A chill surged from the depths of Yihan’s heart, forcing an involuntary shiver through his body.

Though the weather wasn’t cold—and the woman behind him radiated scorching heat—he felt as if he’d stepped into a bottomless trap. Even her bone-melting greeting now sounded like a demon’s whisper in his ears.

His gaze locked onto the heavy iron lock. His body froze. Suspicion and dread exploded in his mind, making reality impossible to accept.

To ease the tension, he forced nonchalance. He shook his leaden head and squeezed out a smile. “The room felt stuffy. I just wanted fresh air.”

Lia’s eyes glimmered, her smile widening. “Oh? All the windows are open. How could the air be bad? It’s dark outside. Unsafe.”

Her arms tightened, pressing her entire body against his back. She coiled around his limbs, pinning him in place.

Witches possessed unnatural strength. Even stone-cold sober, Yihan couldn’t have broken free from Lia’s full-force embrace. Drunk as he was now, one misstep would send him crashing to the floor.

Lia knew this. She made no further moves. They stood locked in eerie silence. Only the candle flame flickered soundlessly between them.

Finally, Yihan couldn’t bear the tension any longer. He relaxed. “Do you… want revenge?”

“You guessed?” Lia didn’t deny it. Her laugh was sweet, but Yihan couldn’t see her face. He could only imagine her gritted teeth. “I thought you’d never considered it.”

Ignoring the sarcasm, Yihan closed his eyes. He replayed every moment since arriving—their interactions, Lia’s repeated pleas before he left. The truth became clear.

He’d suspected it on the way here. Carola’s warning. Lia’s unnatural behavior. He’d ignored his instincts, clinging to a sliver of hope as he followed her to this remote hideaway.

Perhaps guilt had driven him. A desire to make amends. Instead, he’d walked straight into her trap.

“Lia… do you hate me?”

She didn’t answer. Her arms only tightened, knuckles white, digging into his skin.

“At the tavern,” Yihan pressed on, “I knew you came from the North for me. But your reaction surprised me. Like you’d woken after five days of sleep, desperate to find me. You showed no other emotion.”

“Even your longing and warmth… I realize now it was all an act. Am I right?”

Her arms loosened. Her warm body pulled away. Lia’s crimson lips curled into a joyless smile. “Close enough…”

Yihan spun around. He stared straight into her shifting eyes, his own gaze sharp and clear. “So… that night with me… was that part of the plan too?”

“No issue thinking that.” The tall, bewitching Crimson Flame Witch examined her vivid nails. She shrugged carelessly. Candlelight gilded her skin like honey. Her figure, draped in a skimpy strap dress, radiated dangerous allure.

“I figured… surrendering a woman’s most precious gift might erase all suspicion. Heh.”

Her indifferent laughter froze Yihan’s blood. He could accept her hatred. But this—her willingness to sacrifice her body purely for revenge—made his heart ache with worthlessness. Anger flared at her recklessness. Betrayal hollowed his chest.

“You… are mad…”

“Yes. Mad. And regretful.” The seductive witch’s face twisted. She lunged forward, grabbing his collar. Emerald eyes blazed with fury.

She bit her plump lip until it nearly bled. “Five years… I’ve waited five years for this day… Finally, I found you…”

She shoved him against the door, pinning him. Her grip choked his breath.

Yihan stared up, struggling to speak. “Five years ago… what happened?”

“How dare you ask? Or did you forget so easily?” Lia’s laugh turned bitter. Her eyes swam with sorrow and rage. “You and that damned Witch Hunter sealed me in a glacier. With that special Spellcraft—you kept me conscious but frozen inside an ice coffin. One thousand five hundred days and nights. Do you remember none of it?”

So it ended in sealing… Carola had agreed to his proposal…

“Honestly,” Lia whispered, tears welling, “if it were just the sealing… I’d have accepted it. I knew my condition then. To control my power—to be by your side someday—I’d have endured ten years trapped.”

“But… your betrayal broke me.”

For a heartbeat, Yihan braced for her flames to reduce him to ash. Instead, fat tears spilled down her cheeks, splashing onto the floor. Her gaze held heartbreak so deep even fire couldn’t mask its loneliness.

“You promised…” Her voice cracked. “You swore you wouldn’t leave me alone. That you’d visit. Just to talk. To see me…”

“I knew I couldn’t be with you like that. Couldn’t make your life easier or brighter. I didn’t ask for daily visits… Once a week. Once a month… Just show your face. Let me look at you. That would’ve been enough.”

“Then I’d have hope. Strength to master my power. To return to you sooner…”

Her sobs shook her frame. Tears streamed like a broken pearl necklace, soaking Yihan’s arm. His heart twisted.

Just as he reached to comfort her, Lia yanked his collar again. She slammed him against the door. Spasms of pain shot through his back.

“But you never came—”

“You left after sealing me. Didn’t look back. Didn’t even say goodbye.”

“At first, I thought you were busy. I waited. A week passed. No you. A month. No you. Then a whole year… and still no you!”

“Confusion turned to panic. Panic to fear. Fear to despair.”

“I imagined every reason… but never understood why you vanished. Only one truth remained: you lived. Somewhere.”

“So I waited. For the seal to break. I swore I’d find you. Learn why you abandoned me. I turned the North upside down—spreading your name, forcing others to hunt you—just to locate you faster.”

Lia’s smile turned radiant and desolate. “Then I found you. In Windmill Town. I’d been watching you long before the tavern. Your pretty villa. Your garden. Your job at the bakery. Living with that Witch Hunter…” Her voice hardened. “That’s when I knew. You’d discarded me.”

“The truth… doesn’t matter anymore.”

Yihan couldn’t stay silent. If she kept going, he’d lose his chance to explain. He tried to interrupt—but Lia clamped a hand over his mouth. Her eyes burned with hatred.

“I don’t want your excuses. I won’t believe you again.” Her grip was iron. “I trusted you blindly. That’s why I let the Witch Hunter seal me. Five years in darkness and solitude… What did I get in return? Would you even remember me if I hadn’t come?”

“Now you’ll taste abandonment. Don’t worry—I’ll bring you water and food. You won’t starve. But you won’t leave this house. Not one step.”

“The terrain here is treacherous. No one will find you. And if someone tries…” Her smile turned cruel. “I’ll burn them to cinders. You wouldn’t want your friends turned to charcoal, would you?”

Lia arched a triumphant eyebrow. Her grin was ice. “Goodnight, my dearest.”

As consciousness faded, the last thing Yihan saw was Lia dragging him into a room. The door slammed shut behind him.