Kaen stood there, motionless, not turning around, his shoulders stiff with embarrassment. Veledriana couldn't help but laugh at his reaction; it was oddly charming. She decided to push the moment further, and her lips curled into a mischievous smile as she stepped closer to him.
He tensed as he heard her soft footsteps approaching, and before he could say anything, she gently pressed her hand against his shoulder. Kaen lost his balance and fell backward onto the bed, startled.
"W-what are you doing?!" he blurted out, his voice filled with a mix of panic and confusion. His face turned an even deeper shade of red as his bright blue eyes darted everywhere but hers.
Veledriana leaned over him, her face serene yet unreadable. For a moment, she said nothing, letting the weight of the atmosphere build before she finally spoke.
"I like you," she said simply, her voice steady but soft enough to carry her sincerity.
Kaen's eyes flew wide, and his breath hitched. "Y-you what?" he stuttered, clearly taken off guard. His hands flailed as if not knowing what to do with himself, embarrassment escalating by the second.
She straightened up slightly, giving him just enough room but didn't back off entirely. "I said I like you," she repeated again, her voice lighter now, as if she expected precisely this reaction.
Kaen's heart was pounding in his chest, and he struggled to sit up, jerky and uncoordinated. "This is—uh—well, I mean. you're royalty! And we just met! And—" He stopped, becoming aware of his breathlessness, and steeled himself for one stuttering breath. "Why would someone like you. like someone like me?
Veledriana tilted her head, studying him with an amused glint in her purple eyes. "Why not?" she asked, her voice teasing but not mocking.
Kaen opened his mouth to respond but found no words. Instead, he pressed his hands over his face, groaning softly. "This is too much. I wasn't prepared for this," he mumbled.
Veledriana stepped back, giving him space, a satisfied smile on her lips. "Well, consider it something to think about," she said casually, turning toward her wardrobe to finish dressing.
Kaen peeked through his fingers, still flushed. "You're. unbelievable," he muttered, though there was no malice in his tone—just disbelief mixed with something he wasn't ready to admit yet.
Kaen was sitting on the edge of the bed, his mind reeling from what Veledriana had just said. He was red-faced, the words tumbling over his mind as she blurted out the confession. Before he even knew what to think of it, she turned to him with a very mischievous glint in her eyes.
Without warning, Veledriana loosened the towel holding her wrapped around her, and casually threw it to the side. The softness of it fell on an armchair by her chair as she moved closer, standing now in her sleek black bra and panties.
Kaen's face turned beet red, and his eyes went wide in sheer panic. "W-what are you doing?!" he choked out, his voice shaking as he instinctively leaned back, his hands gripping the bed tightly.
She didn't say anything. Instead, she leaned forward, her movements deliberate and slow, her hands brushing against his legs. Kaen froze, his heart pounding in his chest as her touch traveled upward, light and teasing.
By the time her hands rested on his chest and then slid up to his neck, his whole body tensed, his breathing shallow. "What.what are you doing?" he stammered, his voice barely a whisper.
Veledriana smirked, leaning just close enough to meet his gaze. "just want to enjoy?" she asked, her tone low but playful.
Kaen swallowed hard, his cheeks burning. "This—this is. a lot, we don't even know each other properly" he muttered, his voice cracking slightly.
She laughed softly, pulling back just enough to let him breathe but still maintaining her confident "we know and we will," she said, her purple eyes sparkling with amusement.
Kaen looked anywhere but at her, his hands still holding onto the bed like it was the only thing that was keeping him from splintering apart. "You are really something else," he mumbled to himself, his face still flushing red.
Veledriana chuckled, finally stepping away to grab a robe. As she slipped it on, she turned back to him with a knowing smile. "You'll have to get used to this," she said lightly. "I'm full of surprises."
Kaen froze in place, shallow, uneven breaths filling his body as Veledriana slowly approached. Her steps were slow and deliberate; the silver strands of her hair touched his face as she leaned over him. She felt the heat of her body touching his, her chest against his, closing the gap between them.
His heart pounded so loudly he could have sworn she could hear it. He wanted to say something—anything—but his voice stuck in his throat, and he lay helpless beneath her intent gaze.
She halted, her face inches from his. Her purple eyes shone bright and locked into his blue ones, making the world seem to collapse into just the two of them. Her lips soft, tantalizingly close to his, brushed against him ever so slightly, just enough to send a shiver down his spine.
Kaen's breath caught, his entire body tensing under the unfamiliar yet electrifying sensation. "V-Veledriana." he managed to stammer, his voice barely audible.
She didn't respond immediately. Instead, her lips hovered near his, the teasing closeness making his cheeks burn even more. Her warm breath mingled with his, and for a moment, it felt as though time itself had slowed.
Then, she eased back a little, curving her lips into a teasing grin. "You're really easy to ruffle up, Kaen," she whispered softly but with playfulness.
Kaen gulped, his face reddened impossibly as he strained for words. "I. I never thought in my whole life that I was ever scared and dumbfounded," he confessed in a trembling voice.
And then a cloudy feeling crept up about them, crackling, unbelievable energy in the air where their lips just barely kissed.
A deafening screech erupted as something loudly creaked and shook its floorboards.
Then suddenly purple lightning flashed through, so brightly casting an otherworldly light to illuminate the room before plunging it back into complete darkness.