Volume 1 Chapter 9-2 Sneaking In
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I didn’t notice during dinner. Maybe it was the dress, or maybe I just wasn’t looking close enough—but now, standing here with her, I could finally see. She wasn’t small at all. She just wore clothes that didn’t show much.
Her robe slipped off with a soft flutter. It barely made a sound. She didn’t fight it. Didn’t try to cover herself. She just stood there—quiet, breathing slow. Waiting.
I could barely speak. I wasn’t thinking clearly anymore. I only knew that something had changed. That look in her eyes—it wasn’t shy. It wasn’t even hesitant. She had made up her mind.
I stepped closer, feeling my chest rise and fall too fast. She moved, brushing my neck with a kiss, and her hand settled on mine, guiding it slowly to her side. She looked up at me.
”Hah… mm…”
My head spun. I touched her, but lightly. Not pushing—just feeling the space between us close like fog melting into the sea. She was warm. So warm. I didn’t need to ask what she wanted.
And still… I did.
”Elide, are you sure?”
She didn’t answer with words. Just a slow nod, soft eyes, and a quiet breath that seemed to hold something deeper than speech.
We didn’t rush. She rested her hand on my back, and I held her close. That’s all we did for a long moment. Just holding.
I could feel the weight of her trust.
I remembered everything she had said about her engagement. But right now, all of that seemed far away. She wasn’t pretending anymore. She had already let go.
That truth was in how she touched me. How she leaned into me. She was being honest now. Honest in a way words could never reach.
I started to understand—maybe she never planned to stay pure for someone who didn’t truly see her. Maybe that was why she came here tonight.
Maybe it wasn’t an accident at all.
If that was the case, then I wouldn’t treat her like something fragile or broken. I would treat her like someone who had made a choice.
”Was this what you wanted from the start?”
She met my gaze without flinching. “Does it matter?”
Her words hit like a soft slap. Not cruel. Just sharp. And real.
There was a kind of thrill in the air, like we’d crossed a line neither of us planned to return from.
I felt her fingers press into my shoulder. I knew what she was giving me—and what it meant. I held her tighter, like I could shield her from the world just for tonight.
”I won’t say a word. Not to anyone.”
”…Not even my sister?”
I gave a half-smile. “If you give me tonight, I’ll let the past go.”
She looked at me, startled, and then she laughed. A gentle sound, not mocking. More like relief.
”Then tonight is yours.”
I kissed her forehead.
Later, we sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers still laced with mine. Her eyes wandered toward the hallway, and I followed her gaze.
”Is she watching?”
”She might be. But she’s not the one playing tonight.”
I raised an eyebrow.
”And you are?”
She gave me a mischievous smile.
”You knew that already.”
There was something wicked in that smile. Not cruel—just fearless. I loved that.
I stood, took her hand again, and nodded toward the door.
”Come on. My father’s old room is empty.”
”…What a bad girl,” she whispered, teasing.
”Only because you bring it out of me.”
* * *
”Thank you for your service, guard.”
”Yes, ma’am. We’re performing a checkpoint here in Shinnit. Are you from the capital?”
The girl nodded and showed her badge, the dragon crest catching the sunlight.
”I’m here under special orders.”
”Holy Knight Tiet,” the man said, stepping aside. “Welcome.”
She stepped forward, the wind off the harbor brushing her face.
Something had changed in her after last night. But she didn’t regret a thing.
Character Notes:
• Elide – A 19-year-old woman, Deena’s younger sister. Her appearance is described as cute with a youthful, innocent face. She is engaged to a man who is currently away on a long-term fishing expedition and is expected to return in three months.
• Shinnit – Located south of the royal capital of the Kingdom of Crotopone, separated by mountains. A bustling trading town and the nation’s largest economic hub, controlling the Four Islands. It is a port city with gray outer walls, known for its strategic importance and military presence.
• Tiet – A companion and friend of Anna. A holy knight from the royal capital. She wears light armor and carries a shield adorned with a dragon holding a sword, indicating her affiliation with the National Military Police. She is concerned about Anna’s well-being and tries to support her emotionally.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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