Chapter 3
When Vivian opened her eyes after collapsing, a considerable amount of time had passed.
The inside of the cave was still dark, and the outside, which had become noisy, was now engulfed in heavy rain.
When she tried to sit up, she collapsed again. Apparently, she had a slight fever. Her limbs drooped like water-soaked cotton.
“That symbol on the ceiling…”
Lying dazed, blinking slowly, Vivian realized exactly where she was.
The Cave of the Mark from the novel The Curse of Astaroth.
This was the place where the male lead, who had transformed into a beast due to a sudden curse manifestation, encountered the female lead on her journey to the capital to find her biological father, Duke Eleonora.
Because of the heavy rain, they were trapped inside the cave, and ended up having a series of intense, steamy encounters. Aslan, the male lead, came to love the female lead who accepted his monstrous form—and he became “imprinted” on her.
Even though Vivian, his imperial fiancée, had already been chosen by the royal family, Aslan cherished the mark engraved on his and the female lead’s bodies above all else.
A beast imprinted on its mate could retain its human consciousness even in beast form.
It was a historic event that led Aslan—torn between being human and demon—to finally accept himself.
Vivian knew very well just how deeply saved Aslan had felt at that moment.
“Wait, heavy rain… alone in the cave? That means… me and Aslan right now…”
Vivian’s shoulders tensed as she recalled the plot.
She hadn’t realized it before she fainted, but she had spent the night in the same space as Aslan, the male lead.
Even though nothing had happened, she couldn’t help but be extremely conscious of it.
Looking around for Aslan, Vivian flinched again.
She was lying directly on Aslan’s waist. She had been using a lion the size of a house as a cushion.
“Why…? Was he trying to share body heat with me…?”
No wonder she hadn’t felt cold despite the pouring rain.
Her back, pressed against his body, felt as warm as a heated floor, and the thick mane tickling her neck was unexpectedly soft.
Vivian smiled involuntarily, touched by the gesture—but then the “cushion” under her suddenly jerked.
“…Ah.”
Aslan, now awake, was staring directly at her.
He glanced at the mane she had been petting, then scrunched his brows in annoyance and got up, shaking her off.
Thud—
“…”
Of course. Why would the male lead be kind to her?
A clear, ringing crack echoed in her ears.
Her head hit the stone floor hard, and this time it really felt like her skull cracked. She didn’t even dare check with her hand.
But more urgent was calming the angry-looking Aslan.
He had slept soundly just moments ago, but now he was baring his teeth at her. She had no idea what had upset him.
“Are… are you just hungry?”
“Grrrr.”
She didn’t speak lion, but that definitely sounded like a yes.
Aslan eyed her figure through the thin slip dress as if evaluating her tastiness.
It looked like her fate of becoming a prime-grade steak was dangerously close. Vivian hurriedly knelt down and looked up at him with teary, pleading eyes.
“Sir, I don’t taste good.”
“…”
“W-Why are you looking at me like that?”
As she tried to prove how unappetizing she was, she revealed her skinny arms under the slip. Aslan’s golden eyes widened in apparent horror.
He probably felt let down—what was supposed to be a rare meal had arms no thicker than his tail.
Seizing the moment, Vivian rubbed her hands together desperately. She was in no position to be proud.
“I don’t have many days left to live anyway. Please think of this as your final act of mercy…”
“Grrrrrr.”
“Um… Should I shut up now?”
Talking respectfully to a beast who couldn’t even understand her was unbearably pitiful. But it was pouring too hard to risk being kicked out.
Besides, there were rumbling vibrations from the mountain—maybe a landslide. And it sounded close.
“The cave walls are shaking… What if this place collapses too?”
Right now, Aslan had no human consciousness. Worse, he was wounded.
So the only one capable of thinking logically and assessing the situation was her.
Taking cautious steps back, Vivian began inspecting different parts of the cave. Aslan, curled near the entrance, silently watched her every move.
“His stare is killing me!”
To reiterate, Vivian’s family, the House of Eleonora, was a prestigious martial family that had served the empire for generations.
Although she had no memories from before her possession, she could instinctively use the sword techniques as if they were her own.
