Sophia had expected that “this body,” which had always been hostile to the Duke, would naturally reject him. But instead, she silently accepted the kiss, as if lifeless.
The Duke’s lips overlapped with hers, parting slightly as he moved in. He was slow and deliberate, full of confidence. Their damp breaths mixed, their lips pressing together, the soft and wet sensation clouding her mind. Her body tensed, yet melted at the same time.
Her heart pounded. A tingling feeling passed beneath her palms. She was so caught up in the kiss that when the Duke pulled away, Sophia almost followed his lips without realizing it.
“Was that enough?”
The Duke asked. Sophia blinked, not understanding.
“Still not satisfied? I think that’s enough peeking.”
He was speaking to Sophia, not “this body.” Sophia felt goosebumps rise all over her. In the faint moonlight, the Duke’s cold blue eyes looked down at her. It was as if he wasn’t just looking at her body—but at her soul.
“I… I…”
Sophia stammered. Then suddenly, her vision flipped, and she woke up.
She was on her knees on the bed, leaning forward. Her hands were wrapped tightly around Solid’s neck.
“S- Sophia…”
Solid called her name in a desperate voice, maybe realizing she had come back to herself. Her green eyes were filled with tears, her flushed face pierced Sophia’s heart.
Sophia gasped for breath. She was even sitting on top of Solid’s slightly swollen belly.
She loosened her grip, screamed, and jumped off the bed. It felt like the real nightmare was happening now.
Like someone mad, she rushed to the small space between the long mirror and a big box, sat down with her knees together, and mumbled to herself.
“I didn’t mean to do that. I don’t even know why I’m here. Why am I… here…?”
To check if she was dreaming, she quickly pinched herself—twice on her inner wrist where the veins showed, and then hard on her thigh. The feeling was real.
And the pain was sharp.
She shook her head wildly.
“No… No…”
Then she saw the moonlight outside the window—so clear and bright. It seemed to mock her, pointing out how she cared more about her own safety than her friend’s.
Only then did Sophia remember Solid. She crawled on her knees toward the bed. Solid was holding her own neck with one hand and looking at Sophia with wary eyes.
As soon as Sophia placed a hand on the bed, Solid’s wariness grew even stronger. Sophia quickly pulled her hand back and apologized.
“I’m sorry. Are you okay? Should I call someone?”
Every word was hard to speak. She was desperate. Solid stared at her with fear in her eyes, then called her name.
“Sophia?”
“Yes. It’s me.”
Sophia answered in a near-hopeless voice. A tear dropped as she spoke. She hurriedly wiped it away before Solid could see.
As Sophia closed her mouth, silence filled the room. Solid watched her closely, waiting for her emotions to calm. Sophia, with her messy dark brown hair, looked up desperately from her knees—like someone who had finally gotten her soul back.
Then… who had been in Sophia’s body before that?
Solid spoke in a trembling voice.
“You suddenly came into my room. It seemed like you were looking for something. I called your name several times, but you didn’t respond.”
“I…”
Sophia opened her mouth but couldn’t find words. She chose to remain quiet and listen.
“I kept calling your name, but you didn’t seem to hear me. It felt like you didn’t even know I was here. I could tell—instinctively—that you weren’t really you. I saw something similar last night too. You looked like you were going to fall off the terrace. I tried to get help, but when I looked back, you were already gone.”
“…”
“What’s happening to you, Sophia?”
Solid’s voice held compassion. The kind of mercy that meant she wasn’t immediately calling for help after Sophia tried to strangle her.
Sophia had to do her best not to desperately cling to that mercy. But she was still on her knees. She spoke, stammering.
“You’re right. I’ve walked around at night a few times. I should’ve taken the medicine like the Duke said. You know, ever since I woke up after sleeping for five months, I’ve been really strange. But I started to doubt things…”
“What doubts?”
Solid asked irritably. Sophia bit her lip and replied,
“I don’t know… I didn’t think it would be like this. It’s my fault… I should’ve locked the door. I didn’t think I’d ever hurt anyone—especially you. I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I’ll go get someone…”
She couldn’t stop her tears from falling as she spoke. Even in that moment, she hated herself for worrying about how she looked. Solid must’ve noticed, because she sighed deeply.
“What if I call someone? Even if it’s your house, they’ll talk. People will say you’ve gone mad. And once they say that, you’ll be done in society. Have you ever seen a madwoman come back to normal? At least not in people’s eyes. A madwoman is always a madwoman.”
“But… I hurt you…”
“Oh please. Stop acting like some tragic heroine. Should I really call someone then? Even if your fiancé is a Duke, can he stop people from talking?”
Sophia’s face burned with shame. But right now, shame was poison. She bit her lip hard and shook her head. Tears fell like glass from her sorrowful face. No matter what, it was hard to see a friend cry like that. Solid couldn’t hold it in and sighed softly.
“Oh, Sophia…”
Her voice was full of sympathy. She came down from the bed and cupped Sophia’s tear-streaked face with both hands.
“Don’t do this. How could I ever betray you?”
Solid said. Sophia couldn’t tell if it was genuine or if Solid was just being kind because of the tears. But she leaned on her anyway. There weren’t many people she could lean on. The Duke scared her too much, and her parents seemed to care more about him than about her.
Sophia cried and held Solid’s hand tightly.
“I know you wouldn’t betray me. But I’m acting so strange… how can you accept me like this? I’m scared of myself sometimes. So many strange things keep happening… And then I did that awful thing to you… Are you okay? I was even sitting on your stomach…”
Sophia’s voice trembled. Solid shook her head calmly.
“I was surprised, but I’m not seriously hurt.”
“Really?”
“Yes. If you’re worried about the baby, you don’t need to be. Babies are stronger than you think. And don’t worry—I won’t make it a big deal. Are there any marks?”
Solid lifted her chin to show her neck. Sophia tried not to look out of guilt, but when Solid softly called her name, she had no choice.
She gently brushed Solid’s hair aside to look.
“It’s a little red.”
“Don’t worry. It’ll fade soon. And if not, I’ll just wear a scarf.”
“I’m sorry.”
“…”
Sophia whispered in awe at Solid’s kindness.
“I can’t believe you’re just letting this go. Honestly… I thought you didn’t feel the same anymore. I heard what you said about me in Rillum.”
Solid didn’t seem to understand at first, but then her face reddened as she remembered. She quickly regained her calm.
“Yes. I said you were acting strange. You heard that?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I guess you really misunderstood me. Why didn’t you say something sooner?”
“Because… I thought I was acting strange.”
At her words, Solid’s face filled with pity again.
“It’s true I said that. But I swear, it was because I was worried. You didn’t seem normal, but no one else seemed to care. And I thought even you didn’t realize it.”
After hesitating for a moment, Solid added,
“Actually, before I came here… I had a dream about you. You were falling from some strange cliff. There were flames at the bottom. You were falling, surrounded by fire. It was terrifying. I knew I had to see you right away.”
