Under the Heiress' Facade

Hera closed her eyes. When she felt Bernard shifting and rolling away from her, she immediately reached out to grab him.

"Don't be scared. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere," Bernard promised gently. He could feel her body stiffening and hear her breath coming up short.

His heart broke to see her panicking like this. He nearly caved and turned on the lights for her, but he stopped himself when he remembered how her last nyctophobic episode had turned out.

Hera's nyctophobia was too critical for her not to learn to overcome it. He could leave all the lights on at home every night, but he could not keep the night's darkness from the rest of the world.

Bernard didn't want Hera's system to go into overdrive the next time her nyctophobia acted up and he was not with her.

"The room isn't completely dark. You can open your eyes and look around when you're ready," he murmured. He was lying on his side with his arm under Hera's head. He slowly splayed his fingers while keeping his hand over her eyes.

Hera took several deep breaths, mustering her courage as her eyes fluttered open.

She peered through the gaps in Bernard's fingers. When she saw the glittering swirls of the galaxy and its countless stars playing over the dark ceiling, her breath hitched. It was beautiful.

Back when she was living in the mountains, she did not go out after nightfall for fear of the dark. She stayed indoors and read books instead. After she arrived in the city, her nyctophobia did not act up as much because the city was always well-lit even at night. Still, she did not go out after dark unless absolutely necessary and preferred to stay indoors.

Hera never thought the pitch-black and seemingly abysmal night sky could make her feel anything but fear. But at that moment, she was stunned by the breathtaking view of the galaxy projected above her.

She was surprised, and a little scared. Her heart was skipping several beats at once, and she could hear her pulse in her ears.

Bernard felt her lashes brush against the underside of his fingers, tickling him. He asked softly, "The galaxy might be dark, but countless stars are shining in it. It's beautiful, don't you think? Would you like to see more of it?"

Hera nodded slightly as the hand covering her eyes slowly pulled away.

Darkness enveloped her at once. Her body trembled uncontrollably as she reached out to grab Bernard's shirt, her knuckles turning white.

"Don't be scared. Relax," Bernard

said as he pried her fingers apart

and slipped his fingers through the gaps between them. Once their hands were intertwined, he reached for the remote and switched the image projected on the ceiling. "tere, look at this one. This is the Milky Way."

Hera listened as he explained the workings of the universe to her, his low and husky voice like a soft

lullaby. She felt the warmth of him et

hand and breathed in his familiar scent. Slowly, but surely, the fear and panic in her ebbed.

She tried to ignore the darkness around her and focus on the image above.

Gradually, her body loosened with relief. When Bernard sensed the change in her body, he turned to look at her face, which was mere inches away.

Hera's side profile was delicately chiseled, and he could see the galaxy reflected in her eyes. She was mesmerizing.

"There's a meteor shower tomorrow night. We'll be camping by the lakeside, so why don't we do some stargazing while lying on the grassy fields?" Bernard asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

Hera looked away from the ceiling and fixed her gaze on Bernard. The darkness around her made her head spin.

She took a moment to regain composure. Focusing on the light from the projection, she got used to the dimness and said, "Okay."

"Let's turn off the projector and try again, alright?" Bernard suggested. He had to strike while the iron was hot.Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

Hera's breath hitched. He could tell she was nervous and encouraged patiently, "You're doing so well adjusting to the dimness. Let's try total darkness for a bit, alright?"

She gulped and tightened her grip on his hand. She encouraged herself. She was with Bernard, and there was nothing for her to be afraid of. "Okay. Just for a bit," she said meekly, nodding once.

"Alright. Don't be afraid. We'll leave the lights on if it gets too much for you," Bernard promised, coaxing her as one would a skittish animal. After she mentally braced herself, he turned off the projector.