[Blink]
As Noa utilized his skill to teleport from roof to roof, the world became a series of fractured, starlit snapshots.
Seliora — held securely in his arms — felt the rush of motion as a physical weight; her dress was caught in the frantic slipstream of their travel, the white silk lifting and flowing like the wings of a captive swan with each shift through space before settling back against her form. The sleeveless gown traced her figure with a quiet, lethal precision, its sweetheart neckline curving softly while intricate crimson rose embroidery cascaded from the bodice, drawing the eye downward in a deliberate, elegant flow that mimicked a trail of blood on snow.
The high slit along her thigh revealed itself in fleeting, rhythmic glimpses between their movements, the fabric parting just enough to tease the cold night air before folding back into place, as if the silk itself were aware of its own provocative limits.
One of her hands rested lightly against Noa's shoulder — not gripping, not tense — simply there as a tether to the physical world.
Her white heels remained immaculate despite the jarring momentum, untouched by the common chaos below, while a translucent crimson shawl drifted from her arms, trailing a fraction of a second behind each teleport before catching up in a soft, weightless flutter.
Gold rested against her skin in quiet, sun-kissed contrast — a detailed necklace set with crimson rubies lay at her collar like a frozen constellation, matched by the subtle, melodic sway of drop earrings that caught the city lights with each sudden reappearance.
"Say, how is your relationship with my sister going?" She looked up at him, her crimson eyes shimmering with curiosity.
"Why do all of you guys want to know about that?" Noa asked, his voice strained slightly by the focus required for the next jump.
"She's not making any trouble for you, is she? She can be... a handful when she isn't watched."
"It's actually quite the opposite," Noa smiled back, his gaze fixed on the approaching skyline. "And when she does make trouble, she's adorable."
"That's good to hear," Seliora whispered to herself, a satisfied, private smile forming on her face — a secret that did not reach Noa's ears amidst the whistling wind.
…
With one final [Blink], the two arrived in the center of the street in front of the others — Vionette, Lina, Elina, Kaelen, Rose, Lucien, and Elan.
"What is that face for?" Seliora smiled teasingly, her feet finally touching the solid earth as she slipped from Noa's arms with the grace of a descending goddess. "I'm not going to steal him, you know?"
She was looking directly at Vionette, whose expression was a masterpiece of jealousy. Her cheeks were puffed out like a disgruntled kitten's, her arms were folded tight across her chest, and a literal fire seemed to be burning around her — though that was merely Elina, standing behind her and surreptitiously conjuring small flames to complete the dramatic 'angry' aesthetic.
Grab.
Vionette instantly surged forward, grabbing Noa from behind with the desperation of a child claiming a lost toy. She pressed her face over his shoulder, her arms warping around his chest in a protective lock.
She looked at Lina — who stood to the far left — with sharp, territorial eyes, before sweeping her gaze one by one across the group, finally settling on Elan at the right end. She was checking, with the clinical precision of a predator, if anyone else had the audacity to claim him.
"Why?" Noa leaned his head backward, his eyes meeting hers in an upside-down gaze that was softened by affection. "You want a princess ride too?"
"...No... I sent you knowing this is how you would get her anyway," Vionette muttered, her voice muffled against his shirt.
"Then why the death stare?"
"Why?" She tightened her grip until it was almost a chokehold. "I can't hug you?"
"You absolutely can," Noa chuckled, prying her hands loose only to turn her around and pull her into his own embrace, wrapping his arms below her chest. "You can hug me for years if you want."
***
"Hahahah! You lost, you idiots!" Noa pointed a mocking finger at the opposing team, his laughter echoing through the private lounge.
They had spent the evening engaged in a series of competitive games, having established a ruthless rule: the team with the fewest points would have to perform whatever task the winning team demanded.
Noa's team, a formidable alliance of chaos and luck, contained Vionette, Elan, and Lucien. The losing side consisted of Kaelen, Rose, Seliora, Lina, and Elina.
"Of course you won," Rose gritted her teeth, her competitive spirit wounded. "This idiot just overpowered us with raw stats, and you won all the mind games." She looked from Noa to Vionette, realizing she had been outplayed on both a physical and psychological level.
