"What's wrong?"

Ave stared at the unappetizing porridge bowl for a while, smiling to herself as she recalled how reluctant Lucian was to leave her side despite the fact that she looked this way.

When she first glimpsed herself in the mirror, she had been horrified of her own reflection because, by God, she looked every bit a dying grandma! Her hair was a tangled mess, and her skin looked unnaturally pale.

She had felt ugly standing beside her husband and even felt ashamed and insecure when he stood at the door staring at her like that. If it were up to her, she'd have preferred he stayed away from her until every single one of these hideous injuries disappeared from her body. Every injury had its mark, and remembering how she'd gotten them wiped the smile off her face and sent a shudder through her.