Charlotte continued Alexander's story. "The butterflies were all grown in the botanical garden of the hospital. When the child died, her mother was picked up by her colleagues to avoid injuries. Those red butterflies never consume nectar. They were experimented on by several scientists in hopes of finding a cure for people with abnormalities in their blood. But these failed experiments made the butterflies mutate and hungry for the blood of the dead."
Alexander felt cold.
He was aware that the story of the red butterflies was a real-life story. His mother was also one of the researchers who helped in the experiment. But he was confused as to why Charlotte knew the story. She could even tell the ending of the red butterflies, which became an invasive species used to clean the remains of the dead.
Charlotte's voice became cold as she continued, "The experiment failed miserably, and no cure was produced. The butterflies were accidentally freed into the forest closest to the hospital. And the research was sooner buried into nothingness as the files burned in an accident."
Alexander was stunned, speechless this time. 'How did she know an insider's story?'
"Wife..."
Charlotte opened her eyes again. "Huh? What happened?"
Her expression told Alexander that her subconscious retold the story's ending and the secret accident in the laboratory that experimented on animals.
"Wife," Alexander hesitated whether to ask Charlotte about the accident.
"Ah!" Charlotte grabbed her hair. "It hurts!"
"Wife!"
"It hurts!"
"Wife..."
"It hurts! The red butterflies..."
"Charlotte, what are you thinking about?"
"Remember... red butterflies... accident!"
"Stop thinking about them, Charlotte!"
"I can't... the red butterflies... they..."
Alexander supported Charlotte's body. "Charlotte! Look at me!"
"The red butterflies," Charlotte continued to murmur. "It hurts!"
'Will her mind and body react to memories she had forgotten?' Alexander was confused but still decided to stop Charlotte from thinking about the red butterflies. He had no choice but to kiss her—the taste of strawberry filled Alexander's mouth.
Alexander tried his best to drown Charlotte in a long and passionate kiss. "Charlotte, calm down! Open your eyes. I want your eyes on me! Just focus on me!"
"Ha..."
Alexander captured Charlotte's lips and grabbed her hands. He was experimenting on whether kisses could catch Charlotte's attention and prevent her from thinking about memories that were forcibly erased or forgotten from her mind when another soul took over her body.
Alexander was unaware of Charlotte's involvement with the experiments his parents-in-law conducted. But he was sure of one thing. That Charlotte had secrets sealed within her mind. There would be a lot of triggers that would slowly loosen the seal, and Charlotte needed him by her side to save her.
"I'm fine, husband," Charlotte's breathing was rigid as if she was trying to catch her breath.
At first, she was only listening to Alexander's story. But the story became vivid as she imagined what happened. Yet she was not expecting to trap herself in an illusion. It was a feeling that suffocated her.
When she closed her eyes the second time, and the story continued in Alexander's mouth, she noticed something was wrong with her body. She sensed an odd reaction deep within her, like a storm of destructive emotions. Suddenly, she lost control of her body.
It was no longer her hands that could function like a hacker's hand, but also her mouth. She could hear what her mouth mentioned as a continuation of Alexander's story, but this oddness was never unfamiliar. It was like a memory engraved in her subconscious self.
Fragmented images in red pigment flashed in her mind.
All she could think about was the dazzling red butterflies.
'I'm drowning, Alexander.'
The pain of being burned alive, she suddenly felt it, matched with her head that was almost exploding. Lucky for her, she had Alexander as a mate.
"Wife, be careful," Alexander murmured as he embraced Charlotte to sleep.
Charlotte could not find any reason why she trusted Alexander more than herself. She could also sense that the man showed more emotions than when they first met. 'Was this just a novel written in a world that reaches my old life? Or was there a purpose for me to live my second life here? But how about the secrets within my body? Do I need to force myself to accept them?'
Charlotte wanted to live in peace but remembered that she was the villain's wife and not just any ordinary character in the novel.
The next morning, Charlotte awakened in Alexander's arms.
Her right hand was resting on Alexander's chest. The toned muscles underneath the robe he was wearing made Charlotte gulp as she recalled last night's kiss. Her ears felt hot at the sight of the man.
"Wife, till how long are you going to stare?" Alexander pulled Charlotte over and kissed her forehead. "Good morning." At the same time, Alexander's other hand snaked on Charlotte's waist tighter.
Charlotte could smell the mint from Alexander's body as she leaned closer to him. She felt embarrassed, but the man only chuckled and positioned her on top of him the next moment. "What are you doing?"
"You're so beautiful, wife."
"You..." Charlotte blushed when she felt Alexander's changes.
"Stay for a while." Alexander hugged Charlotte and went back to sleep.
Charlotte could only sigh and went back to sleep without seeing the smile on Alexander's lips.
-
"Mommy, wake up."
Tiny hands held Charlotte's hands. She was awakened by hearing Louis's call. "What time is it?"
"It's 7:00 AM, mommy. Dad asked me to wake you up for breakfast. Great-grandpa will be joining us this morning."
"Great-grandpa?" Charlotte murmured as her eyes fluttered open. She needed to prepare in a hurry. The villain's grandfather was a military man who hated people attending breakfast late.
"I will prepare for a while and join you. Will you wait for me outside, Louis?" Charlotte pinched Louis's cheeks lightly.
"Okay, mommy. I will go with Daddy first."
When Louis went out, Charlotte rushed to the bathroom at lightning speed. 'Huh? My body feels very light and flexible today. Does this mean my soul has fully adapted to my identity? That's great!'