“Mmm...”
It wasn’t my first kiss, but it was the first time someone had kissed me so passionately. I tried to resist, but I couldn’t move while he was on top of me. When I gasped for air, his tongue slipped inside my mouth like he’d been waiting for that moment.
“Ahh, mm... W-Wait...”
“You scared me half to death,” he whispered. “Let me indulge in you a little.”
He kissed me again and again and again. My lips felt like they were going to melt. The sensation was so new and intoxicating that my head started to feel hazy.
His tongue entwined with mine while he nibbled gently at my lips, then kissed me deeply again. I didn’t know how many times we’d kissed, but at some point I kissed him back without even thinking. That was when I felt something hard pressing against my thigh.
I gasped and trembled, and finally he pulled away from our kiss.
“Th-That’s, um...”
“It’s not just me. You feel it too, don’t you?”
“Ah...”
His knee shifted and pressed against the stiffness in my pants. I gasped again. I hadn’t even noticed because I’d been so lost in our kiss, but somewhere along the way, I’d gotten hard. I panicked and tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let me go. He reached down, his large hand brushing over it.
“Is this okay?”
“Of course it’s not okay!”
“I won’t go all the way. I’ll just touch it a little bit,” he said.
“A-A little bit?”
“That’s right. Only a little.” Despite his words, his fingers kept touching me slowly. I was already on the verge of giving in. But just before I lost it, I managed to pull myself together.
“Y-You said you’d wait until I was ready!”
Siegfried’s head slumped in disappointment, and he rested his forehead against mine.
“Ugh... You’re so mean. I can’t get around that; I have to be good...even though you’re like this...” he said, trailing his hand back down to my hard arousal. I smacked his wandering fingers away. I couldn’t go any further, or I’d lose all sense of reason.
“I said no!”
“Then we’ll just kiss.”
“That’s all?”
“Yes, I listened to you, so it’s now your turn to listen to me.”
“If you’re sure it’s just kisses...then it’s fine.” The moment those words left my mouth, he kissed me.
“Kreis, why are your lips so sweet?”
“Th-They’re not... Mmm, nngh...”
There was no point in talking, because my words got swallowed whole by Siegfried’s kisses. Our bodies tangled on the bed as our tongues intertwined, and every time our eyes met we smiled softly and drew even closer, melting into each other on the bed.
“I want you to always remember how much I love you, Kreis.” He nuzzled his nose against mine affectionately, and all I could do was nod. “I want you to take care of yourself because I love you so much.”
Right... This body was mine, but it didn’t entirely belong to me. It was something precious to Siegfried, so I had to take care of it.
I felt like I was floating in a haze of spun sugar, sweet and soft. My consciousness was starting to slip away.
I hadn’t realized how exhausted I was and how much stress I’d been carrying around all day. There was still so much to think about and so much to do...
Even though I knew I shouldn’t let go just yet, the moment his tender kiss brushed against my eyelids, I couldn’t hold on any longer.
“I don’t want to go to sleep... I’m scared...” I murmured.
Even as I lay here in bed with him, the fallen angel could be plotting something.
Falling asleep felt too much like dying. If I let go of my consciousness now, that could be the end. There was no guarantee someone wouldn’t kill me while I slept.
“You’re safe. I’m right here. I’ll protect you from anyone who tries to hurt you. Go ahead and rest.”
Warmth flowed through me through Siegfried’s lips. I realized then that it was his mana, and before I knew it, that warmth gently pushed me over the edge into sleep.
“Think only of me, at least as you dream.”
I wondered if the two of us could finally be happy in dreams.
I awoke to the morning light on my face.
“Nngh... Ugh...”
“Good morning, Lord Kreis.”
“Theodore... What time is it?”
“Breakfast has already ended, and King Siegfried left his chambers some time ago.”
“Mm... Siegfried... Wait, Siegfried?”
Why was Theodore talking about Siegfried? What had even happened yesterday?
“Thanks to Lord Gilles’s testimony, the castle has been in total chaos. It will still take some time before we can fully prove that King Siegfried’s mana was being siphoned off by Lord Albert.”
Right, now I remembered. Gilles had killed Alfred and said he’d testify, then Siegfried had dragged me into his room and...
