Chapter 27: The Worst Moment Hasn’t Come Yet (1)
As she tried to pull her body back, the bed creaked with every movement, drying the saliva in her mouth. When Geoffrey’s eyelashes fluttered in response to the sound, her heart felt like it was going to drop.
“Don’t wake up now. Not now.”
If he woke up at this moment, nothing could be more embarrassing.
“Just a little more sleep…”
Mio muttered this to herself as if casting a spell on Geoffrey, pushing her aching body inch by inch.
She had probably moved only a step in total, yet it felt like her entire body was breaking apart. Pausing for a moment, she looked down at her stiff pelvis and widened her eyes.
“What on earth did we do last night?”
The simple question she asked herself shattered her expression entirely.
Oh no… this was worse than she had imagined.
“I can’t be losing my mind…”
She vividly remembered the way her body had clung to Geoffrey all night, even wrapping her legs tightly around his waist.
“Are you a snake?”
She silently yelled in her head as she lightly banged her head in disbelief.
If only that were all…
She seemed to remember burying her nose in his shoulders and back, enjoying his scent. The worst part was realizing that this was only a fraction of what she could remember.
“Could it be that I left marks on his shoulder too?”
She sometimes had thoughts about biting Geoffrey while looking at him, but surely not.
“He wouldn’t have stayed still…”
She observed Geoffrey sleeping from a short distance.
“Even sleeping, he looks like an angel…”
His face, with eyes closed, was beautiful enough to make her forget the chaotic situation. Soft sunlight spilled over his head, scattering across his smooth forehead. Seeing his long eyelashes tremble made Mio gape in awe.
“Am I getting used to it because I keep looking?”
Her standards for her ideal type—blonde hair and blue eyes—wavered in her mind.
“If only his personality were just a little kinder…”
She thought briefly, then snapped back in shock. She wanted to shake her head, but the stiffness in her neck made it impossible. Lowering her gaze, she noticed his wriggling Adam’s apple and his shirt hanging wide open. The shirt barely covered his body, torn and riddled with holes. She refused to accept the reality.
“I didn’t do this.”
Then her eyes fixed on the clear teeth marks. If she had done something like that…
“No. I can’t think that way.”
They said negative thoughts could make reality follow suit. There was only one way to confirm the truth. Opening her mouth as wide as it would go, she carefully retraced her steps from the night before. She wriggled sideways as if a tense soundtrack played in her ears.
“…I’m just checking, that’s all.”
Supporting herself with both hands on the bed, Mio opened her mouth toward his shoulder.
“Graaah!”
At what must have been the ugliest face ever, she suddenly locked eyes with the one person she least wanted to see.
“Are you trying to eat me alive?”
Geoffrey’s voice, just waking from sleep, was thick and hoarse. His dark eyes, unfocused as if not fully awake, were completely filled with her image.
“No, no! I was just yawning!”
Mio quickly covered her mouth and, at the speed of light, turned her back to him and pulled the blanket over herself. In that moment, she didn’t even notice her pain.
“Please… don’t ask anything.”
Clasping her hands tightly, she prayed to someone, even though she was an atheist.
“From now on, I’ll believe in you.”
Calling upon Diana, the goddess who protected the Caspian Empire, she begged that Geoffrey be allowed to fall back asleep.
“If that’s too much, could you erase yesterday’s memory instead?”
Tears welled in her eyes from sheer frustration. Whatever happened had been caused by the imprinting heat—it wasn’t her will.
“When have I ever had control over anything here?”
Her body trembled slightly from the intensity of her desperate prayer.
From early morning, several carriages and wagons arrived at the Caspian estate. The quiet garden was filled with the sound of horses’ hooves. Mio watched the busy servants moving about through the rising dust.
“What are they all doing?”
She muttered absentmindedly, then turned her head. Even if there was gold inside, she didn’t care.
“It’s not mine anyway.”
Leaning against the window frame, she glanced around her room, and memories of last night immediately resurfaced. The room was neatly arranged, but it couldn’t hide the faint scratches left on the door. She wished she could erase the image of herself clawing and yelling at it.
“I really want to cry.”
The throbbing pain from her forehead wound added to her headache. And the problems she had to solve were piling up like mountains.
