**Episode 8 **
“I’ve always eaten in the hall, so I thought today we could go somewhere special. But if it’s too far and tiring, I can go alone.”
“No, no. It’s fine,” Sharie quickly replied.
“I see. That’s a relief. We’re almost there.”
Thankfully, it seemed her effort to keep up wasn’t in vain—Caissa didn’t appear to notice her slow pace or slightly labored breathing.
“By the way, Sharie,” he said.
His golden eyes, nestled between his elegantly slanted brows, glanced down at her.
‘Was I walking too slowly?’
The thought made her back stiffen in alarm.
“Is it tiring to warm me up every night?”
She had tensed, fearing he was about to criticize her walking speed—but now she relaxed.
—
*“Please warm me.”*
Since the first night, when Caissa had made that unexpected request, they had shared the same bed every evening, tangled in each other’s arms.
It had been awkward at first, but now she was slowly getting used to it.
In fact, the way Caissa—so large and imposing—instinctively sought out her warmth and nestled into her arms was… surprisingly adorable.
Not that she’d ever admit it out loud.
“My body temperature is much lower than others in my clan. If you caught a cold, it’d be serious.”
“No, it’s perfect for me,” she said with a small smile.
Her naturally warm body was sensitive to heat, so Caissa’s cool skin actually felt refreshing.
Watching the relief flicker across his face, Sharie glanced around.
Except for a few guards standing at a distance, the corridor was empty.
“But you shouldn’t talk about things like that out in the open.”
Caissa tilted his head, clearly puzzled by her whispered warning. “Why not?”
“What do you mean, why…”
*‘Warming me every night’*—even if Caissa said it with no hidden meaning, if others overheard those words, they’d definitely misunderstand.
“People could think you’re being… indecent.”
His smile widened, a playful glint in his eye.
“…I’m not answering that.”
“That’s a shame. I want to know everything that crosses your mind, Sharie.”
“I wasn’t thinking anything dirty!”
Her startled outburst only made his laughter bubble up again.
The more she tried to speak, the more flustered she became.
Her face burned. If there were a hole nearby, she would’ve gladly crawled in.
In a panic, she rushed ahead of him—then suddenly realized something.
When had their paces started to match?
At first, she had been breathless just trying to keep up. But now… she wasn’t winded at all.
They arrived at a pair of large doors at the end of the corridor. Caissa, who had followed just behind, stepped forward and opened them.
“We’ve arrived.”
The view that greeted her was breathtaking.
Outside the door stretched a stunning greenhouse garden.
Aside from the supporting frame, the entire structure was made of glass—walls and ceiling alike—giving an unobstructed view of the world beyond.
“It’s so warm in here,” she murmured.
“To make it easy to access the garden without leaving the palace, I had this direct entryway built. It’s sealed tight—no cold wind will get in.”
Glass was a luxury item.
Because it was difficult to produce and therefore expensive, most noble houses only used it sparingly in windows to flaunt their wealth.
Standard-sized panes were the norm, yet here the glass was enormous.
The walls and ceiling had clearly been custom-made by a glass workshop, and the amount used to enclose this massive space must have cost a fortune.
“It’s beautiful,” Sharie breathed, admiring the lush greenhouse.
Neatly trimmed shrubs, vibrant blossoms of every color…
“It feels like spring has arrived in here.”
Outside, winter still lingered—but within the glass walls, the air was bright and warm and full of life.
“They say the rabbit tribe’s territory, Rahol, is a land of eternal spring, where flowers never wither,” Caissa said quietly, watching her.
“I haven’t been there many times, but… I hoped this place would feel a little familiar, so you wouldn’t feel so alone.”
Sharie was momentarily speechless.
Why was this man so kind to her?
*Why?*
In her past and present lives, all she’d ever heard was how useless she was. Yet this man…
Every time she felt the tenderness behind Caissa’s actions, her heart swelled with joy—and fear.
