Chapter 7: Love is a Snare

The dawn of a new day brought with it an invisible change. Merin awoke in bed, not on the cold floor. Her body had been cleaned and dressed in new clothes. Only the faint red marks on her back and ankles served as a testament to the brutal punishment of the night before.

Aries was gone, leaving only her faint scent on the bedsheets.

But what had truly changed was Merin’s heart. The icy wall she had built to protect herself began to show small cracks. Aries’s savage yet gentle touch that night had broken something within her. It made her begin to question… what was hidden beneath that cold, harsh exterior?

While her relationship with Aries remained fraught with a complexity that was difficult to comprehend, her relationship with Lisena moved in the opposite direction.

Lisena began to play an increasingly larger role in Merin’s daily life. She didn’t come to train or punish, but as a ‘friend.’ The elegant female Alpha would bring her breakfast in bed, read to her in the garden, or even gently brush her long, light brown hair.

“Your hair is as soft as silk, Merin,” Lisena complimented as her hands gently combed Merin’s hair in front of the vanity mirror. “You must take good care of it.”

Merin silently watched their reflection in the mirror. She saw herself sitting still on the chair, with the beautiful female Alpha standing behind her. Lisena’s smile was so warm and sincere it was frightening. It confused her… could she really trust this woman?

“Ms. Lisena… why are you so good to me?” Merin finally gathered the courage to ask for the first time.

Lisena’s hands paused for a moment before she smiled again as before. “Why can’t I be good to you?” she replied. “You’re quite cute… and I’m not as cruel as someone around here.”

It was clear that she was referring to Aries.

Lisena’s gentleness was like a sweet poison. It slowly seeped into Merin’s mind, causing her to open up and relax more and more. She began to smile… to talk… and to express her own desires without realizing it.

One day, as Lisena was choosing an outfit for her, Merin blurted out, “I… like the color blue.”

Lisena raised an eyebrow in surprise before breaking into a wide smile. “Is that so? Alright then, we’ll wear blue today.”

It was a small thing, but for Merin, it was a huge change. It was the first time her opinion had been heard. It was the first time she felt she existed.

Her behavior began to change little by little. From walking with her head bowed all the time, she began to raise her head and make eye contact with people. From sitting silently like a doll, she began to react to her surroundings. And most importantly… she began to make requests without realizing it.

“Today… will you read to me again, Ms. Lisena?” “I’d like to have some chocolate cake.” “Tonight… will you stay with me, Ms. Lisena? I’m… scared.”

These small requests were always met by Lisena. The female Alpha treated her like a little princess, making Merin begin to feel safe and valued.

But every seemingly benevolent act was under the watchful eye of Aries.

Aries watched the changes in Merin and the seemingly blossoming relationship between her ‘toy’ and her close partner with cold, unreadable eyes. She never said anything, never commented, but the aura of displeasure emanating from her grew stronger each day.

One evening, Aries walked into Merin’s bedroom to find Lisena hugging a sobbing Merin on the bed.

“She had another nightmare,” Lisena explained in a flat voice when she saw Aries standing still at the door. “Poor thing.”

Aries didn't answer. She merely stared at the scene with a hardened gaze before turning and walking away silently. But that night… she did not return to Merin’s room.

Merin became attached to Lisena. She craved her gentle touch, her sweet words, and the false sense of security they provided. Until one day, Lisena invited her with the most beautiful smile.

“Merin… would you like to have dinner with me tonight, just the two of us? I’ve prepared a special room just for us… where no one can disturb us.”

Merin agreed immediately without the slightest hesitation. Her heart swelled with happiness and anticipation. She thought that finally… she might have found the light at the end of the tunnel.

But little did she know… that she was walking into a snare that Lisena had woven with the utmost subtlety and cunning. It was a snare of love that was about to tighten around her neck until she suffocated, and drag her down into a hell deeper and darker than ever before.