CHAPTER 175: SORE LIMBS

Viktor sighed, his boots squelching against the damp grass as he bent to shrug off his coat. Without a word, he placed it over Charlotte’s trembling shoulders.

"Come on," he muttered, extending his hand to her once more.

Charlotte took it without protest. He helped her to her feet, and together they made their way back to the mansion.

Her wet clothes clung to her skin, making her shiver despite his coat wrapped snugly around her. Viktor kept his hand on the small of her back, gently guiding her through the hallways as they ascended the stairs to their rooms.

When they reached her door, Viktor paused, his hand resting briefly on the handle before he pushed it open for her.

"You should go in and change into something dry before you catch a cold," he said softly.

Charlotte turned to him, swaying slightly as she tried to suppress a grin. "So... how about.."

"Lucy, please. Go in."

She blinked slowly, still smiling at him. "Very well. I’ll go, not because you said so, but because my legs need rest."

Still smiling, she stepped into her chambers, the soft click of the door closing behind her echoing in the quiet hallway.

When Viktor returned to his own chambers, he finally allowed himself to exhale.

The scene of the kiss replayed in his mind, the warmth of her lips against his, her scent clouding his senses. It almost felt like a dream, but it wasn’t. And now, he couldn’t begin to imagine what would happen next, now that Charlotte had crossed the line between them.

Some part of him hoped she wouldn’t remember the kiss, that maybe things could return to normal, less awkward between them.

He sat on the edge of his bed, dragging a hand through his damp hair.

What was she doing to him?

Viktor pulled off his boots, peeled off his wet trousers, changed into something loose, and climbed into bed, but sleep didn’t come easily. The memory of her flushed face, the feel of her lips... it haunted him.

He sighed again, turning restlessly beneath the covers, his thoughts circling back to her, again and again, until finally, exhaustion claimed him.

~~~

A dull ache pulsed behind her eyes as she slowly stirred awake. Sunlight peeked into the room through her window, falling directly across her face. She groaned, rolling onto her side, only to realize she wasn’t even on her bed. She was lying on the floor next to it.

Her brow furrowed in confusion as she slowly pushed herself up, her body stiff and sore, her dress hanging awkwardly off one shoulder, and Viktor’s coat placed over her. She narrowed her eyes as she pulled the coat off her body.

She had no memory of how she’d ended up sleeping on the floor. Perhaps she had collapsed there after quickly changing into something dry, too exhausted to bother making it to the bed. Her legs throbbed, and her head pounded mercilessly from the amount of wine she’d consumed the night before.

"Oh gods," she whispered, clutching her head as she carefully rose to her feet. Every joint protested. Her throat was parched, and her stomach churned in waves. "Never again..."

It took her nearly an hour to freshen up. She peeled off her dress, took a warm bath, and slipped into a simple floral gown. She was far too tired to detangle or style her hair properly, so she pinned it up ignoring the messy result.

Parts of her memory were missing. She could only recall Viktor pulling her out of the ballroom and escorting her to her chambers, everything else was a blur. The harder she tried to remember what happened, the more her head ached, especially when she wondered why her dress had been soaking wet.

Letting out a sigh, she dragged herself out of her room and headed to Lilith’s chambers. After knocking twice, she pushed the door open and found Lilith sitting on her bed with a tray of breakfast in front of her.

Lilith looked up, startled. "Charlotte? You look... awful."

Charlotte didn’t bother answering. She grabbed a cup from the tray and took a slow sip of tea, savoring the warmth as it slid down her throat. Without another word, she collapsed onto the couch beside the bed, letting out an exaggerated sigh.

"Thank you," Charlotte croaked, massaging her temples. "I feel awful."

Lilith set down her soup bowl and joined her on the couch, concern knitting her brow. "Are you alright?"

"No, I am most certainly not alright." Charlotte’s voice was hoarse. "I feel like I’ve been trampled by wild horses. My head feels like it’s about to split open, my bones have turned to pudding, and I’ve sworn off wine for the rest of my life or at least until the next ball."

Lilith chuckled softly and sat beside her. "You drank too much, didn’t you?"

"I was celebrating," Charlotte mumbled, resting her head on Lilith’s shoulder. "I made new friends, quite wonderful gentlemen we had a few drinks, and I woke up... drenched. I don’t know how that happened though. I vaguely remember Viktor escorting me to my chambers."

Lilith blinked. "It didn’t rain last night. How did you get wet? Did someone throw water at you?"

Charlotte groaned. "I don’t think so. I was soaked from head to toe."

"Oh, you definitely need to ask Viktor."

"Yes, I surely will," Charlotte muttered, taking another sip of tea. "I’ve learned a valuable lesson about having too much wine. My head is screaming, my body aches, and I’m fairly certain my dress will never recover from last night’s humiliation. Nor will I."

Lilith giggled softly. "You poor thing."

Charlotte peeked up at her, pouting. "Will you take pity on me and let me finish this tea?"

Lilith smiled and rubbed Charlotte’s back gently. "Of course. You can have it. You can eat with me too, if you’d like."

"Tea will be enough. I might throw up if I try to eat anything." Charlotte let out a small chuckle.