Another day passed in the mansion whose exact location no one truly knew. Or rather, Duyen had stopped keeping track of time altogether. This time, she simply let Mina do whatever she wanted to her. If Mina wanted to feed her, bathe her, or even follow her into the bathroom without giving her a shred of privacy—so be it. Duyen let her do everything, and that made Mina ridiculously happy. So happy that she didn't notice Duyen was already able to walk again.
Or maybe she had noticed, but she was far too pleased with this seemingly submissive version of Duyen to say anything. Something about Duyen had changed. She was quieter now, never questioning Mina anymore—only watching her with those sad, heavy eyes.
Duyen was still beautiful—no, to Mina, she was even more beautiful when she looked sad. When she simply stared at Mina like that. Mina felt an odd familiarity, as if she'd seen that look somewhere before, though she couldn't remember where. That feeling washed over her like something warm, slipping gently into her mind—quiet, cleansing.
Mina suddenly stopped feeding Duyen. She smiled and asked,
"…What's going on with you?"
Duyen didn't answer. She just kept staring, long enough that even someone as cold as Mina felt her own cheeks heat up. Was this silence because Duyen was giving up—choosing not to run anymore? Or was she thinking about something else? The way she refused to answer made Mina just slightly uneasy.
Then Duyen smiled faintly, her lashes fluttering, long and curled.
"Remember when I saw you again at the base of the OPA building…? I should've told you then—Mina, you were beautiful. Maybe even more beautiful than before."
Mina's face flushed instantly. She turned slightly away, but the satisfied smile on her lips betrayed her.
"…Why are you suddenly bringing that up?"
"Maybe because I regret not saying what I really thought back then. I was awkward. I didn't want you to misunderstand anything now."
The compliment rolled smoothly off Duyen's tongue, so unexpected—not at all like her usual self. Mina loved hearing it, but she couldn't shake the rising worry in her chest.
She pressed, trying to hide her own excitement.
"Are you… trying to get something from me? Do you want me to buy you something? Or do you want…?"
Her fingers curled lightly at the hem of her shirt under the table, anticipation sparking through her. If Duyen needed anything, Mina would provide it—anything, so long as Duyen never mentioned leaving this place. But secretly, Mina was hoping Duyen wanted something else.
Something… wet.
Lately, Mina had let her desires spill over far too easily—but she still wanted more. And since it was only the two of them here, Mina wasn't afraid to show every part of her true self to Duyen—even the dirtiest desires.
She let her hand trail gently along Duyen's arm.
But Duyen looked toward the window instead.
Instinctively, Mina followed her gaze. Did Duyen want… to go out there?
Mina frowned slightly. The garden was surrounded by very high walls, but she still felt uneasy. And if she kept refusing Duyen's requests, this fragile state of submission might crumble.
So Mina took Duyen's hand and smiled sweetly.
"How about I take you to the garden?"
Duyen blinked in surprise, turning back to Mina.
A moment later, Mina was leading her—limping—through a long, empty hallway toward the garden. It was the first time Duyen had stepped outside that stifling bedroom.
Well, "stifling" wasn't quite right. It was just that nothing Mina had done with her the past few days felt healthy. The room always carried the faint scent of aphrodisiacs, of touches that happened whenever Mina felt like it. Duyen hadn't had a moment to escape it.
Only now did she realize how enormous the mansion truly was. But Mina had shoved all the luxuries into their room; everything else felt barren and hollow. A mansion meant for two people—it was eerie.
So many rooms. Had Mina lived here before?
Duyen kept her questions to herself until they reached the doors to the garden.
Outside was stunning—flowers blooming in full color despite being out of season. November should've been cold, but the air around the estate was strangely warm. Almost as if a heating system was running at full power around the entire perimeter. A quiet kind of luxury that sent chills through Duyen.
Mina wrapped herself around Duyen's arm, resting her head on her shoulder, brushing her cheek against her.
"Do you like it, Duyen? I worked on the soil myself. I planted all the flowers here…"
"Oh, I see… you planted them recently."