Since she had no memory of a kiss, she still had time left to transform into a fox, yet she remained human. Until now, she had been half-believing in the magic, but seeing she was still human proved that a kiss wasn’t the only solution.
“Then what’s the point of the rules?”
The thought that she could suddenly transform into a fox made her shoulders shiver. She might be in serious trouble if that happened. She couldn’t return to her dead body in the real world, and here she was neither fully human nor beast.
“What if something like that happens in front of Geoffrey?”
Every thought she had led to a sad ending.
“This is depressing… so depressing.”
She needed a quick change of mood.
Mio chose one of the few dresses in her wardrobe and changed. Seeing her bloodied hands and wounds startled her, but surprisingly few areas were injured. Her headache remained, but after taking the small, round black pill Lauren had given her, she felt energized.
“Where do they even get such strange medicine?”
Struggling, she brushed her long silver hair neatly and tied a ribbon matching her dress to one side. Just then, someone knocked at the door.
“Miss Lavinia requests your presence.”
She wasn’t in the mood to meet anyone, especially Lavinia, whom she found irritating. Planning to change and then take a light stroll in the garden, she replied softly.
“I’d rather rest a bit now.”
“She insisted that you come.”
The maid seemed awkward at Mio’s polite refusal. While it wasn’t her problem, Mio didn’t want anyone else to be troubled on her account.
“I’ll just go briefly, then take a walk.”
Following the maid, she entered the guest reception room where Lavinia was waiting. Mio’s eyes widened. The room was stacked with boxes of dresses, hats, and shoes, leaving no space to step. Servants were still carrying items inside.
“Mio, thank you for coming.”
Lavinia, a friend for ten years, took her wrist and led her in with a smile. Mio, wearing a reluctant smile at her friend’s outward kindness, held the edge of her dress and greeted her.
“Thank you for the invitation.”
“Do you want to see them? My father sent so many gifts.”
That must have been the reason for the morning commotion.
Lavinia gestured, and a servant brought a box to the table. Opening it revealed a sparkling set of small tiara, necklace, bracelet, and earrings. Mio’s eyes widened; she had never seen such lavish jewels before.
“These must be extremely expensive.”
“I never asked the price…”
Her haughty display of fanning herself made Mio smile. She finally understood why Lavinia had called her.
“She wanted someone to admire them.”
That was easy enough to play along with.
“You wealthy people are different.”
Mio’s eyes widened in admiration. Lavinia seemed slightly surprised, then snorted.
“Why be so easily amazed?”
Encouraged by Mio’s envy, Lavinia endlessly bragged about the number of horses and dressing rooms she had. She even mentioned the hot springs at the Veil estate. Ignoring most of her words, Mio stood and asked.
“Can I take a look around?”
“Of course.”
Watching Mio open the boxes, Lavinia’s face lit up with triumph.
“There must be at least three dresses here.”
Mio tried on the same dresses one by one. Naturally, she couldn’t compare herself—a humble girl—with the precious children of a count.
“Pathetic beyond belief.”
Yet she still had to endure trying to tempt a duke.
“You should have stayed in the mess you belonged to.”
“I’m being polite only because of him.”
Before she married and became the lady of this place, it was better not to annoy the duke. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have wanted to speak to such a lowly person at all.
“Miss, that girl dragged the duke into bed again.”
Why did Geoffrey keep such a trivial person close? No matter how she thought about it, it made no sense. Lavinia had been beautiful from birth and had everything.
“I really don’t understand his intentions.”
Lavinia sincerely wanted to claim Geoffrey for herself. In her scheme, he was the ultimate prize. If she married Geoffrey, she swore to keep Mio as a personal servant. Then, she could fully release this humiliation. Speaking to Mio while she marveled at the gifts, Lavinia remarked.
“You don’t seem to have many clothes, Mio.”
The pride hidden behind her seemingly pitying look filled the room.
“She doesn’t know when to stop.”
Mio bowed her head deliberately and spoke.
“Yes. I’m not very well-off.”
In fact, she wasn’t just “not well-off”—she had nothing at all.
“Except for a few acorns buried in the ground for later.”
And she couldn’t even remember where they were. Initially, it was just a game, but somehow, it made her feel lonely.
