Chapter One-2
814 Words
Deeper in the dungeon, the cold was even more intense—like a vast, sunless ice cellar.
Ella was pinned down on a central stone platform. A recessed basin sat in its center, the edges carved with intricate runes.
She struggled fiercely, her wrists rubbed raw. The guards held her down with crushing force.
In despair, Ella wept. She wanted to see Ryan one last time—to tell him about the baby, to question Selena’s claims. She refused to believe he could be so cruel.
But she… could no longer speak.
The guards efficiently bound her hands and feet before leaving.
Some time later, the door opened again.
This time, Ryan entered alone.
A spark of hope lit in Ella’s eyes.
Ryan’s expression was still cold as he walked slowly toward her, stopping beside the stone platform.
Then, gently, he brushed the damp hair from her face. The gesture was tender, just like before.
Ella’s heart lifted. Had he changed his mind? Did he finally realize she was innocent?
But the next moment, his fingers moved to the side of her neck, pressing against her carotid artery.
“You drank my blood,” he said, his voice low and matter-of-fact, almost like a sigh. “Now it’s time to give it back.”
The light in Ella’s eyes went out completely.
Ryan leaned down, his fangs piercing her skin with ease. She felt no pain—only a cold sting.
As he began to drink, Ella could feel her blood being rapidly drained away.
Slowly, her vision blurred. Her body grew lighter and lighter.
She could feel Ryan’s Adam’s apple moving—proof that not all her blood was gone yet.
Is this what dying feels like? It’s so cold…
In her final moments of consciousness, something occurred to her. With her last strength, she managed to rasp:
“Our… baby…”
Even with her tongue severed, she strained to make the word clear.
But Ryan seemed completely lost in the pleasure of feeding. He didn’t notice.
Soon, darkness swallowed Ella whole…
……
Pain.
Pain everywhere.
As if she’d been shattered and pieced back together.
Ella’s eyes snapped open.
Above her hung an intricately embroidered canopy. Beside her, a moonstone lamp glowed softly.
The air carried the familiar scent of lavender.
She knew this room…
It came back to her—this was her bedroom in the castle.
“But… I died, didn’t I? All my blood was…”
Recalling what had just happened, Ella shuddered. The shadow of terror hadn’t left her.
Steeling herself, she touched her neck. The skin was smooth and unbroken.
She looked at her wrists—also unharmed, without a single mark.
“What in the world is going on?”
She stumbled out of bed and rushed to her dressing table.
The girl in the mirror was only slightly pale, her eyes a little puffy. But her neck was smooth as glass—no bite marks at all.
After checking again, her legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the thick carpet.
“Was it all a dream?”
Unsure, she pinched her arm, leaving a red mark.
It hurt. It really hurt.
Not a dream.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside her door—soft and quiet, stopping right at the threshold.
“Miss Ella?” a maid’s voice called from outside. “Are you awake? His Highness requests your presence in the study. He needs your help choosing a gift—for the werewolf princess.”
Ella covered her mouth.
“Choosing a gift?”
If she remembered correctly… hadn’t all this happened a year ago?
The more she thought about it, the more familiar the scene felt.
“That’s right. Back then, a maid did summon me. And the reason was exactly this—to choose a gift for Princess Selena.”
Still doubting herself, Ella grabbed the calendar from her dressing table and held it up to the light.
“It really is a year ago? I actually went back in time?”
Then she remembered something else. Quickly, she placed a hand on her lower abdomen.
Though still flat, she knew a small life was quietly growing inside.
Looking at her reborn reflection in the mirror, her heart swelled with overwhelming emotion.
Fate had played a cruel joke on her—but she had no intention of enduring it a second time.
After smoothing her hair and straightening the wrinkles in her nightgown, Ella regained her usual dignified composure.
Then, facing the mirror, she slowly curved her lips upward.
A faint, almost icy smile.
“Alright,” she said, her voice slightly hoarse—probably from excitement.
“Tell the master I’ll be there shortly.”
Then she gently rested her hand on her lower abdomen and whispered softly:
“Just you wait. This time, I’ll make every single one of you pay.”
- Writer
