed his hair, carefully avoiding his feet. Though he felt useless, the sensation of her fingers massaging his scalp brought a warm, sweet happiness that tempered his embarrassment. He comforted himself with the thought that, were it not for his injury, he wouldn't be receiving such special treatment. The last time he was injured, Dylan had helped him.
Once his hair was clean, Carissa dried it. After a moment, Rafael muttered, "Mom's talking nonsense. You shouldn't listen to her."
"Okay," Carissa said, rubbing a thick towel through his hair. "I barely remember what she said."
He remained sullen. "You must be disappointed. You were so excited when I told you last night, but you ended up not seeing anything."
Carissa chuckled softly. "Disappointed? Not at all! I grew up in Meadow Ridge and have always loved climbing mountains. Besides, weren't the snowy peaks breathtaking? And being with you, even if we just sat quietly and chatted, I'd be happy. With no expectations, how could there be disappointment? From the moment he mentioned climbing the mountain, I knew the only thing to look forward to today was the meal at Glimmering Tower."
"Really? You'd be happy just being with me?"
Rafael looked up, but Carissa quickly averted her gaze, afraid the swollen bump on his forehead, combined with his pitiful expression, would make her laugh. In truth, Dylan's innocence in all this was hard not to find humorous.
"Of course," Carissa said, moving behind him to dry his hair, biting back a smile.
"You didn't look me in the eye when you said that." Rafael's gloom returned. She had clearly avoided his gaze.
Carissa paused, her gaze steady on Rafael. Seriously? Did he need a mirror? But Carissa was a capable wife—fighter, homemaker, and soother of husbands. She took a deep breath, set the towel aside, and moved in front of him. Crouching down to meet his eyes, she focused only on his gaze and said softly, "I may not express it often, but I truly enjoy our time together. Haha—choo!"
She quickly turned away, sneezing and rubbing her hands over her face. "Sorry, I think I caught a chill."
Hearing she was cold, Rafael forgot his pride. "Tell Qiana to make some chicken soup. The wind on the mountain was strong today. A bowl will warm you up."
"Okay, I'll tell someone right now," Carissa said, hurrying out and nearly slipping. Once the soup was ready, they both had a bowl. Carissa then said she needed to check on Helen and couldn't look after Rafael any longer, instructing the elderly maids to care for him. Helen, no longer upset, was chatting with Violet.
When Gillian saw Carissa arrive, she exclaimed, "Your Grace, you've come at the perfect time! I just made some pound cake and was thinking of bringing it to you."
"Thank you, Gillian," Carissa said, greeting Helen warmly before sitting. "Carissa, how did he fall?" Violet asked curiously. She hadn't seen Rafael's condition, but Helen had mentioned it was amusing.
"The ground was slippery, so he lost his footing," Carissa said, wanting to protect Rafael's dignity.
"Why climb on such a cold day? Couldn't he have stayed home? It's rare to have a free day," Helen exclaimed.
Carissa replied, "He'd wanted to go for a while, but things came up. Since he finally had a day off, he thought he'd take the chance. Besides, it was beautiful."
"Only you would defend him!" Helen huffed. "If King Sigmund tried to drag me up a mountain in winter, I'd be furious! What about my skin?"