NOVPUBEventually, we reached the city outskirts.
A quieter district where stone houses lined neatly in rows, each one with little gardens, iron fences, and lace-curtained windows.
She pulled me toward a two-story home tucked at the corner, one with a door that was painted in a crimson color.
"I rent it secretly~" she explained as she fished out a dainty silver key from her pocket.
"Nobody knows but me... and now you~"
Click.
The door swung open.
And I blinked.
Inside… was immaculate.
White lace curtains, pale blue wallpaper, bookshelves packed tight with labeled journals and strange potion bottles. The faint scent of vanilla drifted in from the kitchen, warm and sweet.
Her grip finally loosened as she skipped ahead.
"Sit down~! I'll bring the cookies! And tea! You drink tea, right? Oh—wait, I already know that you do~"
She disappeared into the kitchen with a bounce in her step, her silver hair fluttering behind her like ribbons in the wind.
I sat down slowly, taking in the room.
It was… cozy.
Too cozy.
The kind of place you could fall asleep in.
Or never wake up from.
And on the far wall, above a low bookshelf—
A picture frame.
I leaned closer.
It was me.
Sleeping on the Royal Academy's lawn.
'When the hell was that taken…?'
"Esty~" her voice sang out from the kitchen.
"Close your eyes~ I want it to be a surprise~!"
I slowly leaned back into the couch.
Gosh… what had I gotten myself into?
But then she appeared again—smiling like sunshine, as she held up a tray of cookies, steam rising from the mug of tea beside them.
And for a second, I forgot to be afraid.
Because even if this girl was clearly insane...
That insanity was pointed entirely at me.
And strangely…
That made me feel safe.
So, I reluctantly closed my eyes.
"Mm~ Good boy~" I heard her coo softly.
Fuck.
I instantly tried to pry my eyes open.
"N-no! Stop!" A hand quickly covered my eyes.
"...I will stop saying that, alright~?" she whispered in a soft tone to me.
"...Sure," I replied.
Cling!
'...She must have put the tray down.'
I thought, but suddenly, I felt a warm breath brushing against my skin, and instantly noticed that she was leaning closer to me.
Then...
"Mhm...?"
Something soft—something warm—touched the corner of my lips.
"Ah~ open up, Esty~" she whispered, a faint giggle hiding behind her words.
I parted my lips slightly, and something sweet melted on my tongue—a soft cookie, warm and chewy. She placed it there delicately with her fingers.
"Good?" she asked, her voice as syrupy as the taste on my tongue.
"…It's alright," I muttered, still chewing.
It was much better than the lunch she had made for me before, although Alaine's cookies were more than ten times better.
Her fingers brushed against my lower lip—slowly, deliberately—before pulling away.
"That was chocolate chip," she said playfully. "Wanna try the red velvet next~?"
I hesitated, but nodded.
The same thing happened again.
Fingers pressing gently into my mouth, her giggle growing just a little louder. Her scent—jasmine and cinnamon—wrapped around me.
"Hmm… Esty," she hummed, right next to my ear now, her breath feeling warm. "Your lips look so soft when you're not teasing me."
Then she giggled again.
"I wonder…" 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝖕𝖚𝖇.𝖈𝔬𝔪
The next moment—
Chuu♡...!
Something softer than any cookie, warmer than anything else in the room—
Pressed against my lips.
My eyes snapped open.
Ella's face was right in front of mine, her silver lashes lowered, her eyes like slivers of moonlight—soft, curving crescents of mischief and hunger.
She was smiling.
Her lips still pressed gently against mine, unmoving, but firm.
Like she had been waiting for this moment.
And now that she had it—she didn't plan on letting go.
Her hand cupped my cheek, thumb stroking lightly, lovingly, as her lips finally parted against mine—slowly.
Smooch~
My eyes narrowed slightly.
Then—fwip—I moved.
My hands shot up and wrapped tightly around her waist.
"Ah—?!"
I pulled her down onto my lap with one swift motion.
Fwmp—!
"Haa…!"
She landed with a soft gasp, her hands catching on my chest as she looked down at me—flushed, breath shaky, her silver hair falling forward like silk curtains brushing against my face.
"Esty…?" she breathed out.
'Did she really think I wouldn't do anything if she kissed me like that?'
I didn't answer her.
Instead, I reached up, grabbed the back of her neck, and pulled her down to me.
Chuu...!
Our lips crashed together again.
Harder this time.
Her breath hitched, her eyes wide as I kissed her without pause. Her lips parted so easily beneath mine, warm and wet, like they'd been waiting to be devoured.
"Haa… hnn…!"
The moment our tongues touched—
"Mn…♡!"
She moaned right into my mouth, her whole body tensing atop me. Her thighs squeezed slightly, tightening around my hips as she trembled.
I pushed forward, tasting the sweet trace of cookies lingering on her tongue, feeling the heat of her breath pouring into me with every gasp.
"Haa… hnnf…"
She whimpered softly when I slowly tangled my tongue with hers. I slid along hers, pressed in, curled around her, and pulled gently.
Sllrp… shlick… chu♡…!
She trembled, her fingers clenching the fabric of my shirt tightly like she'd fall if she let go.
I tilted my head, deepening the kiss even more. My hand at her back pulled her close, chest to chest, heat pressed tight, no space between us.
Our breaths started getting even louder than before.
"Fuuu..."
"Hnn… nghh… mmm…♡!"
She responded at first with small flicks of her tongue—tentative, nervous… then bolder.
