Chapter 35 - Carefully Picked Words (1/2)

After checking her vitals and reviewing a bit of her medical history, the royal physician and Olivia exchanged small smiles, and the former stood up and walked over to the dinner table to write his prescription.

His brows were scrunched the whole time as he listened to Olivia carefully picking her words. He knew she's hiding some information from him but he didn't want to overstep his boundaries so he just had to make do of the details she provided. What could he do when he's only here for an emergency call anyway?

Seeing that the royal physician was done with his routine check-up, Maxen, who was standing by the floor to ceiling windows, walked towards the living room and pulled the duvet up to Olivia's neck.

He rubbed the back of his index finger on her cheeks, and they silently comforted each other with mirrored faint smiles. He moved his hands and let it dance in a slow gentle upward and downward strokes over the duvet where her legs were hiding underneath before he strode towards the dinner table where the royal physician sat.

Maxen pulled out a chair and sat down across the royal physician who gave the former his assessment paired with an accusatory raised, single eyebrow, ”Your Highness, your girl… friend… needs rest. Nose bleeding often happen because of exhaustion. Since this is the second time that young lady had a nosebleed tonight, and hearing from her that this episode happens frequently, it's better to have her checked just in case there's another underlying cause to it.”

In the living room, Olivia snapped her head towards Maxen, their eyes locked with each other. Even with his reassuring smile, his eyes told her another story. She's not gonna lie, it worried herself too. And as if an invisible force compelled her to relieve Maxen from the fright of the incident, she uttered in a soft voice, ”I have a scheduled appointment with my physician on Friday. I'll talk to my physician about it.”

”Ok, that's great. If you don't mind, can you have your results forwarded to him for a second opinion?” Maxen pointed his thumb towards the royal physician who bobbed his head in agreement.

Olivia got stuck in a trance. Her medical records were too personal to be shared with a doctor she barely knew. She was rubbing her thumbs against each other when she felt Maxen's big and warm hand cup her face and then he cooed, ”Baby.”

”Ha? Yes?” she tilted her chin to face the towering shadow above her. She was so lost in thought she didn't realize Maxen had walked forward and sat on the couch's rest. She held the hand that cupped her face and replied with a forced smile, ”Sure.”

Maxen loosened up, his squared shoulders dropped into a hunch followed by a blowing of all the pent up tension in his body out of his mouth. He swiped his hands up and down his l.a.p as he glanced at Olivia one more time before standing up to usher the royal physician out of the apartment.

”Thank you for your service, Sir.” Maxen extended a hand and shook hands with the royal physician. They were standing by the half-open door, enough for the royal physician to step out.

”Anything for His Highness.” The royal physician was all smiles, yet his mind was elsewhere, thinking about the little interaction between Maxen and Olivia that night.