Sevianna was sitting on a large bed of flowers. It was an hour before noon, and she found nothing to do, so she basked in the sun while making flower crowns. They varied in colors and were made of bundles of petals. She placed one on her head, and its beauty was magnified. She was also subconsciously humming her song, "Can you hear me sing?"
Not too far away, Adounis stood rooted to the ground, unable to take a step forward and disturb such a beautiful scene. His heart had warmed just from watching her. When Sevianna's hum traveled to his ears, he frowned. For some reason, he thought the song sounded very familiar, but he was sure he hadn't heard it before.
Sevianna no longer retracted her wings after the banquet incident. She wanted to get used to them before a sudden emergency occurred. It wouldn't be wise not to be prepared. The wings felt lighter after she'd left them free for the past few days. Her black wings lazily rested on her back, their silky feathers glistening under the sun.
"Sevi~" Adounis finally found the courage to enter the scene.
Sevianna's wings shook, as did her heart. She consciously moved her wings back and faced Adounis, making sure he couldn't reach them easily. These past few days, aside from getting used to her wings and waiting for the right moment to warn the Demon King about Brand's attempt on his life, Sevianna had been constantly pestered by Adounis.
He had been asking—begging—to touch her wings. But there was no way she would let him! She still remembered the electric feeling on her back the last time he'd touched them. Her wings were far too sensitive! It had felt pleasant, but therein lay the problem. She feared that if she gave him an inch, he would take a mile. If she easily let him touch her wings... then... then, when they were in bed...
Sevianna's heart trembled with a mix of fear and excitement. She wanted to try, but she was also afraid. What should she do?
Adounis' eyes narrowed dangerously. How could he not see her subtle movements? It was a shame that his advances had been unsuccessful. Though Sevianna no longer pushed him away and was showing more emotion in front of him, he knew she hadn't fully fallen for him yet.
"What are you doing?" Adounis stopped minding her wings for the moment.
Sevianna held out the finished flower crown in her hands, then paused. An idea suddenly struck her. She got up, dragging her wings behind her, and stopped just a step away from him. She placed a flower crown, styled the same as hers, atop his head. Stepping back, she admired the view and nodded in satisfaction when she saw how surprisingly well it suited him. He'd probably look even better if he used his puppy-dog eyes to pair with the crown.
Sevianna's ears turned red at that thought.
Adounis blinked in bewilderment and smiled brightly. With the flower crown atop his head, he made the old soul inside Sevianna melt with happiness.
It seemed Adounis didn't mind the flower at all, especially since it had been made by her. Just as he was about to speak, the sound of hurried footsteps interrupted him.
"P-Prince! Your Highness!" It was the butler, panting to catch his breath.
Adounis wanted to scold the butler for interrupting his time with Sevianna, but he stopped himself, not wanting to look bad in front of her. "Mn, what is it?"
The butler seemed to calm at the question, but with a grim expression, he delivered the news through gritted teeth. "The cities near the border have been besieged."
Adounis raised his eyebrows in interest, while Sevianna lifted her head in surprise. Why was it so soon? She clearly remembered that Brand would only make his move when all of his chess pieces were in place! She had to admit that he was a genius in stratagems and a very cautious man. So why had he initiated the plan a year early?
The butler's news hit like a bombshell. It had been centuries since Antitheus last saw war. Was peace about to be shattered once more? Though the situation seemed grave, Adounis couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing.
He nodded, then turned to Sevianna, who was dazedly staring at the flowers, lost in thought. Adounis raised his hand and patted her head, easily drawing her attention. "I might not be back for two days. Don't stay up too late."
He didn't wait for her reply, and he had already left by the time she had woken up from her stupor. Sevianna watched his retreating back with a confused gaze. She realized that her intervention in the plot had shifted the course of Sevianna's original fate. Now, even Sevianna herself was unable to tell how things were going to end up.
'Lily, go check what's happening at the borders,' Sevianna said in all seriousness. She never liked the feeling of being in the dark.
'Okay~' Lily affirmed as she operated her new body—a flying teddy bear—and flew into the forest.
In the end, Adounis only came back after three days. His face was gloomy as he stepped into the castle and stopped right in front of Sevianna's room. It was still dawn, and he knew that she was still sleeping at this time. But he was only given until noon.
He took a deep breath before resolutely knocking on the door. There was a moment of silence before he heard a rustle. The door opened and revealed a sleepy Sevianna, wearing another silky nightgown, only with a different style.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes and squinted at her visitor. She fluttered her eyelashes to clear the blur from her vision.
"Adounis~?"
The frozen Adounis felt his restrained reluctance resurfacing again. He really hated the idea of being apart from her. But he knew that if he didn't leave to face the man at the border, he would only be waiting for the blade that would slice through his neck. He hadn't even taken Sevianna's heart yet, and her ex-lover had already reached halfway through the main city!
He was also insecure. His heart lacked any bit of confidence that Sevianna wouldn't leave him for that man.
Adounis suddenly stepped forward and enveloped the surprised girl.
"W—What are you doing!!"
Sevianna's face rapidly turned red. Her wings stretched as far as they could, afraid that Adounis might touch them. She tried to push him away, but he tightened his embrace instead. His hot breath on her neck melted her heart, but she couldn't act out of character no matter what.
