Chapter 180: Heartbeat

After leaving Aunt Elena’s study, Viora went back her own room. She clutched the two outfits tightly against her chest, her face still warm with a mixture of embarrassment and overwhelming excitement.

She closed her bedroom door softly behind her, leaning her back against the smooth wood.

’Alright, Viora,’ she thought to herself, listening carefully to the quiet rhythm of the house. ’Auntie gave you the tools. Now you just have to execute the plan.’

She set the clothes down on her bed and carefully ran her fingertips over the soft black off-the-shoulder knit top and the dark, fitted skirt. She didn’t need eyes to feel how high the quality was. The fabric was sleek, smooth, and designed to hug every curve perfectly.

Viora quickly stripped off her baggy hoodie and loose jeans, tossing them onto a chair.

She slipped into the new outfit, smoothing down the front of the skirt. She reached up, adjusting her long purple hair so it cascaded down over her shoulders, framing her pale collarbones just right.

’Woo Jin always acts like I’m just someone he has to protect,’ Viora murmured to herself, a mischievous smile spreading across her lips. ’Let’s see if he can keep that serious, stoic face after today.’

Meanwhile, inside my room, I was lying flat on my back on top of the bed.

My eyes were glued to the ceiling, my mind running through endless scenarios for the Director Summit next Thursday.

KNOCK, KNOCK.

A soft tapping sound broke my train of thought.

"Woo Jin?" Viora’s sweet, quiet voice called through the wooden door. "Are you busy right now?"

"No, I’m just lying down," I replied, sitting up on the edge of the mattress and rubbing the back of my neck. "Come on in."

The door handle clicked open smoothly.

Viora stepped into the room. But she didn’t just walk in normally.

She paused right at the threshold, holding the edge of the wooden doorframe with one pale hand. She shifted her weight slightly to the side, letting the dim afternoon sunlight hitting the window catch her figure.

The off-the-shoulder black knit top exposed her smooth shoulders completely, and the snug dark skirt fit her waist.

She slowly ran a hand through her purple hair, tilting her head down slightly while giving me a slow, deliberate, dramatic glance.

"I brought... myself," Viora whispered softly, trying her absolute best to sound dark, mysterious, and completely irresistible. "Did you miss me?"

I stared at her.

My brain processed her stance, the strange dramatic pose against the doorframe, and the sudden shift in her voice.

’What is she doing?’ I thought. ’Is her back hurting from the carriage ride?’

"Viora," I said. "Why are you leaning against the door like a bent tree? Did you trip over the hallway rug and now your back hurts?"

Viora froze instantly. Her seductive pose completely shattered into pieces.

"A... a bent tree?!" Viora gasped, her jaw dropping open in sheer shock. Her cheeks flushed bright red. "Woo Jin! I am not leaning like a bent tree! I am striking a pose!"

"A pose for what?" I asked, looking at her up and down with genuine confusion.

Viora let out a soft, frustrated squeak, stomping her foot lightly against the wooden floorboards. "No! There are no assassins! Look at what I’m wearing!"

I looked at her outfit again. The black knit top looked surprisingly neat on her, and the fitted skirt made her look much taller and more refined than usual.

"Oh," I nodded slowly. "You’re wearing Aunt Elena’s clothes. They look clean. Did your hoodie get dirty during the trip to the hills?"

Viora stared at me as if I had just told her that two plus two equals forty-seven. She pressed both hands against her burning cheeks, taking a long, deep breath to steady herself.

’Stay calm, Viora,’ she told herself repeatedly in her head. ’He is just dense. You have to use stronger methods.’

She let out a soft sigh, smoothing down her dark skirt. She took three steps forward, approaching the side of my bed.

"Woo Jin," she said, her voice turning soft and gentle again. "My clothes aren’t dirty. I specifically went to Auntie’s room to ask for these.

I got them because... because I wanted to look nice for you!"

She didn’t give me time to process her words.

Before I could say anything else, Viora suddenly leaned forward. She placed both of her pale hands directly on the mattress on either side of my legs, trapping me in place. She lowered her face until it was only a few short inches away from mine.

Her purple eyes looked directly into mine. Her soft purple hair that had grown longer slightly fell forward, brushing lightly against my knees. She let a small, charming, alluring smile trace across her lips.