“Aaaaah!” All the memories came rushing back, and I bolted upright.
Siegfried had kissed me. And it hadn’t been just a little peck either. It had been an intense, passionate kiss. I touched my lips without thinking, then looked up when I felt someone staring at me.
“Lord Kreis, your face is completely red. Are you feeling unwell?”
“N-No, I’m fine, really! It’s nothing like that, I swear!” I pulled the blanket over my head in a panic.
“You’re ridiculously easy to read, you know that? If you keep leaning on Siegfried like that, he’s just going to take it as encouragement.”
You’re here too?!
“I gave you two some alone time yesterday, didn’t I? You should be thanking me.”
“Y-You weren’t watching, were you?!”
I threw off the covers and sat up, only to find Professor resting his chin on the bed, snuffling softly with a smug look on his face.
“I’m not that sort of meddling god. I stayed in the hallway and only eavesdropped a little. Just enough to catch a few sweet whispers, that’s all. You’re welcome.”
“You totally heard everything!”
“Um, Lord Kreis...? Are you sure you’re feeling all right?”
Oops. I’d completely forgotten Theodore was still here.
“Y-Yes, I was just, um...scolding Professor for staring at me, that’s all! What are you doing here, Theodore?” I tried to change the subject, not expecting the serious response I would get.
“I know that a butler shouldn’t abandon his manor, but there was something I absolutely had to tell you in person,” he said.
“Couldn’t you have sent me a letter?”
“Well, per King Siegfried’s suggestion, some of the orphans have been working here in the royal castle, but we’ve lost contact with one of them. I thought I’d wait a bit longer, but the last report I received was troubling, which is why I came to inform you directly.”
“What was in the report?” I asked.
“It mentioned that someone seems to be investigating you, Lord Kreis.”
“Do we know who it could be?”
“Unfortunately not. But the orphan in question was employed by Lady Risthea, the future queen. Which means, well...we couldn’t exactly document anything without putting ourselves at risk and—”
“Risthea?!”
If Risthea had been looking into me, she might’ve been trying to figure out the best time and place to kill me. That was definitely possible, which only made me extremely concerned for the missing orphan.
“We need to find them. Now,” I said.
“I agree. But let’s get you dressed first.”
“I know.” I jumped out of bed and started changing with Theodore’s help, but I noticed something odd. “Hang on, where did this outfit come from?”
I didn’t recognize the clothes he was dressing me in. They fit perfectly, and even though I wasn’t well-versed in the latest fashions, I could tell that the fabric and stitching were exceptional.
“I brought a change of clothes with me since it was a last-minute stay, but King Siegfried instructed me to bring you these instead,” Theodore explained.
These clothes were modern and elegant, much more extravagant than what I usually wore. Just imagining how much they cost made my head ache.
“I should take them off and return—”
“Kreis. I knew those clothes would suit you.” At that exact moment, Siegfried strode in without knocking. Sure, the castle belonged to him, but what if I’d still been in the middle of changing?
I was about to complain, but when I saw his face the memories of the day before came rushing back. His lips on mine, his tongue...
No, stop! Knock it off. Do not think about that!
“I can’t borrow something like this. I’m taking it off.”
“I never said it was a loan. It’s a gift from me to you,” he said.
“That makes it even worse.”
“Why?”
“Because there’s no reason for me to accept such extravagant clothes...”
“Kreis, you exposed the man who was stealing my magic. This is my way of thanking you. Please accept it.”
It wasn’t fair when he put on that regal tone. I couldn’t think of anything to say back, so I just fell silent. Then Siegfried’s expression softened, and he smiled.
“Sorry for being so pushy,” he said. “I’d like to go over everything that’s happened so far. Maybe over a cup of tea?”
“Sorry, but I have to leave right away.”
“What are you planning this time, Kreis?”
I remembered what he’d told me the day before. Stop rushing into things on your own.
Should I tell him?
“Yes, you should.” Professor answered before I could even decide. “This is Siegfried’s domain. If anyone can get to the bottom of this quickly, it’s him.”
He had a point. We didn’t even know if anything had happened yet. Wandering around aimlessly wouldn’t help, and Siegfried might have already had some useful information.
“Refusing to rely on Siegfried right away is a bad habit of yours.”