Chapter 3: A Story Not in the Original

On their carriage ride back, Bliss stole a glance at Caelan seated across from her. His presence made it difficult to breathe, as if she were sitting on pins and needles. Unable to shake off her discomfort, she turned to look out the window.

The reflection that greeted her only deepened her troubled thoughts.

‘Will I be able to go back?’

She struggled to understand how she had ended up in Bliss’s body. What had happened to her original form? There hadn’t been any accident that led to her becoming Bliss—she had simply fallen asleep while reading a novel, and then this happened.

As she let out a sigh and looked at her reflection once more, her eyes met Caelan’s in the window.

“Are you not feeling well?”

At his concerned tone, Bliss’s hand unconsciously went to her neck. His voice carried genuine worry. Not content with just that, he leaned forward to meet her gaze directly.

“You seem unusually weak. This isn’t like you at all.”

“What makes you say that?”

Bliss asked cautiously. Caelan merely responded with “Well, I wonder why,” offering no further explanation. His occasional smiles only made his thoughts more difficult to decipher.

His reaction alone told her enough. Given that Bliss was known to be a strong-willed woman who did as she pleased, there was no need to question it further.

Yet what puzzled her most was Caelan’s unexpected gentleness. In the original story, he had despised his wife enough to plot her death, but now his expression showed nothing but genuine concern.

“Your face is pale.”

Caelan extended his hand toward her.

“You can lean on me if you’re tired.”

“I’m fine.”

Bliss shook her head. She still couldn’t understand why she was alive.

‘He was planning to kill me… I mean, Bliss. Why didn’t he poison the necklace?’

Questions swirled in her mind, but she didn’t know which ones she could safely ask.

‘It’s not as if I can just ask him directly.’

While she was lost in thought, staring at Caelan’s outstretched hand, the carriage came to a stop.

“Shall we?”

Bliss gave a slight nod, but Caelan’s next words caught her off guard.

“You should rest. I’ll join you shortly. Feel free to sleep first if you’d like…”

“Together…”

She couldn’t bring herself to finish the question ‘are we sleeping?’

“Mind your step.”

Caelan descended first and offered his hand to her. When she merely stared at it as before, he took the initiative to grasp her hand himself. His large hand enveloped her smaller one firmly, preventing any chance of slipping away. Though she wished to distance herself from him, it seemed they would be entering their chambers together.

‘Why did they have to be married?’

If they had been mere acquaintances, or even just engaged, she could have found a way to break things off. But lamenting wouldn’t change their current relationship. The pressing issue was that they would be sharing a room.

Even after leaving the carriage, Caelan remained close, raising his hand to caress her cheek. She had lost count of how many times his touches had made her acutely aware of their intimacy.

“Your face is cold. Should I summon a doctor?”

“I’m fine.”

“At least let me escort you to our room. Or I could stay until you fall asleep.”

Upon hearing this, an aide who had silently approached took a step back, apparently planning to wait separately.

This confirmed to Bliss that he truly intended to see her to bed before leaving. The thought of sharing a room was startling enough, but now it seemed he would stay even closer instead of maintaining distance.

‘What should I do?’

She wanted to create some space between them but couldn’t think of how. That’s when—

“My lady.”

A woman who had approached with the aide spoke up.

“Shall I prepare your bath?”

‘A bath?’

Bliss’s eyes brightened. While gently lowering Caelan’s hand from her cheek, she seized the opportunity.

“Actually, I was feeling chilled and would love to soak in warm water. Please don’t worry about me—you should attend to your business.”

“Hmm. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Of course. I’m just a little tired.”

Bliss briefly met Caelan’s eyes as she brushed her cheek with the back of her hand, then went inside. Though she felt his gaze following her, she refused to look back. All she wanted at that moment was to get away from him.

The attending woman asked, “How would you like the water temperature?”

“Hot…” Bliss murmured in a trance-like state.

“Make it very hot. I’ll be staying for a while.”

She was determined to stay in until her body burned, provided she could last until Caelan fell asleep.

