Next morning a pounding headache woke Yuki up. Her head was blurring and opening her eyes at first felt like torture. It seemed like her body survived a car crash.

It was still weekend and the weather seemed nice with sunlight filtering in through the windows. Yuki sat up on her bed her fingers pressed against her throbbing temples. Her eyes spun for a while before she could finally recognized her surroundings.

The familiar view of the room she had been staying in gave her a faint sense of comfort, her gaze drifted to the window, the sky was a bit cloudy today.

Soft golden sunlight filtered through the large window of Yuki’s room, painting the walls in warm hues. From where she lay, she could see the sun rising slowly above the dense line of ancient trees that bordered the estate. The sky blended soft pinks and oranges with streaks of pale blue, while gentle clouds drifted lazily across the horizon. Birds sang faintly in the distance. For a brief moment, the peaceful view dulled the pounding ache in her head. Yuki silently admitted to herself that Ravencourt, despite everything, held a quiet kind of beauty.

A sharp pounding headache pulled her fully awake. Her head felt blurry, and opening her eyes felt like torture. It seemed as though her body had survived a violent car crash. She sat up slowly on the bed, pressing her fingers against her throbbing temples. Her vision spun for several seconds before the room finally came into focus.

It was still the weekend, and the weather outside looked pleasant. Yuki recognized the familiar surroundings of the room she had been staying in. The faint sense of comfort it gave her was quickly overshadowed by the flood of memories from the previous night.

The party. The ruined dress. The bizarre video that made no sense. And then... the garden.

Her grip tightened on the sheets as fragments of the garden incident rushed back. The burning sensation from within. The way her body had betrayed her. Her face flushed hot. The memories were still blurry in places, but certain moments stood out with painful clarity. Especially the part where someone had helped her. Strong hands, a deep voice and those sapphire eyes.

Her skin hummed at the recollection. She instinctively pressed her thighs together. Even now she could almost feel his fingers inside her. The memory made her face burn hotter. She had never felt anything like that before.

Wait. Her thoughts screamed suddenly. Does this mean she was no longer a virgin?

Yuki slapped both cheeks with her palms, trying to pull herself together. What was she thinking? There had been no full penetration. It had not hurt. She had once overheard girls saying the first time usually hurt, but her body felt only lingering sensitivity, not pain.

A sharp pain struck her head again. She grabbed her forehead and groaned. The more she tried to remember, the worse the headache became. There were obvious gaps in her memory. She faintly recalled him mentioning his name, but after that everything turned blank.

Waking up safely in her own room had to be a good sign. She hoped.

A soft knock sounded on the door.

"Good morning, miss. Are you awake?" a maid called from outside. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Yuki answered hesitantly, her voice hoarse. "I just woke up."

"Alright. I was sent to inform you that breakfast will be ready soon. They will be waiting for you." the maid raised her voice so Yuki could hear her from outside.

"I will be there," Yuki replied, though nerves twisted in her stomach at the thought. Alexander was around, which meant everyone would be at the table. She just wanted to fall back into bed and disappear. Living under someone else’s roof felt exhausting.

She dragged herself out of bed, removed her clothes, and headed into the bathroom for a shower. She reeked of herbs and several other scents she could not quite describe.

She stepped into the glass shower and turned on the warm water. It poured over her, soaking her hair and rolling down her body in soothing streams. She stood under the spray for a long moment, letting the heat ease her sore muscles, before reaching for the shampoo.

A soft hum filled the bathroom as she massaged her scalp, working the lather through her hair. After rinsing, she slipped on her sponge gloves and poured liquid soap onto them. She began washing her body. When her hand brushed over her nipple, a sudden whimper escaped her lips. An image flashed in her mind. She continued kneading the soft flesh, almost imitating the way he had touched her. Her head fell back against the glass wall as warm water cascaded over her face.

The memory of his hot mouth on her nipple, the way he had sucked and nibbled gently, made her core ache with a strange, needy throb. She gasped, both confused and terrified by her body’s reaction.

What was wrong with her?

She finished her shower in record time, afraid something even more embarrassing might happen if she lingered.

*******

A few minutes later, Yuki nervously pushed open the dining room doors. Her hair was still slightly damp because she had not had enough time to dry it properly after the maid’s reminder. The moment she stepped inside, the room fell into heavy silence, broken only by the occasional clink of cutlery. It felt more like a tense corporate meeting than a family breakfast.

Everyone was already seated and eating. Yuki’s eyes immediately locked onto a new face. He sat next to Kieran, his attention focused on his plate. His golden blonde hair made him stand out. A small frown crossed her lips. Why did he seem so familiar even though she had never met him before? Was he the eldest triplet?

Aevia noticed her first. She looked up with a warm smile. "Oh dear, you are here. Come have a seat." She beckoned Yuki, unintentionally drawing everyone’s attention.

Kieran and the blonde man glanced her way immediately. Kaden kept his eyes fixed on his plate, jaw clenched as he chewed. Killian and Yuki’s gazes met accidentally. Something stirred deep inside her. She could not hold his stare. She quickly looked away and took the empty seat next to Aevia, directly opposite Killian.

Aevia poured her a glass of water. "I hope you slept well." she mentioned

Yuki nodded as a plate was set before her. "I just have a bit of a headache," she mentioned nervously, hoping Aevia would not bring up last night.

She picked up her cutlery, about to start eating, when a calm voice cut through the silence.

"I hope you are feeling better today. The side effects should not be too bad with Kieran’s treatment."

The table froze. Yuki’s head snapped up and met Killian’s clear sapphire eyes.

"Kieran... drugs..." she blurted out, confused about how it connected to last night.

A frown formed between Killian’s brows as if he was trying to figure something out. Did she forget? He felt conflicted. Part of him was relieved, but a small part felt strangely annoyed that she had forgotten so easily.

Before Killian could speak, Kieran chimed in. "Do you really remember nothing about the garden incident? Killian had saved you while you were under the effect of an aphrodisiac charm."

Yuki’s face went pale. The pieces clicked together. Her stomach churned violently as she gripped her cutlery. It was one of the triplets. Dread washed over her. More images flashed through her mind. The way she had thrown herself at him. The way she had begged. She wanted to disappear into the floor.

Killian’s brows deepened at her reaction. He glanced at Kieran, who was watching Yuki intently. "Is memory loss a side effect?"

Kieran looked puzzled. "I cannot say for sure. The important thing is that she can think straight now." The way he said it made Yuki’s stomach twist even more.

"I am fine. No need to worry," she stammered, still terrified.

"Are you sure?" Killian pressed gently.

She nodded quickly.

"Thank you for helping me. You must be the eldest," she said, desperately trying to change the subject.

"Yes," Killian replied. "How much do you remember? When did you start feeling off? Or do you know those men?" His questions sounded like standard security inquiries, but the tension around the table thickened.

Yuki felt extremely awkward. A strange, heavy atmosphere brewed between the triplets and her. "I really don’t know," she blurted out.

Aevia reached for her hand. "Are you sure? We need to find out who did this."

Yuki wanted to mention Eloise. After all, who else had she offended? But she dared not speak the name. She simply shook her head.

Kieran’s gaze darkened. He remembered the moment she had left the dining room the previous night. "Try harder," he said, irritation clear in his voice. The thought of what might have happened if Killian had not arrived in time still ate at him.

Yuki grew more uncomfortable under the triplets’ combined attention. She was not the only one annoyed. The entire situation had kept Kaden on edge since last night. He dropped his cutlery with a loud clank, drawing everyone’s eyes.

He stood up abruptly. "I am done." Without another word, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The sound echoed through the silent dining hall.