Meanwhile, a few hours ago, in the Snow Mansion, Eva lightly knocked on Taya's room, "Bis Sis, are you awake?"
Eva didn't hear any answer and was about to leave, thinking that maybe Taya was too tired and resting.
*Click*
But before she was about to go away, the door opened, and she saw Taya with a drowsy expression, dressed in her usual white nightie, making her still look quite alluring and a certain charm because of how messy her snow-white hair looked.
"Oh...it's you, Eva. What is it?" Taya asked in a languid tone while yawning.
Eva had a blank expression before she cleared her throat and said, "Nothing, but you didn't wake up, especially when it's already 7 AM, which is way past your usual wake up time."
Eva then got a bit worried seeing how Taya looked a bit under the weather, and it seemed as if she didn't even sleep much.
Taya rubbed her eyes as she gestured to Eva to come in.
Eva came in and closed the door behind her as Taya said, "I am taking a leave today."
"Eh?" Eva was surprised because she had forgotten the last time Taya took a break from work.
And this only made her worry even more, thinking something was up with her, and asked, "What happened, Big Sis? Are you feeling unwell?"
Taya sat down on her bed and said, "Don't worry, nothing is wrong with me. I have just been thinking about some things, and suddenly I realized that maybe I have been a fool about some things while also ignoring some important things I shouldn't have."
Eva felt confused and asked as she sat down beside Taya, "I don't understand. Is this about Viktor? The moment he left, you have been out of it, especially since yesterday."
Eva was beginning to see that Viktor influenced Taya a lot more than she thought, and this made her feel a prick in her heart.
She couldn't understand what was making Taya so attached to him when he wasn't even near her for more than a decade.
She knew that the two shared history, but in her perspective, she stood beside Taya for the past decade, supporting her for all sorts of things and protecting her from any kind of harm.
She wondered why Taya wasn't angry at Viktor for leaving her or if there was a story between them she didn't know of.
'If he truly left her, then I would never forgive him,' Eva inwardly swore, seeing how Viktor suddenly going away was affecting Taya.
She never asked for too many details about what happened between Taya and Viktor, not only because she didn't like to hear them but also because she thought Taya would find it uncomfortable.
Taya looked at her and sighed, "Well, I guess I can't hide it from you. But it's all me and not Viktor. I suddenly regret leaving home all those years ago and, of course, Viktor. I mean, I always did, but since yesterday it's becoming apparent."
Eva pinched her lips hearing this because she knew if Taya never left her home, they would have never met nor become so close to each other.
She unconsciously clutched the sheet of her bed as her chin drooped down.
"But of course, at the same time, I feel that it was not a bad thing I left home because otherwise, I would have never got more family members like you, Umi, Tia, and Saya. Anyway, it was all in the past, and the main thing I was thinking about since yesterday was something else. It mainly involves all my life's work, and perhaps you could help me," Taya said as she looked at Eva.
Eva smiled, hearing that Taya didn't regret coming upon her or the others, and eagerly said, "Of course. I can help you with anything you need, Big Sis."
Taya softly smiled as she caressed Eva's head, "Then I better get ready to go to the hospital. Of course, not for work since I already called in for leave. But we have a certain place to go in the hospital, where I could use your help and finally I could start making the right decisions. I realized how blind and foolish I had been all these years," Taya said with a glazed expression as she replayed Viktor's story about how his wife died a tragic death.
Eva tilted her head, wondering what her foolish decision was, but again guessed that it had something to do with Viktor.
"Oh, and I have been meaning to ask but couldn't since you were so busy yesterday. Are you bearing a grudge against Viktor because of what happened that night?" Taya asked in a gentle tone.
Eva slightly shook her head, but then she looked away, not knowing what to say. However, inwardly remembering the image of the terrifying pair of eyes unconsciously sent a chill along the back of her spine, and this made her feel more aggrieved again about Viktor using his strange ability on her.
Taya softly chuckled, "It's alright. You can tell whatever you are feeling, and I wouldn't blame you if you are still angry with him. I mean, even he regrets using his ability on you. It was only a sudden impulse from a strong emotion, and it is not something he has full control over. I hope you understand that. Otherwise, he would never have used it. It's mainly because he saw me in that state and got worried. You don't have to be afraid of him, nor will he ever harm you," Taya said in a comforting tone, wondering if Viktor left a mental scar of fear in her head. And also to not let them hold grudges against each other.
Of course, she knew Viktor might be able to charm his way in, but she felt that Eva could be quite stubborn and tough when it came to certain things and was worried about her, especially her mental state since she had personally witnessed how terrifying Viktor's Mind Break ability could be.
Eva pinched her lips, wondering if it was Viktor's non-human side that was taking control over him at times. Thinking from that angle, she felt that maybe she did indeed irritate him that night by not letting him carry Taya and thought that maybe it was understandable what he did.
But then again, she felt that there was nothing wrong in her carrying Taya to her room and also that it would seem more appropriate than a man and woman alone in a room.
She still had a burning curiosity to know if anything happened between them that night. She thought that could also be the reason why Taya seemed so distracted since yesterday.
Her question almost came out of her mouth, but she swallowed it back, thinking that Taya might find it strange.
"Okay...I understand," Eva said in a low voice, making Taya smile and say, "Okay. I will take a quick bath, and we will go to the hospital."
Eva nodded as Taya got up and walked towards the bathroom while thinking that even if it was only a day since Viktor left, the whole house seemed so silent and her life dull as before he arrived.
She inwardly sighed as she went inside the bathroom while Eva decided to wait for her till she came out.
"Eva, keep this folded for me, can you?" Taya slightly opened the bathroom door as she threw her nightie towards Eva, who swiftly caught it.
After Taya closed the door, Eva started folding Taya's nightie, but suddenly, she brought the dress closer to her nose, as if she smelled something pleasant and wanted to smell it more.
She felt that the fragrance from the dress was fresh and deliriously rich, making her feel like her nose was melting in it.
'This is her smell…' Eva inwardly thought as she closed her eyes and pressed Taya's nightie against her nose.
'No...what am I even doing!' Eva quickly moved it away from her nose and, in a flustered manner, began to fold the nightie, trying to divert her mind from unnecessary thoughts.
She kept it nicely folded away, and soon Taya came out of the bathroom with a bathrobe around her buxom body with wet droplets still sticking to her milky skin, making Eva's expression dazed for a moment before she looked away with a slight pinkish hue on her cheeks and said as she got up and turned around, "Big Sis, you can sit down before the mirror. I will comb your hair."
"Sure. Let me put on some clothes first," Taya smiled as she dressed herself while Eva was keeping herself busy as she fumbled a comb from the drawer.
"Oh, also I am planning to take Tiana for an outing with me later. You can join if you want to," Taya said as she remembered about the plan she made recently since she felt that she wanted to spend more time with her and discuss some things with her.
Eva softly nodded with gleaming eyes, "Okay."
As Taya sat down before the mirror with Eva combing her hair, she wondered what Viktor and her father were up to now and was in a dilemma whether she should give a call and ask how things were over there.