Chapter 147 147: It's All According To Plan (2)
After cleaning her, Val helped Eliana into a set of winter clothes after cleaning her body before reiterating how essential it was to keep herself warm. "Remember, you need to stay in bed under the covers, okay?"
Nodding, Eliana complied with his instruction, snuggling into her bed and pulling the comforter over her.
Val moved to the edge of the bed, pulled her feet out of the comforter, and began to massage them. Her feet were a perfect sight, with a beautiful arch, round rosy toes, and soft soles. Though her face wasn't the most beautiful he had seen, Val had to admit every inch of her body was perfect without a single blemish in sight. But even that didn't warranty service by Val The Unfeeling himself. If any of his previous life enemies or subordinate had seen him giving a foot message to a woman, their jaws would've fallen.
Val could only sigh internally. Look how low the mighty have fallen. In order to curry favor with the goddess of luck, he had no choice but to look after and care for the silly and sick fool until she gets better. It was all according to plan!
He started by gently massaging her soles. As his thumbs pressed into the soft pads of her feet, a small moan escaped from her lips.
"Sorry, my feet are really sensitive." Eliana's face flushed as she realized how messed up her reaction was to getting a foot massage from Val, and after apologizing to Val, she quickly clapped her hands over her mouth to stifle any further sounds.
Val, however, gave her a reassuring smile, "Eliana, if it makes you feel good, there's nothing wrong with showing it." Then, he winked at her teasingly, "Besides. I don't mind hearing you moan. In fact, it's like a reward for me."
At his words, Eliana hesitated for a moment before slowly removing her hands from her mouth, deciding to not suppress her sounds any longer.
As Val continued massaging her feet, she let herself relax, and her moans became more frequent, echoing in the room as she reveled in the pleasurable sensation his expert touch was giving her. Each press of his fingers on her feet made her feel relaxed and comfortable. The care and consideration he showed her, made her heart flutter and her feelings for him deepen.
His foot massage was so comforting her eyes closed shut.
She had fallen asleep, but Val continued to take care of Eliana.
He changed the towel on her forehead every few minutes to keep her cool, fetched fresh water whenever she woke up parched, and ensured that she was comfortable.
The fever was persistent, but with his care, it slowly started to subside.
Hours passed, Eliana drifted in and out of consciousness, and each time she opened her eyes, Val was there by her side.
As dawn approached, Eliana's fever finally broke. She awoke to find herself feeling significantly better than yesterday when she have come down with an illness. Val was seated on a chair beside her bed, his eyes closed, seemingly having dozed off while looking after her. There was a tranquility on his face that made her heart flutter, a soft smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
Even in his dream, he was thinking about the ridiculous rewards he was going to get for taking care of her. Maybe she will pray for him, causing his luck to multiply.
Eliana was totally unaware of his thoughts. She only felt warmth spreading through her chest as she looked at him. She didn't want to wake him up; he must be exhausted after staying up all night taking care of her. Instead, she took a moment to observe him, her heart filled with gratitude. For the first time in her life, she wasn't alone, and that realization brought her more comfort than she could express.
Meanwhile, Val was roused by the change in Eliana's breathing pattern. He opened his eyes to meet hers, and after a few moments, Eliana broke into a smile. Val acted as if her smile was infectious, and also smiled.
Val asked gently, "Are you feeling alright?"
Eliana responded, her voice steadier than before, "Yes, the fever's gone. I can't thank you enough for your care and attention, Val."
"I'm just glad you're doing better," Val replied, a genuine smile on his face. "Rest for a while. I'll prepare some porridge for you to replenish your strength."
She nodded, "I'll do as you say, Val. You're always right."
With that, Val stepped out of the room, gently closing the door behind him. A thoughtful look crossed his face.
'It should be coming anytime soon.'
And it did.
He hadn't even set foot outside the house when what he was expecting occurred.
A system notification chimed in his mind.
[Ding! Eliana, a peak level 1 Bloodline user with mystical blood, has prayed for you. As a result, Lady Luck has bestowed her grace upon you.]
[For the next 72 hours, your luck has increased significantly. You will start experiencing events that may not follow the usual laws of probability.]
A wide grin spread across Val's face. His heart pounded with excitement as he took a moment to process the information.
'This... this is astounding. My efforts have finally paid off.'
'It wasn't useless to take care of Eliana. She really knows how to express her gratitude.'
This was more than he had expected. His meticulous care and attention had yielded a far more significant reward than he could have ever imagined.
The next few days were going to be very interesting indeed!
After Eliana was helped to a porridge, Val said gently, "Eliana, I need your help with something."
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she asked, "What is it, Val?"
"I have a pot of purified water, and I need your help to turn it into holy water," he said.
Of course, Val. I'll help you," she agreed readily, pleased that she could finally be of help to him. As a user of holy magic, she had the ability to infuse purified water with holy power, thereby turning it into holy water. It was a simple task for her, and she was more than willing to help him, especially after all he had done for her.