The story was drifting from the original plot.
And above all, her own sense of worthlessness gnawed at her.
*Do I even deserve this?*
“Thank you for your kindness,” she finally said, hesitantly.
“I… really love this place.”
Caissa smiled, and for a moment, her unease melted away.
“I had a servant bring our meal here. The food should be on the table.”
They sat down to eat.
The dishes had been enchanted to stay warm, so they were just as good as freshly made.
Yet Sharie found herself unable to truly taste anything.
*Maybe it’s because my eyes are more satisfied than my tongue.*
She peeked at the man across from her.
With the vivid flowers behind him, Caissa looked even more breathtaking than usual.
It hit her all over again how perfectly symmetrical and refined his features were—his bone structure, his gaze, his entire presence.
As she got lost staring at him, Caissa’s hand, which had been cutting meat with a knife, gradually slowed.
“You must really like my face.”
His amused voice made it clear he’d noticed her gaze long ago.
Busted.
Sharie whipped her head away, mortified.
Trying to cover her embarrassment, she groped across the table and grabbed a nearby glass.
She downed it in one gulp.
It was apple wine—sweet in scent but surprisingly strong.
“It may smell light, but it’s got a high alcohol content,” Caissa warned, even as he refilled her glass.
She kept drinking in an effort to cool her flushed face.
Before she knew it, she’d had several glasses.
Sitting alone in a greenhouse garden, enjoying this surreal peace with Caissa Graves—from *The Black Flower and the Golden Cage*—was beyond her wildest dreams.
So why did it feel like something was coming to ruin it?
“I received a letter today,” he said softly.
The peaceful stillness of the greenhouse shattered.
Even the gentle wind outside the thick glass walls sounded distant now.
“Your grandfather… will be visiting Barhad soon.”
—
After dinner, Caissa left for work. Sharie made her way to the palace library.
Though the towering shelves were packed with books, none of them held her attention.
*The letters are spinning in front of my eyes…*
She gave up and returned to her chambers.
Unlike Rahol—where days were long and the sun stayed high—Barhad’s daylight was brief.
The sun had already dipped below the horizon.
Her bedroom was dark.
The thick, insulating curtains blocked out nearly all light, and only a small lamp burned beside the bed.
But what weighed her down wasn’t the darkness.
Her grandfather was coming.
—
*He said it was because he was worried about you being sent so far away…*
Impossible. He was the one who had banished her to Barhad in the first place.
There’s no way he was coming out of concern.
He had a reason—but she couldn’t guess what.
That uncertainty gnawed at her.
*I have to face him…*
But the thought of seeing those cold, contemptuous eyes again was enough to drain all her strength.
The crackling of the fireplace was the only sound in the still room.
“…Haa.”
Sharie let out a long sigh and collapsed onto the bed.
She dozed off for a while.
When she opened her eyes again, the room was pitch-black.
*How long was I asleep?*
She sat up in a panic—then froze.
Her perspective was lower, and everything around her looked unnaturally large.
*Huh?*
She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Lowering her gaze, she saw small, round front paws.
Her heart thundered so hard it felt like it might burst from her chest.
*I’ve transformed…*
“Peep!”
She tried to scream, but only a silly squeak escaped her mouth.
“Piiik, peek!”
Panicked, Sharie leapt up on the bed.
Turning to the full-length mirror in the corner, she confirmed her nightmare.
Two tall ears perched on her head.
A plump little body with stubby forepaws. No tail.
And trembling pink eyes, brimming with tears.
It was definitely her.
She wanted to bury her head under her paws and disappear—but she couldn’t run from this.
*Why now…?*
She’d read about this.
In rare cases, when people lost control of their emotions, they instinctively reverted to an animal form most suited for survival.
*Was it the news about Grandfather? Did I panic that badly?*
Still…
To transform without even realizing it.
Not since she’d wet the bed and accidentally turned into a rabbit at age five had something like this happened.
