LOGINSlowly, Pandora opened her eyes as something almost imperceptible brushed against her face. She blinked and found Kingston staring intently at her, letting the feathers of his wings continue to flutter around her nose and forehead.
“It’s seven o’clock, Pussy cat. Wake up....”The man whispered so softly, as if he’d already made up his mind—perhaps he could already guess what Pandora’s next reaction would be.“Seven o’clock?”“Yeah....”With that, Pandora could feel the bedSlowly, Pandora opened her eyes as something almost imperceptible brushed against her face. She blinked and found Kingston staring intently at her, letting the feathers of his wings continue to flutter around her nose and forehead.“It’s seven o’clock, Pussy cat. Wake up....”The man whispered so softly, as if he’d already made up his mind—perhaps he could already guess what Pandora’s next reaction would be.“Seven o’clock?”“Yeah....”With that, Pandora could feel the bed creak as Kingston shifted slightly backward, no longer pinning her body with his legs bent, pressing down on the mattress. A movement that seriously dragged Pandora’s consciousness to the surface.“Seven o’clock....” She muttered softly. There was a pause before her eyes widened.“Why didn’t you wake me up earlier!”Pandora glared at Kingston. Studying how the man had neatly put on a light blue shirt and a black tie to complete the look.“I’ve been waking you up since the moment
“Has Aceli woken up yet?” Kingston asked.“Yes, sir.”“Is she looking for me?”“Yes. And Miss Pandora.”Aceli’s only misfortune was having an uncle who refused to give in. If only the little girl had come along, she might have been very happy doing anything—playing in the sand or something else. Now Pandora truly missed Aceli and her tiny lips that never stopped talking. They hadn’t seen each other since morning because of Kingston’s wishes.“What are you thinking?”Pandora’s body instinctively took a step back when Kingston deliberately covered her eyes with one hand. There was nothing wrong with it. Kingston had done it very carefully. But Pandora wasn’t fully prepared; she hadn’t even realized that Helios had left the beach with Grolius and Whitewill.“Why aren’t we going with them?”Pandora immediately followed Kingston’s lead. She asked as she set down the plastic bag containing seashells and sat face-to-face with the man in one of the huts with
A little stinging....That was enough to describe the scrapes on Pandora’s body. The long scratches were surrounded by dried blood around her wrists and ankles, but she didn’t think it was anything serious. It was Kingston who was the one overreacting—blowing everything out of proportion until he asked her to climb onto his broad back and cling there like a porcupine cub riding its mother whenever they went out.Kingston’s skin was warm... that’s what Pandora liked when she clung to him or rested her chin on his shoulder line. Feeling every thud of Kingston’s footsteps send a slight tremor, she would hold on tight.They walked along the shoreline. A classic idea: searching for seashells as an extra treat. Pandora was also trying to find the prettiest one to give to Aceli.But as long as Kingston was her legs, Pandora felt that just looking wasn’t enough. She couldn’t observe freely up close, though she actually felt sorry that the man often had to bend down to pick u
“I once went to Canada to perform in a play for Mr. and Mrs. Witson’s wedding. Maybe Canada isn’t such a bad choice.” Pandora muttered, recalling the events of that day. Back when she had been the lead in a production directed by Mr. Lee. The role was meant to depict a complicated life story, but Pandora had serious doubts about the narrative structure. She saw so much love radiating from the newlyweds. With their abundant lives and mutually supportive attitudes, it seemed almost impossible to believe that—if they had—they had weathered the worst of life.“I’d do it again if Mr. Lee took on a project like that one, which would require three months of our time for rehearsals.”Pandora turned and looked up at Kingston. She didn’t understand why she’d done that. Yet Kingston’s response was crucial to her right now. The man remained silent, his gaze fixed on every contour of Pandora’s face, forcing him to speak before something unwanted happened. Pandora didn’t want Kingston to
Kingston said nothing more in his defense. But this was something Pandora had never expected. The man stared at her in stunned silence. There was something about Kingston that was almost impossible to fathom. Pandora couldn’t quite put her finger on it. The gaze of the man before her was too intense, leaving her with a slight sense of doubt as she managed to force a smile.She immediately looked down. Slowly, she brushed Whitewill’s white mane, which hung to the side. She urged her horse to leave Kingston behind. The man was about to follow when Grolius’s voice rang out louder than usual. It was a sharp enough command that the handsome face appeared beside Pandora; she glanced at him briefly without saying anything to minimize her reaction to Kingston’s earlier gaze.“Want to go surfing, Pandora?”Kingston’s offer sounded tempting. He had just mentioned a series of things that piqued Pandora’s curiosity. She really wanted to do it, but she also had to keep a few importan
“While I’m at the dorm, you have to take good care of my Whitewill....”Pandora stared straight at Kingston. From a few feet away, she watched as the man busied himself with his own horse. It was a thoroughbred just like Pandora’s, but it had a deep brown coat—almost striking against the dark, almost black mix. And, of course, it was deeply cherished.Pandora was certain Kingston hadn’t fully grasped the request she’d just made. Instead of turning away, the man had just set down the horse’s hoof file and hoof knife. He appeared focused, staring intently at the hooves of his own horse.It was likely the final check to ensure all problematic areas had been addressed. Kingston simply needed to rise—bending slightly toward the horse named Grolius to assess its balance as Grolius stood firmly.Kingston’s smile was indeed something he wasn’t offering to anyone else. Yet from the side, it still drew Pandora’s steps closer.“I was talking to you just now,” she said, imme
Curling up under a thick blanket wasn't enough to make Pandora comfortable. She kept changing her sleeping position. Sometimes she faced Aceli beside her. Then she turned her back on Kingston's little girl while thinking about how the man was doing after a late night offering a breeze to knock on t
"Is that enough for Mom, Dad?"Pandora had everything ready. Chris just needed to finish his dinner and bring Pandora's chopped salmon porridge to Aquela, who wouldn't let the door to her room open wide.Hearing that Kingston was injured, Aquela reacted excessively towards Chris. She was in a panic
Helios proved his words by returning with his master. Kingston walked at the front of the line. Step by step, he descended the stairs without saying anything. His handsome face was almost expressionless, looking down when he found Pandora waiting. He would completely avoid eye contact in certain si
"Dad, would you like me to make some coffee?"Avoiding Kingston's question was the only madness she had to be wary of. Pandora knew the man deliberately wanted to make her speechless in front of Chris. Instead, she acted as if she were playing an important role in a theater performance. Kingston co







