Mia felt a searing gaze fixed on her from behind. Puzzled, she turned her head—
"Oh, Arthur! It's you!"
Mia was thrilled to see him, oblivious to his grim expression. "Just a little longer, and lunch will be ready. I'm working on the last dish." With that, she turned back, cheerfully chopping vegetables.
Arthur's gaze shifted from Mia's back to the sharp knife in her hands, which she was using to swiftly slice…
Whoosh! The gleaming blade of the large kitchen knife flashed with every cut, its sharpness stinging Arthur's eyes. The knife, so close to Mia's hands, kept slicing—chop, chop, chop—each sound striking his heart like a hammer.
Arthur felt the veins on his forehead throbbing one by one…
The oil in the pan was sizzling, and Mia tossed the chopped vegetables into it—sizzle, sizzle—the pan erupted in a harsh, grating noise as hot oil splattered everywhere.
Just as Mia grabbed the spatula, ready to show her skills, someone behind her yanked her back forcefully.
"Huh? Ah! Arthur, what are you doing? Where are you pulling me? The dish isn't done yet!"
Arthur firmly gripped Mia's arm, dragging her out of the kitchen, not letting her break free.
"Arthur, what's wrong with you? Let go! You're hurting me!" Though she could only see his back, his rigid posture made it clear he was angry—furious, even—but she couldn't understand why.
Hearing her words, Arthur slightly loosened his tight grip on her arm but continued pulling her along at a brisk pace. Mia struggled to keep up, stumbling several times.
As if sensing her state without looking back, Arthur suddenly stopped. Ignoring the onlookers, he scooped Mia up into his arms and carried her forward.
"Arthur…" Her protests were futile. Arthur ignored her, holding her tightly to prevent her from slipping out of his grasp, leaving Mia barely able to move in his arms.
They arrived at a room in the villa where Arthur often rested. He set Mia down on the bed, making her sit still.
Before Mia could ask what had made him so angry, Arthur cut her off sharply. "From now on, anything you want to do, anything you plan to do, you need my permission first!"
Only then did Mia realize he was upset because she had gone to the kitchen to cook without his approval. "Arthur, I just wanted to make a meal for you with my own hands…"
"There are plenty of servants in the villa—why didn't you let them do it?" Arthur loudly dismissed her good intentions.
"Having someone else do it defeats the whole point! It's not the same!" Mia felt hurt by his lack of understanding. All she wanted was for him to eat a meal she had made herself—it was the least she could do for him.
"I don't care about that—I care about you! If something happened to you, I—" Arthur's voice trembled noticeably with panic, though he quickly masked it. "In short, you are never allowed to step foot in that damned kitchen again!"
Though Arthur was usually domineering, his outright authoritarian attitude this time thoroughly infuriated Mia. "Arthur, what do you mean by this? You won't let me do this or that, and now I can't even go into the kitchen—what do you want from me? Do you really see me as some useless thing who can only sit around and mooch? I don't want this! This makes me feel like a mistress, just waiting, hoping for a glance from my rich patron, stuck in endless uncertainty, awaiting fate's judgment. If you truly care about me, don't control me like this. This kind of life will suffocate me!" Mia screamed, her voice raw with emotion. These weren't words she had just thought up; they were feelings she had long wanted to express but never had the chance to say, the voice of her heart, her inner pain.
But her heart didn't reach the depths of Arthur's, whose pain ran deeper and heavier. "Is that so? That's what you think? But you don't know—this is only the tiniest fraction of what I want to do for you! I wish I could meld you into my very being so I wouldn't have to constantly worry about you leaving me, or fear you getting hurt somewhere, or dread you suffering any grievance, or wonder if you've eaten enough or slept well… Because I can arrange all of that perfectly for you. If you want, I can take you traveling anywhere, show you every corner of the world, let you feel nothing but happiness and think of nothing else…"
"Arthur…" Mia sobbed, overwhelmed by his devotion and her own unease. "Why are you so good to me…?" But why did he never answer her questions?
Arthur held her tightly, as if embracing the entire world. "Why? Why? You'll understand one day. You'll know." Because you are my only reason for living in this world, the true love I cannot lose, no matter what I must sacrifice.
…I would give up everything for her. Forgetting her is something I could never do in this lifetime.
When Mia woke up, Arthur, who had fallen asleep beside her, was already gone. She lingered in bed, reluctant to move, lost in her chaotic thoughts.
The sunlight streaming through the window was more golden than ever, and Mia quickly realized it was already evening.
After the incident at noon, Mia had completely given in to Arthur. From now on, she would obediently play the role of a proper lady, free from worries or responsibilities.
But as she woke from her nap and recalled this, her spirits sank. The thought of aimlessly wandering day after day, with nothing to do, was exhausting just to consider. Ugh, was I possessed or something? How did I agree to this with Arthur?
