Finn looked at the injuries, unable to help but furrow his brows. The festering wounds had started to smell, requiring a thorough cleaning with disinfectant before scraping off the rotten flesh and reapplying medication. Such wounds should have been numbed, but Finn found it troublesome and scraped off a layer of skin with a surgical blade.
Aoife woke up from her daze with a painful “Mmm…” unable to even scream out in pain, tears streaming down her face.
Feeling weak, like a pile of mud, she struggled but couldn’t move. She managed to lift her eyelids and when she saw Finn in front of her, she quickly bit down on her lip to silence herself, the tears streaming down her face stopping abruptly.
She knew Finn didn’t like her crying, so no matter how much pain she was in, she forced herself to hold back.
But her back hurt so much, scraping off the flesh, grinding the fresh meat underneath the rotten flesh with a knife, trembling with pain.
After scraping off the rotten flesh, Aoife broke out in a cold sweat all over.
Seeing her awake, Finn casually asked, “Why didn’t you tell me about the injury on your back?”
Aoife didn’t know how to answer, just shook her head.
Finn liked to tinker with some medications himself, understanding some pharmacology. He found the antibiotics, first disinfecting the wound with disinfectant water, then applying the medication and covering it with gauze.
After doing all this, he gave Aoife two fever reducers to take.
Aoife obediently took the medicine, feeling drowsy but didn’t want to sleep. She wanted to keep looking at Finn, as long as he was by her side, her eyes were filled with his shadow.
“Why are you staring at me?” Finn asked.
“Mr. Snearl…” Aoife paused, and foolishly said, “handsome.”
Indeed, Finn was handsome, with a figure comparable to an international supermodel. The soft lighting made his unadorned features more refined, his eyes the most enchanting, naturally tinted pink at the corners, slightly upturned, his long black eyelashes fluttering like butterflies, dark eyebrows and eyes, and pink-tinted lips.
With a slight smile, he was enchanting and unrivaled, like the spring sun, melting the ice.
Finn’s hair was slightly long, reaching his shoulders, loosely tied behind his head. Few men could pull off long hair, but Finn was one of them. Instead of appearing feminine, his slightly long hair balanced his sharp and fierce aura, with a touch of deception.
Finn was the most handsome person Aoife had ever seen.
As long as she kept staring at him like this, all the pain in her body seemed to disappear.
She really… really liked Mr. Snearl.
Her eyes reddened further, a hint of bitterness rising in her throat, turning sour in her nostrils.
Staring at the glass in Finn’s hand, she choked out, “This is the first time someone has been there for me when I was sick.”
The red-eyed little rabbit, even more endearing when crying, Finn put down the glass in his hand and gently rubbed her head.
Finn wanted to laugh.
Look, just by being with her for a while, she had already forgotten who had caused her back injury.
Finn smirked, “Are you feeling a bit tired from filming recently?”
Aoife shook her head, “Not tired.” Compared to the past, this job was much better and she could earn money.
“You are sick now, I have asked the crew to pause filming. You will stay at home for now, and when the wound heals, I will take you to get rid of the scar.”
Aoife nodded obediently.
After applying the medicine to her back, she felt much more comfortable, but it still hurt. It was hot weather, and Aoife didn’t want to use electricity, so she didn’t turn on the air conditioning. Instead, she fanned herself when feeling hot and couldn’t touch water, making bathing a big problem. She could only splash water on her front and use a towel to gently wipe her back while avoiding the wound.
She nursed her wound for ten days, and it finally scabbed over. After the pain subsided, itching started, indicating the growth of new flesh. Aoife dare not scratch it with her hand, feeling a large area of ugly scar even without looking in the mirror.
Finn seemed to be disgusted by the scar on her back. Every time he visited, he used to make her wear a red dress, but not anymore.
Aoife wore simple T-shirts every day, busy both inside and outside. She was injured on her back, not unable to move her hands, so she did all the shopping, cleaning, and cooking.
When Aoife first arrived, there was another lady helping out, but Finn saw that Aoife could manage the household better, so he dismissed the extra lady.
With things to do, Aoife felt more at ease. When she first entered, she felt like she was an unwelcome mouse, completely out of place.
Aoife was good at taking care of people, she had a talent for being a servant. Honestly, no one had ever taken care of him as comfortably as she did.
It was simply a heavenly comfort. In just three days, she grasped all of Finn’s preferences, routines, and without the need for him to say a word, she understood his intentions.
She woke up early in the morning to prepare breakfast before bringing in hot water, squeezing toothpaste, even placing towels in the most convenient spots for Finn.
She was efficient in cleaning; the clothes Finn changed out of were sent to the dry cleaners, but with Aoife around, the assistant no longer needed to make that trip. Aoife’s hand-washed clothes were cleaner than those handled by professionals. Especially the high-end shirts were all diligently hand-washed by Aoife. Finn saw her skill and bought a dryer, setting up a laundry room specifically for her use.
Using antibacterial detergent and airing out clothes after washing before using sandalwood incense to freshen them up.
The scent of sandalwood could soothe the mood and regulate emotions.
With a woman like her to care for, who would be willing to let go? Even if not as a stand-in, being a servant would be okay.
Unfortunately, the Dankworth family members couldn’t tolerate such a small entity to exist.
Moreover, spending time with Aoife, one would become increasingly reliant on her care. Finn detested this feeling.
As the wound healed and the scar on her back gradually fell off, the new flesh appeared pink, not unattractive, but still out of place on her snow-white back.
Finn decided to take Aoife for scar removal surgery and asked her to wait at home for him.
With nothing to do, Aoife started cleaning, focusing on Finn’s room that day. She opened the curtains, letting in fresh air through the windows.
Finn’s computer desk was cluttered with stuff, she tidied up one by one, placing them back in their original positions. As she picked up the mouse, the computer suddenly lit up, catching her off guard.
Finn had forgotten to turn off the computer.
Aoife looked at the screen, about to reach out to turn it off, but her right hand inexplicably clicked on a folder labeled “Elisa.”
This name instantly caught Aoife’s attention. “Elisa” was the new name Finn had given her, a new beginning and also the stage name for work.
Seeing this name on the computer screen, something felt off to her.
Aoife hesitated, originally planning to close it, but her right hand instinctively clicked on it.