Duyen could tell—they were newly rooted. No wonder they were blooming out of season. But Mina kept staring, as if waiting for Duyen to remember something. And Duyen did feel an odd sense of déjà vu—maybe she was overthinking.
She used to garden a lot back at Yelsulin University's campus.
But instead of following that thought, Duyen asked something else.
"…Why haven't I seen anyone else here besides us?"
Mina blinked lazily, still leaning against her. "Hm? What do you mean?"
"…I mean, this mansion is huge. How can you clean everything by yourself? You should at least hire maids or something."
Mina stayed silent, that faint smile still on her lips as she answered casually.
"There used to be. But I dealt with all of them."
"What?"
Duyen stiffened, eyes widening, swallowing her gasp. Mina just laughed. "No, I'm kidding. But…"
Her gaze darkened.
"…Honestly, this place is where Valko and I lived together. As husband and wife. I guess that's not wrong."
Duyen relaxed slightly, relieved Mina had been joking—but she was surprised Mina chose to talk about something so old… and about Valko.
Mina hesitated before continuing, but she knew Duyen already knew enough—there was no point hiding it.
"…At first, to win me over, Valko hired a ton of maids and workers. The mansion used to be crowded. People coming and going nonstop…"
But the way she spoke made it clear she hated remembering it.
"…And they reported every one of my movements to him. Every single one. So I don't trust anyone anymore. That's all."
Even though Mina skipped most of the details, Duyen felt the heaviness of it—so heavy her own chest tightened. Valko was gone, but he clearly hadn't been a good man. And still… the way Mina had taken her revenge on him had been brutal.
Suddenly, Mina grabbed Duyen's hand.
"Besides, isn't it better with just the two of us? Just us, in this entire mansion, where we can be whoever we want—where we can love each other without anyone judging…"
Her eyes dimmed. She whispered.
"I hate this place. Every corner—I can see Valko watching me. I knew his tricks so well it made me sick. But for those four years… I imagined you. Us. If this place only had the two of us… I'd be fine with that. If anyone were to watch me… I'd only want it to be you, Duyen…"
She cupped Duyen's cheek, her voice trembling with obsession.
But Duyen shook her head, looking at Mina with pity—no judgment, only sorrow.
"No, Mina… I can't do that to you…"
Mina felt a sting of disappointment, but not surprise. Duyen was too gentle, too pure—nothing like that monster Valko had become. Mina adored her honesty and innocence… but she also needed to reshape Duyen a little. Make her love Mina actively, willingly—obeying every desire.
She laughed, holding Duyen's hand tightly.
"Duyen, you really are an idiot. If you were even one-tenth as obsessed as that bastard Valko, I'd be satisfied already. But what can I do? The one I'm madly in love with… is you."
Duyen shivered, blushing—the idea of being compared to Valko like that was disturbing. But she chose not to judge Mina.
Duyen's eyes drifted up along the towering wall that wrapped around the garden and the mansion. It was absurdly high—maybe eight, even ten meters. She tilted her head back, a reckless idea flashing through her mind.
If I sprint up that wall… could I actually escape this place?
But before the fantasy could even form, a cold shiver shot up her left arm, as if someone were touching her with an icy fingertip. Mina tugged her sharply back toward the mansion.
"Your fresh-air break is over. Come inside."
"Wait—Mina, slow down!"
Duyen's leg still hadn't fully healed, so the way Mina dragged her along forced her into an awkward, limping trot.
Then suddenly, Mina stopped. She turned, her smile sharp and gorgeous—yet her words came out like a threat.
"From now on we have a new rule: every seven days, you're allowed to come out here and look at the flowers. Your turn is up for today. Back inside."
That new "rule" of Mina's was ridiculous and completely arbitrary, but Duyen had no way to oppose her. So she followed Mina back into the bedroom.
Once inside, Mina set Duyen down on the bed, then walked over to the enormous fridge nearby and pulled out a glass of milk. Duyen leaned sideways curiously. From what she could see, every shelf was filled with nothing but milk.
Don't tell me that entire fridge is just… milk.
