Chapter 125: Traitor – 1

Vivian once again placed the plate of food she had prepared on the bedside table.

“Another exhausting day, Kailo.”

She said, as though sharing her daily life with him in a soliloquy.

It had become a routine before binding him like this.

She acted as if she and Kailo had never fought, avoiding the heated arguments and yelling that would exhaust them both.

Instead, she chose to feign ignorance, creating a semblance of peace.

“You know, I’ve always known this, but… men can be so persistent. Even when I turn them down indirectly, some still keep approaching me.”

She remarked, her eyes resting on Kailo, who sat quietly on the bed.

“What do you think? Everyone seems to have their eyes on me.”

She asked, as though seeking his opinion.

Kailo remained silent, but there was something unusual about the atmosphere.

His gaze was on her, softer than usual.

No, it couldn’t be.

Vivian’s thoughts wandered briefly.

What was it about that small change that left her momentarily dazed?

Was it jealousy that made him look her way?

She decided she shouldn’t tease him too much, as it might lead to another dark conversation—and she didn’t trust herself to control her emotions if that happened.

She didn’t want to find herself desperately begging him for love again.

Though she could beg endlessly if it meant being loved, she’d come to realize that nothing would come of it.

The humiliation and anger that accompanied such attempts were feelings she never wanted to experience again.

Vivian loved Kailo deeply, but she hated him just as much.

Yet, she didn’t want to hate him any more than she already did.

After changing her clothes, she sat quietly beside Kailo.

This was both the hardest and happiest moment of her day.

It was when she had to face Kylo’s resentful gaze, bound as he was—yet it was also the moment she could be closest to him.

“Ah.”

She said softly as she picked up a piece of food with a utensil and brought it to his mouth.

Recently, Kailo had stopped refusing the food she offered.

He seemed to have accepted that if he refused, she would chew the food and feed it to him herself.

Kailo quietly ate the food Vivian offered, but today, something felt off.

His demeanor was unusually gentle, as if he’d grown weary—or perhaps he was in a good mood today?

Not that being bound could lead to a good mood, but the change was subtle enough for her to wonder.

Having watched him closely, Vivian noticed it right away.

Was she imagining it?

She tested it by offering him another bite.

“Ah.”

She said again.

Kailo accepted the food, like a bird taking feed, without resistance.

A natural smile crept onto Vivian’s lips.

“You’re being so well-behaved today. How cute.”

She said.

“…Yeah.”

Came his reply.

Vivian’s heart pounded at the change.

“Are you in a good mood today?”

She asked cautiously.

“It’s not so much that… just, well…”

“Finish your sentence.”

She urged.

“Never mind. Just give me more food.”

He said, opening his mouth voluntarily this time.

His compliant demeanor, the softness in his voice—it all felt so unusual that Vivian swallowed nervously.

She decided not to overthink it and simply enjoy his sudden change of attitude.

For once, she smiled, not with scorn but with genuine warmth, as she continued feeding him.

“You should eat too.”

Kailo suggested gently.

“What?”

Vivian was startled by his unexpected offer.

“You should eat. You’ve been looking thinner lately.”

He said, his concern sweet yet disarming.

His kindness made her heart flutter, but it also raised her guard.

“What’s with the sudden change? You know I won’t let you go just because you’re acting differently.”

She said, her suspicion evident.

Kailo let out a long sigh, staring at her in silence for what felt like an eternity.

He seemed to want to say something but struggled to get the words out.

Even so, Vivian waited patiently.

“…Don’t let me go.”

Kailo whispered, his gaze dropping as he spoke.

“What?”

“I’ve lost.”

He said softly.

Unable to process his words, Vivian stared at him, and he repeated himself.

“I’ve lost, Vivian.”

• Clink.

The utensil slipped from her hand and fell to the floor.

“Ah.”

She muttered as food spilled onto Kailo’s bare skin.

She quickly grabbed a nearby towel to wipe him down, her voice trembling as she replied.

“That’s… funny.”

She stammered, using all her strength to hide her turmoil.

The idea that such a simple statement could shake her so deeply felt humiliating.

Even so, her heart raced with the faint hope that he might truly mean it.

“I almost fell for that completely.”

She said, her voice unsteady.

Though she had hoped for Kailo’s surrender, deep down, she had always known.

Kailo was an unbeatable opponent.

No one had ever managed to defeat Kailo.

Vivian had never encountered a being stronger than Kailo.

And now, to think she was the one to defeat him.

How could someone as pathetic and cowardly as her possibly win against him?

Everything she had done up until now was merely her desperate struggle, but in the back of her mind, the thought that she could never defeat him lingered.

Perhaps that was why it had been so difficult for her.

“Are you serious?”

But Kailo spoke once more.

At his words, Vivian raised her head abruptly.

