Libia woke up in the middle of the night, surprised to find Tiodor lying next to her. She watched him for a few minutes; his peaceful expression and the soft whistle escaping from his nose made her smile. No one would ever guess that someone like him could look so serene. He was quite handsome, though in the past, not her type at all—she had always been drawn to men with softer features. Jerks disguised as princes. She bit her lip, her foolish heart pounding. "Why do I always choose wrong?" she wondered, feeling a sharp sting of regret. Her mind betrayed her again, clinging to the idea that Tiodor could change, that he would stop being that cruel, grumpy ogre, and that after kissing him, he would transform. She closed her eyes, silently calling herself an idiot.

The next morning, Lison got out of bed. He wasn’t going to work that day, but his habit of waking up early was deeply ingrained. He glanced at Libia, who was still asleep with her mouth slightly open. He exhaled heavily, grabb