Evelyn's breath hitched, her sapphire eyes locked onto Leon's with a mix of defiance and something deeper something she didn't want to admit. Her body remained tense, regal, but her resolve was beginning to crack.
Leon could feel it. The system wasn't just showing him numbers he felt her resistance falter like a flicker of warmth struggling against a blizzard.
[Ice Queen's Resistance: 48% → 42%]
He didn't stop. He wouldn't stop.
His hand lingered on her cheek, his thumb brushing over her smooth skin. Cold. But not for long. He leaned in closer, his voice low and husky.
"Why fight it, Evelyn? You've built these walls so high… but what happens when you realize you don't want them anymore?"
Her eyes widened another crack in her icy mask. He could see her throat bob as she swallowed hard, her breath growing uneven.
"You think you're clever," she said, voice strained. "I am a queen, boy. You… are nothing."
Leon chuckled softly. He didn't even flinch.
"Nothing? Funny," he murmured, tilting her chin upward with a finger, forcing her to meet his gaze fully. "I feel like the only one in this room who has power right now is me."
[Ice Queen's Resistance: 42% → 35%]
Her body tensed even more, but this time it wasn't from anger it was fear. Not of him, but of the truth in his words. The system's influence was seeping into her like a creeping flame, thawing her inch by inch.
Leon leaned in until his lips were just a breath away from hers.
"You've ruled with ice and fear for so long… but tell me, Evelyn when's the last time anyone touched you like a woman instead of a queen?"
Her eyes burned with something between fury and longing. He could see it now the fire buried beneath the frost, a woman who hadn't been touched by warmth in so long she'd forgotten what it felt like.
[Ice Queen's Resistance: 35% → 28%]
She didn't speak this time. Her breathing was faster, shallow. Her chest rose and fell beneath the sheer silk gown she wore, her lips slightly parted.
Leon didn't let up. He traced his thumb along her lower lip, watching her body react against her will. She didn't pull away she couldn't.
"I can feel it, Evelyn," Leon whispered, his voice a slow, smooth purr. "You don't want me to stop, do you?"
Her voice came out in a shaky whisper, barely a thread of defiance left.
"…I hate you."
Leon's smirk widened.
"No. You hate that you want this."
[Ice Queen's Resistance: 28% → 19%]
The system chimed again, but Leon barely noticed. His focus was entirely on Evelyn, on the way her body trembled under his touch, her carefully built armor fracturing more with every breath.
He leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear.
"Let go, your highness."
Evelyn shivered a full-body tremble she couldn't hide. Her eyes fluttered shut for just a moment, and when they opened again, the ice wasn't gone… but it was melting.
[Ice Queen's Resistance: 19% → 11%]
She stared at him, a flicker of fear and hunger battling in her gaze. Leon didn't give her a chance to speak. His hand slipped down from her cheek, trailing along her neck, feeling her pulse quicken beneath his fingertips.
The room felt hotter, the air heavier, thick with unspoken desire.
For a split second, Evelyn leaned into his touch a fraction of a moment. But it was enough.
[Ice Queen's Resistance: 11% → 5%]
Leon's voice dropped lower, his lips brushing against hers without quite kissing her.
"Surrender to me."
Evelyn let out a shaky breath and for the first time, she didn't pull away. Her icy mask cracked completely, and for just a heartbeat, the queen looked like a woman longing for something more.
The system chimed one last time.
[Ice Queen's Resistance: 5% → 0%]
[Quest Update: Evelyn Nightshade's heart and body are yours to claim.]
[Reward: Frostbite Immunity, Ice Dominion Control unlocked.]
Leon grinned wickedly.
"Looks like the Ice Queen isn't so cold after all."