<I, the Lovestrucked Lambert>

 

Trembling with her slender body, she nestled in my arms, and as I gently immersed her in warm water, I felt warmth myself, with hot tears streaming down my cheeks. My dear Dahlia, with her eyes covered for so long, wouldn’t see my tears, but I realized that only I still possessed such intense emotions.

In the warm water carefully prepared for her, all the toxic and filthy substances that had clung to her melted away. I tried changing the water once, twice, three times, attempting to cleanse away all the bad energy, but continuously, something dark and murky kept seeping out.

However, each time, as I wiped her body with soft, white cotton cloth and immersed her in clear water, her delicate arms and legs revealed a pale and transparent complexion, gradually regaining her original appearance.

I vowed to never let her be soiled or hurt again.

That was the fervent hope that burned within me. I focused on filling her once-starved stomach, bringing a blush to her slender cheeks, revitalizing her whole body and helping her gain weight. I dismissed the hired cook and brought in someone else.

After bringing in someone who knew how to properly simmer Dahlia’s favorite soup, Soup à l’oignon, which she loved from her childhood, I stood by and observed the cooking process several times. In the end, I became adept at simmering it to perfection.

To accompany her tightly shut eyes, which had been closed for so long, I replaced the blindfold with a light and delicate lace overlay, making it elegant and beautiful. Although her eyes were covered, it felt like I was always looking into her deep brown irises, the ones that had always gazed at me. Even though she would furrow her brow and appear pained when the light shone through, indicating that I should continue to cover her eyes, it didn’t matter. Her nose and lips remained as they were in her younger days, small and delicate.

As the pale color gradually tinged her lifeless lips with a hint of pink, I grew impatient, wanting to infuse more sunlight into her face. I added another layer of lace around her eyes and made sure she could fully enjoy the light and breeze in the garden. Considering the prolonged confinement, she might have been apprehensive about sudden outings, so every morning, I picked a flower from the blooming trees in the garden and gently placed it at the tip of her nose.

I wished she would feel drawn to the fragrance and vitality of fresh things and want to go outside. If I had watched her sleeping peacefully for a long time, I would have noticed that she trembled during nightmares at night and that, apart from eating and sleeping, she had no energy to do anything else and languished weakly. So I didn’t dare to take her outside without careful consideration.

Finally, when spring arrived and it was time for magnolias to bloom, I ordered a cart for Dahlia. I hoped she could experience the fresh air in a place with open sides rather than inside a carriage and feel the spring breeze blowing from all directions while basking in the warm spring sun. Meanwhile, I fed her young lamb meat every day and a variety of vegetables and fruits, so her entire body was gaining some vitality.

Not only were her arms and legs thin and lifeless, but her chest and stomach were also dull and flat, which pained my heart. However, they were gradually gaining some flesh and forming rounded curves. I couldn’t help but express how beautiful she was.

“The rosy color flowing through your entire body makes you truly resemble a delicate Dahlia flower.”

No, she was more than that. When I handed her a magnolia flower, she drew a smile on her lips and held it against her cheek. She received what I gave her with joy and nestled in my arms, like a contented cat in the cart as we strolled through the garden in the sunny meadow. Dahlia purred with delight.

I loved her in every moment. I couldn’t help but love her. She was simply a being that needed my care and protection. Whether in her younger days or now, she was an existence born to be loved by me.

One day, my precious Dahlia suddenly twisted in pain. Perhaps it was because of her poor nutrition until then, causing her growth as a woman to be stunted, or it was the first sign of the monthly bleeding she should have experienced. My poor Dahlia, unable to soothe the flow between her legs and unaware of the cause of the pain that tore through her body. But even in that moment, she was more beautiful than ever.

Despite the sensitivity and pain that encompassed her entire body as she transformed into a woman, I did my best to take care of her. She couldn’t see me, and I could see her, but I knew the exact moment her smile disappeared from her lips or when her shoulders stiffened. I provided everything she needed with utmost delicacy, treating her with comfort, but whenever she felt embarrassed or uncomfortable, I closed my eyes tightly as well.

Of course, her chest was gradually becoming fuller, and her small and cute pink nipples were becoming more defined. I couldn’t help but notice how they blossomed. Every day, I dressed her in different dresses and gave her frequent baths. During the process, I couldn’t ignore how she couldn’t see, and the strength in her arms and legs had not fully recovered. Since she couldn’t manage on her own, I had to be her hands and feet. And I was grateful for every moment of it.

Finally, seeing Dahlia lying comfortably free from bleeding and pain filled me with deep emotions. Before my eyes, Dahlia had become a complete woman. How desperately I had wished to meet that small and pitiful girl again. When I finally reunited with her, the days she had lost, the painful moments, and the time she had struggled relentlessly continued to weigh heavily on my heart, but for the sake of her recovery, I gladly dedicated myself every day.