Sia stiffened for a moment and nodded.
This feeling of something trying to break out of her, she had it since she could remember.
At first, it was weak but as she grew up, it increased.
Varian's presence somehow slowed it down and she was able to suppress the weird feeling welling from within.
"Don't worry, it'll be alright." Varian patted her back slowly and whispered.
The first time this feeling intensified, Sia faced a similar situation. It was when she was 11 years old.
Amanda was not at home. Varian was worried about her and took her to the hospital.
After overcharging them with unreasonable tests, the doctors told Varian that it was a panic attack.
The 11-year-old Varian didn't know what to do, so he hugged her and stroked her back.
When he was sad, Amanda did this to him.
So he did the same to Sia.
For some reason or another, Sia's condition improved after that.
From then on, whenever a panic attack happened, Varian would hold her hand and if it was intense, slowly stroke her back.
Sia calmed down and her face slowly turned rosy. She was fine again.
However, Varian could feel her entire back was soaked with cold sweat.
'I-If we do get enough money to afford a group of adventures for my dungeon, I'd rather use it to take her to a better hospital.'
Varian thought but didn't say it out loud.
Their stop arrived. Varian supported Sia to home.
"Are you sure you don't want me to carry you?" He asked with concern.
Walking slowly by holding him for support, Sia shook her head stubbornly. "I-I'm fine. This much is nothing."
After they entered the home, Sia took off her hand and walked towards her bedroom.
Varian didn't see that the moment she started walking, her face started to pale.
Looking at her back, he said in a hurry. "I don't know why, but I'm worried."
Sia stiffened and waved her hand. "It's alright. This happened a lot of times, didn't it? Compared to the previous times, I can already walk. In the future, I can suppress it easily."
Saying so, she walked in and closed the door.
It was a lie.
Each time she suppressed it, it returned with a vengeance.
But…she couldn't let it free. She didn't know why, but there seemed to be something deep within her telling her that she would regret it otherwise.
"I'm fine…one day." Sia forced a smile.
"I don't want Varian to wor—"
Crack!
*** *** ***
"Sia!"
"Sia, answer me! Are you alright?"
"Just say something!"
Varian yelled outside her bedroom.
He didn't go into his bedroom like usual.
Thinking back to Sia's face paling in the park and how long this 'attack' lasted, Varian was suspicious.
The most suspicious point was the way she walked back to her bedroom.
His guts told him she was hiding something.
So here he was, banging the door of the room, trying to find out her condition.
Bang!
Bang!
"If you don't say anything, I'm breaking in!" Varian said in a serious tone.
After hearing no response, he rushed into his room and brought out a hammer.
Giving no care for the damages, he broke open the door and stormed in.
"Sia!" Varian's eyes widened and hurried to her.
Sia lied unconscious on the ground, with several glass shards piercing her arm, blood slowly forming a puddle under her.
Varian carefully carried her to the bed and with the help of the home AI, removed the glass shards.
Then, he used the precious healing liquid on her and waited by the side of the bed.
After a few minutes, a medical bot came and checked her condition.
A hologram popped up and a middle-aged woman wearing a white coat appeared.
She checked the information from the bot and looked at Varian with a neutral gaze.
"It seems to be psychological pressures. Isn't this the twentieth time? You should take her to a Telepath already. Other than that, her body is fine. She'll wake up soon."
After saying that, she didn't even wait for Varian's response and ended the call. The medical bot also left.
Only after hearing that she was fine did Varian sigh in relief. Turning his gaze back onto the sleeping girl on the bed, he hung his head low and held her hand.
"Why…is the world so unfair?" Varian muttered, adjusting her scattered hair and neatly tucking it behind her ears.
Her cheerful face was now pale white. There was still a forceful smile on her face.
Looking at the smile she desperately tried to maintain, Varian felt like someone was cutting his heart.
Even though he tried to control himself, his eyes reddened.
"I…I can't afford a telepath. I'm sorry." He held her hand to his cheek and said in a choked voice.
If Sia was born in a rich household, she'd have lived like a princess.
But living with him, she had to face hardships.
She didn't go to the best school in the city.
Unlike her classmates, she doesn't attend any parties.
She couldn't buy the clothes she fancied, nor could she buy resources to aid her practice.
"Do you remember? When we first met, what I promised to you?" Varian said with a wry smile.
"Come with me and I'll protect you forever," Varian repeated the lines he said long back and gritted his teeth.
"Forever…hah, I can't even protect you now. I am the worst." He waved her hand to let it slap him.
After checking the injuries on her body thrice, Varian sat on a stool beside her.
He did not know how many hours passed. He did know that he was going to stay with her until she awoke.
Slowly, her face turned rosy and her breathing smoothened.
But she didn't show any signs of waking up.
Finally, Varian looked at her messy hair and said. "I'll change your hair. You were asking for that style since last week. I wanted to keep it a secret, but I already learned it."
Realizing she was still unconscious, Varian carefully held her up and braided her hair into 'Waterfall braid style'.
After carefully putting her back on the bed, Varian smiled and said. "There you go. Happy?"
The response didn't come.
Varian's smile eventually receded as silence took over.
—Until a weak voice broke the silence.
"....appy."