TVWAMF

Chapter Twenty- Four

'Snap out of it, right now my priority is to help her calm down.'

Zadira whose body temperature was as hot as an oven looked pitiful as her weak body quivered.

"Don't let them get me, brother..."

"I don't want to go back... I don't want to leave Lia."

"I'll behave, I'll make myself useful... j-just don't send me back."

Her mummers and quiet sobs made the atmosphere sink, Zade who was silently watching his sister struggled to stop the tears streaming down his face.

"It's okay, it's me Lia I'm right here by your side."

"You're in your room in the Duchy right now with your brother and I."

"You have lots of people who love you and want to protect you."

"Your brother will always be by your side, so will I."
Aelia made sure to ask her if it was okay for her to touch Zadira before she gently patted her.

"Sending you away would probably be the last thing I'd do, so do me a favour and think about our future together."

'Even though I never studied psychology, I couldn't help but notice all the details pointing to her having developed a certain trauma.'

Since psychological treatment, mental illness awareness, and therapy weren't developed yet in this setting, all Aelia could do was give Zadira anti-anxiety suppressants to help her calm down.

Ever since picking up on Zadira's signs of psychological and maybe physical abuse, she and Tessia worked together in making medicine to at least suppress her distress during the seizures and panic attacks.

After all their efforts the final project was as close to modern-day anxiety pills.

"Did she take her candy today Zade?"

"She only took two. She was supposed to take one before sleeping b-but it started again."

During Zadira's panic attack Aelia stayed calm and collected, not because she was unfazed but because she couldn't afford to be nervous in the state the children were in.
She learned how to act in such situations in her short time as a medical student.

"It's okay you've done well by reminding her of taking the first two."

"Don't worry you did a good job."

His tense moistened eyes relaxed at Aelia's attempt to...

"How are you feeling Zadira?"

"It hurts Lia..."

Aelia gritted her teeth trying her best to keep her composure.

"Here, take your candy, it'll make you feel better."

She tried convincing the child to take the round formed pink tablet which she eventually gulped down with a cup of water.

Sweet sounds mixed with a pleasing downpour of rain as Aelia sang lullabies to both of the siblings who snuggled in her warm arms.

The feeling of comfort was foreign to them so Aelia's pure warmth was tempting and made them dearly covet it.

A peaceful night after the tremendous storm.

————————

Even though Aelia slept peacefully her slumber was cut short due to all the work on her desk.
She barely got enough sleep so she kept yawning and rubbing her eyes as she was busily signing and overseeing financial documents.

Since she still had successor classes, she had to juggle managing the villa and the main mansion's finances plus taxes and everything including her perfume line.

Saying she was overworked was an understatement, however, with some helping hands such as Tatiana who was a once-in-a-lifetime mathematical genius, and Cassis who was an accounting major, her burden had significantly lessened.

"Yikes, I never expected a zombie apocalypse crossover would be added to this shitty novel."

"You're much more attractive with your mouth shut Cassis."
Aelia whose eye bags had all the shades of purple snapped at his cheeky comment.

"You should get some rest, you look like a literal reincarnation of the grim reaper."

"If you're soo worried about me how about taking over my workload?"
Aelia rolled her eyes and loosened the tight ruffle cravat on her white blouse.

Her legs were crossed under the desk as she wore tight black leather pants and thigh high-heeled boots.
A sleeveless Schwarz vest was wrapped perfectly around her waist.

The sapphire brooch placed flamboyantly on her necktie reminded her of Cassis's ocean eyes, that was also her first thought as he gifted it to her.

"Oh look at the time! I have a very important task to take care of."
Cassis immediately turned down her request.
His benevolent act of being a worried and caring subordinate was quickly erased after he saw the unending piles of paperwork.

He left as if fleeing from the plague.
Aelia could only click her tongue. She continued carefully scanning the files and placing signatures with a fountain pen.

Not long after Cassis left, Dean and Nora came in.

"Mylady the vet just left and she handed over a clarification of Zadira's current condition."

Aelia skimmed through the report whilst sipping on the cup of black tea brought by Nora.

In short, it says her fever had come down and there weren't any signs of physical pain or discomfort.
She sighed in relief and moved onto the next agenda

"What's on my schedule, today Dean?"

"Erhh... Isn't that Ashton's job?"

"He ran away."

"Ahhh..."
Dean answered as if he could sympathise with Cassis and Nora just silently shook her head.
Even though he pitied Cassis who was busily trapped in Aelia's office ever since he became her assistant, he couldn't utter a word since he knew the pain in working with a workaholic like her.
He knew it very well.

He suddenly felt goosebumps after getting flashbacks of his past as a victim of her workloads.
One could say the overtime and multitasking really got to him.

"The taxation documents are to be sent to the main mansion by afternoon and you have to be present at the welcoming of Silvanus's delegation in the evening."

"That was today...?"

"Yes, Princess Argentie and her delegates arrive today evening."

"You didn't forget about that...right?"

Aelia sighed and rubbed her temple with her thumb and middle finger.

'Cassis that idiot.'
That was all she could think about her excuse of an assistant.