The man just laid there. His breathing was so shallow that one could hardly feel it. If she did not know Bruce Anderson was still alive, she might have been startled or even screamed by the scene just now.
She walked up to the bed and took a few good seconds to examine the man. After affirming that the man was truly not waking up anytime soon, Hilla sighed in relief.
Hanging on the top of the bed frame was a white wedding dress. It was obvious that the dress had been prepared for her for the event tonight.
Even though the Andersons did not throw a ceremony and the like, they still went through the procedures. Even if there was no wedding, as long as she wore the white wedding dress, the entire family should know that Hilla was the bride.
Hilla Holt looked at the white dress and smiled slightly.
It seemed like being wedded to Bruce Anderson and marrying into the Anderson family was not a bad thing after all. At the very least, the Andersons did treat her with respect and attentiveness. She could feel it.
Hilla Holt took the dress and frowned as she stared at the man on the bed. When she wanted to turn around and walk toward the bathroom, she stopped. She bent over and inserted her hands slowly and carefully under the blanket. She then pinched the man's thigh fiercely.
The man on the bed did not move. He was truly a comatose man devoid of all reaction.
No reaction was the best reaction to Hilla. She sighed with relief. She clutched the white dress in her arms tightly and immediately got undressed there and then.
In the living room of Anderson mansion was every member of the family. They were all sitting in the living room, waiting for the person that was the reason they were all gathered.
"Congratulations, Orlenna, now that you have a daughter-in-law, I'm sure your son will love her very much. I do wonder when will my Rudi give me a moment of relief…"
Lysa Layla held Orlenna Organa's hand while she smiled from ear to ear. She was so happy it was as if it was her own son getting married.
Rudi Anderson was nonchalant as he said mockingly, "Mother, do you really want me to be like Bruce? To sleep in bed, never to wake up?"
The air around them instantly froze. Orlenna immediately retracted her hand away from Lysa subtly.
Rudi Anderson finally caved in, albeit disgruntledly after being subjected to a glare by Lysa Layla. He said, "Congratulations, Aunt Orlenna! Congratulations, Bruce Anderson! I wish all the best and a bright future for Hilla Holt and Bruce Anderson! May you both have a healthy family soon!"
The living room fell once again in silence. One could feel Orlenna Organa suppressing her wrath.
Everyone knew that Bruce Anderson would not be able to wake up. Have a healthy family soon? Wasn't he just mocking them if that were the case?
Orlenna did not say anything. All of a sudden, some noise came from the upstairs. It was Hilla Holt walking down slowly with the grandfather, Master Anderson.
Her hands were placed, or rather, affixed to her front. Her posture was straight. Each step she took was well regulated. Her calm and dignified posture made her look like an angel sent down from the heavens. Her white dress made the rosy hue on her face so prominent that they were like peaches.
The entire living room went absolute quiet. At that moment, it was as if the only sounds around were the sounds of two pairs of footsteps; one light, and one heavy.
When Rudi Anderson saw Hilla Holt, he could not move his gaze away. His breathing turned ragged. At that moment, he felt like the woman had just stolen his breath away, as if the woman had bound his soul to her. Even his heart had stopped breathing.
...
"Her name is Hilla Holt, and she will be Bruce Anderson's wife."
Orlenna Organa grabbed Hilla Holt's hand cordially and introduced her gently to the people.
Hilla Holt followed Orlenna around, addressing everyone one by one. When she was introducing herself to Rudi Anderson, he held her hands in a tight grip.
"Correct me if I'm wrong here, but you're from the Holt family, the one that sells Chinese Hemlock, yes? And you're Hilla Holt, the number one socialite in New Island? You do indeed live up to your fame…"
Hilla withdrew her hands. She hid them behind her back and rubbed them hard against each other. She then followed Orlenna's instructions and greeted the man as "Rudi."
The way she spoke, especially when she called him "Rudi", almost melted his heart.
If Lysa Layla were not holding on to him, the man might have lunged at her.
He knew that the Holts had two beautiful daughters, but he had not expected Hilla to be that beautiful.
Orlenna's expression was as dark as a thundercloud. She stood in front of Hilla, sheltering her behind her, and with a grave voice, she said, "My sweet nephew, are you drooling because you haven't had any breakfast?"
Rudi quickly reached out to wipe his mouth. There was saliva, but he was not hungry.
Hilla Holt ate with the family, but everything felt tasteless. She went back to her room, and only then could she finally breath normally. It felt like she had just removed a full suit of metal armor. Even her entire back was drenched in sweat.
Her eyes flew to the man who was sleeping quietly in bed. She thought that the half-dead man was far better to look at then those men who leered at her with malicious intent.
At the very least, the man was sleeping quietly in the bed and was not leering at her, thus giving her no reason to hate him.
She would just treat him as a human-sized doll for her bed, and he could only listen to her speak while remaining silent. She could even move him around as she pleased, and it was really pretty good…
Just when Hilla was going to bend over to have a good look at the man on the bed, the door to her room was opened.
Orlenna had sent someone to bring supper and a glass of warm milk for her while she held a pail of warm water.
Hilla saw her carrying the pail of water and quickly offered to help. However, Orlenna quickly declined the offer by shifting the pail away from Hilla, saying, "Let me. You've just been married, so you must feel embarrassed."
She was going to give Bruce Anderson a full body wipe down.
Hilla was taken aback. In the next second, she blushed, and she turned around quickly. Although she was mentally prepared for it, it was just too sudden.
Bruce Anderson was handsome, but to have her strip a man naked… It was a task that she could not do just yet.
Orlenna was not surprised by her reaction. As she removed the blanket and slowly unbuttoned Bruce's shirt, she said, "Next time, when you see your brother-in- law in the garden, you should take a different route. You're new here, and there are things that won't be easy for you to handle just yet."
She could understand what Orlenna meant. She wanted Hilla to stay away from Rudi Anderson to prevent Hilla from cheating on Bruce.
"I understand, Madam Organa."
"You should change that," said Orlenna.
Hila pursed her lips in, and a moment later, she said the words quietly, "Mother."
Orlenna smiled. She quickly finished her task and turned to Hilla. "You can slowly learn things that you do not yet know. Since you have married into the Anderson family and you are Bruce's wife, the task of taking care of Bruce will be entrusted to you. He is, after all… no longer a child."
Hilla blushed. There was no gravity in Orlenna's tone, but when she heard it, she still felt shocked.
She looked at the washcloth in Orlenna's hands and turned to Bruce Anderson, who was now dressed neatly on the bed, and suddenly, she felt that marrying into the Anderson family might not be as good as she initially thought. At the very least, serving a half-dead husband was already not as easy as she thought.
Orlenna did not reveal anything else. She smiled and went away after she gathered the things that she had brought in.
Hilla sat on the bed and looked at the man who was sleeping on the bed, unmoving. After a while later, she finally spoke softly, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Bruce Anderson. My name is Hilla Holt, and I am your wife."
'From now on, I will be in your care.'