"Adounis! You—"
"I love you."
She choked.
His voice was incredibly close to her ear, and she was directly attacked by his hoarse, slightly husky tone. Sevianna's heart was about to leap out of her chest. Wasn't his confession way too sudden?! She hadn't even had time to prepare. What's more, she had just woken up!
"W—W—What are you talking about? All of a sudde—"
Adounis shifted slightly and buried his head in the crook of her neck. "It's not sudden."
Sevianna was speechless. What was she supposed to do in this situation?!
"Sevianna."
His voice seemed to have a magical calming effect, and she stopped struggling—though her heart was still running a marathon. It was the first time he had called her by her full name.
"I'll be leaving for a week. Stay here, okay?"
Sevianna's eyes shrank, and her heart came to a sudden stop. His sudden action and confession finally made sense. He was going to the border? And from his reaction, she could tell that the enemy was strong!
How could that be?! During this time, Brand should have been waiting for Stella's cooperation. So, the fact that he moved much earlier must mean he had given up on Stella's alliance! Stella was the crucial factor in Brand's plan. Without her, he would have to expend more resources to gather enough forces for the plan.
And yet, Adounis was leaving personally, and he was definitely worried! Sevianna couldn't simply obey him right then—especially since Lily hadn't come back yet and she didn't know the exact situation at the border.
"No!"
Her outright rejection startled Adounis. He glanced at the girl's frustrated expression, a bit puzzled.
"You have to take me with you." Sevianna's eyes burned with stubbornness.
Adounis' heart sank. Bringing Sevianna to the border was the last thing he ever wanted to do. He gently petted her hair and softened his voice. "Listen to me, and please, stay here—"
"No!" Sevianna pouted to show her grievances. She had to come with him. She had to!
All the experiences she had accumulated from previous worlds were clearly telling her that something was wrong!
Sevianna's expression was beginning to scratch at Adounis' resolve. He wavered for a moment, but his worries immediately brought him back on track. He pursed his lips as he stared into Sevianna's eyes. His actions were filled with cautiousness as he landed a kiss on her forehead that lasted for a solid three seconds.
"Please, Sevianna. Stay here."
Sevianna was stunned into silence.
Her eyes widened as she stared blankly at Adounis. She raised her hand to touch the fading sensation on her forehead. One moment she felt giddy, the next she was furious again.
"Why can't you bring me!?" What was he so worried about that he wouldn't let her come? Usually, Adounis would say yes to anything she asked, but this time, he was adamant about keeping her in the castle.
Adounis caressed the girl's red cheeks. "I don't want to lose you."
Sevianna was once again stunned. Could her Yan gege not be so sweet at this moment?! She felt like she was about to lose this battle of attrition. It seemed that Adounis was even more stubborn than she was.
She glared at him, trying the harder approach since the previous ones hadn't worked. "I'm going with you."
Sevianna made a wrong move this time. Adounis misunderstood.
Could it be that she really had the idea of leaving him? He gritted his teeth. He could set her free if she truly wanted to, but he wasn't willing to let her heart belong to anyone else.
Adounis kissed her forehead again. "I'm sorry... but not to him—nor anyone."
A magic circle suddenly appeared under their feet. It expanded until it enclosed the perimeter of the castle, and beams of light shot through the sky. For a few seconds, the light continued to shine before gradually fading.
Sevianna knew what he had done, and she had heard him clearly. 'What do you mean "not to him"?! Adounis, you're thinking too much! Who I'm worried about is you! Uggh!'
Adounis had sealed Sevianna inside his castle.
His expression was filled with guilt and resolve, contrasting so sharply that his face crumpled in pain. He absolutely didn't want to do this, but his heart would only be at ease if Sevianna stayed in the castle instead of coming with him to face that man.
"A—Adounis?" Sevianna's voice softened in disbelief.
"I'm really sorry. But I need you to stay here. I'll explain when I get back, okay?"
Sevianna didn't know whether she should applaud or cry at his stubbornness. Fine then, she'd try her last card! There was another thing the original Sevianna feared. She had always feared being abandoned—so much so that it had turned into a trauma.
Sevianna clutched at his shirt with shaking hands, tears brimming in her eyes. "Are you leaving me?"
The sound of Adounis' glass heart shattering echoed in the air. This was the first time he had ever seen her like this. He was filled with remorse. How had it gone from him fearing that she'd leave him to her suddenly catching the ball and saying that she didn't want him to leave?
He was filled with remorse and happiness. Didn't this mean she never had the intention to leave him? It was undoubtedly the greatest gift he could have received. But his stubborn heart still did not waver. He wasn't sure if he could defeat the man at the border. If she was with him during the battle, and the man tried to kidnap her...
He had never felt so doubtful of his own strength.
Adounis wiped away the tears forming in the corners of her eyes and decisively lowered his head to capture her lips.
Sevianna saw only Adounis' face growing larger and larger and her eyes widened in astonishment. She was thoroughly licked, sucked, and bitten until she was just standing there on her own with a dazed expression.
Then she exploded.
"He actually left after taking his fill! That motherfucker!"
Gareth, who had been listening, slipped and fell from atop a tree branch.