CHAPTER THREE
THE DEMON KING WHO WAITED FOR HER
by C.G
After Mako left Linah's room, a rare smile curved his lips. Aunt Rose, who happened to be downstairs, noticed it and froze in surprise. Since the day she started working in the mansion, she had never once seen her boss smile. He had always been cold, distant, and unreadable. Yet there he was—smiling—and coming from Linah's room.
What could have caused that? she wondered.
Shaking her head, Aunt Rose dismissed the thought and returned to her work.
Inside his room, Mako's body burned with restless heat. He took a cold shower, letting the icy water run over him in an attempt to regain control.
That morning, Mako skipped breakfast entirely. He left the mansion early, telling his butler to take the day off because he would drive himself. The decision shocked everyone. At the office, however, his mind was nowhere near business.
Linah haunted his thoughts—the softness of her lips, the sweetness of her voice, the way her slender fingers had clung to his shoulders in her dream. He had waited centuries for her, yet now that she was before him, restraint felt like torture.
He wanted her in reality, not only in dreams. But fear held him back. He was terrified that revealing the truth too soon would make her run from him.
I will wait, he promised himself.
Until he discovered the truth behind her death on the first night of their wedding in her past life.
Unable to concentrate, Mako left the office early and returned home. As he entered the garden, he found Linah watering the flowers. She had filled the mansion with beauty since the day she arrived, planting flowers everywhere without complaint from him.
He watched her quietly, his heart tightening.
"My Linah," he murmured softly. "Your love for flowers has never changed."
Linah startled at his voice. She had not noticed him and nearly fell into the pool beside the flowerbed. Mako grabbed her instantly, pulling her into his arms.
For the first time, Linah did not look away.
Their eyes locked.
Time seemed to pause.
Mako's control shattered. This was the woman he had waited lifetimes to hold again. He cupped her cheek gently and kissed her—slowly, carefully, pouring all his longing into that single touch.
Linah did not resist. She responded as if her soul recognized him.
But fear struck Mako. If he continued, he would lose himself completely. He pulled away abruptly and left her standing there, trembling.
Linah stood frozen.
Had she really kissed her boss?
Or was her mind playing tricks on her?
She had always felt nauseous when men came too close—except the mysterious man in her dreams. And now… her boss felt the same.
---
Back inside, Mako retreated to his room and took another cold shower. Later, Aunt Rose asked for a week off to care for her sick son. Mako agreed immediately and even gave her money for hospital expenses, shocking both her and the butler.
Before leaving, Aunt Rose told Linah she would prepare meals in her absence. Mako agreed—something he had never allowed before.
That night, Linah struggled with her thoughts as she prepared dinner. How would she face him after that kiss?
Later, Mako opened his safe and removed an old envelope containing a bracelet—one Linah had given him in her past life. The memories brought both warmth and pain. He returned it to the safe just as Linah knocked, inviting him to dinner.
During the meal, Mako asked Linah to join him. She agreed reluctantly. Later, they watched a movie together. When a frightening scene appeared, Linah instinctively buried her face in his chest.
Mako smiled, holding her close.
When she realized what she had done, shame flooded her face. Mako lifted her chin gently.
"My Linah," he said softly. "You are so beautiful."
Startled, Linah fled upstairs and locked herself in her room.
---
That night, Mako entered her dreams again. Linah questioned him—begged him to reveal himself. He promised her that when the time was right, he would marry her and reveal the truth.
When he said he would stop visiting her dreams, Linah clung to him desperately, begging him not to leave.
---
The next morning, Linah rushed downstairs, panicked. As she entered the kitchen, she froze.
A man stood before her—tall, broad-shouldered, breathtakingly handsome. His presence filled the room.
This time, Mako wore no cap.
"Are you okay?" he asked gently.
Linah's heart raced.
Was he the man from her dreams… or was she losing her mind?
END OF CHAPTER THREE