Her tongue started teasing back, swirling around mine. Tasting me. Testing me. Letting herself melt right into the kiss.
Schlp… mmmuah… chu…
Her thighs clenched tighter as she pressed in, her hips brushing mine, just barely enough to make her whole body shudder.
I felt the heat growing between us—hot, thick, sweaty. Like steam curling off our skin, hearts pounding beneath the haze.
Thump-thump… thump-thump…!
"Haaah…"
Her voice cracked in a whimper as she kissed me deeper, arms now wrapped around my neck, her chest rising fast against mine.
Our tongues tangled with each other once again.
Sllrp… chupp… slchhh…
The air turned sticky with need.
Her body quivered in my lap. I could feel the sweat start to pearl at her nape, her breath coming in gasps against my cheek—
"Haa… hnnf… nghhh…"
Finally, I pulled back—barely an inch.
We were both panting.
Hearts pounding.
Sweat was clinging to our skin like a second heat.
Our lips—red, slick, and trembling from the pressure.
A thin line of saliva stretched between our mouths…
Drip—
…before it snapped.
Ella's eyes fluttered open, half-lidded and hazy, her hot breath catching in her throat as she stared down at me from my lap, silver lashes quivering.
Her chest rose and fell fast against mine.
"…You…" she whispered, voice barely holding back a giggle.
"You're such a bad boy, Esty…"
I smirked slowly, licking the taste of her from the corner of my lips.
"…You started it."
Ella's lips curled slowly into a mischievous smile.
Her silver lashes fluttered as she leaned in again, this time with less hesitation, more boldness. Like she wanted to devour me.
But before she could get closer—
I stopped her.
My hand came up and covered her mouth, fingers brushing across her lips as I looked straight into her eyes.
"…Let's stop for now."
Liar.
That wasn't what I wanted at all.
My body was burning.
My heart was racing.
I wanted to pull her in again, kiss her until she couldn't speak, until the sun went down and came back up again.
But I said it anyway.
Her eyes widened.
"…Why…?" she whispered against my palm.
I let out a slow breath and moved my hand away, brushing her lower lip in the process.
She was warm.
Soft.
Dangerously tempting.
"If we don't stop now," I muttered, "I might not hold back at all."
Her breath hitched.
A little silence settled between us, thick with everything left unsaid. Then she leaned back just a little, her arms still around my neck, eyes glinting like moonlight.
"That doesn't sound like such a bad thing," she said softly.
My hands tightened around her waist.
'...The girls from this world… they really are direct, huh? I'd feel bad if I stole her virginity when I only dated her for a single day…'
Even if every part of me screamed to pull her in again—to lose myself in her touch, her body, I was still held back.
Barely.
"I..."
I looked at her, and her eyes didn't flinch, not even a single time.
"I don't want to treat you like that."
Her expression softened.
Not disappointed.
Not angry.
Just… touched. Maybe even a little sad.
She leaned forward again, her forehead resting gently against mine.
"You're sweeter than you pretend to be, Esty," she murmured. "Most boys would've taken what I offered without thinking twice."
Her voice was quiet, barely louder than a breath.
"…But that's why I like you."
I scoffed inwardly at her words.
'...Like you knew that I would act like this.'
"…Even if you're a tease," she added with a pouty smile, fingers poking my chest once, twice. "And a liar."
"I never said I didn't want you," I said.
"Oh, I know~" she giggled.
"Your body said plenty."
To her words, I only smiled back.
"That's a totally normal reaction… especially with such a beautiful woman on top of me."
Her eyes widened for half a second.
Then—like a spark catching fire—her cheeks bloomed pink, and that sly little smile returned.
"Mmm… flattery won't save you now~" she purred, running a single finger slowly down my chest. "You said we'd stop, remember?"
I raised an eyebrow.
"And you're still straddling me."
"Oops~" she said, with absolutely zero intention of moving.
"Must've forgotten~"
Her hips shifted slightly—just slightly—and I sucked in a breath, fighting the instinct to grab her again.
She leaned forward, her silver hair falling like silk curtains around us, and whispered close to my lips—
"Maybe I'm the normal one, Esty. You're the one acting strange."
I met her gaze.
"Strange how?"
She gave a mock-innocent blink, then tapped my nose.
"Resisting me."
"Maybe I'm just being respectful."
She snorted—soft and cute—before her smile turned a little softer, a little sadder.
"...Maybe," she said, brushing some of my hair away from my forehead.
"But… I wouldn't have stopped you."
Her honesty hit deeper than her teasing ever could.
I stared at her.
And she stared right back, without blinking.
Completely open.
She wasn't just playing anymore.
That wall of playful mischief—that layer of sugar and spice she always wore—it cracked.
And underneath it…
She looked so sincere, so fragile, I almost kissed her again.
But instead, I raised my hand and gently cupped her cheek.
"…Princess."
"Mn?"
"I'll kiss you again someday," I murmured. "But not when my brain's half-melted and my pants are one wrong move away from betrayal."
She blinked.
Then burst into giggles.
Real, bright laughter that filled the room.
"You're the worst~!" she cried, burying her face into my shoulder.
"And yet, you're still on top of me."
"Shut up," she mumbled, voice muffled against my neck.
But she didn't move.
Not for a long while.
Just stayed there, snuggling close to me.
And all of those interactions...
Just made my guilt increase.
But fuck that.
I'm at odds with the Emperor.
If Ella chooses my side, I'll stay with her.
If not...
...I'll just let her die.
Along with that fucker of an Emperor.
