[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave":3,"chapter-the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-416":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},923838,1212,"Chapter 416: Skimpy Dresses Can Do","the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-416",416,"\u003Cp>[Meredith]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So,\" I said, tilting my head, \"what should I wear for breakfast?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whatever you want,\" he said easily. \"You don’t need to think too hard about it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raised a brow, pretending to consider. \"Even skimpy dresses can do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That caught his attention. His head turned, eyes narrowing faintly. \"Since when do you have skimpy dresses?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gave a small shrug, biting back a smile. \"Who knows? Maybe I’ve been hiding them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exhaled through his nose, amused but unfooled. \"You haven’t,\" he said with a dry tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked away, feigning innocence and feeling an odd satisfaction at the way his gaze stayed on me a little longer than usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, he finally pointed toward a side door. \"The dressing room is that way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smiled softly, with an almost playful curve of my lips, and walked past him. \"Thank you,\" I murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The adjoining dressing room was large enough to be its own chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Light filtered through gauzy curtains, glinting off neat rows of wardrobes, shelves, and drawers. I stopped for a moment, taking it in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our things had already been arranged—my dresses and personal effects placed neatly on one side, his clothing and personal stuff on the other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The symmetry of it struck me. Two halves, clearly defined, yet sharing one space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I moved toward my shelf, fingers brushing over the polished handles before opening it. The familiar scent of vanilla, lavender oil, and pressed fabric rose to meet me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My eyes drifted over the array of gowns until they caught on a simple white dress with batwing sleeves. It was elegant, comfortable, and nothing too formal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, I pulled it out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few minutes later, I slipped it on and crossed to the vanity table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mirror reflected a version of me that still felt half-unfamiliar: cleaner, calmer, with just a trace of tiredness beneath the eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I picked up a powder brush and dabbed it lightly across my face, then reached for a nude lipstick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I worked, a thought crossed my mind—practical, but persistent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would my maidservants still come in every morning, as they did before?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was unlikely. Now that Draven and I shared a room, the servants would think twice before entering unannounced. They were loyal, but not foolish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, it was strange to imagine starting each day alone again, though, I supposed, not truly alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My gaze drifted to my reflection. My hair was still half-damp, curling faintly at the ends. I sighed, scanning the vanity table until I noticed the small brass handles on the drawers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third one slid open with a soft click. Inside lay a hand dryer, carefully placed and wrapped with its cord. Relief warmed me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, I found a socket by the vanity’s side and plugged it in. The machine hummed to life, its gentle heat filling the quiet room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rhythmic sound almost lulled me until I caught a flicker of movement in the mirror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven stepped through the doorway, the faint mist of steam still clinging to him. A towel hung low around his waist, water tracing slow paths down his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a second, the sound of the dryer faltered as my hand hesitated midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, he stopped just inside the room, one brow arched in that effortless, knowing way of his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You look busy,\" he said, voice calm, but with that undercurrent of amusement I had grown used to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned slightly, giving him a look that was meant to be casual, though my pulse betrayed me with its quickened rhythm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Drying my hair. Obviously.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded once, his eyes still fixed on me. \"Do you need help?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, thank you,\" I replied, forcing my tone to remain even as I resumed drying my hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze lingered for a moment longer before he crossed to his side of the room, retrieving a shirt from one of the wardrobes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t look away from the mirror, but I saw his reflection move behind me, steady and sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When my hair was dry enough, I switched off the hand dryer and coiled the cord neatly before placing it back in the drawer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, I reached up to gather my hair, fingers combing through the loose strands. But the curls at the ends refused to stay smooth, slipping from my grasp every time I tried to twist them into a ponytail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sighed softly, trying again, and again. Then, without a word, Draven appeared behind me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I met his reflection in the mirror—crisp white shirt, sleeves rolled to his forearms, paired with dark jeans that made him look effortlessly at ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The faint scent of oud and mint drifted to me, clean and sharp, settling like a quiet claim in the air around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Here,\" he murmured, reaching out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I could protest, his fingers brushed lightly against mine, taking the ribbon from my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His touch was sure and unhurried as he gathered my hair, smoothing it back with surprising precision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t help smiling, watching him through the mirror. \"This is one of the moments you have me silently questioning how you learned to do stuff like this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He met my gaze briefly in the reflection, a faint smirk curving his lips. \"You would be surprised what war teaches a man.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ponytails?\" I teased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Order,\" he said simply, tying the ribbon with a neat twist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His closeness warmed the air. I could feel his breath near my neck, steady and even, and for a moment, the entire world seemed to narrow to the quiet rhythm of his movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, without meaning to, a thought slipped out of me. \"Will your father be joining us for breakfast?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No,\" he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out a breath of relief. Then, he finished tying the ribbon and stepped back. \"Done.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned my head slightly, feeling the weight of the ponytail settle neatly down my back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not bad,\" I said, pretending to inspect his handiwork in the mirror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not bad?\" he repeated, a faint edge of mock offence in his tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Almost perfect,\" I corrected with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head, chuckling quietly, then slipped his hands into his pockets. \"What do you want to do after breakfast?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced at him through the mirror again, this time without teasing. \"Sleep,\" I said simply. \"For a week, if possible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mouth curved in that quiet, approving smile that always made my chest feel lighter. \"That sounds reasonable. Now, it’s time to head down for breakfast.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1082,"2026-06-03T06:41:07.525Z","2026-06-03T06:41:13.871Z",1,"novelbin.me","a82dabc7ed1e271ea1c27894264578c728a3d8167a30005cca88068ec09d10c6","the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-417","the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-415",685,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-cover.jpg"]