The Devil's Betrothed novel Chapter 707

Chapter 707: Panicked Men

Aaron entered the drawing room, carrying Rina in his arms. He instructed the butler, who promptly moved a chair close to the fireplace where Aaron gently set Rina down, wrapping a warmer around her.

"Get a pot of hot water," Aaron instructed the butler, then knelt in front of Rina. He held her feet in his hands and frowned. "Do you want to lose your feet?" and started to rub her feet with his warm hands.

"I didn’t think about it," she replied, feeling guilty.

"Whatever happens, you are not allowed to be reckless," Aaron said in a strict but caring tone. "You’re still too young to handle the cold like us adults."

Nathaniel watched in surprise, realizing his friend had a gentle side he hadn’t expected. He’d always thought both of them were hard-headed men who didn’t bother with gentleness, but Aaron was proving to be different.

Rina pressed her lips into a thin line, her eyes growing moist.

The butler returned with a pot of hot water and placed it at Rina’s feet. Aaron carefully dipped her feet into the water. "Is it too hot?"

Rina shook her head, making a light muffled sound to say no.

Aaron noticed the change in her voice and looked up at her, seeing the tears in her eyes. He wondered if his words had been too harsh. "I didn’t mean to scold you. Don’t cry."

She shook her head, sniffling lightly as she tried to suppress her tears, but they rolled down her cheeks anyway, making Aaron panic. He felt lost—it was the first time he’d had to deal with a crying girl.

Aaron looked at Nathaniel, who was sitting in a chair, equally clueless, wondering if Aaron had been too harsh on her to make her cry.

"You should be careful with your words, Aaron. Little girls might not cope well with the way we talk," Nathaniel commented.

Feeling guilty, Aaron turned back to Rina. "I’m sorry, Rina...."

"I’m not crying because of what you said," she replied, wiping her tears with her small hands.

This only confused the men further. They both looked at her, asking in unison, "Then why?"

"I miss Brother Lucian," she sobbed, then talked to Aaron, "If he were here, he would have done the same as you. He would have even scolded me," she ended, bursting into loud, heart-wrenching sobs. "I miss my brother!" Her crying grew even louder.

Aaron and Nathaniel were caught off guard. She had been talking just a moment ago, and now, all of a sudden, she was crying loudly.

"Aaron, didn’t you hear she miss her brother? Go get Lucian," Nathaniel said, equally panicked as Aaron.

Aaron quickly turned to Rina, still kneeling in front of her. "I...I’ll get Lucian right away, alright? Don’t cry."

He was about to stand when Rina spoke again. "No. I don’t want him. He’s mean," she said, then started crying even louder. "I don’t want him at all. I want a new brother."

Both friends exchanged lost, bewildered looks. One moment she said she missed Lucian, and the next, she didn’t want him and cried even harder. How did the minds of women even work?

"Oh, okay. I won’t call him. Don’t cry, alright?" Aaron said, trying to soothe her.

Rina stopped crying, wiping her tears and nose on the corner of the warmer around her.

Seeing his master at a loss, the butler stepped in. "Lord Aaron, the young lady might enjoy something delicious. Shall I prepare a warm soup and some desserts for her?"

Aaron looked at her. "Do you want anything else?"

She shook her head. "I’m not very hungry. Soup, dessert, and a bowl of meat and rice should be enough."

Aaron remained calm as he signaled the butler to proceed, while Nathaniel glanced at Rina’s stomach, wondering how she could eat all that when she claimed she wasn’t hungry.