Chapter 107: Personal Pillow
Zethan’s eyelids flew open.
Did she just call him "love"?
Oh, the urge he felt to tell her to repeat those words! But had she meant it, or did she just say it out of worry for him?
Lilia gazed at him as his fangs elongated further, but he stood there, unmoving—his eyes staring straight at her before trailing down to her chest. Finally, his gaze returned to meet hers.
"You’re aware this place is important to you. If I make the slightest mistake while shifting further, you... could be in...." He paused, and no one needed to explain what he meant.
Lilia’s chest rose and fell with her breath.
The main reason she had done that—exposed that part of herself—was because she thought, since it was his favorite, as he had once said in the car. She was worried. She knew how it felt to be hungry for something.
For some reason, it reminded her of the punishment she had once received back at home. Her parents had always been critical of her figure—her curves, which were more pronounced than her sister’s, especially around her hips. It was as though they couldn’t stand the way her body defied their expectations. Her figure, soft and exaggerated like a cartoon character’s, became the target of their resentment. The way they looked at her was filled with contempt. The hatred wasn’t just about appearance—it ran much deeper, stemming from something Lilia never fully understood.
In response to her "problem," they had punished her by allowing her only one meal a day for a whole week—just a small portion instead of the usual three. It was a cruel, silent way of forcing her into compliance, and it had hurt more than she cared to admit. The emotional toll had stayed with her, making her feel even more isolated in a family that saw her as an inconvenience.
"I’m sorry," she whispered as she pressed her lips into a thin line and shifted her gaze to the floor.
Zethan studied her, gently lifting her chin to meet his eyes.