Selene’s POV ~
When my eyes blinked open the next morning, the first thing I noticed was how strangely well I felt.
That in itself was wrong.
Normally, after a night like that, my body would be aching all over. Every breath would sting, my legs would be heavy, and my head would be throbbing. But this ti, there was nothing. Only a strange lightness, as if I had slept soundly and peacefully.
Except I knew I hadn’t.
I hadn’t even been able to sleep properly last night. My body had been too restless and too tense. So how could I feel so... normal now?
My heart began to pound in unease as fragnts of mory rushed back to . I rembered being in the washroom. The way my hands had trembled, how my legs had wobbled so badly that I could barely stand. And then—yes, there had been a knock.
I froze.
The knock.
And then... a voice. A voice that had cut through the haze, grounding for just one mont before everything went black.
Kieran.
It was his voice. I was sure of it. Even in the fog of my dazed mind, I rembered the low steadiness of it. He had been there.
But after that—nothing.
The mory was broken, blurred as though covered by mist. I tried to reach for it, but it slipped away, leaving only a hollow unease in my chest. My breathing quickened as I sat up, clutching the blanket close to .
I was dry. My bathrobe was still there, but I felt like it was a different one, or maybe not. Even my hair felt clean, with no trace of the sweat and ss from last night. I glanced toward the washroom. The door was closed.
So how?
How could I be here, perfectly fine, unless soone had carried back? Unless soone had seen like that—weak, collapsed on the floor, unable even to walk?
A sharp wave of heat rushed to my face. Sha burned through , twisting deep in my chest.
Had he seen like that? Broken, helpless, sprawled on the floor like a fool?
The thought made my stomach churn. I pressed my palms over my face, wishing the ground would open and swallow whole. I could not rember what had happened after hearing his voice, and that only made it worse. What if I had said sothing? What if I had done sothing humiliating while I was barely conscious?
What if he had carried back?
The image made flinch, my hands curling into fists against my lap. I had no answers, only the pounding terror that I had embarrassed myself before him in the most pitiful way possible.
I could only hope—pray—that maybe I had imagined it all. That maybe he hadn’t been there at all, and it was just my mind playing tricks.
But the more I thought about it, the more certain I beca.
It had been his voice.
And that realization horrified more than anything else.
Waiting in the room was useless. No matter how much I thought, I could not piece the truth together. My mind was too foggy, too uncertain. With a deep breath, I pressed my steps onto the floor and forced myself to calm down before walking outside.
I walked to the washroom, splashed water on my face, and then filled the tub for a quick bath. The warm water cald , but my thoughts stayed tangled.
When I stepped out, I realized another problem—I had no clothes. The only set I had was the one I had worn last night. There was nothing else in the room. After a long pause, cheeks burning with discomfort, I slipped back into the sa clothes.
Once ready, I stood at the door, my hand resting on the knob. My heart pounded so hard I thought it might echo in the quiet house. Should I leave? Just bolt out and vanish before anyone sees ?
When I stepped out, the house was quiet. Only the faint sound of dishes clinking ca from the kitchen. I realized with a start that it was already past noon. I had slept far longer than I should have.
My heart beat so fast that my hands trembled. Embarrassnt coiled in my stomach, sharp and heavy. A single thought filled my head—leave. Just run out the door, vanish, and never let anyone see again.
I was still debating with myself, half-ready to bolt, when his voice reached .
"Are you awake? Are you alright? Did your fever subside?"
I froze, staring toward the kitchen. My lips parted before I could stop myself. "Fever? What fever?"
Kieran stepped into view, his expression calm and steady, as if nothing unusual had happened at all. "You had a very high fever last night," he said, almost too casually. "I called a doctor. He gave you a shot. You almost made worry."
I blinked at him, confusion running through like a wave. Fever? Doctor?
He gave no ti to ask. He simply continued, "I even asked the maid to help you change into dry clothes. You should rest more."
A sigh of relief escaped my chest before I could stop it. So that was it. I had just imagined everything. My mind had played tricks on . He hadn’t seen in that shaful state. He hadn’t carried . It was all just my wild thoughts.
Maybe it was true—the dicine the doctor gave had eased all the pain in my body. That must be why I feel so strangely refreshed now.
Finally, I felt the tension slip from my shoulders. I was still embarrassed, but at least it wasn’t the horror I had feared.
Gathering myself, I walked toward the dining table. My eyes widened slightly when I saw the many dishes already set out, still steaming.
Kieran had cooked.
"Why are you here?" I asked before I could stop myself. "Aren’t you supposed to be on a business trip?"
He paused, eting my gaze with a small smile. "It got cancelled," he replied simply. "So I decided to co here instead. Who knew you would be here as well?"
There was sothing warm in his tone, light and teasing, as though nothing was out of place.
For the first ti that day, I allowed myself to breathe.
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