The piercing light and Matilda’s wet face. She couldn’t remember anything after that.

Had she lost consciousness? Or was even that part of her dream? When she regained awareness, her surroundings were dim.

The time when moon and sun meet. Dawn was breaking, casting a pale light throughout the bedroom.

Familiar scenery came into view. A single sofa, side table, large window, and balcony. This was definitely Kian’s bedroom.

Her last memory was of being in her own room. She couldn’t understand how she ended up here.

Through the window, she could see the dark, undulating sea. Lying in bed, she had the strange sensation of floating on the ocean.

Vivianne was curled up on her side.

Feeling constrained, she looked down to find strong arms wrapped like snakes around her rounded shoulders and slender waist.

She instinctively knew it was Kian.

…So.

How did this happen?

She had eaten too much chocolate, and in her hazy consciousness, heard incomprehensible voices. Matilda’s sobbing and the physician’s mysterious explanations. Everything felt so distant that she couldn’t distinguish whether those words were dream or reality.

Her chest felt tight, and when she released her held breath, the encircling arms tightened further around her body.

“You’re awake.”

A deep voice penetrated her ear. Had he noticed she was awake just from that slight movement?

“Aren’t you curious about what happened after the opera?”

His soft lips repeatedly touched and left her tender earlobe, seemingly awakening her senses from beneath the surface of sleep.

“You said you wanted to know. I’ll tell you. I’ve seen it before.”

“……”

“Since you’re awake. I’ll tell you everything you were curious about that day.”

Her mind was still foggy, leaving her no capacity to be curious about such things.

“Where did we leave off?”

“…Kian. I’d like to… rest right now.”

“This will only take a moment. So… the protagonists were holding hands just before the end, right?”

Though she said she wanted to rest, Kian didn’t seem to hear.

His disorganized attempt to tell her what she had been curious about that day seemed somewhat rushed.

“I can’t remember clearly because I couldn’t concentrate. They held hands, right?”

“…Yes.”

Somehow feeling this would only end if she listened, Vivianne reluctantly answered.

The hand that had been around her shoulder moved down to cover the back of her hand.

“The man feels the woman’s trembling fingertips and tries to confirm her feelings.”

Kian played with her fingers before naturally interlacing them with his own. His arm around her waist tightened slightly, and his firm chest pressed against her back.

“He embraces her body and feels her heart beating.”

Their joined hands were drawn up to her left br*ast. She felt her heartbeat beneath her heated palm.

“Thump, thump, thump.”

…Thump, thump, thump.

His voice seemed to read the very rhythm of her heart.

“But he can’t tell whose heart is beating, because they’re pressed together.”

She felt heartbeats from behind her too. Whether it was his heart or her own heart beating so loudly it echoed to her back, she couldn’t tell.

“What the man wanted was the woman’s heart. The beating heart shouldn’t be his own.”

“…Why?”

“Because he wanted to possess it.”

Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked. Kian then unclasped their hands and began to cup her left br*ast snugly.

“Probably. He wanted it to be completely his. Something he could hold in his hand, grip, and knead.”

Kian kneaded and squeezed the soft flesh in his hand like dough.

Her heart, oblivious to everything, continued racing: thump, thump. Seemingly wanting to confirm it was her heart beating, he pressed gently with his palm and drew circles.

The peak that had reflexively stood er*ect was rolled around under his palm. It felt exactly like he was holding her heart in his hand, possessing and playing with it.

“So the man decides to look into the woman’s eyes.”

Suddenly his touch stopped, and she was flipped over. Kian’s upper body climbed over her, pouring down like a cascade. Her gaze wavered at the sudden movement.

“Seeing her trembling pupils, he becomes certain. And then like this.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than he overlapped their breaths before pulling away.

“The kiss ends it.”

When Vivianne unconsciously drew in a sharp breath, he naturally pulled up her negligee.

“Of course it has to end. Because in reality, this is what would happen next.”

“…Kian. N-not now.”

She hesitated, reluctant. She still didn’t understand what had happened in her hazy state. It was natural to be uncertain whether it had been a dream or reality. However, Kian seemed uninterested in such circumstances.

“This will only take a moment. Have you forgotten the rule in this room?”

Her negligee was instantly pulled over her head and caught on her wrists.

“I told you there’s no need to wear such things.”

Kian carefully observed Vivianne with her arms raised, her hands bound by the partially removed negligee. He took in her trembling white nakedness and the shapely flesh that spread beautifully while she lay down. His somewhat intoxicated eyes were filled with satisfaction.

“Vivi. That day, did you ask me to choose a dress for you?”

“……”

“Right. The dress. You were disappointed I didn’t choose one for you. That’s what happened.”

Looking at him rambling with a flushed face, he seemed somewhat out of his mind.

Vivianne felt slightly afraid of his unfamiliar behavior, so unlike his usual self.

“I didn’t want to choose. I don’t like dressing you up. It’s just to keep other men from getting aroused. Whatever you wear. Why does it matter?”

He removed her remaining panties and stroked between her legs with his hand.

“…Ah, mmm.”

When his fingertips became wet and sticky sounds began, he somewhat urgently took out his own.

He spread her legs and thrust his center into her entrance like a sudden attack.

“…Kuh.”

“Ack!”

A burning sensation unlike anything before rose within her.

Vivianne’s waist bent, and her hips, lifted into the air, trembled violently. Unlike their previous matings where he had carefully sucked and licked, this was merely an urgent desire for their bodies to overlap.

“If you, hah, didn’t leave this room, you wouldn’t need to wear anything. Why do you, keep trying, to escape?”

“Haah, uh. Ki-Kian. Aah……”

“Going out only gets you hurt and in pain. There’s nothing good about it.”

Kian, far from moving his hips, was chewing on her lower lip while embracing her shoulders. The pressure made him feel like his member might be severed, preventing him from moving.

“If you’re mine, you should be whole. Haa… isn’t that right?”

Even while spouting this sophistry, he felt self-loathing. No matter how urgent, he had never rushed insertion like this before. Even to himself, this behavior was truly unlike him.

His goal wasn’t simply to thrust and ej*culate, to indulge in physical pleasure. Though he knew it was cowardly, he just wanted to feel… reassured, even for a moment.

When deeply embedded inside her, he felt she was completely his. With her impaled like this, she couldn’t do anything unexpected or run away.

Kian held her tightly while suppressing the rising urge to ej*culate. He let Vivianne bury her tearful, trembling face in his shoulder and patted her soothingly.

Meanwhile, Vivianne found the current situation unbearably confusing.

Why is he doing this to me?

I just woke up. I haven’t even figured out whether what I experienced in my hazy state was a dream or reality.

Why won’t he allow me even a moment to think?

It felt only resentful. She had much to say, but sobs kept erupting and consuming her words. Not knowing what to do, she could only continue hiccupping.

“Haa, and you asked if I liked you. I do. I admit it.”

“Hic, huuh… uh……”

“I’m not so good-natured that I’d… suck and lick something I dislike.”

“…I under, hic, stand.”

He said he liked her. He admitted it. Even though she heard what she had so wanted to hear from Kian…

“If you understand, please, I’m begging you, don’t do things I haven’t asked for.”

Somehow, her heart crumbled.