The man who had been avoiding her gaze was now looking straight at her.

His deep, dark eyes, which she adored, held her in their sight.

In those eyes, like a mirror, she saw her own foolish expression reflected back.

Vivian’s heart pounded even more fiercely.

He maintained his gentle demeanor.

“…I can’t win against you.”

“I’ve lost, Vivian. Let’s stop fighting now. Let me go.”

At his plea to be released, Vivian’s guard rose once again.

She almost succumbed to the sweet temptation in an instant.

“…Let you go? What are you even saying? I don’t believe you.”

“Then what will it take for you to believe me?”

Vivian’s eyes trembled slightly.

“…Ah, I won’t believe you—”

“Vivian.”

Kailo interrupted, calling her name.

“I love you.”

And with those simple words, he confessed his feelings.

At that moment, Vivian couldn’t resist and used a spell to discern lies.

His glowing blue eyes.

It was the truth.

“…Ugh!”

Unable to contain herself, Vivian abruptly rose from the bedside and walked to her desk.

She couldn’t bear to face Kailo’s expression for the moment.

With her back turned to him, Vivian tried to calm her pounding heart.

Her hands trembled uncontrollably with overwhelming happiness.

She looked down at them in disbelief.

“…What are you scheming?”

She asked, and Kailo replied,

“Nothing.”

But this time, his eyes glowed red.

It was a lie.

He was certainly up to something, but his declaration of love was also genuine.

“You’re planning to deceive me and leave!”

Vivian could only detect three lies in a single day.

She cast another spell on Kailo with her final question, but the sharp pain in her abdomen made her stumble momentarily.

Clink!

As she wavered, Kailo flinched and tried to rise.

“Vivian?”

Vivian wiped away the cold sweat, recalling Elena’s warning:

‘Your power is already demanding a price. Even as a novice witch, you’ve used too many spells. You need to offer a sacrifice to stabilize it. If not, you’ll be in danger.’

She could feel that her strength had reached its limit.

Vivian realized that for her final answer, she had no choice but to rely on her own power.

“…You’re planning to leave me, aren’t you?”

She asked.

Kailo responded with silence.

Neither affirming nor denying, he looked at her with a complicated expression.

Vivian couldn’t decipher what he was feeling.

Just before an awkward silence settled in, Kailo spoke.

“…Come here, Vivian.”

The sweetness of his words made her hands tremble with joy once more.

She knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t resist.

Was this what Kailo had felt toward her?

It felt like standing before a forbidden addiction.

Vivian couldn’t bring herself to meet Kailo’s gaze directly.

If she did, she feared her emotions would be exposed, leaving her vulnerable.

But even as she thought this, her body was honest.

Pretending to hesitate, pretending to falter, she steadily approached Kailo.

“…Vivian. Let’s stop fighting. I’m just as exhausted because I love you so much.”

“…Let’s reconcile today. I won’t ask you to release me. Just loosen the chains a little.”

“…No.”

Before she knew it, Vivian was standing by Kailo’s bed.

She still couldn’t bring herself to look at his face, like a pouting child.

“…I just want to hold you.”

Kailo said.

“The hardest part for me… was not being able to touch you with my own hands.”

Why did he say such sweet things?

What was he plotting?

Why couldn’t she resist, even knowing all this?

Unconsciously, Vivian loosened Kailo’s chains.

He said it was hard not being able to touch her.

So loosening the chains now would mean he could hold her.

The thought made her body react honestly.

Clink.

The chains around Kailo loosened, granting him some freedom.

Without a word, Kailo spread his arms.

Faced with the temptation, Vivian hesitated for a long moment.

“…This is as far as I’ll go. No matter what you do… I’ll never release you.”

“I said I wouldn’t leave, remember.”

“…I still don’t trust you.”

Kailo sighed, shaking his head.

“Don’t release me.”

“…Then just hug me. I’ve wanted to do this for so long.”

Grinding her teeth, Vivian finally faced him.

It was an oddly frustrating situation.

Perhaps it was hostility toward him for shaking her so easily.

Or perhaps it was her body’s instinctive reaction to protect itself.

“…I hate you so much.”

Vivian spat coldly.

Yet her body steadily sank toward him.

As if diving into a river, Vivian threw her entire weight into Kailo’s arms.

Kailo caught her and embraced her tightly.

Ah.

How long had it been since she felt this warmth?

How long had it been since he had held her so tightly?

It was a moment so overwhelming she nearly cried.

A happiness that melted her mind washed over her.

Had there ever been a moment this happy in her life?

They say extreme happiness stirs up intense emotions, and Vivian felt it right then.

It was like the thrill of a successful hunt.

A sweet reward after endless pain and suffering.

She had forcefully imprisoned and tormented Kailo, regaining his love.

