"Well... I didn't actually prepare any chocolate for you."
Elysia thought for a moment before adding, "Should I head downstairs and whip some up right now?"
"Now? Downstairs?"
Seeing Elysia look as if she were truly about to toss off the covers, get dressed, and bolt for the kitchen, Durandal quickly leaned forward to pin her down.
Sitting sideways on the edge of the bed, Durandal held Elysia by the shoulders, effectively checking her movement.
"There's no need. You just have to return the favor with some chocolate on March 14th, for White Day."
Durandal didn't bother explaining that Valentine's Day, White Day, and the whole ritual of giving and returning chocolate were essentially consumerist conspiracies—traps no different from the Mid-Year Shopping Festival or the massive sales of November and December.
Nor did she explain the convention that a girl usually gives 'true feeling' chocolate to the boy she likes on Valentine's, while the boy returns the gesture on White Day.
Since this world didn't have those holidays to begin with, wasn't it up to Durandal to define the rules however she pleased?
At the very least, Durandal wasn't about to let such a perfect atmosphere be ruined by technicalities.
Just as Durandal leaned down, catching the distinct, sweet aroma of the chocolates she had made herself, a small hand reached out from beneath the duvet and pressed against her lips.
Elysia was attempting one last stand.
"Earlier, back at the entrance of Morita Hospital... weren't you asking me about being the brand ambassador? I said we'd talk about it when we got back, so now..."
Elysia had hoped this topic might provide a momentary distraction, but she hadn't realized it would only serve to fan the flames dancing in the eyes of the woman before her.
"I agree."
Durandal's answer was short and decisive.
Bathed in that heat, it felt as if they were both being reborn.
After their most intimate encounter, Elysia buried her face against Durandal's chest, acting as if she didn't dare look her in the eye.
Her behavior just moments ago felt utterly foreign even to herself.
It was a side of her that she had never shown to a single soul.
Durandal, on the other hand, was quite enjoying the moment.
It was Elysia's own fault for bringing up the brand ambassador business at a time like that.
One had to understand that Durandal had been agonizing over that issue for quite a while.
Now that things had reached this point, if she didn't seize the chance to uncover every hidden side of Elysia to keep as her own private collection, she feared she wouldn't be able to stop herself from getting into endless arguments with Elysia's fans later on.
After a long while, Elysia seemed to finally recover from her bashfulness.
She tilted her head up slightly, her fingers tracing the line of Durandal's jaw from her current vantage point.
Then, mimicking what Durandal had done earlier in the bathroom, she pressed a kiss against the other woman's throat.
"Elysia, you..."
Sensing the shift, Durandal's eyes widened with surprise.
Could it be that she wasn't satisfied yet?
However, Durandal soon discovered that she couldn't easily flip the script on their roles this time.
After all, if Elysia truly intended to use her strength to resist, Durandal couldn't simply overpower her.
"Durandal~?"
Elysia's kisses trailed upward, grazing her neck, her thin lips, and the tip of her nose, before she finally took Durandal's slightly cool earlobe into her mouth.
After teasing it for a moment, Elysia shifted to a gentle nip with her teeth, her tongue flicking against it every now and then.
"Ely..."
Before Durandal could even say her name, she heard Elysia speak in a muffled, awkward tone—hindered by the fact that she was still nipping at her ear. "Do you even know what you agreed to two hours ago?"
Durandal: ?
What had she agreed to?
Wasn't it just giving the green light for Elysia to debut as the brand ambassador for Schicksal?
Elysia's next words immediately sent Durandal into a brief daze.
"When Eden came to discuss the ambassador role, my answer was that if it really had to happen, I wanted to do it with you. So, congratulations, my dear Overseer of Schicksal! Tomorrow, we can go to Eden's advertising agency together to shoot our debut photos~!"
Durandal: ???
Wait...
Was she really about to take the path of 'becoming an idol to save the world'?
However, Durandal's shock lasted only a second.
Because everything she had just done to Elysia was now being returned in kind by this elf, move for move.
This night was destined to feel exceptionally long.
--+--
The next morning, Durandal and Elysia were jolted awake by a ringing phone.
Just as Elysia had said, they needed to head to Eden's agency today to shoot promotional materials.
This call was Eden checking in to confirm the final decision.
Truthfully, Eden hadn't been very optimistic about whether Durandal would actually agree.
Nonetheless, she had gathered the company's best creative directors, makeup artists, lighting technicians, and photographers, clearing all other business to wait for a proposal that had a high chance of being rejected.
"Give us half an hour."
The phone call snapped Elysia wide awake.
As for Durandal, she opened her eyes just as Elysia was finishing the conversation.
"Was that Eden?" Durandal asked, her expression complicated.
"That's right! We shouldn't keep everyone waiting, so up you get~! Once the shoot is over, we might even have to go clear out some Zombies!"
With that, Elysia whipped the covers off and scampered toward the bathroom, her footsteps pattering across the floor.
Durandal sat up in bed, looking a bit dazed.
She ran a hand through her messy blonde hair; even now, the whole situation felt surreal.
How did this happen?
Why was she suddenly 'debuting'?
She wasn't prepared for this at all!
Durandal's staring contest with the wall didn't last long before a startled cry erupted from the bathroom.
She leaped out of bed and rushed toward the sound.
She found Elysia standing before the mirror, staring at the 'battle scars' covering her body.
When she saw Durandal enter, Elysia couldn't help but shoot her a sharp glare.
However, after that one look, Elysia guiltily turned her head away and began working feverishly with a tube of concealer to hide the marks.
Durandal walked over and stood beside her. Seeing her own reflection in the mirror and the nearly empty tube of concealer in Elysia's hand, her face visibly darkened.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.