By the time the sun began to set, Rias was carrying at least twenty bags of expensive clothes, jewelry, and shoes.
"I am hungry," Amyra announced, finally stepping out of the last boutique.
She led him to a massive, multi-story restaurant overlooking the center of the capital. It was a place strictly reserved for high nobles. The waiters bowed deeply when Amyra flashed a royal token, immediately escorting them to a private balcony table.
Rias dropped the heavy bags onto the floor and collapsed into his chair.
"Order whatever you want," Amyra said, looking at the menu.
"Consider it a reward for carrying my things without complaining."
Rias's eyes lit up.
He hadn't had a proper, safe meal in weeks. And since the Princess was paying, he didn't hold back.
He called the waiter over and ordered a massive feast. He ordered roasted drake meat, golden truffle soup, giant sea-crab claws, and three different types of expensive desserts.
Amyra stared at him in disbelief as the waiters brought plate after plate to the table.
"Are you a pig in a human skin?" Amyra asked, taking a delicate bite of her salad.
"How are you eating all of that?"
"I am a growing boy," Rias replied cheerfully, tearing into a massive crab claw.
"Besides, the food in the palace usually comes with a side of deadly poison. It is nice to eat something that doesn't try to melt my organs."
Amyra paused. She looked at him closely, trying to see if he was joking.
He wasn't. He ate with the genuine desperation of someone who had starved for years.
For a brief moment, a flicker of something completely foreign crossed Amyra's golden eyes. It wasn't hatred. It wasn't anger. It almost looked like pity. But she quickly blinked it away and returned to her cold demeanor.
By the time they finished eating, night had completely fallen over Erzel.
They left the restaurant and began the long walk back toward the Imperial Palace. The streets were quieter now. The loud merchants had packed up their stalls, and the commoners had gone home.
Amyra led them down a quiet, scenic path that ran alongside a wide, crystal-clear river.
The air was cool and peaceful. Small, glowing insects—magical fireflies—danced over the surface of the water, casting tiny dots of green and blue light into the dark night.
Amyra stopped walking. She stepped up to the stone railing by the river, pulling her hood back to let the cool breeze catch her long red hair.
She watched the fireflies in silence.
Rias stood a few feet behind her, holding the shopping bags. He watched her.
Without the heavy pressure of the throne room, without the venomous threats, she just looked like a normal, incredibly beautiful girl taking in the scenery.
'She loves this city,' Rias thought quietly. 'She hates my family because my father brought war to her home. It is hard to blame her for that.'
"It is getting late," Amyra finally said, breaking the comfortable silence. She turned away from the river to face him. "We should return before the guards start looking for—"
*Slip~*
Amyra stepped forward, but her expensive high heel landed directly on a discarded, slippery piece of plastic wrapping left behind by a merchant.
Her ankle twisted violently.
"Ah!" Amyra gasped, losing her balance completely. She fell backward, her arms flailing as she tipped toward the hard stone pavement.
Rias reacted purely on instinct. He dropped all twenty shopping bags and lunged forward.
He grabbed her waist, pulling her forward to stop her from hitting the ground.
But as he pulled her in, the sudden shift in weight caused his own leather boots to slip on the slick cobblestones.
Rias lost his footing. He fell backward, pulling Amyra down right on top of him.
They hit the ground with a heavy thud.
Rias groaned, his back taking the brunt of the impact. He opened his eyes to ask if she was okay.
But he couldn't speak.
Amyra was lying directly on top of his chest. Her face was pressed right against his.
And her soft, warm lips were planted squarely against his own.
Time completely stopped.
Rias's eyes went wide. His mind instantly blanked out. He couldn't think. He couldn't process the situation. All he could feel was the gentle pressure against his mouth and the scent of roses filling his lungs.
[Ding!]
[Secret Quest Completed!]
[Objective: Kiss your fiancée on the lips. (Completed)]
[Rewards Distributed: 20,000 EXP, 1x God-Tier Skill (Divine Lawbreaker).
The System chimes rang loudly in his head, but Rias barely registered them.
For two agonizing, breathless seconds, neither of them moved.
Then, Amyra's golden eyes snapped wide open.
She realized exactly what was happening.
"Mmph!" Amyra let out a muffled squeak of absolute panic.
She shoved her hands against his chest and scrambled backward as fast as she could. She practically rolled off him, hitting the cobblestones and jumping to her feet in a frantic blur.
Her face wasn't just red. It was a burning, furious shade of crimson that rivaled her own hair.
She stared down at Rias, her chest heaving, her fingers trembling as she lightly touched her own lips.
"You—I—We—!" Amyra stammered, completely losing her ability to form a coherent sentence.
She didn't yell. She didn't summon her fire magic. She just let out a frustrated, embarrassed sound, spun around, and bolted down the street toward the palace. She ran so fast she completely forgot her shopping bags.
Rias was left lying flat on his back in the middle of the empty street.
He stared up at the glowing magical streetlamps.
Slowly, he lifted his right hand. He gently touched his own lips with two fingers.
The kiss was real. It was an accident, but it was real.
"Damn," Rias whispered to the empty air, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs.
"That actually felt really good."
He slumped against the cold stone road, not caring about dirtying his clothes. He was completely in his own world, his mind reeling from the sheer absurdity of his life. He had just stolen the first kiss of the most terrifying villainess in the empire.
After a few minutes, Rias finally sat up. He dusted off his grey tunic, picked up the massive pile of abandoned shopping bags, and started the long walk back toward the Imperial Palace.
He was carrying twenty heavy bags. He was walking alone in the dark. He was probably going to face a very angry, very embarrassed Princess tomorrow morning.
But as he walked under the glowing fireflies, a small, genuine smile bloomed on his face.