Arriving at the entrance of the slave market, Aiden saw Serena standing alone, surrounded by guards who looked at her as if she were a ghost.
She wore a cloth over her eyes, with a chain attached to her slave collar.
They seemed terrified she might suddenly move and accidentally brush against them.
A young guard, face pale with fear, was guiding her toward the cage at the back of the carriage. He trembled as he held the chain, clearly uneasy.
Aiden realized the older guards had left this difficult task to the rookie.
Ignoring the murmurs of others from the auction who pointed and whispered, Aiden headed toward his carriage.
Before departing, he tipped the guard leader generously in gold for their "hard work."
Upon reaching the mansion, he instructed his guards to take Serena inside and, exhausted, made his way to his room.
He'd done too much today—discovering he couldn't taste food, purchasing a batch of slaves, and, finally, enduring the auction.
His body, though, was alarmingly frail, and he felt himself nearly collapsing as he lay down and sank into a deep sleep.
The Next Day
After a bland breakfast, Aiden headed to the guest room on the second floor, where Serena had spent the night, followed by a guard.
He opened the door to find her seated motionless on the bed, the cloth still covering her eyes.
Even without seeing her face fully, he couldn't deny her extraordinary beauty.
Her presence was almost haunting, capable of captivating anyone in the room. The guard who followed him gulped, transfixed by her figure.
Aiden gestured to the guard —he was one of Abraham's loyal guards.
"Remove the cloth from her eyes."
The guard looked surprised, glancing at Aiden for confirmation.
With a mixture of excitement and reverence, he knelt in front of Serena, carefully reaching to untie the knot at the back of her head.
When the cloth finally slipped away, the guard's eyes widened, speechless at her beauty.
Reluctantly, he stepped back, his body still trembling.
Aiden's gaze then shifted to the guard's hands, checking them for any reaction to a curse.
Nothing seemed amiss.
Finally, the guard turned and saluted.
"It's done, Lord. Is there anything else?"
Aiden smiled slightly.
"No. Go inform Abraham I've given you a five-day weekend. Stay home, rest."
The guard's face brightened with gratitude as he hurried out, leaving Aiden alone with Serena.
Closing the door, Aiden studied her as she sat still, like a statue, gazing ahead blankly.
He knelt at a cautious distance and waved a hand before her eyes, testing for a response.
But as soon as he did, Serena's violet eyes snapped to attention, focusing sharply on him.
Her eyes, once empty, now seemed vibrant and alive, studying his face intently.
Serena's gaze roamed over Aiden's face, her expression reflecting a strange mixture of surprise and awe.
Aiden, taken aback, felt his heartbeat quicken.
This was the same woman who had sat silent and still like a doll during the entire auction.
Was she waiting for her owner to leave?
Just as Aiden was attempting to stand, Serena leapt forward with unexpected agility, bringing him down onto his back.
Her figure pressed into his, and Aiden could feel the soft weight of her chest pressing firmly against his, almost pinning him with an overwhelming gentleness.
The sensation was unusual—a mix of warmth and softness that left him momentarily stunned, completely caught off guard by the sudden closeness.
The thin, worn fabric of her slave rags did little to buffer the contact, and for a brief moment, his mind went blank, struggling to process the situation.
Serena's chest, ample and full, rested heavily on his, each breath she took adding a faint pressure that made it hard to think of anything else.
Despite the position, Aiden barely had time to register anything before alarm took over.
'Oh god, I'm screwed.'
Serena's strength was evident as she held him down, her hands gripping his cheeks, and a bright, angelic voice filled his ears.
The sound was sweet yet unsettling, almost painful, as if it were scraping glass. She spoke in breathy, excited fragments, her voice cracked from disuse.
Her grip on his cheeks was firm as she leaned closer, her vibrant eyes examining every detail of his face.
"Who... who are you? What's your name? Why are you... different?" she murmured in wonder, repeating, "Why are you different?"
Her smile was so radiant it seemed capable of melting ice, as her fingers explored his face, touching every feature with undisguised amazement.
Seated firmly on his hips, Serena seemed unconcerned by the suggestive position, focused entirely on her discovery.
Her eyes, dim and lifeless before, now shone with intense brightness as she studied him, each touch of her hands showing her excitement.
Aiden's head felt as if it might pop under her grip.
She was too strong, and she didn't seem to be holding back at all.
Inside, Aiden felt both bitterness and déjà vu—he had just gone through something similar with Dev the day before, but this was on another level.
Who would have thought the "cursed beauty," still as a statue, would suddenly leap onto him?
But one thought persisted in his mind, tightening his stomach with dread:
'What about the curse now that she's touched me?'
Suddenly, as the two lay tangled on the floor, a high-pitched voice cut through the silence.
"Serena, what do you think you're doing?"
Before he could react, Aiden felt the weight on him vanish, as if someone—or something—had pulled Serena off.
Looking up, he saw a strange shadow emerging from Serena's form.
It was a dark, smoky aura that seemed to seep out, forming a distinct shape above her—a crow, perched atop her head.
The bird's beady red eyes gleamed with an oddly human expression, one of fierce disapproval as it scolded her.
"What did I tell you about touching people?" it croaked.
Pecking her sharply on the head with each word.
"This isn't what we agreed upon! Don't you see that you could kill him if you keep this up!"
"Yes..." Serena whispered, her head bowed, looking almost like a child being scolded.
She winced with each peck, nodding in compliance.
Aiden lay frozen on the ground, eyes wide as he watched the bizarre scene unfolding before him.
"What the hell is happening here?" he muttered, utterly bewildered.