In the afternoon, Eulalia's fever subsided, and she was discharged from the hospital.
Grey drove her back, and her mood was somewhat conflicted. The car was quiet, with neither of them saying much, the stillness lingering between them.
After getting out of the car, she looked at Grey. "If you're busy, you can go ahead and take care of your things. Thanks for today."
"I'm not busy."
Grey glanced at the supermarket ahead. They usually bought groceries there, so he asked, "Are the vegetables at home still the ones I bought last time?"
Eulalia nodded. "I think so..."
"Alright, let's go then, buy something new." Grey headed toward the supermarket.
"Hey, you..." Eulalia followed him, feeling unsure how to respond. In the past, it was perfectly natural for him to buy groceries for her—they were siblings living under the same roof. But now...
Just as he had denied, they were no longer siblings. So, what was this relationship? Was he acting like her boyfriend? She hadn't agreed to that.
"Grey!"
Eulalia called out to him, her tone becoming more serious.
The young man in front of her stopped, turned around, and lowered his gaze to look at her.
Eulalia turned her head, biting her lip. "Well, about what you said at the hospital, I need to think it over. I can't give you an answer right now."
"Alright," Grey nodded.
They wandered through the supermarket as usual, shopping for groceries, yet their moods were different this time. Grey also bought some daily necessities, fruits, and vegetables, carrying a mix of large and small bags as they left the store.
He wouldn't let Eulalia carry anything. To them, the weight was negligible.
Eulalia walked with empty hands, her gaze drifting toward the tall, lean man beside her. There was a subtle shift in her eyes, a flicker of appraisal toward the opposite sex.
Grey placed the groceries in the fridge one by one, then began skillfully mopping the floor, cleaning, and went to the balcony to trim the plants.
Eulalia sat on the sofa, watching the busy figure moving around, and suddenly thought... maybe this wasn't so bad?
She had never thought of Grey as a romantic interest before, but now that she looked at him, despite being several years younger, he was surprisingly mature. Though he was quiet, he was dependable, and with him around, she really saved a lot of effort.
Ah, he bought her breakfast, brought the groceries, even cleaned the house...
And he was quite good-looking, too.
Maybe she should give it a try?
She kept her gaze fixed on Grey, lost in thought, not noticing his face turning increasingly red, his movements growing more stiff, until at one moment, large, dark-gray ears suddenly sprouted from the top of his head...
Eulalia froze. "Ah..."
Grey tried to remain calm, as though nothing had happened, continuing his work with large ears now atop his head.
And so, Grey stayed.
It was as though he had never moved out, as if their relationship was still just as simple as before... like siblings...
No, there was something different, after all.
In the morning, Eulalia stumbled out of bed, her hair a tangled mess. She was about to open the door, but she paused, then quietly turned and went to the bathroom. After brushing her teeth, washing up, and combing her hair, she finally opened the door.
Grey sat on the floor, carving a cow bone, while a plate of fried eggs was placed on the table.
Eulalia cleared her throat lightly and walked over. "You woke up really early."
Grey lifted his gaze to her, his eyes pausing briefly on the bone necklace he made around her neck, and his lips subtly curled into a small smile. "Oh."
She had put it on again.
Eulalia noticed his gaze as well. She reached up and touched the necklace around her neck. "Well... I already threw away that scumbag's necklace."
"You know... this one, it's kind of like a pearl necklace, actually looks quite nice."
Grey made a sound of acknowledgment and went back to carving with more focus.
Grey went to driving school every day, while Eulalia stayed busy with her own work. Their relationship seemed unchanged, but at the same time, it also felt different.
For example, one day, after finishing his driving lesson, Grey returned, one hand carrying a bag of groceries, the other holding a bouquet of flowers.
When Eulalia saw the bouquet, she suddenly felt terribly awkward, for reasons she couldn't quite understand.
Although Grey had confessed to her at the hospital, once they returned to this house, nothing romantic had happened. He hadn't spoken any more words of affection.
Grey's voice was stiff, and he couldn't even bring himself to look directly at her. "For you."
"Oh, thank you," Eulalia replied, her voice barely audible.
Her face flushed red as she took the flowers from him.
Grey stepped forward, moving in sync as he carried the bag of vegetables into the kitchen. He placed the vegetables into the fridge with a quiet efficiency.
On the third day, after finishing his driving lesson, Grey walked down the street, feeling like there were more people than usual and noticing that the street decorations were a bit different.
He overheard some humans talking, and he learned that today was Valentine's Day.
Draven had reminded him that Valentine's Day was the best time to express one's feelings, and anything given as a gift would make his mate happy.
He stood outside a cosmetics store for a moment, then walked in with a determined look, as if preparing for battle.
"Sir, what would you like to buy?"
"Sir, are you getting skincare products for your girlfriend?"
Grey subtly took a step back, his eyes sharpening. Not good—he was surrounded by two women.
The woman in the uniform and red lips smiled, "How about trying our new lipstick? It's been selling really well lately, and you can't go wrong with it. Your girlfriend will definitely love it."
"Yeah, especially if your girlfriend has fair skin. It'll suit her even more."
