Mermaid Trap

The light was so bright it hurt her eyes, and Matilda’s tear-streaked face was the last thing she remembered. She didn’t recall anything after that.

Had she lost consciousness? Or was it all a dream? When she regained her senses, the room was dark.

It was that in-between time when the moon and the sun met. The room was suffused with a dim, early morning light.

She recognized the familiar surroundings: a single armchair and side table, a large window, and a balcony.

This was definitely Kian’s bedroom.

Her last memory was of her own room. How did she end up here?

Through the window, she saw the dark, undulating sea. Lying in bed, it felt as if she were floating above the waves.

Vivianne lay curled on her side.

She glanced down at the constraining sensation and saw strong arms coiled around her, binding her slender waist and shoulders like a snake.

She instinctively knew it was Kian.

…So, what had happened?

She had eaten too many chocolates and heard disjointed, incomprehensible words in a foggy haze.

Matilda’s sobs and the physician’s explanations had all seemed distant, like a dream she couldn’t distinguish from reality.

With a suffocating feeling in her chest, she exhaled, and the arms around her tightened.

“You’re awake.”

His deep voice resonated in her ear.

Had he sensed her wakefulness from just her small movements?

“Aren’t you curious about the rest of the Opera?”

Soft lips repeatedly brushed against her tender earlobe, bringing her drowsy senses back to life.

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

“……”

“You’re awake now, so I’ll tell you everything you wanted to know that day.”

Her head was still foggy, and she didn’t have the energy to care about the Opera right now.

“Where did we leave off?”

“…Kian. I just… I want to rest now.”

“Just a moment. So, just before we left, did the protagonists hold hands? Hmm?”

Despite her request to rest, Kian seemed not to hear her.

His insistence on recounting the story she had wanted to hear that day felt almost desperate.

“I couldn’t focus well, so I don’t remember exactly. Did they hold hands?”

“…Yes.”

Thinking he might stop if she answered, Vivianne reluctantly replied.

His hand that had been resting on her shoulder moved down to cover the back of her hand.

“The man felt the tremor in the woman’s hand and wanted to confirm her feelings.”

Kian intertwined their fingers as he spoke, pulling her closer, his chest pressing against her back.

“He approached and hugged her, feeling her heart beating.”

His hand moved up to rest on her left breast, feeling her heartbeat through his palm.

“Thump, thump, thump.”

…Thump, thump, thump.

His voice seemed to echo her own heartbeat.

“But he couldn’t tell whose heartbeat it was because they were so close.”

She could feel a heartbeat against her back, unsure if it was his or her own echoing so loudly it reverberated through her body.

“The man wanted it to be the woman’s heart. It couldn’t be his own heart beating.”

“…Why?”

“Because he wanted it.”

Curiosity got the better of her, and she asked. Kian’s hand released her fingers and began to cup and knead her left breast.

“Maybe because he wanted her to be completely his. To hold and possess.”

Kian kneaded her soft flesh, his touch firm and possessive.

Her heart kept racing under his touch.

He pressed gently, rolling the hardened peak beneath his palm.

It felt as though he was holding her heart in his hand, playing with it.

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

He suddenly flipped her over, his body towering above hers.

His sudden move made her gaze dart around.

“Seeing her eyes tremble, he knew. And then, like this.”

Without waiting, he brought their lips together in a long kiss.

“When he kissed her, that was the end.”

As she caught her breath, he lifted her negligee.

“It had to end. In reality, it would lead to this.”

“…Kian. I… not now.”

She hesitated, not wanting this.

She was still unsure of what had happened to her.

Whether it was a dream or reality was still unclear.

But Kian seemed indifferent to her hesitation.

“Just for a moment. Remember the rules of this room?”

He swiftly pulled the negligee over her head, trapping her hands above her head.

“I told you, you don’t need to wear this.”

Kian gazed at her, hands tied by the negligee, and her trembling, pale body laid out before him. His eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

“Vivi, you wanted me to choose a dress that day.”

“……”

“Yes, the dress. You said you were disappointed I didn’t help. Remember?”

He seemed almost delirious, muttering incomprehensibly.

Vivianne felt a twinge of fear at his unfamiliar demeanor.

“I didn’t want to choose. I don’t like putting clothes on you. I did it so other men wouldn’t lust after you. What does it matter what you wear?”

He removed her panties, his hand lingering between her legs.

“…Ah, yes.”

As his fingers moved, slick sounds filled the room. He hastily positioned himself and entered her in one swift motion.

“…Ugh.”

“Ah!”

The sensation was different, more intense.

Her back arched, and her hips trembled in the air.

Unlike their previous intimate moments, where he had lavished her with attention, this felt like a desperate, hurried act.

“If you stayed here, huh, didn’t leave, I wouldn’t have to dress you. Why do you keep trying to escape?”

“Ah, Kian. Ah…”

“When you go out, you always get hurt, sick. There’s no benefit.”

Kian wasn’t moving his hips, just holding her shoulders tightly, biting his lower lip.

The pressure was so intense it felt like he couldn’t move without hurting himself.

“If you’re mine, you should be whole, right?”

Even as he spoke these twisted words, he felt a twinge of self-loathing.

No matter how urgent, he had never rushed penetration like this.

It was so unlike him, even to himself.

This wasn’t about seeking physical pleasure. It was more about finding a momentary reassurance, however cowardly.

When he was buried deep inside her, he felt like she was completely his.

With her pinned beneath him, she couldn’t do anything unexpected. She couldn’t run away.

Kian held her tightly, suppressing the urge to climax.

He allowed Vivianne, who was trembling and crying, to bury her face in his shoulder, patting her gently.

Meanwhile, Vivianne was overwhelmed by the confusion of the situation.

Why is he doing this to me?

She had just woken up. She couldn’t yet distinguish if the hazy memories were a dream or reality.

Why wouldn’t he give her a moment to think?

It felt so unfair.

She had so much to say, but her sobs kept escaping, consuming her.

All she could do was hiccup, unsure of what to do.

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

“Hic, hu, ugh…”

“I wouldn’t go to such lengths for something I didn’t care about.”

“…Okay, hi-hic…”

He said he liked her.

He admitted it.

She had finally heard the words she longed to hear from Kian.

“If you understand, then please, stop doing things I didn’t ask for.”

Yet, somehow, her heart felt like it was crumbling.