"Woo Jin," Viora murmured. She leaned even closer, her warm breath lightly brushing against my cheek. "Don’t you think... I look pretty today? Doesn’t your heart beat a little bit faster when you look at me like this?"

Her face was ridiculously close. I could see the tiny flecks of light inside her purple eyes. I could see the soft pink color on her lips.

My heart actually did skip a heavy beat.

’Danger!’ my inner instincts screamed out. ’This is dangerous!’

However, years of surviving intense web novel plotlines and high stakes romance stories kicked in. I forced my facial muscles to lock into absolute stone. I widened my eyes slightly, looking past her shoulder at the top of her head.

"Viora..." I spoke, keeping my tone completely steady, serious, and monotone.

"Yes?" Viora whispered, her smile growing wider as she thought her alluring charm was finally working. "What is it, Woo Jin?"

"Your horns," I said.

Viora blinked, her charming smile faltering slightly. "Huh? My what?" ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Your horns," I repeated, reaching out and gently tapping the left spike sticking out through her hair. "They’re definitely bigger. They grew at least three millimeters since yesterday morning."

Viora stayed frozen in her leaning position for a few seconds.

"They... what?" she whispered weakly.

"They’re growing," I explained, sitting up straight and tapping my chin thoughtfully. "That means your internal mana core is expanding rapidly. The pressure must be building up in your skull! That explains why you’re acting so strange today! You must have a severe mana fever!"

Viora slowly pulled her hands off the mattress, sitting back on her heels. Her entire face was turning dark red—not from embarrassment anymore, but from frustration.

"I do not have a mana fever!" Viora shouted.

"No, Viora, don’t hide it," I said, putting on a deeply concerned face and placing my hand gently over her forehead. "Your face is burning hot right now! You’re completely flushed! We need to get Raymond to bring up an ice pack immediately before your heart overheats!"

"Woo Jin!" Viora whined loudly, grabbing my wrist and pulling my hand off her forehead. "I am not sick! My heart is not overheating! I am trying to mesmerize you, you absolute over the top, down to earth idiot!"

"Mesmerize me?" I asked. "Why would you want to mesmerize me? Are you practicing for any kind of audition?"

Viora let out a loud groan, dropping her head forward until her forehead thudded softly against my chest. She buried her face into my white t-shirt, her shoulders slumping in total defeat.

"You are hopeless..." Viora mumbled into my shirt, her voice muffled and completely broken. "You are literally the densest human being in the entire world..."

I looked down at her purple hair resting against my chest, feeling the soft warmth of her body pressed against mine. A small smile slipped onto my face. I reached down, gently patting the top of her head, making sure my hand avoided her small horns.

"I know what you were trying to do, Viora," I whispered softly.

Viora froze.

"You... you do?" she asked.

"Yeah," I smiled, my voice turning gentle and warm.

Viora’s cheeks flared red all over again, fidgeting nervously with her fingers. "So... you knew the whole time?"

"I knew," I admitted softly, rubbing the back of my neck. "And honestly... you don’t need to try so hard, Viora. You don’t need to wear Aunt Elena’s clothes or pull off crazy dramatic poses at the door to make me pay attention to you."

"Really?"

"Yeah," I nodded firmly, grabbing her face and looking straight into her eyes. "You’re already the most important person to me in this life. Whether you’re wearing an oversized baggy hoodie or an expensive fitted dress... I’m always looking at you."

The room went completely silent.

The cool afternoon breeze blew softly through the open window, rustling the white curtains.

Viora’s cheeks, which had slowly started to cool down, instantly exploded into the deepest shade of crimson imaginable.

’W-What is this?!’ Viora screamed frantically in her own head while her heart hammered against her ribs. ’He completely ignored my hot dress and seductive charm, but then he casually drops a line like THAT?! That’s totally cheating!’

"Y-You..." Viora stammered out, her voice squeaking horribly. "You can’t just say things like that so casually, Woo Jin!"

"What? I’m just telling the truth," I grinned, enjoying her flustered state way too much. "Isn’t that what you wanted? To make my heart race? It worked. You won."

Viora scrambled off the edge of the bed and stood up on the floor.

"I’m going!" Viora declared loudly as she went out of the room.