Alex was losing the battle.
Every slow circle of Catherine's fingers on his thigh sent another wave of heat crashing through him. Her body was so close — too close — the soft swell of her breasts brushing against his arm with every breath, the rich crimson fabric whispering against his leg. Her warm vanilla scent wrapped around him like a spell, and her low, velvety voice murmuring about rosemary and sauces was driving him insane.
He was just a teenage boy. No matter how hard he tried to stay composed, his body was reacting on its own. His heart hammered wildly, his breathing grew shallow, and he could feel his self-control fraying thread by thread. Catherine looked like sin and royalty combined — poised, confident, and dangerously seductive in that flowing gown. It was already a miracle he hadn't lost it earlier.
But he couldn't hold back any longer.
The warmth of her body, the teasing touch on his thigh, the way her long white hair brushed his skin… it was too much. Without thinking, Alex leaned in closer, his hand gently cupping the back of her head. His fingers slid into her silky white hair as he pulled her toward him and captured her lips in a strong, hungry kiss.
The moment their mouths met, everything else disappeared.
The moment their lips met, Alex felt something inside him snap.
Catherine's mouth was soft, warm, and sweeter than he had imagined. He kissed her harder, deepening the kiss with a hunger he could no longer control. His fingers tightened gently in her long white hair as he pulled her even closer, their bodies pressing together. The rich crimson gown shifted against him, and he could feel the heat of her skin through the thin fabric.
Alex tasted the faint sweetness of the food she had fed him on her lips, mixed with her own unique warmth. His free hand slid to her waist, gripping the curve there possessively as the kiss grew more intense. Every rational thought had vanished. All that existed was Catherine — her scent, her softness, the quiet little sound she made against his mouth.
He was completely lost in her.
Catherine's eyes flew wide open. Wait — this wasn't in chapter twelve! The novels said the guy usually waits longer… or was this the male romance version? For a second she froze completely, her brain short-circuiting. Then, remembering what the heroines usually did, she shyly kissed him back, her lips moving tentatively against his. Her hand on his thigh tightened nervously, fingers digging in a little too hard by accident. She wondered if she was doing it right or if she looked as inexperienced as she felt.
The kiss felt overwhelming — warm, intense, and far more powerful than anything she had read about. Her heart was racing so fast she thought it might explode. Still, a small, secret thrill ran through her. It's working… I think? She reminded herself not to pull away too soon, even as her inexperience made every second feel both terrifying and wonderful.
What started as one heated kiss quickly turned into many. Hands wandered, breaths grew heavier, and before long, the elegant crimson gown lay forgotten on the floor. They lost themselves in each other for hours, exploring, touching, and kissing until exhaustion finally claimed them both. Catherine fell asleep curled against Alex's chest, her body warm and bare, wrapped safely in his arms.
The next morning
Sunlight filtered softly through the curtains, casting a warm golden glow across the room.
Alex woke up slowly, his body feeling heavy and relaxed in a way he couldn't quite remember ever feeling before. The first thing he noticed was the warmth pressed against his chest — soft, steady breathing and the faint scent of vanilla and sweet skin.
Sunlight filtered softly through the curtains, casting a warm golden glow across the room.
Alex woke up slowly, his mind still foggy. The first thing he registered was the warmth pressed against his chest and the faint, sweet scent of vanilla. Catherine was curled up against him, her long white hair spilled across the pillow and over his arm like liquid silk. One of her legs was tangled with his, and the deep crimson gown from last night lay discarded on the floor, leaving her completely naked under the thin sheet.
She looked peaceful and almost ethereal in the morning light — still breathtaking, even with her hair slightly messy and her lips a little swollen from their kisses the night before.
Then reality hit him like a truck.
Alex's eyes widened. His heart suddenly started hammering in his chest as fragmented memories rushed back. He had kissed her… then kept kissing her… and after that everything became a heated blur. He couldn't clearly remember how far things had gone. He only knew he had lost control completely.
Shit… I made out with the princess last night.
He felt a wave of shame wash over him. He had been so aggressive with her — gripping her hair, pulling her close, barely holding back. She was a princess, the daughter of the King, and he had treated her like… like that. What the hell had he been thinking?
Alex carefully moved his hand through his messy hair, trying not to wake her. His mind was already spiraling. He wasn't stupid. A relationship with Catherine wasn't going to be simple. She had the full support of the King. She was secretly training a group of seemingly useless people for some unknown reason. There were political implications, power dynamics, and dangers he might even know. How could something like this possibly work without causing massive problems?
But then he looked at her sleepy face again.
