Rosalind woke slowly the next morning, her eyes fluttering open as she pushed herself upright on the bed.

Almost immediately, flashes of the previous night returned to her, and heat rushed to her cheeks at once.

Embarrassment swallowed her whole as she wondered what on earth she had allowed herself to do with Rowan.

His kisses still lingered fresh on her lips, and his touch seemed to burn across her skin as though he were beside her right now, holding her again.

He had known exactly where to touch her and how to touch her in ways that completely unraveled her, and the memory alone was enough to make her heart pound wildly in her chest.

Slowly, she rose to her feet and dragged herself toward the mirror. Her hair was a complete mess from sleep, strands falling everywhere, but it was not that which caught her attention.

Her gaze settled on the bruise darkening a spot on her neck, and as her fingers lifted to caress it gently, she recalled Rowan’s arms wrapping tightly around her while he sucked against her skin as though he never intended to let her go. His voice replayed clearly in her mind.

"Are you alright?"

"Let me know how you feel."

It had been one of the best feelings she had ever experienced in her life. No one had ever made her feel that way before. Not even the king.

The sudden knock on her door nearly startled her out of her thoughts.

Panic rose immediately because the first person she thought of was Rowan.

She would have to see him this morning, and after everything that had happened between them last night, she was nowhere near prepared for it.

In a hurry, Rosalind rushed back to the bed, slipped beneath the covers, and pulled the duvet over herself, pretending to still be asleep.

The door creaked open softly and footsteps entered the room. Her heartbeat quickened instantly.

Please... not yet.

She was not ready to face him. At least give her a moment to gather herself first.

Then another pair of footsteps entered, followed by another, and her brows slowly furrowed in confusion. A moment later, simultaneous greetings filled the room, and only then did Rosalind realize it was her maids coming to prepare her for the day.

One of them approached carefully and tried to wake her several times.

"My lady?"

No response.

"My lady?"

Still nothing.

"Should we come back later?" one of the maids whispered to the others when Rosalind continued pretending to sleep.

Finally, Rosalind yawned softly before sitting upright on the bed as though she had only just awakened. Stretching her arms lazily, she allowed her gaze to drift over them one after the other.

"Good morning, my lady. I hope your night went well," Jae said warmly.

Rosalind nearly choked on the thought that crossed her mind.

It had gone more than well.

She merely nodded with a small smile, and the maids immediately noticed the unusually good mood she seemed to be in this morning.

"We would like to prepare you for the day," Jae continued, and Rosalind nodded once again.

She allowed them to guide her toward the bath where warm water had already been prepared, flower petals floating delicately across the surface. As Rosalind sank into the water, she remembered herself swimming beneath the moonlight while Rowan watched her from the edge, his dark gaze fixed entirely on her. Her throat tightened slightly. Even now, seated alone in this bath, she could almost feel his eyes on her again.

Something was truly wrong with her, wasn’t it?

Or perhaps it was simply because this was the first time she had ever felt anything like this before.

Silence settled inside the bathing room while the maids carefully attended to her. Then Jae’s eyes drifted toward the mark on Rosalind’s neck, and her expression shifted slightly.

"My lady... did you hurt yourself?" she asked curiously.

Rosalind blinked quickly, searching for a believable lie before answering. "Yes. I fell."

"You must be more careful, my lady," Jae said gently.

Rosalind forced a smile that barely reached her eyes. Perhaps Jae should be saying that to Rowan instead. Didn’t he realize he had left an obvious mark behind? She had not even known something like that could happen simply from kissing... or perhaps not just kissing. The way he had sucked against her neck had left behind what people called a love bite, though Rosalind herself knew very little about such things.

"I’ll make sure to cover it properly so no one notices," Jae assured her.

Later, Rosalind sat before the mirror while her hair was carefully arranged. Oils scented with flowers were rubbed gently against her skin while light makeup was applied to her face.

"What would you like to wear today, my lady?" one of them asked.

"Something beautiful and simple," Rosalind answered softly.

Comfortable and warm too, though she did not say that part aloud.

The moment the words left her mouth, she was reminded of last night yet again, and she almost groaned inwardly. Why could she not stop thinking about it?

Everything somehow reminded her of Rowan. She found herself wondering if he was affected too, because surely there was no way she was the only one unable to think clearly after what had happened between them.

Eventually, Rosalind was dressed in a dark blue gown that brushed elegantly against the floor, the sleeves slightly puffed around her shoulders. It was simple yet beautiful exactly as she had requested. Her hair was pinned into a soft bun with loose tendrils framing her face delicately, while the mark on her neck was hidden carefully beneath makeup just as Jae had promised.

No one would suspect a thing.

The maids finally bowed before excusing themselves from the room, leaving Rosalind alone once more. Taking a slow breath, she prepared herself to step outside as well, but the moment she reached the door, her footsteps halted completely.

Her heartbeat began to race again.

Because now, whether she liked it or not... she was truly going to face Rowan.