Chapter 10
Sophia knew that this was all a dream, but she suddenly felt afraid—what if she got trapped here? Should she ask the duke for help?
That thought crossed her mind, but then a strange instinct rose up. She didn’t know why, but something told her the duke must not find out she was inside this body.
‘If he finds out, I’ll be trapped forever.’
She had to escape this body and wake up from the dream as soon as possible.
She glanced at the duke. He looked completely disappointed, not even sparing her a glance.
‘Could it be… the duke created all of this?’
The hollow, doll-like body of Sophia, and how she kept endlessly climbing the stairs—it all felt like it was the duke’s doing.
Just thinking about that gave her chills.
Sophia thought, ‘I have to wake up quickly. But how do you wake up from a dream again?’
She remembered hearing somewhere that moving your fingertips could help. She focused and tried to move her fingers. Her heart pounded from the fear of being discovered. The beating of her heart sent blood through her body, and slowly she began to feel her nerves reconnecting.
Her pale, porcelain-like body started to regain its original color.
‘Just a little more… just a bit more.’
Sweat broke out on her forehead. ‘If I can just go a little further, I’ll wake up.’
After a long effort, her finger twitched slightly. Overjoyed, Sophia tried to move it again—but at that moment, someone grabbed her hand roughly.
[Sophia.]
The duke called her. In the dream, he had always called her “Sophia,” but this was the first time he used her nickname.
Sophia felt as if her soul had been pierced. It was as if he had seen through her and recognized her inside this body.
Heat started to rise on the duke’s cold face. Even his icy eyes began to melt as he looked at Sophia in his arms.
It felt bizarre to see his emotionless face shift into one filled with joy.
[My bride. My Sophia. You’ve finally come back.]
The duke lowered his head and kissed her. As if he’d never once called her lazy and greedy, he now looked at her with tenderness. His warm lips touched her smooth skin, and her heart began to pound faster than ever before.
Her tightly gripped body hurt. The duke held her so tightly, as if he would never let her go again.
She was terrified. Sophia wanted to shake off his hand. No—she had to. But her body wouldn’t move at all. She should’ve bitten his arm or kicked his leg.
Reading her silent resistance, the duke smiled faintly.
[It’s useless, Sophia. This isn’t your body. Don’t you remember? Your real body fell into the flames of Hellas a long time ago.]
He said it with pride.
[I told you before. I don’t care if you hurt me, but I won’t forgive anyone for hurting your body—not even you. So, your body was burned. You said you’d never come back to me, but that was impossible. I knew it would end like this. Sophia, welcome back.]
He kissed the back of her hand again—the one where she had moved her fingers.
Sophia saw something disgusting beneath his clear eyes—something black and sticky like tar.
‘Let me go.’ she thought.
The duke smiled as if he’d heard her.
[Sophia. You’ll never leave this place.]
Then he lowered his head and kissed her. The feeling was terrifyingly vivid. Their soft lips met, and the flesh inside touched. Her stomach turned. A tingling sensation ran up her spine and settled deep in her gut.
His snake-like tongue slipped between her lips, which were too weak to resist. Her dough-like body melted in his grip.
The duke licked every part of her mouth—the soft roof, under her tongue, the edges of her lips. He tangled their tongues and bit her lips, exploring every inch.
Sophia had never kissed a man before, yet somehow this sensation felt strangely familiar.
She tried to lift her head to breathe, but all she could do was keep her lips parted.
Then the duke grabbed her chest. Under the thin fabric, her nearly bare body melted in his hands.
[Ah, Sophia.]
A low groan came from deep in his throat. The duke sounded overwhelmed, as if this long-awaited kiss might disappear any second. He kissed down her neck and took a deep breath over her heart.
Meanwhile, Sophia began to feel her senses dull—as if she was finally waking up.
The duke must have noticed. He frowned angrily and muttered,
[Damn it. Damn it, Sophia.]
He tightened his grip around her, as if that would keep her from slipping away.
He had looked like a god throughout the dream—but now, he only looked like a powerless man.
A man who could never win against fate.
Maybe he knew he couldn’t keep her. He gave up the struggle, lifted his head, and looked into her eyes as she faded.
His cold, frozen gaze seemed full of blame.
At the same time, Sophia felt a strange mix of triumph and pity.
[Don’t get too happy. You’re going to come back here anyway.]
The duke spoke like casting a curse.
He kept staring at her until she was fully awake, as if his eyes alone could pull her back again.
“Hah!”
The dream collapsed, and Sophia woke up with a gasp, like someone emerging from underwater.
A strong gust of wind hit her face. A dizzying sensation rose from her toes.
She looked down—and saw a terrifying sight.
She was standing on the edge of the terrace, gripping the railing as if she were about to throw herself over.
Breathing heavily, Sophia squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again.
Was this still part of the dream? No—it wasn’t. If she had woken even a little later, she might’ve really fallen.
It wasn’t a great height, but it was still enough to break a leg or an arm.
Sophia quickly stepped back over the terrace railing and stumbled into the room. As soon as she got inside, her legs gave out and she collapsed onto the floor.
“What just happened?”
She had heard vague rumors about people who wandered while dreaming. But for it to happen to her?
Sophia stared down at the terrace below, both confused and scared.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that the dream about the duke was the cause.
[Don’t get too happy. You’re going to come back here anyway.]
His words, and the kisses that felt like a seal.
Sophia rushed to the mirror. She checked her lips, her neck, and pulled aside her nightgown to check her chest—but her body looked untouched, just as pure as ever.
She raised her hand and touched her lips. The duke’s warm kisses still lingered in her breath.
Her fingertips trembled. Sophia clenched her fist, exhaled in confusion, and pulled her knees to her chest.
“This doesn’t make any sense.”
She didn’t understand why she’d had such a dream. It was cold. Scary. The duke’s sticky breath and obsession still clung to her like chains. And the terrifying feeling of hanging from the edge of the terrace was so real, she could barely stand.
Sophia buried her face between her knees. That night, she never fell asleep again.
The morning was dull.
Because of the dream she’d had—and the fact she almost fell from the terrace right after waking—Sophia couldn’t return to reality. She was half out of it.
Yesterday, she’d been so happy about Solid’s arrival, and even Anita, who had annoyed her slightly, didn’t matter now.
Breakfast conversations were painfully boring.
Even gossip about the social scene, which normally excited her, didn’t stir anything today. As she sat unusually quiet, Felix gently placed a hand on her head with concern.
“Are you feeling unwell, Sophia?”
His touch felt strangely hot and unpleasant. Sophia frowned slightly and shook her head.
“No. I just didn’t sleep well.”
Then, the countess, who had stayed silent until now, spoke.
“No wonder. You left your window open last night. It may be spring, but the night wind is still chilly. And you’ve only just recovered. You should be more careful, Sophia Hilden.”
Felix looked surprised. “You left the window open, Sophia?”
“Ah… No.”
“Really? But Lady Dickson said she saw your window wide open when she went out to the garden last night.”
Sophia flinched and froze.
Did Lady Dickson… see what happened last night?
The thought that someone might have seen made her head spin.
No. If she had, it would’ve been a big deal already.
Sophia quickly hid her trembling hands under the table, clenched her fists, then opened them.
“Yes, Mother. I’ll be careful from now on.”
Thankfully, no one asked further questions. Felix continued to look at her with worry, and the countess only let out a short sigh of disapproval. Meanwhile, Solid quietly ate her breakfast, as if she hadn’t heard any of the conversation.