...
Before long, 105$ had disappeared from Grey's bank card.
—
On Valentine's Day, Eulalia received a gift.
It was the first time she had ever received a gift!
Her heart was pounding as she returned to her room. She opened the box to find a lipstick—a luxury brand—its color incredibly beautiful.
She dabbed her lips in the mirror and noticed that not only her lips were red, but her face was flushed too.
Since they gave her lipstick, she had to return the favor.
After a long time of deciding, she bought Grey a pair of shoes.
The next day.
She wore a white dress, applied lipstick, and walked out of her room.
Grey stared at her, slightly stunned. After all, Eulalia usually wore pajamas at home and rarely bothered with makeup. But when she did, it was...
"Are you going on a blind date?"
"Who said that? I'm not."
Grey was a bit confused. "But you..."
"What, can't I dress up at home?" Eulalia retorted, snorting as she went to grab some water. Her skirt swirled as she moved, and Grey couldn't look away.
Eulalia, with her back to him, suddenly asked, "Is it not nice?"
Grey sat on the living room floor, as if suddenly waking up. He quickly looked down, unconsciously swallowed, and touched his nose. "It looks good."
Eulalia walked towards him with the cup in her hand, then slowly crouched down.
Grey didn't know what she was about to do or say. He sat there, frozen, feeling inexplicably dry-mouthed and nervous.
Eulalia pursed her lips, then opened them slightly, "The lipstick... I used the one you gave me."
Grey's eyes widened for a moment, and in that instant, his whole body seemed to boil. He stared at the woman's soft, rosy lips, swallowing hard.
Eulalia glanced at the cup, somewhat regretful, "The color is nice, but it left a mark on the cup."
Sure enough, there was a lipstick mark on the cup she had been drinking from.
She stood up, took a sip of water, and casually placed the cup on the table.
Then she went to eat the breakfast Grey had bought for her.
Grey felt his heart pounding and some part of him heating up. He took a deep breath and lowered his head.
Eulalia had breakfast and then went to her room to work. Grey stood up, unable to resist. He picked up the cup from the table, his gaze lingering on the lipstick mark for a long time. His breath grew heavier, and it was as if he were entranced. Slowly, he pressed his lips to the lipstick stain...
Eulalia acted as if she were in a relationship. She dug out a lot of clothes, wore them at home, curled her hair, and put on earrings.
Grey, on the other hand, became more and more disheveled.
Sometimes, he would march into his room and slam the door shut, only emerging much later, with a slightly flushed face.
He drank cold water frequently and took cold showers.
It was rare, but one day, he stayed in bed longer than usual.
He wanted to see her, yet feared it at the same time. It felt as though she were making her move, tempting him, but she hadn't spoken the words of agreement to be in a relationship.
He lay in bed, his face turning red and hot from the torment of his own body and mind.
This actually led to a misunderstanding with Eulalia.
He hadn't gotten up this late, so Eulalia thought he might be sick. She knocked on the door, cracked it open, and turned on the light.
When she saw his face flushed red, her eyes showed concern. "Do you have a fever?"
She stepped inside and touched his forehead.
When her cold hand touched him, Grey took a deep breath but didn't speak.
Eulalia wore a red dress today, seductive, full of feminine charm.
Grey gritted his teeth, almost unable to control himself. In a swift motion, he rolled over, pinning Eulalia beneath him, his hands bracing on either side of her. But then, he was caught in the gaze of her large eyes, and he faltered, as though defeated. With a sigh, he gave in, burying his face in her, holding her tightly, his voice low, hoarse, and filled with frustration: "You did that on purpose."
Eulalia let him hold her, her voice tinged with laughter. "What did I do on purpose?"
"You know exactly what you're doing, stop it." Grey's voice was heavy, as he held her tighter, breathing in the scent of her.
Eulalia twisted her neck, avoiding him. "What are you doing? Stay still."
Grey indeed stopped, only daring to hold her obediently. After a while, he asked softly, "Did you agree?"
"Mm... what do you think?"
"Speak clearly."
Eulalia: "Do you think just anyone can lie on top of me like this without consequence?"
Grey suddenly raised his head, his eyes gleaming with a green light. His ears and tail appeared, and his large tail wagged furiously behind him, thumping against the bed with excitement.
She agreed!
He has a mate now!
His face flushed, he lowered his head, drawing closer to the soft red lips of the woman.
He pressed his lips gently against hers, his wish fulfilled.
It was still the lipstick he had bought for her.
Eulalia's ears turned pink, and she wasn't about to lose the challenge, meeting him with a kiss of her own.
What she longed for was a simple, peaceful life, where she could have someone who would listen to her, whose heart and eyes held only her—whether she was fat or thin. With Grey, she only needed to be herself.
A month after they were together, Grey asked Eulalia to give him a human name.
"Name... Grey isn't your name? And why do you want me to choose it?"
Grey said, "They were all gained a new name by their mates..."
'They' includes Draven.
Eulalia thought for a moment. "Then... how about Graham Fairbrook?"
"Good." Grey was satisfied.
