The Warmth of Maternal Care
She savored the sweet yet slightly bitter taste that lingered on the tip of her tongue. Such flavors, she decided, must be savored sparingly.
“Matilda—ah. When are you coming—?”
Vivienne folded the bed sheets tightly around her body once more and sank back into the mattress.
A soft knock echoed through the room, followed by the cheerful presence of someone she knew well.
They carried a tray piled high with dishes, the rich aromas wafting upward and making her stomach rumble in anticipation.
“Vivi really is an irrepressible late sleeper.”
The thought had crossed her mind earlier that the events of yesterday might have left her frail, but Matilda’s voice remained bright and unwavering.
Her face might have been somber, yet there was no guarantee of hidden distress.
Vivienne lifted her eyes wide and asked carefully, “...Matilda. Are you all right?”
“What do you mean?”
“What happened yesterday.”
Vivienne pushed herself upright against the blanket, the sheets still clinging to her skin.
“Yesterday?”
“Theo’s shirt. I’ll wash it properly for you. I’m sorry, Matilda.”
“What could Vivi possibly have to apologize for? It wasn’t your fault at all. What.”
Matilda waved the concern away as if it were nothing, her face blooming with a kind smile.
“It’s simply... I feel bad for tiring myself out caring for you.”
“That’s not true. And I think you’re wonderful, so I’m only happy to do this. Please don’t worry yourself.”
Matilda stepped closer to the bed and began to stroke Vivienne’s hair while she lay cocooned beneath the covers.
“But Vivi, why are you still in caterpillar mode?”
“Caterpillar?”
The unfamiliar word made Vivienne tilt her head in confusion.
“Meaning, why have you wrapped yourself so tightly in the blanket like a caterpillar?”
“Ah, this is just... I mean—.”
She couldn’t bring herself to say anything about the mess Kian had left behind after they had mated.
“I’ll run you a bath. Just wait a little.”
“...Right here?”
“Yes. Master told me you were going to sleep in late today, so I thought I’d prepare everything.”
The way she avoided eye contact suggested Matilda was still troubled by yesterday’s events.
Or perhaps the opposite was true—perhaps her calm demeanor was the strange thing.
Vivienne felt a heavy weight settle in her heart, as if the day’s troubles were somehow her fault.
“And there’s something I must tell you in secret.”
“What is it?”
Matilda gestured toward her as though she had something to whisper.
Vivienne leaned in without hesitation.
“Master’s bathtub is enormous. Large enough for two people to fit comfortably. Vivi will adore it.”
“......”
Though Matilda had called it a secret, Vivienne already knew.
It was vast and luxurious—she had fallen asleep in it once before.
“Why don’t you like it?”
“...I’ve already tried it.”
“In the world! Right! You were wearing that robe back then, weren’t you?”
Glug-glug.
Her stomach gave a loud, rumbling growl.
Vivienne’s face flushed crimson.
“Oh dear, I’ve forgotten my senses. I should feed you first. I was so distracted. You haven’t eaten since yesterday’s lunch.”
“Thank you, Matilda.”
“Here, now—eat.”
Matilda ladled a generous portion of the stew’s main ingredients into a spoon and held it before Vivienne’s lips.
“I can eat it myself. Please.”
“Don’t refuse.”
The spoon brushed her lips, and she took it without thinking, swallowing with a soft sound.
“Master said you must be starving after such a long sleep, so I prepared something hearty. Still, I kept it light enough not to overtax your empty stomach. I made sure it was easy to digest.”
“Kian?”
“Yes. So you must eat everything on your plate.”
Yet another generous serving was offered, this time with even more care.
Vivienne accepted the bites like a baby bird, filling her mouth and chewing slowly.
“You eat so well. You’re adorable.”
Matilda’s face softened with a warm, happy smile.
Bubble-bubble. The fragrant soap bubbles enveloping her skin felt delightful, soothing and tickling pleasantly.
After the satisfying meal that had left her belly pleasantly full, she slipped into the bath. The warmth and scent of the bubbles made her eyelids grow heavy once more.
“Does it feel good, Vivi?”
Matilda asked gently.
“Yes. But I have to keep raising my hands, don’t I?”
“So the water stays out. That’s how it heals quickly.”
“But last time when I twisted my ankle, I bathed in it.”
“This time the wound is deeper than the ankle you hurt before. Not deep enough to need stitches, but still, you must be more careful than last time.”
Her arms ached. She wanted to touch the bubbles too.
Vivienne pouted her lower lip in dissatisfaction and contented herself with touching the foam using only her left hand.
