After their passionate encounter in bed, Sian gently moved away from Ophilia, but he couldn't help but notice the enticing scent emanating from her. It seemed even more alluring after their lovemaking, drawing him in for another round.
"Wait! This smell… I get it, now I get it!" Sian exclaimed. "I finally understand why I'm so drawn to you!"
Ophilia quickly sat down across from him, concerned. "Did something happen?"
"I think I understood why I suddenly started to like you so much," Sian replied.
Sitting on the bed in front of her with his legs crossed, he asked, "Can you smell that scent you have?"
"A-Am I stinking?" Ophilia nervously sniffed her arms.
"No, that's not what I meant," Sian denied it and said thoughtfully, "It's a pleasant smell that you have. It makes me feel comfortable, but sometimes it makes me excited, like an aphrodisiac."
"I don't smell anything. I never heard anyone say I have this kind of smell," Ophilia said, confused.
"In that case, it can only be what I'm thinking," Sian said. "Ayze once told me that some female Beastkin are born with a mutation that makes them release pheromones when they are in the fertile period. These pheromones attract the opposite sex and leave them attracted to the owner of the pheromones. Despite being extremely rare for someone to be affected by these pheromones, it got me."
He looked at Ophilia's naked body up and down. The essence she exudes along with her seductive curves made her truly impossible to resist.
Among the many possibilities, that was the only explanation that came to Sian's mind. After all, it's impossible for someone like him to fall in love out of nowhere, right? If it was just because she resembled someone from his past, it still wouldn't make him feel that way. But when he got affected by the pheromone it was different.
That also explains why he wasn't able to dissipate it, it wasn't magic. It was just a physiological effect.
"Sorry, I didn't know that," Ophilia said apologetically.
"It's not your fault, it doesn't have a strong effect. It's just that you look like a person who took care of me when I was at the orphanage. Even the personality is a bit similar, and when you put it all together, I ended up feeling a certain familiarity. That's probably why I like you so much," Sian explained.
With a slightly concerned expression, Ophilia asked, "What do you intend to do now?"
Sian paused for a moment, his mind deep in thought, while Ophilia's anxiousness was apparent in her eyes. Somehow, her expression also made him anxious.
He had just given a rational explanation, and that was also what he wanted to believe. But he had a strange feeling that it wasn't just that. Though the pheromone heightened his lust for Ophilia, it was that and nothing more. That wouldn't make him develop feelings for her.
Again, that also explains why he wasn't able to dissipate it, it wasn't magic. It was just a physiological effect…
Could it really be love at first sight?
Though confused, he finally responded, "Nothing, really. I feel content just the way things are. Being with you makes me happy, and I enjoy our conversations. When I'm with you, life somehow feels different."
"While I can't deny that your pheromones affected me a bit, maybe I'm just overthinking it. Maybe I really just fell in love with you. As I said before, I have no experience in the matter, so I can't say for sure." He locked eyes with her, his gaze sincere, and continued, "Despite that, I want to be with you. That's why, if you're willing, I want to build a family with you."
Although Sian may have seemed a bit hasty in expressing his desire to build a family with Ophilia, it's not uncommon for people to consider marriage at a young age. Many individuals get married before reaching their twenties, and often, it's not solely based on love.
Convenience and practicality play significant roles in such decisions. Given the enjoyable and fulfilling nature of their current situation, why not take the chance and see where it leads?
After a moment of silence, Ophilia asked apprehensively, "Do you really want this?"
"Absolutely!" Sian replied confidently.
"I appreciate your consideration, even though I'm just a slave. Even if I feel unworthy, I'll do my best to respond to your feelings," she said.
"Why would you think you're not good enough? To me, you're an incredible woman," Sian reassured her.
"Do you think it's alright to build a family with someone like me, considering my past?" Ophilia hesitated, "You know what I used to do..."
"The past doesn't matter. We should focus on building our future together," he embraced her. "We'll have plenty of time to get to know each other better."