Still, having made such a huge concession, Arthur would surely agree to let Dick keep her company, right? Otherwise, she'd truly die of boredom. Though Tina and Jenny, thanks to her efforts, were no longer as overly respectful as before, they were still Arthur's subordinates and couldn't fully open up to her or speak freely. How she wished Arthur could spend time with her himself, but he was simply too busy…
Lost in her thoughts, Mia drifted into a daze, unaware that the door to the room was slowly being pushed open—
Until a soft, pleasant voice broke into her reverie. "Mia, what are you thinking about?"
Mia jolted at first, then realized the person who had come was none other than Arthur, the one she'd been thinking about. She sat up abruptly, excitedly staring at Arthur standing by the bed. With a mix of joy and curiosity, she asked, "Arthur! You're here! What about work? Did you finish everything?"
Arthur smiled gently, sitting on the edge of the bed. He softly pulled Mia closer and wrapped his arms around her. "Yes, it's all done. I wanted to come check if you were awake so we could head back."
"Okay," Mia nodded casually, contentedly nuzzling into his chest, searching for the most comfortable spot.
"Hmm!" Arthur chuckled at her unconscious movements. "Why do you act so much like a little animal?"
"Do I? Really?" Mia's eyes widened as she looked at him.
Unable to resist, Arthur leaned in for a gentle kiss, laughing. "The more I say it, the more it's true!"
"Arthur!" Caught off guard by the sudden kiss, Mia hadn't been prepared at all. She shyly lowered her head.
"How are you so adorable?" he said with deep feeling.
"No way, I'm not!" Mia shot him a flustered glare at his description.
"Alright, alright, not adorable, not adorable—just very much like it," Arthur said, surprisingly not insisting on his point this time.
"It?" Mia asked, confused.
With a mysterious air, Arthur pulled out a bamboo basket from under the bed and handed it to Mia. The basket was covered with a piece of cotton cloth, which was trembling slightly…
Encouraged by Arthur's gaze, Mia cautiously lifted the white cloth, revealing a ball of fluffy white fur curled up inside the basket…
"Oh! It's so cute! What is it?" Mia exclaimed with excitement.
Gently picking up the contents of the basket, Mia realized it was a snowy-white little animal, lazily napping. Even as she held it in her arms, it didn't struggle at all.
"This is a baby snow fox, just born not long ago," Arthur explained. "It's a gift from Henry, Lady Ivan's husband. I met him earlier, and he asked me to pass this little snow fox to you. Do you like it?"
"I love it!" Mia nodded enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling. How could she not adore such a cute little creature?
"Good, I'm glad you like it," Arthur said, his smile softening, warmed by Mia's joy.
"Does it have a name yet? How old is it? Is it shy? And—will it bite?" Mia's affection grew as she looked at it, a string of questions spilling out.
Her barrage of questions only deepened Arthur's smile, but when she reached the last one, a profound glint flashed in his eyes. Tentatively, he asked, "Mia, why would you think a snow fox might bite?"
Still playing with the little snow fox in her arms, Mia didn't notice Arthur's expression or the tremor in his voice as he asked. She answered naturally, "Oh, you know, isn't there a legend in the North Desert about a snow fox that bit hunters to death to avenge its beloved? But this one's so tiny, just a little thing—it couldn't possibly bite me!"
"Mia, snow foxes don't bite people on purpose. It's just that humans are too cruel, hunting them relentlessly just for their warm fur. Don't humans realize that snow foxes have families, emotions, and will sacrifice everything for those they love?" Arthur's eyes brimmed with deep sorrow, as if he were speaking about himself.
"Arthur…!" Mia sensed his sadness and looked up at him thoughtfully, unsure why he had suddenly become so sorrowful or how to comfort him.
Arthur gazed back at her quietly, unable to hold back his question. "Mia, do you think that snow fox was hateful for killing nearly ten people to protect its beloved?"
"Do you want my honest opinion?" Mia asked in return.
"Yes."
"I think the ones who are hateful are the greedy hunters. They shouldn't have hunted the snow foxes for profit, driving them to such extremes. But the snow fox shouldn't have killed those hunters either. Doesn't that make it just as bad as them…?"
Her words struck a nerve, and Arthur could no longer stay seated. He stood up, shouting wildly, his eyes filled with anguish. "That's because you don't know how despicable those people were! They—they—!"
"Arthur!" His outburst startled Mia, and the little snow fox jolted awake in her arms.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Arthur realized his intensity had frightened her. "I'm sorry, Mia. I got too worked up."
He apologized, sat back down, and pulled both the frightened Mia and the little fox into his embrace.
"Arthur, what were you so angry about just now?" Mia asked, nestled in his arms.
"Nothing, it's nothing. Maybe I've just been too busy lately, and my emotions are a bit unstable," Arthur said with a bitter smile, burying his face in the crook of Mia's neck. How could he tell her in a way she'd accept his unusual identity?
Her questions weren't ones he refused to answer because he didn't want to, but because he was afraid. He didn't want to lie, yet he dreaded the thought of revealing everything and seeing panic or fear in her eyes…