Matilda gently dabbed a bubble onto the tip of her round nose.
“Does Theo know?”
“Know what?”
“That Kian did this to Theo’s shirt.”
Matilda’s expression darkened slightly.
“No. It seemed better not to mention it. Just to leave it alone after it dried. It was too late when he came back. Master was waiting, so I warned him to be careful.”
And she forced a smile to her lips, keeping her tone calm.
“On second thought, it’s my fault. These days the temperature swings between day and night are extreme, so I should have made him wear a shawl even in the evenings. I failed to be thorough.”
“It’s not your fault, Matilda. Nor Theo’s.”
Vivienne looked straight into Matilda’s eyes and spoke firmly.
“Kian was... cruel.”
“......”
Matilda fell silent for a moment.
Then, with a complex expression, she continued.
“Master... is still a good person. It’s because of him that Theo and I could stay at the Larson estate. He entrusts the estate’s affairs to us, after all.”
A small relief mingled with lingering doubt in her words. After entering the estate, so many moments had left her chest stinging—from the testing looks and the sharp words he had hurled at her.
“He does get sharp sometimes... but that’s just because everyone has their own boundaries. I understand.”
“Boundaries?”
“Yes. Things that make someone uncomfortable when crossed.”
Things that become uncomfortable when crossed.
Vivienne turned Matilda’s words over in her mind.
She remembered Kian, suffering under that merciless rain.
Vivienne had smashed the locked door and entered.
“Was Master worried about me that day, Vivi?”
Matilda’s eyes seemed to read her thoughts, for she spoke the same words.
“How did you know?”
“Master told me. He said you came to him that night.”
Ultimately, she had been called to Kian because of that incident. A strange, guilty feeling stirred in her chest, as if she were the one at fault.
“I caused trouble for you by interfering unnecessarily, didn’t I?”
“No. I’m fine.”
Matilda smiled faintly and poured a little bathwater over Vivienne’s shoulder.
“Vivi must have been frightened. Still, you should have warned me at least briefly. I locked the door in carelessness. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault, Matilda.”
“If it rains heavily again, you might be tempted to do the same. But he will recover soon. I hope you don’t get too frightened.”
She might do it again.
That day, Kian’s condition had looked so dire that worry had been unavoidable.
“Would you like to try some oil?”
Matilda naturally changed the subject.
“Oil?”
“The mottled area here could use a good massage. Oh, I’ll show you.”
Matilda took a bottle from the cabinet in the bathroom.
Pop. She opened the lid and squeezed a generous amount onto Vivienne’s left palm.
The thick liquid pooled in her hand, filling the air with a rich floral scent.
“Doesn’t it smell nice?”
“Yes. It’s fragrant.”
“Now, rub it in and massage the area. It feels incredibly refreshing.”
Matilda wrapped both her hands around Vivienne’s left hand and began to stroke and knead the arm with practiced skill.
“Ah... it hurts, Matilda.”
“Even if it hurts a little, bear with it. It will feel cool soon.”
As she repeated the motion, the knot slowly eased, and a dazed sigh escaped Vivienne’s lips.
“See? It feels better, doesn’t it?”
Vivienne nodded without hesitation.
She couldn’t think of anything to say; she was completely lost in the addictive sensation of the touch.
“Speaking of which, I was shocked when you checked my body earlier. What happened last night that left me so messed up? Vivi?”
“......”
Matilda’s question struck straight to the heart, and she chuckled.
What should she do? Should she tell Matilda everything?
She knew nothing about human mating. Sharing the truth and receiving advice might help. Vivienne swallowed dryly, as if making a decision.
“...Listen, Matilda. Do people really do that so much?”
“Do what?”
“Mate.”
“What?”
Matilda asked in surprise, her face a picture of astonishment. Vivienne stared back, utterly bewildered.
“Why?”
“How shall I put it? You use such strange expressions, Vivi.”
“Isn’t it called mating?”
“It isn’t wrong, but calling it mating makes it sound like the savage behavior of beasts.”
Wasn’t that accurate?
She had never seen a male more wild than Kian.
He thrust without tiring, plunging to the deepest parts of her belly, rocking violently, biting and sucking relentlessly until she could hardly think.
“Still, everyone differs. How long was it, exactly?”
“......”
Vivienne’s fingers froze, and she fell silent.
She couldn’t count them precisely.
“I understand. You don’t have to explain. Master clearly loves you very much.”
It was clear he had been burning with passion the entire time.
Matilda would need to massage her even more thoroughly.
“Really? Does Master love me?”