Mermaid Trap

Darkness had settled over the mansion, bringing a deathly quiet. As they stepped down from the carriage, they moved directly into the main hall.

Vivianne, still wrapped in Kian’s jacket, held his hand—or more accurately, she was being held by him. He hadn’t let go of her hand since helping her out of the carriage.

“Welcome home, Master,” Matilda greeted them in the lobby. Although she addressed Kian, her slightly flushed face turned to Vivianne, curious about how the date and the Opera had been.

They had promised to share all the details of their evening upon returning, but the events of the night weighed heavily on Vivianne. Even making eye contact with Matilda felt overwhelming.

“Prepare a bath for me,” Kian instructed, his voice indifferent.

“Yes, right away,” Matilda responded, and Kian began ascending the stairs with Vivianne in tow. His steps were quick, and Vivianne struggled to keep pace.

Was it the aftermath of their brief but intense coupling, or perhaps the result of wearing high heels for so long? Her knees ached, and her legs trembled.

Noticing her discomfort, Kian stopped midway up the stairs and looked back.

“Are your legs hurting?”

Under normal circumstances, she would have either complained or admitted her pain. But tonight, she just wanted to rest.

“No, I’m fine.”

Vivianne lied, casting her eyes downward.

They climbed the rest of the stairs in silence, and by the time they reached the fourth floor, it was almost a relief to arrive at his bedroom door. Vivianne hesitated before speaking.

“…Kian, I’ll sleep in my room tonight.”

“Why?”

“I’m just a bit tired.”

He seemed momentarily taken aback, as if he hadn’t anticipated this response. He looked at her pale face for a moment before releasing her hand.

As soon as her hand was free, Vivianne fumbled to unbutton the jacket and returned it to him before heading to her room down the hall.

She felt her heart pound anxiously as she walked away, despite having done nothing wrong. She quickened her pace, opening her door and glancing back to see Kian watching her, though he didn’t enter his room.

“……”

Vivianne gave him a brief nod before entering her room and closing the door behind her.

* * *

All day long, it had been a series of stressful events. Now that the tension had lifted, an overwhelming fatigue set in.

Strangely, although she was exhausted to the point of not wanting to move a finger, her mind remained unusually alert.

She wished she could just fall asleep quickly.

But since she couldn’t, it made her feel worse.

Shortly after she entered her room, Matilda came in to help her undress and prepare for a bath. She inquired about Vivianne’s well-being and if anything had happened, but Vivianne, choked with emotion, simply shook her head. The thought of recounting the evening, especially the encounter with Kian’s fiancée, was too daunting.

Sensing something was wrong, Matilda didn’t press further.

Matilda offered to stay with her, but Vivianne insisted on being alone.

Once Matilda left, Vivianne found herself alone in the empty room.

It had been a long time since she had slept alone. Since the night of the full moon when she had suffered side effects, she had either slept in Kian’s bed or with Matilda.

But tonight, neither felt right. Maybe it was the complex feelings from the day’s events.

For tonight, she wanted to be alone.

Despite having no appetite, she felt an unbearable emptiness.

‘…Chocolate.’

Instinctively, she thought of something sweet. Vivianne opened a box of chocolates from her drawer and stared at them absently.

Kian used to give her one after their coupling, almost as a ritual.

‘Maybe I’ll have one.’

She hoped it would fill the void. Acting on impulse, she picked one and put it in her mouth. The sweetness spread through her mouth, making her feel a bit better.

Perhaps she had been too excited by being called beautiful. There was a time when just watching him from afar made her happy. Later, she wished to touch him, to hold him, and after countless couplings, she still wanted more.

Now, she wanted to express her feelings. And having done so, she wanted confirmation that he felt the same.

If she didn’t stop here, what would be next?

‘One more.’

Two pieces should be okay, she thought.

As the chocolate in her mouth melted away, she couldn’t resist and popped another one into her mouth.

Sweet. And bitter.

Much like how she felt about Kian.

Perhaps it was impossible for their hearts to beat in sync. She had fallen for him first and had never stopped.

It was natural they couldn’t walk side by side. So she couldn’t blame him for not feeling the same.

‘Just one more.’

She understood that much. But still.

What should I do to escape this hunger? Should I match his pace, or should I stop and wait?

Can I even do that?

I don’t know. I really don’t know.

The confusion made her chest feel like it was about to burst.

She had been told to only eat two, but even after eating three, it still wasn’t enough.

‘I’ll just have one more.’

Before she could stop herself, another chocolate was in her mouth.

It was cloyingly sweet.

So sweet it was almost sickening.

Just like how she would sometimes be elated by Kian’s attention, wondering if it was love, and other times doubting if it was mere pretense.

Would she ever understand his true feelings if she kept at it? It seemed an impossible task.

Vivianne, like someone addicted, kept shoving chocolates into her mouth.

One more.

Just one more.

Only one more.

…More.

There aren’t many left now.

Might as well eat them all.

Vivianne continued eating chocolates until the box was empty, but her mood didn’t improve.

Sure, it might be an emptiness that chocolate couldn’t fill.

Kian would scold her if he knew, but she couldn’t resist the sweet impulse right now.

Perhaps from the sudden sugar rush, her eyelids grew heavy.

Her stomach felt queasy from eating too quickly, but she was more desperate for sleep.

As soon as she closed her eyes, sleep engulfed her like a wave.

* * *

Her mind was foggy. The murmuring voices made her head feel like it was splitting.

“…It seems her body is reacting adversely to the overdose.”

It was the voice of a middle-aged man.

It sounded familiar.

Even though she was sleeping, why did she feel so tired?

Her whole body felt like it was sinking. She wanted to open her eyes, but they wouldn’t obey.

“I never imagined this would happen so suddenly. I should have been more careful.”

A woman’s voice, trembling with worry.

“What if something goes wrong? I should have… insisted on staying with her even if she said no.”

Her voice turned into sobs. The hand caressing her forehead felt desperate.

The woman, still sniffling, began speaking again.

“She has to get better. But Vivi’s body is so weak, I’m worried she might not recover well… It hasn’t been long since her last major illness.”

Yes, that was definitely Matilda’s voice.

“I’ve given her some detoxifying herbs and her condition seems to have stabilized, so please don’t worry too much.”

“Doctor, please take good care of Vivi.”

Matilda was pleading. The man’s voice sounded familiar too, probably Larsson’s physician.

“Well… Even if it’s urgent, she should never take more than the prescribed amount.”

The words, though unclear, buzzed around her ears.

“Taking more doesn’t make it more effective. Medicine can become poison if taken in excess. If we had found her any later, it could have been very dangerous.”

“I’ll make sure to be more careful in the future. Our Vivi, will she really be okay?”

Matilda, despite the explanation, seemed anxious, repeatedly asking about her condition.

“Well, there have been cases where people mistake it for chocolate and overdose. We used the same antidote then, and those patients recovered without major issues, so don’t worry too much.”

“That’s a relief. Thank you, Doctor.”

“Even if she recovers, it’s best not to take any more medication for a while. We should be cautious. It might be better to discuss other methods…”

The doctor hesitated before continuing.

“This might be difficult to convey, but it’s crucial for the patient’s wellbeing. Please make sure Duke Larsson understands.”

Her mind felt foggy.

It was like a nightmare.

Yes, this must be a nightmare because she couldn’t open her eyes.

I need to wake up.

This isn’t real.

I need to wake up.

As she forced her eyes open, her blurry vision gradually cleared.

“Oh my…! Are you awake, Vivi?”

She saw Matilda’s tear-streaked face.