It was morning, Sera stepped outside her room and stretched her body, her arms lifting slowly above her head as the faint soreness from training pulled at her muscles. The quiet warmth of the morning settled over the house, calm and still.
She noticed there are still candles left on the candle holders. Usually every morning, all the candle holders will be all empty since she never put the lights out every night. But why are the candles not melted? The small detail immediately unsettled her, her senses sharpening as suspicion crept in.
She checked the doors and windows, moving from one side of the house to the other with careful, deliberate steps, her fingers brushing against each latch, each frame, testing for the slightest sign of disturbance—but all are closed. Not a single gap. Not a single opening. The stillness pressed in around her, heavy and unnatural. How were the candles put out? The question settled deep in her mind, sharp and unsettling. The wind could not possibly get in and put out the candles.
She looked around again, her eyes scanning every corner of the house with quiet alertness, then saw Azron sleeping soundly in the wing room!
She almost jumped in shock to see him in her house…and sleeping! The sight froze her in place for a second, disbelief clashing with instinct. She then peeked outside. The sun was already up, its light spilling into the garden.
Did he sleep here?
She walked slowly towards Azron, each step cautious as if afraid she might wake him—or confirm that this was real. Disbelief painted in her face.
Azron Mort actually fell asleep in her house! He never even sleeps in the government office. It was the first time that she saw him sleeping. The man who always stood guarded, always alert, now looked…unprotected. His breathing is steady. His features relaxed. It was unsettling in a different way.
Should I wake him up?
She crossed her arms and stared at him, her gaze lingering longer than necessary. Then a memory of last night replayed in her mind: her seeing him inside her room last night but did not pay attention to him. She thought she was dreaming. The memory felt unreal, yet here he was. She was still looking at him, hesitating whether to wake him or not, caught between confusion and something softer she refused to acknowledge.
I should probably leave him.
She turned her back and tiptoed her way to the kitchen, careful not to make a sound, when she heard General Rin calling for her outside the gate. The voice cut through the quiet like a blade. Then she remembered General Rin telling her yesterday that he would be inspecting the Grand Ersi's chamber and she told him that she would go with him. Her eyes widened slightly.
Sera didn't answer his call, her heart starting to pound. Worried that Lord Azron might wake up. But General Rin opened the gate and stepped inside and looked at the premises, his footsteps steady, approaching.
Sera's eyes widened as he looked at Azron still sleeping. Panic rising in her chest, sharp and immediate.
If General Rin sees Azron sleeping in her house, he might get the wrong idea. A lot of possibilities crossed her mind if that is to happen. It will be a huge problem. The consequences flashed rapidly—rumors, misunderstandings, questions she could not answer.
Afraid, she ran towards Azron and tapped his shoulders. "Azron, wake up." The panic made her forget to address him, Lord. Her voice was urgent, breath quick, her fingers gripping him slightly tighter than intended.
Lord Azron's eyes immediately opened, sharp and alert in an instant, but he was surprised to see her so close to his face that he was not able to react. The sudden closeness halted him completely. He just stared at her blankly, his mind catching up slower than his body, his gaze locked onto her eyes, then drifting—unintentionally—to the softness of her features so close to him.
Sera peeked through the window and saw General Rin almost at the door.
Unconsciously, she grabbed Azron's arms and pulled him off from lying down. Azron had no time to process what was happening and just followed her movements, his body moving instinctively with hers.
She took him inside her room and closed the door while carefully peeking outside to check on General Rin. Her fear of having the general see Lord Azron inside her house made her not realize that she was actually making him lean on the wall while her body pressed on him, her movements rushed and unguarded.
"Sera…" Azron tried to talk, his voice low, but she shushed him down and placed her hand on his mouth, her palm warm against his lips.
Azron's eyes slightly widened in shock at what she did. His breath stilled for a moment.
His eyes gazed at her face while she was still checking for movements outside, completely focused, unaware—when his focus shifted to her body casually pressing on his, the closeness impossible to ignore.
"Sera? Hello? Is anyone home?" General Rin called as he stepped inside the house slowly, his voice closer now, heavier with presence.
Azron heard his voice and understood that Sera was actually hiding him from General Rin. He removed her hand from his mouth. "It's okay." He whispered, his breath brushing lightly against her skin—but Sera gazed at him sharply making him speechless, her eyes warning him without words.
General Rin walked around the house to inspect. Sera's body stiffened and her face more serious, every muscle tense. While Azron realized the inappropriateness of their situation and slowly moved his body to the side, trying to give a distance between them.
But Sera held his shoulder and stopped him from moving. She doesn't want him to go anywhere and have General Rin discover him being there. Her grip was firm, instinctive.
Azron was shocked at her boldness but didn't utter a word. Though he didn't care if his general would discover him being there, the urgency in her actions held him still.
She still hadn't realized that she was pressing herself again on Azron's body making him feel the softness of her chest. It made Azron's eyes look down to check what he was feeling.
He saw her breasts pressing on him. And she was not wearing a robe which made her cleavage visible on his sight, since she was just wearing her modern sleepwear. The sight—and the sensation—hit him all at once.
His mind raced as his body felt a sensation he hadn't felt before. What was this she was wearing? He thought as he noticed the fabric of her clothing to be so thin that it almost showed her skin. The unfamiliarity only made it harder to ignore.