Vionette sat back, smirking in the glow of victory, her arm casually resting on the shoulder of the flustered Elan. Elan was currently suffering from a severe case of cognitive dissonance; she was struggling to reconcile the terrifying Queen with this casual woman who was currently using her as a comfortable armrest. Beside them, Lucien sat with a grateful sigh, thanking the heavens that his luck had carried him through even if he lacked the strength to compete.
"Now... I have to do... a thing... they say?" Rose's face paled as she looked at the mischievous glint in Noa's eyes.
"Yes, bear with it," Kaelen confirmed her doubts, his own face a mask of stoic defeat as he stared at the floor.
"Uhhhh!" Elina grabbed her two horns in sheer frustration, her tail lashing behind her. "Who told that it was a good idea to put the 'useless' Vionette on that guy's team?!"
The room fell into a heavy silence. No one replied immediately, but her teammates slowly turned to look at her with blank, judging expressions, recalling Elina's own boastful words from an hour prior.
"'Pffft! Who's scared of Vionette going to his team? What can they do? You can get Kaelen there if you want to too.' That is what you said, little dragon." Seliora reached out and grabbed Elina's cheeks, stretching them wide.
"Uhh... maybe you remember it wrong?" Elina's bravado vanished, replaced by a sudden, cooling fear. "...Was it really me?"
"Do I look like I'm lying?" Seliora shook the girl's cheeks playfully, though her expression was not one of anger, but a warm, slightly dangerous smile. "Don't say something if you can't do it, 'kay?"
"…Yes ma'am," the dragon squeaked.
They were currently gathered in a private suite they had rented for the night — a cozy, opulent room comparable in size to Vionette's office, furnished with plush chairs, benches, and velvet couches. It was a space designed for intimacy and excess.
Knock-knock-knock.
At the sound, every head turned toward the door. Elina and Lina already had their tongues sticking out in anticipation, while Noa and Vionette shared a knowing, hungry look.
"You can enter," Vionette commanded, her voice regaining a sliver of its royal weight.
The door opened to a parade of servants. Within minutes, the table previously cluttered with playing cards and game pieces was transformed into a banquet. It was filled with meals crafted from the highest quality ingredients: succulent meats, exotic fruits, and bottles of fine wine that shimmered with violet and crimson hues.
"Time to dig in then!" Lina didn't wait for a signal, grabbing a fork and stabbing a thick slice of meat with the ferocity of a hunter, her eyes sparkling like gems.
"Eat slowly, you glutton," Seliora chided, though she too began her meal with practiced elegance before pausing. "Hmm...?"
She noticed that Noa and Vionette had already retreated into a world of their own. Vionette was delicately feeding him choice cuts of meat, while Noa leaned his weight onto her, basking in her undivided attention.
Having only ever experienced romance through the flowery prose of novels, the two of them seemed to think that this level of public sugar-sweetness was entirely standard behavior.
These two... sigh, they really can't keep it private, Seliora thought. An unintentional, soft smile curved her lips as she watched them act with such uncharacteristic, childish abandon.
Meanwhile, Rose was engaged in a different sort of battle. She sat perfectly upright, staring at Kaelen — who was methodically eating — with an intensity that could melt lead.
I can't take the first sip of wine, you absolute blockhead... c'mon, just drink!
She was desperately trying to uphold her pride as the head of the Royal Maids, refusing to be the first to indulge, waiting for the 'Knight' to break the ice so she could justify her own thirst. She waited with agonized patience, hoping Kaelen would reach for a glass so she could finally start her own sip of the vintage.
"Wow! I've never had food this delicious!" Elan's eyes widened as she took her first bite, her voice muffled by the richness of the flavors. "And this food is a little... how do I say... different?"
"I had the same thoughts when I came here first too," Lucien smiled, watching her expression with fond eyes. "Eryndor has some unique culinary traditions... Lord Noa told me 'they're just a little more modern,' whatever that means."
"Don't look at me like that when you're speaking so casually," Elan whispered, though her blush gave her away.
"But I want to look at you..."
"Stop it! We're in public!"