***

Bliss’s n*de form was breathtakingly beautiful. Her round, full br*asts, slender waist, and long legs created a mesmerizing sight that was impossible to look away from.

‘Not a single flaw anywhere.’

She considered how she might have been pleased to inhabit this body after death under different circumstances. If not for the fact that her husband intended to kill her, she wouldn’t have felt such distress.

Bliss glanced at the clock.

‘I’ve been here long enough.’

She pressed her pruning fingertips with her nails. As the water cooled, she hugged her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them. Her wet hair cascaded forward. The water, which had initially been hot enough to make her wonder if she might cook, had now completely cooled.

“My lady, shall I add more hot water?”

The maid who had been quietly attending to Bliss spoke up. When Bliss turned to look at her, the maid flinched.

“I-I’m sorry. I’ll bring it right away.”

Interpreting Bliss’s gaze as a reproach for her slowness, she rushed to move.

“Wait.”

Bliss raised her hand to stop her. The maid hesitated, discreetly wiping her wet hands on her skirt while watching for any reaction. Until that moment, Bliss had been so preoccupied with Caelan that she hadn’t noticed how others perceived her.

‘A lady who beats others for disturbing her mood.’

Remembering her position in the Marquis’s household, Bliss shook her head.

“That won’t be necessary.”

The maid had already confirmed the water had grown cold by touching it. Having no intention of staying longer, Bliss rose from the tub. Once she stepped out, the maid carefully dried her body with gentle movements.

Though the maid had been attending to her since helping her undress, Bliss turned slightly away from her touch. While such attention was expected for a Marquis’s wife, Bliss needed time to grow accustomed to it.

“I can manage. You may step back.”

“Yes.”

Thankfully, the maid withdrew immediately, as if afraid to disobey, making a second request unnecessary. Left alone, Bliss released a heavy sigh.

“This is serious.”

Though wearing the necklace hadn’t killed her immediately, what came next concerned her deeply. She felt lost now that events had strayed so far from the original story she knew.

Intending to return to her room, Bliss dried herself with deliberate slowness. After putting on a light dressing gown hanging nearby, she emerged to find the maid waiting.

Though briefly surprised that the maid hadn’t fully withdrawn as instructed, Bliss remained silent, grateful that she could now learn the location of her room.

When the maid stepped aside at the room’s entrance, Bliss drew a quiet breath.

‘Please be asleep.’

She offered this silent prayer as she entered. Moonlight provided the only illumination, all other lights extinguished. Moving carefully in the dim light, she held her breath when her knees bumped against the bed.

When Caelan remained motionless in the darkness, Bliss exhaled slowly. She waved her hand before his face, checking for any response. He stayed still, appearing deeply asleep.

The wait for the bathwater to cool had been worthwhile. She gently touched her chilled skin before lifting the edge of the blanket to slip one foot onto the bed. She lay down facing away from him, trying to move as little as possible.

The mere act of lying beside him drained her mentally, and exhaustion began to take hold. Just as her eyes grew heavy and her body started to relax, Caelan’s arm wrapped around her waist. Her eyes snapped open in shock. His hand across her stomach felt like a shackle, preventing any movement.

“You took a long bath.”

Caelan murmured lowly as he pulled her into his embrace. Bliss was so startled she could only blink, frozen in place.

“You’re cold.”

He covered her with the blanket and wrapped his arm over it, as if to warm her chilled body. As warmth turned to heat, Bliss called out to him in panic.

“Caelan?”

Despite her attempts to wiggle free, his arm only tightened around her waist, showing no intention of releasing her.

“Let’s sleep.”

At his drowsy words, Bliss could only stiffen awkwardly. She gazed around the moonlit room while biting her lip. Each movement only made his grip firmer, leaving her to worry her lip in frustration.

“Bliss.”

She blinked in surprise at the feeling of his warm breath on her nape. Though unable to turn around, she could tell he had buried his face against her. Her heart pounded so forcefully she feared he might hear it. Caelan gently stroked her hair as he spoke.

“Next time, I won’t let you go alone.”

‘Next time…’

Bliss felt completely lost in this unfamiliar turn of events that had never appeared in the original story.