novelraw Chapter 697: How Will You Compensate Me?
Chapter 697: How Will You Compensate Me?
The man had many scratches on his body. When Delphine removed his loose shirt and saw the scars covering his chest, all traces of shyness disappeared instantly, her gaze softened with a hint of reluctance.
Lowering her small face, she used a warm towel to gently wipe the man’s neck and asked softly, "Does it hurt?"
"It doesn’t." Ignatius Leclair closed his eyes and replied tenderly. As long as she and the two children were unharmed, no matter how severe the injuries, they wouldn’t hurt.
Delphine’s movements were so delicate they were almost imperceptible. Her subtle breaths brushed against the man’s bare torso, and Ignatius felt the areas where she touched him tighten. Having the woman he liked so close, close enough to catch the fragrance of her hair, was the sweetest torture in the world. Ignatius inwardly lamented—it hurt, but he couldn’t be happier.
Delphine roughly finished wiping his upper body and then applied medicine to his injuries. The man said in a deep voice, "You still need to clean the lower part."
The man’s wounds appeared grim but in truth hadn’t affected his internal organs. He was far from immobile, though the medical report had already been retrieved by him—this Ignatius would never admit.
Delphine stood frozen in place with the towel in hand, her mouth agape. She stammered, "Still... still clean?"
"Mm. I have issues with cleanliness." The man’s deep, pleasing voice accompanied his profound phoenix eyes, which gazed at her intently. He casually motioned for her to continue her diligent labor.
Delphine changed the water and towel, haphazardly wiping down the man’s straight, long legs, daring not to glance around. She shoved the towel into his hands and muttered vaguely, "You clean yourself."
Then she turned her back to him.
Seeing this, Ignatius curved his lips into a faint smile. After a while, he called her, "Finished."
That evening, the elder intended to stay at the hospital and keep watch, but Ignatius sent him back, leaving only Delphine.
Delphine tossed and turned until the early hours of the morning, unable to sleep. She got up, entered Ignatius’s room, and sat by the bed. In the dim light of the night lamp, she gazed at the man sleeping soundly.
"Why are you crying?" The man had woken at some point, and he reached out to wipe her tears while asking softly.
"I thought I’d never see you again." Delphine, as always, was slow to process things. Not until nighttime did she fully realize that Magnus Leclair had returned. The grievances of so many years suddenly found an outlet, leaving her unable to sleep. She rushed over, quietly shedding tears on her own.
Ignatius said nothing. His expression remained unchanged as he sat up, pulling her into his arms. He reached out and stroked her head, comforting her silently.
As he touched her hair, Delphine’s heart melted into a puddle, reminiscent of being nestled in her grandmother’s embrace during childhood. Before she could hold back, she choked up, "You have no idea how awful Ignatius Leclair is. Why did you come back so late?"
"It’s my fault. I came back too late." The man’s gaze was as deep and unfathomable as an ancient pool. He asked softly, "How awful is he?"
"He’s done every wicked thing imaginable." Delphine didn’t wish to bring up the matters of the past. The tangled relationship between her and Ignatius was impossible to sever or set right. That man only knew how to exploit and manipulate, treating her like a slave.
"Then let’s make him disappear forever. How about it?" The man narrowed his eyes, his voice deep and seductive. "It’ll just be the two of us left."
"And Nicholas and Benjamin." Her hoarse voice interjected softly.
"Raising another man’s children?" Ignatius narrowed his eyes, his voice slightly darkened. "Taking care of those two little ones isn’t out of the question, but how will you compensate me?"