She snapped back into place the moment Mina returned, excitedly holding the glass.
"Duyen, drink all of this, okay?"
Recently, Duyen's instincts had been whispering to her—loudly. She was certain that the milk Mina gave her every day, and even the food she prepared, had been laced with something. She couldn't prove it, but she knew.
If I keep drinking and eating this stuff… am I going to end up messed up or what?
The thought made her hesitate.
But Mina tilted her head, teasing, innocent on the outside and wicked underneath.
"What's wrong? Do you want me to feed it to you… mouth-to-mouth?"
Duyen flushed instantly. She snatched the glass and chugged it in one go while Mina giggled behind her.
Then Mina slipped off her top, revealing her flawless, naked body. Duyen's face burned with embarrassment and panic, but she didn't dare look away—she remembered too clearly what happened the last time she refused Mina.
Clothes fell to the floor. Mina climbed onto the bed, kissing down Duyen's neck and chest, and the two of them sank into their usual routine…
Two hours later, Duyen was fast asleep, exhausted from giving in to Mina's intense demands. Their bodies remained tangled together on the sheets. Mina, still awake, gently played with Duyen's hair, completely entranced.
Every day, Duyen submitted to her a little more. But Mina knew Duyen's willpower was too strong to break easily. And repeating this every day… was wearing down Mina's patience.
Mina wanted Duyen to marry her—no later than the Kamakiri family's succession ceremony. But how could she speed things up? How could she bind Duyen to her permanently so escape would become impossible?
Still stroking Duyen's body absently, Mina thought for a moment… then an idea sparked.
She carefully sat up, her naked body glowing beneath the blanket she pulled up to cover Duyen. After tucking her in, Mina grabbed her phone, slipped out of the room, and quietly shut the door.
She dialed Yu.
"Hello? Are you there?"
There was silence on the other end at first. Then a flat, robotic voice—one Mina recognized immediately.
"Yes. What do you need?"
"Oh, it's you? Well, whichever version of you, it doesn't matter. Right now, you're the only one I can trust with this." Mina hesitated, searching for the right phrasing.
"Do you know any way… for two women to get pregnant together?"
Even Yu's emotionless face must have twitched at that—her voice held a hint of confusion.
"You mean… acquiring donor sperm and implanting it into either one of you?"
Mina's expression twisted in disgust.
"Don't joke around. Put the genes of some ugly man into my Duyen? I'd rather die. And you know that's not what I meant."
Yu paused for a long time. She didn't have any answer that would satisfy Mina, but she replied anyway.
"I'm not sure where I heard it, but I think there's a method in Germany that might make it possible for two women to conceive together. I haven't verified—"
She didn't get to finish.
"Really?" Mina brightened instantly. "Money isn't an issue. Give me the contact information for that hospital. If I can bring Duyen to Germany, then—"
"Slow down," Yu cut in. "There's something you need to hear."
Mina was still smiling—until Yu's voice suddenly sharpened.
"…Mina, Shigonami Shana is on her way to you."
"What?"
Mina's mood dropped from cloud nine straight to the pits of hell. Her voice turned icy.
"What did you just say?"
Yu answered calmly, as if reporting the weather.
"I don't know the details. When I regained consciousness, everything was already over. I have a fresh injury… and it appears I lost."
Mina exploded.
"You… lost? You're saying you couldn't even capture Shigonami Shana? What the hell is going on!?"
"I'm sorry, but it's the truth. And she now knows where you're keeping Duyen—Sorry, I mean, the love nest you two built. Either way, prepare yourself. I'm heading to the recovery ward."
"You—!"
Mina wanted to scream every profanity in existence at Yu. But she held herself back. Barely.
"Fine. Whatever. I'll handle it."
She hung up, fury blazing inside her. Shana was strong—Mina had known that. But she hadn't expected that level of strength.
Still… Mina wasn't unprepared. She just needed to stall for time.
She pressed a sequence of invisible buttons on the wall. A small screen popped up, showing Satoru already waiting for her orders.
"Satoru… she's coming. Bring it out to welcome her."