Chapter 218: As Her Husband
Julian Faulkner’s tone left no room for doubt.
Maybe it was because she was sick, but Vivian Lowell’s mind had slowed down considerably. It took a good while of Julian Faulkner staring at her intently before she finally understood.
’Do I have a fever?’
Vivian Lowell touched her forehead and could indeed feel some warmth. It wasn’t very pronounced; it seemed to be a low-grade fever.
"I’m sorry, I..."
Vivian Lowell belatedly deciphered a hidden meaning in Julian Faulkner’s recent words.
’Was Julian complaining that I was so busy playing with Yuumi I’d completely forgotten him?’
’But I haven’t!’
Vivian thought this to herself, but she felt that saying so would sound like a weak excuse. All she could do was say, "I thought you really had work to do, so I told you to go and take care of it."
"Besides, we’ve been out and about these past few days, and I haven’t had a chance to spend time with Yuumi. It wasn’t on purpose. Next time, if you want me to spend more time with you, just tell me!"
"..."
Julian Faulkner was silent for a moment.
’That was what he meant, but now that Vivian had spelled it out so directly, something felt... off.’
’It was a little... embarrassing.’
"I’ll go get some medicine."
After saying this in a low voice, Julian Faulkner helped Vivian Lowell off with her shoes and coat. He then tucked her securely under the covers before turning to leave.
Once Julian Faulkner was gone, the room fell silent.
Aside from feeling a little dizzy, Vivian Lowell didn’t notice any other discomfort. She had just napped for a bit, so she wasn’t as tired anymore.
Vivian Lowell sat up in bed, her eyes fixed on the door, unblinking, like a small puppy eagerly waiting for its master to return.
Julian Faulkner returned quickly.
Ms. Shaw followed close behind.
Carrying hot water and medicine, Ms. Shaw came straight to Vivian Lowell’s side upon entering the room. "The master said you had a bit of a fever, Mrs. Faulkner, so I came to check on you."
"I trained as a nurse for a while, so I know a bit about medication. This is to reduce the fever. Please take this first, ma’am, and I’ll assess your condition. If you need anything else, I’ll bring it right over."
’Ms. Shaw knows about this stuff too!’
Vivian Lowell was quite surprised. She obediently took the pills and water Julian Faulkner handed her, then thought for a moment before telling Ms. Shaw, "I’m just a little dizzy!"
"I was out in the wind earlier and sneezed a few times, but I’ve stopped now. My throat doesn’t hurt, and my nose isn’t runny."
"Oh, and... Ms. Shaw. Please don’t tell Grandma I’ve suddenly gotten sick. She should be asleep by now, right? It’s nothing serious, and if she finds out, it’ll just disrupt her sleep!"
Ms. Shaw listened to Vivian Lowell’s heartbeat with a stethoscope. "The master was very quiet when he went downstairs; he didn’t disturb the matriarch. You can rest easy, Mrs. Faulkner."
"It’s nothing serious; you’ve likely just caught a bit of a chill. For now, take the fever reducer, get under the covers, and have a good sleep. Sweat it out, and you should be fine!"
"Your fever should break by morning. If you still have any cold symptoms then, you can just take some cold medicine!"
Ms. Shaw was very professional. As Vivian Lowell listened intently, she noticed Julian Faulkner was still off to the side, carefully reading the medicine’s instructions.
"Thank you, then."
Vivian Lowell said politely, letting out a yawn.
’I didn’t feel tired at all a moment ago, but now that I’ve taken the medicine, I’m getting drowsy again.’
"It’s no trouble at all. Mrs. Faulkner, Master Julian, you two get some rest. I’ll take my leave now. If you need anything else, just give me a call."
After saying her piece, Ms. Shaw left the medical kit and departed.
The room fell silent once more.
Leaning against the pillows, Vivian Lowell tugged on Julian Faulkner’s hand and asked tentatively, "Maybe we should sleep separately tonight? I have a fever, and I... I wouldn’t want to get you sick..."
’Vivian was being completely sincere; she was just trying to be considerate of Julian!’
But who would have thought that before she could even finish her sentence, the look on Julian Faulkner’s face grew darker and darker!
"..." Vivian trailed off, unable to continue. She could only stare at Julian and ask, "What’s wrong? Was my suggestion no good?"
Upon hearing this, Julian Faulkner replied stiffly, "It’s no good."
’Vivian looked at Julian, feeling that when he said "it’s no good," his entire mood had soured along with the words.’
’He was like a star student who had been certain he’d ace an exam, only to end up with a bad score. A faint gloom settled over him, and he was surrounded by a low-pressure atmosphere!’
’The temperature around Julian seemed to have dropped several degrees!’
’If Vance Wyatt were here now, he’d probably be wishing he could tuck his tail between his legs.’
As Vivian was thinking this, she asked tentatively, "If you don’t want to go to another room, you could sleep on the floor! I..."
"..."
This time, Julian Faulkner closed his eyes and let out a sigh. He spoke with grave sincerity, "When I said ’it’s no good,’ I meant that neither sleeping in another room nor sleeping on the floor is a good option."
"You’re sick. As your husband, it’s my duty to stay by your side and take care of you. How could I go somewhere else?"
"I know you’re just thinking of me. But in situations like this, what I truly want is to stay by your side, no matter what."
"Whether you’re sick or anything else. Whatever happens, I want to share in every part of your life. Do you understand?"
Julian Faulkner spoke with great sincerity.
As he spoke, the sternness in his eyes softened, replaced once again by concern.
Vivian Lowell’s heart skipped a beat.
’As her husband.’
When Vivian Lowell heard those three words, she felt herself tense up. Although the two of them had already been very intimate, the reality of being "husband" and "wife" hadn’t truly registered with her yet.
It wasn’t until Julian had spoken with such gravity that Vivian finally realized: they were husband and wife. It was only natural that they should protect each other.
"I... I get it now."
Vivian’s voice faltered. It was hard to tell if it was from embarrassment or a lack of confidence, but after a moment, her face flushed as she said, "I understand."
"Then... Julian, you have to take care of yourself, too. If you got sick because of me, I’d be really sad, you know?"
"Yes, I will."
Julian agreed solemnly, a small smile finally appearing on his face. He gathered Vivian into his arms and rocked her gently, as if soothing a child.
Julian’s tone was gentle as he looked down at his precious wife in his arms. He said, "Then I’ll stay here with you."
"Okay."
The gentle rocking made Vivian drowsy, but she couldn’t resist wheedling him a little. In a soft voice, she said, "In that case, Julian... could you tell me a bedtime story?"
"Any story will do. I’m sleepy, so you have to tell it fast, before I fall asleep."
"Alright."
Julian agreed and slowly began.
"Once upon a time, in a forest..."