It was bittersweet, but she was too starved to care, busy feasting on her prey.

“…I hate you so much, Kailo.”

Vivian whispered as she clung to him tightly.

Kailo’s hand gently stroked her hair.

“It’s my fault.”

He said.

“…I was wrong.”

The next day.

Knock, knock, knock.

The servants came knocking at the door.

As always, I knew they had prepared warm water to bathe me and Vivian, as well as food for the day.

“Lady Vivian, may I come in?”

A cautious voice, low enough that others wouldn’t hear it.

Normally, Vivian would quickly reply and let them into the room, but today she didn’t.

“Haah… Haaah!”

She didn’t seem to have the leisure for that.

From the early hours of dawn until now, as the morning approached, she hadn’t stopped.

We were entangled, mixing our tongues as if we were mad.

It was impossible to tell if the saliva was hers or mine.

“Haa… Kailo…”

Our lips didn’t part for even a moment.

My tongue ached from the effort, and my lips burned from the constant friction.

Even our breaths were shared.

Vivian’s grip on the back of my head showed no signs of loosening.

“Haa… Hah… Heh…”

Knock, knock, knock.

“Lady Vivian?”

As the calls continued, I spoke to her.

“Haah… Vivi… Haa… Vivian, you should at least-“

“Focus only on me.”

She whispered irritably and pressed her lips against mine again.

Even after everything since dawn, she was insatiable.

It was as if she feared someone might take me away.

She entwined her tongue with mine, pulling, pushing, and tangling.

Her obsession with me was unmistakably conveyed through her actions.

If her tongue had the ability to grip something, I was certain she wouldn’t let mine go.

As our lips pressed together, her emotions were directly transmitted to me.

When she felt happiness, her tongue softened and relaxed.

When anger consumed her, her sharp gaze and the force of her grip on my head intensified.

When she felt pleasure, her body trembled faintly, shaking in short bursts.

Even when she felt disgust, as vulgar as our entwined lips were, she forcibly spit small amounts of saliva into my mouth, as if marking her territory and leaving her trace on me repeatedly.

“Haah… still… you should at least answer them…”

Knock, knock, knock.

“Lady Vivian…? I’m coming in-“

“It’s fine!”

Vivian finally pulled her lips away and straightened her upper body while sitting on top of me.

Her hips settled perfectly against mine.

“Get out!!”

She shouted irritably at the maids outside.

After that, Vivian once again sought my lips.

“Are you going to keep paying attention to others?”

She asked, seemingly ready for her complex emotions to surge into irritation again.

“You said you gave up on me, but that was a lie, wasn’t it? You’re scheming something even now, aren’t you?”

Come to think of it, this was probably why I tried my best not to lie to Vivian.

She had an uncanny ability to catch my lies easily.

Since she would figure out my true feelings either way, I would just say them outright.

In the end, my only option was to let my actions carry the lies instead of my words.

And calling it a lie was a stretch…

I simply let my instincts take over.

Swoosh.

I grabbed her butt firmly with one hand.

Vivian flinched slightly, but soon, her eyes glimmered with lust.

Although she glared at me sharply, as if angry, she clearly desired more of this.

I moved my hand slightly closer to her most private area.

Though she trembled again, she allowed it.

“…You’re wet.”

I murmured as I intertwined my tongue with hers.

Vivian, breathing heavily, snapped back at me.

“You’re hard too.”

Still, I didn’t dare suggest we go further.

Knowing full well that I intended to leave, I couldn’t bring myself to embrace her with such a fleeting heart.

Fortunately, Vivian felt the same way.

“Not now.”

She finally pushed my arm away after indulging my teasing for a while.

“…If we do it now, there will be consequences.”

It was a relief that I didn’t intend to go through with it anyway, but her reason gave me pause.

Not doing it because of the risk of pregnancy…

Well, for me, that made sense.

But why would she think it was a problem?

What could be wrong with a child being born out of love?

…Then again, this is the same woman who can’t even say she loves me.

It’s only natural that she wouldn’t want a child.

I shut my eyes tightly, brushing away the troublesome thoughts.

I was going to leave anyway.

For now, I decided to enjoy this moment as my last.

“Ah!”

I grabbed Vivian and flipped her over.

She gasped in surprise, her breath hitching as she found herself beneath me.

I adjusted the chains to avoid getting in the way and gently leaned my weight against her.

Vivian let out a soft breath as she was pinned down.

Still, her eyes gleamed with pleasure.

I gazed down at her as she clasped her hands like a maiden near her chest.

Smiling faintly, I embraced her.

Placing my hands on her waist and the back of her neck, I brought my lips to hers.

She passively accepted my approach.

“…Do it more passionately. Otherwise, it’ll be hard to believe you.”

She whispered.

I followed her words exactly.

For now, I was playing along with her whims.