Chapter 3: The Thorn Beneath the Bloom

I asked him again—where were the servants of this house?

He only smiled and carried me downstairs into the main hall, where balloons and birthday decorations awaited. I was genuinely delighted. He gently stroked the side of my neck and whispered, "Tonight, I'll tell you where they are."

I nodded, trusting him.

He cut me a slice of cake, handed it over, and told me to make a wish.

So I closed my eyes and wished: "I want to stay with you forever."

He froze for a moment. But he said nothing—just pushed up his glasses.

I ran over to him, staring at his face with an impish grin. I smeared cake frosting on his cheek.

But he didn't get mad. He just stared at me—long, still, unreadable.

I played with balloons and laughed, telling him, "I'm eighteen now! That means I can leave the mansion, right?"

He didn't answer. Just kept watching me.

That night, just as he promised, he came to find me.

He took me by the hand and said, "Let's go see your maids."

But when we got there… it wasn't smiling faces that greeted me.

It was their corpses.

Their bodies mutilated beyond recognition—only the heads left intact, so I could still recognize who they once were.

I screamed. But before I could even run, I heard a cold clink beside my ear.

A collar. Around my neck.

Dong Huyen stood behind me, whispering against my skin as he kissed my cheek:

"You'll be next. But... if I can't bear to hurt you, what should I do?"

The creature from before had been sent to kill me.

But he didn't want me to die that easily.

I shouted at him, asked why—why he did this.

He didn't answer.

I punched him, kicked him, hit him as hard as I could, but it was all pointless. I was too weak.

I told him I wanted to kill him.

That seemed to make him upset.

He yanked the chain around my neck.

It hurt so much I cried out.

Seeing me cry, he pulled me into his arms and whispered,

"Don't cry. If you cry… I won't be able to kill you."

I tried to push him away.

Then he pulled out a knife and held it to my waist, warning me not to struggle.

I clenched my teeth, letting him lift me effortlessly.

He carried me into a room filled with thorn-covered rose vines.

In the center was a single, white bed.

He threw me onto it.

He turned to leave, but I grabbed him by the arm, trying to strike him.

This time, he really got mad.

He grabbed my wrists, shoved me onto the bed, and pinned me down, one hand closing around my throat.

I didn't cry.