Almost (Part Two)

Ronan really did seem to have fallen asleep. His breathing grew deeper and slower. Snake Language straightened slightly, letting the back of his head rest against her chest, and moved her fingers to his temples to massage them gently.

From Snake Language's angle, sleep laid bare the young face Ronan usually kept hidden. The slight swelling from his injuries had even smoothed away the only hint of "seriousness" lent by his habitual frown.

This was a boy of sixteen or seventeen, not even past puberty, yet he was already one of the most powerful people in the world. He possessed godlike strength and held her life and death firmly in his hands.

But right now, his mind seemed far away and hidden injuries plagued him. It seemed all it would take was a little pressure from two fingers...

The tiny spark of agitation was instantly frozen by cold reason. Even so, Snake Language's fingers stiffened, and despite the humid heat of the bathroom, her fingertips went cold.

Just then, Ronan's eyelids fluttered. He slowly opened his eyes, but his gaze focused on nothing, as though it were directed into an unknown dimension.

Snake Language's massaging fingers nearly froze.

Fortunately, her long acting career had given her first-rate skill, along with formidable control and expressiveness. She kept up her flawless role as a servant and let everything proceed as it normally would.

Snake Language had confidence in her acting. She could vividly play any sort of person in the world. She could even play a perfect version of herself.

The problem was that not even the finest acting could control thoughts that flashed into and out of existence. And the man in her arms possessed the godlike power to look straight into a person's heart.

A second later—or perhaps longer—Ronan spoke.