Her black eyes were half-lidded, soft and vulnerable in a way he had rarely seen. Her cheeks still carried a faint blush, and her long white hair framed her features like a painting. A sudden, deep relaxation washed over him, melting away the panic.
So be it.
If problems came in the future because of this relationship — political complications, the King's disapproval, whatever dangers her mysterious plans brought — then so be it. Any price was worth this moment. Worth her. Worth waking up with Catherine curled naked and peaceful in his arms.
He gently brushed a stray strand of white hair from her face, his expression softening. For the first time that morning, a small, genuine smile appeared on his lips.
Alex stayed still for a few more moments, just watching Catherine sleep peacefully in his arms. The warmth of her naked body against him and the soft rise and fall of her breathing made it incredibly hard to move, but he eventually forced himself to get up.
He moved carefully, slowly untangling their legs and slipping out of bed without waking her. He pulled on his clothes from last night as quietly as possible, then glanced back at her one more time. She looked so beautiful and vulnerable lying there with her long white hair spread across the pillow. His chest tightened with a mix of affection and lingering worry.
He quietly left the room and headed toward the kitchen, hoping a glass of water or something normal would help clear his head.
Alex stayed still for a few more moments, just watching Catherine sleep peacefully in his arms. The warmth of her naked body against him made it hard to leave, but he eventually forced himself to get up.
He moved carefully, slowly untangling their legs and slipping out of bed without waking her. After pulling on his clothes from last night, he quietly left the room and headed toward the kitchen, hoping a glass of water would help calm his racing thoughts.
On his way, he passed by several maids busy with morning preparations. The second they saw him, they all gave him the same weird, knowing look — a mix of amusement, surprise, and something almost… respectful. The air felt suddenly thick and awkward.
When he finally arrived at the kitchen, he saw the head maid, Liara — an elegant older woman who had always been polite but distant. She turned to face him directly, her expression serious as she stepped forward.
she said calmly, her voice carrying a formal weight. "I wish you and Her Highness had a beautiful night."
Alex felt his face heat up instantly. They already know? How—?
Before he could even respond, the head maid continued, her tone becoming more grave:
"But… I want you to make sure you know what you're entering yourself into."
She paused, letting the words sink in, her eyes locking onto his with clear concern.
Alex gave her a small, slightly nervous smile. "Well, I know she is a princess. She's gathering people here to train for some reason I don't quite know, so… is there anything else?"
Liara studied him for a moment before replying.
"I feel obligated to tell you that the princess is not just a normal princess. As you might not know, she has the full support of the King. I wish you to understand what that means."
Alex blinked, surprised. "The full support… as in she will inherit the throne from him?"
"But there was never a queen in the history of this kingdom," he added, confused.
Liara nodded slowly. "That's why I told you, Sir Alex. I wish you to support the princess no matter what in the future."
Alex rubbed the back of his neck, feeling completely out of his depth.
"But I'm just a high schooler… how can I help her?"
It was an easy excuse.
In reality, he had a system—and he might be the one meant to save the world in the coming apocalypse.
But no one else knew that.
Liara gave him a gentle but serious look. "Your presence and support is enough. But the world is changing. Who knows what might happen in the future."
With that, she offered him a small bow and walked away, leaving Alex standing alone in the kitchen with his thoughts spinning.
Letting him stand there, confused, he frowned.
"Did Liara just say the world is changing…? Does she know about the apocalypse?"
He hesitated for a moment, then asked quietly,
"System… are there other people who know about the apocalypse?"
[Unknown. The system cannot confirm whether there are or are not. However, it remains a possibility.]
Hearing the system's response did not let him relax at all. If there were other people who knew about the apocalypse, then this could change his plans completely. He had always been operating under the assumption that he was the only one who knew, but now the possibility of others—and the uncertainty of their intentions—made everything more complicated.
If he showed even a fraction of his powers in public, it would be easy for them to detect that he was an awakener. And once that happened, he could be targeted for any reason.
It looked like he would need to hide his capabilities—even during the martial arts tournament that was coming.
It looks like he needed to take his training more seriously now—especially since he was now in a relationship with the heir of the king.
After the heavy conversation with Liara, Alex stood in the kitchen for a moment, letting everything sink in. He eventually shook his head, grabbed two trays of breakfast from the table — one for himself and one clearly prepared for Catherine — and headed back toward her room.
When he pushed the door open with his elbow, he froze.
Catherine was in the middle of getting dressed. She had just slipped on a pair of underwear and was reaching for her clothes, her smooth porcelain skin and elegant curves still mostly exposed in the soft morning light. Her long white hair cascaded down her bare back, and for a few seconds Alex couldn't look away. She looked breathtaking.