"Public?" Lina interrupted from across the table, gesturing with a grease-stained fork toward the center couch. "Look at that and see if that word even matters anymore."
She pointed to Noa and Vionette, who were currently sharing a single skewer, their faces inches apart, completely oblivious to the seven other people in the room.
"..."
"...Still, it's a no," Elan stammered, though her resolve was weakening.
Bop!
The sharp sound of a wine bottle being uncorked echoed across the silent room. Everyone turned to see Elina standing over a freshly opened bottle of vintage.
"What are you doing?" Lucien asked, his brow furrowing. "You're too young for that."
"Hey, I've drunk before!" Elina stood up proudly, her tail swaying with defiance. "And I may not seem like it, but I'm much older than you, human!"
"It... doehnt mahher," Rose spoke, her voice suddenly slurred and thick with a strange, melodic accent.
"You're already drunk?!" Lina shouted, staring at the Head Maid in horror.
The moment Elina had popped the first cork, Rose's repressed reflexes had kicked in. She had grabbed a different bottle, popped it, and drained a full glass in one go — completely failing to realize it was the bottle with the highest alcohol content in the room.
…
The hours bled into one another as the night grew long and the wine flowed freely. Eventually, the room fell into a quiet, heavy stillness as the group succumbed to the exhaustion of their revelry.
Elina and Lina were sprawled on the carpet, their mouths drooling slightly as they dreamt of food; Seliora had fallen asleep in a chaise lounge, her royal posture miraculously maintained even in slumber; Rose was passed out in her chair, her head resting on the table while Kaelen sat beside her, his hand still loosely gripping an empty glass of wine as he snored softly. Lucien and Elan were tucked together against the side of a couch, their hands entwined and their heads leaning against each other in a peaceful, rhythmic harmony.
"Did... everyone pass out?" Noa spoke, his voice thick with a pleasant, drowning haze. He was leaning on the floor, his head propped up against a cushion. "I guess I'll sleep t—"
"Noa... darling..."
Vionette crawled closer across the soft, grey carpet, her movements slow and languid. Her cheeks were flushed a deep, intoxicating crimson.
"...Vionette? Are you drunk?" He braced himself on his hands, blinking to clear his vision enough to see her face.
"...A little," she admitted, her lips twitching into a small, shy smile that made his heart stutter.
"Doesn't seem like just a little to me," he said, sitting up. "And... 'darling'?"
"Why?" She pouted, her lower lip trembling slightly as she placed a hand on his chest, leaning into his personal space. "Do you... not like it?"
"You can call me anything you like," Noa's smile was soft, warm, and slightly slurred by the violet wine. "And I will like anything that comes from you."
Press.
Vionette leaned her entire weight against him, the gentle, rhythmic heat of her body pressing warmly against his. Her eyes locked onto his with an unflinching, hungry intensity, while the soft rise and fall of her chest mirrored his own quickening breath.
"I... want a kiss... now!" she demanded, her voice possessing the greed of a child.
Noa leaned back gently, drawing her down onto the carpet with him. His arms wrapped instinctively around her waist, anchoring her to him as their breathing mingled into a single, shared warmth. Vionette closed her eyes, surrendering completely to the gravity of the moment, her lips finding his in a clumsy, passionate collision.
"Mwah~"
The kiss lingered, tasting of sweet wine and mischievous longing. Slowly, they pulled apart just enough to breathe, their foreheads brushing in the dark.
Then, half-lulled by the drink and the heat, Vionette rolled slightly against him, resting her face in the crook of his neck. Her hand stayed pressed to his chest, feeling the steady, frantic rhythm of his heartbeat.
Noa's eyelids drooped, a lazy, contented smile tugging at his lips.
"You're... warm," he murmured, his voice a low, playful vibration.
"And you're... dangerous when you're drunk," Vionette whispered back, her lips brushing the shell of his ear as she nuzzled closer, a soft, vibrating laugh caught in her throat.
Then—
~Nch...~
A sharp, sudden sensation bloomed on the side of Noa's neck. It was a claim, a mark made in the haze of the night to ensure that, even when the sun rose, he belonged to her and her alone.
...
...
[Character Illustrations]