Thanks to her honed senses, she could feel Aslan’s intense gaze piercing her entire body.
Was it a warning—if she ran, he’d pounce and devour her? It was so overwhelming that she could barely function.
“Cough, cough.”
Vivian stopped moving.
She had pushed herself too hard. A coughing fit started, laced with harsh, metallic wheezing.
She was in trouble. She had no medicine, no warm tea, not even a blanket to throw over her cold shoulders.
Thud—
Just then, something heavy landed on her head.
Aslan had approached and was now gently nudging her with his nose.
Standing on all fours, he was nearly as tall as Vivian. Since regular lions stood about 130 cm tall, his size was enormous.
While admiring him with pure awe, Vivian suddenly narrowed her eyes.
Between his front legs, over his chest, something was faintly glowing like a magic circle. Small, but noticeable due to his black fur.
“A reversed pentagram? It really stands out… was that ever described in the original?”
As she unconsciously reached out toward it, Aslan beat her to it and shoved her back.
No matter how noble her lineage, she couldn’t resist the brute strength of a beast that massive.
Aslan pushed her toward a corner of the cave.
Just as she found a decent-looking rock to sit on, Aslan plopped down ahead of her as if to claim the spot. Vivian murmured to herself.
“How odd. It’s like he wants me to lean on him?”
Aslan’s tail slowly swayed in the shadows. Vivian shook her head.
“No way.”
The tail slowed down significantly.
“Wait, is he saying this is his cave and I should get out?”
The tail stopped completely.
Aslan’s eyes looking up at her grew curiously unreadable. But Vivian didn’t notice, as she was staring outside at the torrential rain.
The downpour was so thick that she couldn’t see a step beyond the cave entrance.
If she were thrown out now, she’d be swept away or freeze to death. Either way, death was certain.
“I have to stick close no matter what.”
As Aslan turned his head away, Vivian quietly lowered her body.
Her plan was to huddle in a corner away from him. But she tripped on a rock.
She fell—right onto Aslan’s fluffy chest.
“Now that I’m lying here, this is kind of nice.”
It felt like lying on a hot stone floor.
Vivian pretended to get up but gave in and just lay down again.
“What if he suddenly bites my head off?”
It was comfortable, yes, but she couldn’t help worrying about her neck. She glanced up at Aslan.
For some reason, he was stiff as a board, staring hard at a spot on the cave wall. He didn’t look like he was about to attack.
If she had turned her head the other way, she would’ve noticed his tail wagging again—but unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
“Cough, cough.”
When would this rain stop? She hoped not too long.
Vivian coughed dryly for a while, then finally drifted off into sleep.
* * *
She was woken by noise. Outside the cave, it was still raining heavily, but this wasn’t just rain.
Clanking metal. Human voices. Stealthy footsteps.
Startled, Vivian tried to sit up instinctively, but Aslan gently pressed her down with his paw.
“What is…”
He had encased her in his arms, guarding the cave entrance.
His body was low to the ground, ready to leap. His taut muscles revealed just how tense he was.
Vivian carefully lifted her head, but collapsed again.
“So dizzy…”
She hadn’t been feeling well before she slept, and now it had worsened. Her fever raged, and a harsh cough burst out of her.
“Ugh…!”
She covered her mouth, trying to suppress the sound. But coughing up blood couldn’t be stopped.
A metallic taste flooded her mouth.
As Aslan watched her vomit blood, his eyes widened in shock—just as the voices outside fell silent.
“I thought I heard something.”
“Where?”
They’d been discovered.
Vivian quickly looked around. Among the belongings she had shed with her dress were two narrow daggers. Fortunately, they were still in place.
Step, step. Footsteps approached.
“Grrrrr…”
Aslan growled low in his throat. He clearly viewed the outsiders as enemies.
And Vivian agreed.
Ordinary people wouldn’t dare venture into a mountain in this kind of storm.
“Which means they must be desperate—maybe they have a reason they can’t miss this chance.”
Like if someone who was usually impossible to touch had ended up alone, wounded, and vulnerable—making this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“An assassin sent by the crown prince.”
She realized it.
