Seeing You Not Seeing Me (COMPLETE)

XI. insecure and jealous

Mari set the tray down before him, and with that, he ate. "Sorry for the delay, Master Jude," Mari apologized, still standing before him, watching him eat, his hair still wet and uncombed, his cravat tied in the wrong side which Mari chose not to comment, in fear of embarrassing him.

"Be a darling and don't stare much," replied Jude before bringing a spoon to his mouth, his neck all flushed, causing Mari to blush, biting her inner cheek.

"I-ah wasn't staring, Master," lied Mari. Truth is, she just can't seem to get this habit of hers off. Her father kept telling her on and on not to stare too much for people even blind ones like him find it discomforting.

Jude sardonically arched his brow, wiped his mouth before exclaiming, "Oh, yes, you are. Why else would you still be standing here? To watch the food slowly disappear from the plate?" followed by a chuckle.

There was a slight pause before Mari let out a forced chuckle, no clue what to reply yet her emerald eyes still stuck on Jude who kept eating as if he couldn't feel her staring at him.

And when her gaze swept at his wet uncombed hair, due to desperation, Mari swiftly fetched a clean towel from the drawers and without any second thoughts, without asking Jude first, she dried his hair, causing Jude to jump from his seat in surprise.

"I hope you don't mind, Master, your shoulders damp from your hair, we wouldn't want you eating with that state, do we?" barked Mari, grinning all while she enveloped his hair with the towel, twisting it around the strands to dry it.

All Jude could reply is a shrug, though truth be told, he found her drying his hair pleasing but he pretended as if her behind him, getting all fussy at his damp hair all ordinary when in fact, Jude secretly begged his hair not to get dry, Jude not focusing on his meal, as a result.

"Your hair, Master, is really long and so's your beard," commented Mari. Jude suppressed his shiver when he felt his fingertips faintly touched his neck.

"I took pride in them, madam," replied Jude though who are we kidding? This state of his is the result of him not getting out of this godforsaken room for almost a year now. Him, not knowing how to shave now that he's blind. Plus, with all this hair, Jude could hide, hide his scarred face.

"Just tell me if you think of cutting them," responded Mari, momentarily stopping drying his hair.

"Sure but don't country girls love this look?" He joked, the corner of his lip twitching upwards, Mari chuckled for a second.

Men back in Eyam are always freshly shaven, with thick sideburns, and definitely not long hair but still, Mari played along, "Not really but if it reaches your ankles, well, now you're definitely a hottie,"

Jude laughed, "With hair that long, it'll take me years to be a hottie. Didn't know country girls dig old guys,"

"Oh, we just really like wise men, Master, and fret not, I'll help you comb your hair. You on this side while me on the other side,' Mari chuckled, biting her lower lip to halt herself from snorting.

"Then do help me wash them as well," and it took Jude a second to realize how inappropriate his comment is. He just can't go on addressing a maiden such a topic like this, her washing his hair, them in the tub together, the horror.

At that moment, Jude almost expected to be slapped in the cheek, however, none came. Instead, she replied with that blithe voice of hers, oblivious to his obscenity, "As long as I use my flowery soap then we have no problem,"

Afraid of further saying inappropriateness, Jude shut his mouth, and just gave a nod as a reply, and resumed eating.

It was almost a few minutes later when Mari put down the towel for his hair all dry now though still unruly.