Chapter 0.166 : The Silence After the Fire

The door clicked shut behind him.

And silence fell.

Rena remained motionless on the bed, her golden eyes wide and unfocused, staring at the space Jin had just occupied. The sheets around her were twisted, warm, and damp with heat, the air still heavy with the scent of skin, mana, and something unspeakably intimate.

Her breath came in shallow waves, her chest rising and falling, still caught in the aftermath of what had just transpired.

He left.

The realization hit like a stone.

He left her — undone, bare, trembling, and desperate for more — with only a mocking kiss and a whispered "sleep well."

She closed her eyes and slowly exhaled, feeling the tightness in her throat. Her body still tingled in places he had touched — her lips, her chest, the small of her back. Even now, she could still feel the phantom weight of him pressed against her.

And she hated it.

Or maybe she hated how much she didn't hate it.

Her hand rose, trembling slightly, and brushed against her lips — still swollen, still tasting faintly of him. A warmth spread across her cheeks, climbing up to her ears. She turned away sharply, as if hiding from the memory would erase it.

Her legs felt weak as she shifted on the bed.

He said he I am evil …

Her heart clenched.

Cruel. Cold. And completely in control.

She had surrendered everything in a moment of heat and need — and he'd reminded her with one sentence that he held the reins.

That's all you want 

She slid her legs off the bed, her bare feet touching the cool marble floor. A soft shiver ran through her spine. Her skin was flushed, still sensitive. She pulled the silk sheet with her, draping it around her body with loose, shaking fingers.

The mirror across the room reflected a woman she barely recognized.

Her hair was tangled and wild, her cheeks were red, her golden eyes dimmed by confusion. Her lips were swollen, her chest marked faintly by his touch — by her surrender.

She looked... not broken.

But no longer whole.

Rena stood and slowly walked toward the bathroom, the sheet brushing against her ankles. Her legs ached slightly, her inner thighs still slick with remnants of what had passed between them. Her body screamed that something real had happened — something she couldn't undo.

Inside the bathroom, steam rose faintly from the mana-soaked tub. She turned on the herbal flow, allowing soft lavender and nightgrass to fill the air. The familiar comfort of ritual settled around her as she stepped into the warm water.

And then she exhaled.

Her body sank into the bath, and she hugged her knees to her chest. The water lapped against her skin, washing away the evidence — but not the memory.

Why did he stop?

Why did he start at all?

What does he want from me?

She leaned her head back, letting the water ripple around her ears. The world dulled. Her thoughts didn't.

She thought of his voice. The curve of his smile. The way his fingers had found her so effortlessly. The way his tongue had made her melt.

And then, the way he walked away.

She clenched her fists beneath the water.

"I was vulnerable," she whispered into the silence. "And he knew it."

She wasn't just angry at him. She was angry at herself — for giving in. For forgetting who she was. For craving something she didn't even understand.

He saw everything.

And then chose to walk away.

Not out of mercy.

Out of power.

That's what burned the most.

When she finally stood again, the water cascading down her body, she felt different. Empty in one way. Alive in another.

She dried herself slowly, methodically. Her skin was soft, glowing from the heat. Her chest still rose with the occasional deep breath, like her lungs were trying to catch up with her soul.

She looked at herself once more in the mirror.

Not with shame this time.

But with resolve.

"I won't be the weak one in this story," she murmured.

She dressed in a silk robe, simple and dark red — one that matched the mood lingering inside her. She left her hair loose, letting it fall naturally, a mane of fire around her shoulders.

She sat by the window, arms wrapped around her knees, and stared at the night sky.

He had said he was cruel.

But she had seen something in his eyes before he left — a hesitation, a flicker of conflict.

Maybe he wasn't as untouchable as he seemed.

Maybe he wanted to break her... but not completely.

Maybe he was testing her.

Fine.

She would pass.

She would become something even he couldn't play with so easily. She would protect her heart, her pride, her name — not just as Rena Amberhart… but as a woman worthy of standing beside a Rotschy.

And if he thought she would fall apart after one night of heat and chaos?

He didn't know her at all.

"Next time I will control you, my love. "

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Heat: Note: Rena is still a virgin. Jin hasn't done anything. Did she realize that she hasn't had her wedding night yet? That's why Rena is angry and she knows that he is playing with her. She is not stupid, but she is more sensitive than necessary.