Azron's heartbeat fastened as he focused on her face. He could feel her heartbeat as her body was pressing on his, quick and uneven, matching his in a way that unsettled him deeply. And desire awakened his romance deprived consciousness, something raw and unfamiliar stirring within him.
He never knew he could feel something like this.
General Rin looked at the door of her room but didn't approach it. Realizing maybe she was not home, he stepped out of the house, his footsteps fading.
Sera exhaled deeply, the tension leaving her body all at once, getting relaxed at the sight of General Rin leaving. She let go of Azron's shoulder and looked at him. Surprised to see his eyes fixated on her, intense, unreadable. She realized their bodies were too close to each other.
"I'm sorry." She said as she stepped away from him, her voice softer now, her heartbeat still unsettled.
Azron immediately stepped out of her room and left the house. Just like that. No words, no questions. Like he was escaping from something he couldn't control. Leaving Sera thinking maybe he was angry about what she did.
Sera scratched her head and realized that she was only wearing her sleepwear then she remembered pressing him on the wall. And her body pressing to Azron. The memory almost made her scream.
….
Meanwhile, Azron arrived at the mansion and immediately went to see Dr. Fyu, the mansion's head physician, his steps faster than usual, his mind unsettled.
"Greetings, Lord Azron." Dr. Fyu and his assistants greeted as Azron stepped inside the medical room.
Lord Azron usually just sends someone to fetch Dr. Fyu whenever he needs medical attention. So Dr. Fyu signaled his assistants to leave the room to give them privacy, sensing something unusual.
Azron stopped and faced him.
"Your assessment… are you certain?" he asked, his gaze fierce, something intense burning beneath it.
Dr. Fyu studied him at once. "My lord… did something happen?" His curiosity sharpened. He had served as Azron's physician for as long as he could remember.
Five years ago, Azron's mother had grown desperate for an heir. She sent noblewomen into his chambers whenever he was drunk, hoping circumstance would succeed where persuasion had failed. Yet every woman had been turned away—some gently, others not.
Even when sober, Azron had never once felt drawn to them. It troubled him enough that he tested himself in quiet ways—allowing women to dance before him, to linger closer than propriety allowed—but nothing stirred. No desire. No hunger for intimacy.
Because of this, Azron had consulted Dr. Fyu in private. After careful examination, the physician found no illness, no physical cause to explain it.
In the end, Dr. Fyu told him the truth plainly—some people simply do not experience sexual attraction, and there was nothing wrong with him.
They agreed to keep the matter strictly between them. No one knew of it—not even Azron's own family.
Though Dr. Fyu occasionally reminded him that an heir could still be produced without desire, Azron had never entertained the thought. The idea of intimacy without genuine inclination did not sit well with him.
"I think… I was drawn to someone," Azron said at last. "A woman."
The words made Dr. Fyu lower himself into his seat, visibly taken aback.
"You were?" he asked carefully. "Are you certain? What did you feel?"
Azron's gaze dropped, his thoughts turning inward as he searched for the right words.
"I felt… my body react. My pulse—faster than usual."
Dr. Fyu leaned forward, his tone more measured now. "A physical response?"
Azron did not answer immediately. Instead, he recalled the moment with Sera—her body pressed against his, the sudden heat beneath his skin, the sharp, unfamiliar rhythm of his heartbeat. Even now, the memory alone was enough to stir that same response.
His silence was answer enough.
Dr. Fyu exhaled slowly, both surprised and intrigued. "That is… new," he said. "It may not be as simple as change, my lord. Attraction can be complex. For some, it comes only under very specific circumstances—emotional, mental… or even singular to a person."
Azron lifted his head. "Then why her?"
Dr. Fyu considered this carefully. "It is possible you formed a connection—something deeper than mere appearance. If that is the case, she may be… unique to you." He paused. "I would advise caution, not haste. Understand what you feel before you decide what to do with it."
Azron said nothing.
He left the medical room soon after and made his way to the government office. Scrolls awaited him, reports needing his attention—but his focus slipped through his grasp.
Again and again, the image returned—Sera, pressed against him, vivid and unrelenting.
With a quiet breath, he dropped the scroll onto the table and stood.
Why her? But…why? She's clumsy and…and bold.
Then his mind replayed another memory of her standing above the temple roof, her clothes covered in blood. And during their fight in the arena. He recalled her strength and the deadly look in her eyes.
A woman should be gentle. And…she's not gentle at all. Why am I attracted to her?
Then his mind replayed her giving her coffee, the gentle look in her eyes as she warned him not to take coffee at night regularly, those times she brought him tea whenever he had a headache, and…the image of her delicate body pressing against his. He remembered her scent, the warmth he felt.
Then his body became hot and sweaty as he felt his desire arising. His body reacting again.
Azron paced inside the office, jumped around, and did some punches in the air to calm himself. Then he drank water. His breathing…fast.
I need to distance myself from her. If my body was able to feel that desire towards her, I am sure I can find another woman that could make me feel the same thing. Just…not her.
Then an idea entered his mind. He wanted to test himself if he could be drawn to other women now that he was able to do it once.
So, the next day, Azron issued an edict for a grand banquet, inviting all single noble women—and men—to the mansion, ensuring no one would suspect it was truly meant for the women.