It didn't take long before Catherine noticed him standing there. Her black eyes widened, and her face instantly turned a deep shade of red.
With a small, embarrassed squeak, she dove under the blanket at lightning speed, pulling it all the way up to her chin. From under the covers, he could hear hurried rustling as she desperately tried to finish putting on her clothes.
Alex felt a pang of disappointment at losing the beautiful sight, but a small smile tugged at his lips anyway.
"Why are you still hiding?" he asked, his voice warm but teasing. "We already did it last night. Doesn't this make our relationship already official?"
Catherine's POV
She had woken up alone and decided to start getting dressed before Alex returned. She had just managed to put on her underwear when the door opened.
The moment she saw Alex standing there with breakfast trays, staring at her half-naked body, her face burned with embarrassment. Without thinking, she let out a small panicked sound and dove under the blanket, pulling it up to her chin. Her heart pounded wildly as she frantically tried to finish dressing underneath the covers, her movements clumsy and rushed.
Oh no, oh no — he saw me! This wasn't in any chapter! The novels never mentioned what to do if he catches you changing!
Then she heard his voice, warm and teasing:
"Why are you still hiding? We already did it last night. Doesn't this make our relationship already official?"
Catherine froze under the blanket. Her cheeks grew even hotter, but a burst of happiness bloomed in her chest. He had just said their relationship was already official. She hadn't expected it to be this easy. She had carefully planned a six-month-long seduction strategy — slowly getting closer, using every trick from the novels, slowly making him fall for her.
She never imagined it would only take two weeks of knowing each other and one single night of trying.
Still feeling extremely shy, but unable to hide her joy, she peeked out from under the blanket, her face flushed bright red. She clutched the sheet tightly to her chest while continuing to pull her clothes on underneath.
Alex couldn't help but smile at her shy reply. The way she peeked out from under the blanket with that flushed face and soft, trembling voice made his chest feel warm.
He set the breakfast trays down and stepped closer to the bed. Leaning forward, he gently cupped her cheek. Catherine immediately closed her eyes, her lashes fluttering nervously as she waited for the kiss, clearly expecting another passionate one like last night.
Instead, Alex placed a soft, tender kiss on her forehead.
Catherine's eyes fluttered open in surprise when she felt the gentle touch. Before she could react, a delicious aroma reached her nose. She looked up and saw Alex holding out a beautifully arranged breakfast plate filled with warm bread, fresh fruits, eggs, and several of her favorite dishes.
For a moment, she was completely caught off guard.
"I… I wasn't expecting you back so soon," she had murmured just moments ago, her voice a mix of embarrassment and quiet delight. "And… yes. It makes it official."
Now, with the forehead kiss still lingering on her skin and the tasty breakfast presented so sweetly, Catherine felt her heart flutter even more. She clutched the sheet tighter to her chest, her cheeks burning bright red, but a small, genuine smile formed on her lips.
Inside, her mind was racing. He… he kissed my forehead? And brought breakfast? This wasn't in any of the chapters I read! My six-month seduction plan is completely ruined… but this feels so much better than anything I imagined.
Alex watched her reaction with a gentle smile, clearly enjoying how flustered and adorable she looked — cheeks flushed, sheet clutched tightly to her chest, and those black eyes wide with surprise.
They spent the next half hour enjoying breakfast together in bed, just the two of them. It felt surprisingly natural, like they had already become a couple. Catherine sat with the sheet wrapped around her while Alex fed her small bites from time to time, both of them sharing quiet laughter and soft conversation. For a short while, the outside world didn't exist.
But everything good eventually comes to an end.
Catherine's responsibilities as a princess were calling, and Alex knew he needed to head out soon to train before school started. The comfortable bubble they had created slowly began to fade.
With a small sigh, Alex set the empty plates aside. He leaned in and gave her a gentle, lingering kiss on the lips — soft and sweet, full of quiet affection.
"I'll see you later," he whispered against her mouth.
Catherine's heart fluttered at the kiss. She nodded shyly, still wrapped in the sheet, her long white hair messy from sleep and last night's events. On the outside she looked composed, but inside she was a whirlwind of emotions.
This is really happening… We're officially together now. My six-month plan lasted less than two weeks. She felt both incredibly happy and a little overwhelmed. Part of her wanted to pull him back into bed and forget about responsibilities, but she knew she couldn't. The king, the apocalypse, the hidden realms, and her duties were waiting.
She watched Alex stand up and head toward the door, already missing his warmth. Before he left, she called out softly, "Have a good training… and be careful."