While still in each other's arms, Sian used magic to clean them and the bed.
Observing this, Ophilia asked, "Don't you want to continue?"
"I do, but it's not good for your body. You look tired from last night," Sian said.
"It can't be helped, you seem to have a lot of energy. I wasn't counting, but it was at least five times, and you seemed like you could go on even more," she said.
"Uh, I'm sorry about that. I got carried away," Sian said awkwardly.
"How do you last that long? Most men only go for 2 or 3 rounds," she wondered.
"I'm not like most men; I'm considerably strong, so my endurance is good," Sian said proudly.
"So, what do we do with this little boy poking my belly?" she asked playfully.
"Just ignore him; he'll settle down soon."
"Okay," she said, "But magic is really convenient. You can even clean a bed with it."
They chatted for a while, but as Ophilia was tired, they didn't prolong the conversation and soon drifted off to sleep.
***
In the middle of the night, Sian stirred awake, the faint sounds of distress reaching his ears. He looked over to see Ophilia trembling, her face etched with worry even in sleep while she murmured incomprehensible words.
Concerned, he gently shook her shoulder, calling out, "Ophilia, wake up! Ophilia."
As she woke up, he noticed tears streaming down her face. He drew close and comforted her, "Did you have a nightmare?"
Still trembling, she nodded slowly. He embraced her, assuring, "Don't worry, I'm here, nothing bad will happen to you."
Looking more comfortable, she hugged him tightly and buried her head in his neck. It must have been a terrible nightmare for her to react this way. Sian could even feel her tears on his skin.
"Talking about it might help you feel better. Do you want to tell me about the nightmare?" he suggested calmly.
Hesitant at first, she continued, "I had a nightmare about my daughter..."
Though surprised, Sian remained composed and kept comforting her as he listened.
"She said awful things... That I'm a horrible person... That I abandoned her... That I brought her into this world just to suffer..." She broke down in tears.
"Don't take the nightmare to heart; it's just imagination. You can't be a horrible person. I may not have known you for long, but I trust my instincts. If you did leave her, there must have been a good reason or no choice at all," he reassured her.
"But... But-But still..." Amidst tears, she continued, "I abandoned her... I failed as a mother... She has every reason to hate someone like me..."
"It might not be how you think," Sian said. "As an orphan myself, even without knowing my parents or why they left me, I'd still want to understand the reason. Maybe they had a good reason..."
Seeming a bit calmer, Ophilia said, "Even if there was a good reason, it wouldn't change what I did..."
"Can you share what happened?" Sian gently asked. "If it's too difficult, you don't have to force yourself."
After a pause, Ophilia began, "Do you remember the dragon fight in Edrorian forest five years ago?"
Sian was a little surprised by the question and didn't yet understand its significance, "Of course, I remember. It was against Frygor, The Furious, and the forest was heavily damaged."
Ophilia began to recount what had happened, "A few days later, I found out I was pregnant... I had spent years as a slave, working as a prostitute, but Mr. Badonis made sure that none of us attended to someone of the same race to avoid pregnancies."
"But somehow, I still got pregnant. I was terrified when I found out. Being over 30, it was something I never experienced before. I was just a slave with a single purpose, and no one would want a pregnant woman attending to them. I felt useless and afraid of what would happen to me."
"Luckily, Mr. Badonis and his wife were kind. When they found out about my pregnancy, they moved me to work in the kitchen and supported me throughout. Still, I worried. I didn't know the father, and I wasn't sure if I could love the child. Many sleepless nights passed, and I wondered what I'd do if I didn't love her."
"But all those worries faded away when I gave birth to her. She was my child, a part of me, with my blood and flesh. It was impossible not to love her. For the first time in a long while, I felt truly happy – the joy of being a mother," Ophilia said, her emotions swirling inside her.
As emotions poured from Ophilia's heartfelt words, Sian just listened intently.