In Lia’s room, the flocked pinkish hues spread across the walls and curtains like a soft blush captured in silk, giving the entire space a delicate, almost intoxicating charm that could make even the most composed girl feel heat rise to her cheeks.

Two figures lay on the pink bed, the sheets slightly creased beneath their weight.

Aether lay on the bed as he stared at the beautiful ponytailed girl hovering above him, her slender frame casting a faint shadow over his chest.

Her hair brushed lightly against his skin, soft strands grazing his neck as she leaned closer

Her crimson eyes locked onto him with a strange intensity, glowing faintly... as if prey staring at her food!

Well, it was literally the truth.

He was just food in her eyes.

Aether of course knew that, but it was fine compared to the previous hatred.

Enemy to food, a strange evolution, yet one that made him smirk internally as he considered how far things had shifted between them.

Who knows, he might become... Husband?

’Well, that would be too soon,’ he thought with a low chuckle, his lips curving slightly as he looked up at her before saying, "Ms. Lia, what are you doing? Pulling a man into your room like this... that’s quite bold, don’t you think?"

"Oh shut it! You know the contract... You signed it, right?" Lia said with a sharp edge of annoyance, yet her eyes betrayed her.

They lingered on his neck, on the faint trace of the previous wound left by Mary, the skin there slightly marked, slightly inviting.

Her gaze darkened, her breathing subtly uneven as she fought to keep herself composed, her lips parting just a fraction as if resisting an urge that clawed at her control.

Aether chuckled inwardly. If Mary knew this, she would be fuming, and honestly, that thought alone made this situation even more dangerous.

He wondered if she would reread the contract, if she would notice the change, because Lia had added one more clause... hadn’t she?

But to his surprise, Lia’s clause disappeared the moment he signed it, vanishing as if it had never existed, as if she had anticipated that move and prepared herself accordingly.

’You came well prepared... ah...’ Aether thought as he studied her more closely, noticing the faint flush on her cheeks, the way her body leaned just a little closer than necessary.

Aether said, "Yes, I signed it."

Lia smirked, the corner of her lips lifting with a confidence that barely concealed her excitement.

"Then be ready to get sucked..." she murmured as her tongue lightly traced her lips. Her cheeks deepened in colour, her breath warm, her fangs slowly emerging, contrasting against her soft features in a way that only made her more dangerously alluring.

However, just as she leaned closer, closing the distance between them,

"Wait a second!" Aether stopped her, his hand lifting slightly as he interrupted her approach.

He wasn’t going on a whim, not when she looked like that, not when her hunger was written so clearly in her eyes.

This was his chance, and he knew it.

Lia frowned, her brows knitting together as irritation flickered across her face, "What? I thought you agreed," she said, her tone sharper now, but there was a subtle impatience beneath it, a restlessness that betrayed how close she had been to acting on impulse.

"Indeed," Aether said, pushing himself slightly to the side before sitting down on the edge of the bed.

He looked at her with a composed gaze before continuing, "But before that, we need to make sure of both of our consents. I don’t intend to repeat... certain outcomes without clarity."

"What the fu— ahem, consent?" Lia corrected herself quickly, trying to be a certain character.

Aether simply said, "The day you drank my blood... You know what happened, right?" His voice lowered slightly, and despite himself, his cheeks warmed faintly, the memory surfacing with a vividness that made his pulse shift just enough to notice.

It wasn’t exactly shyness.

It was something else... something that lingered like a thrill beneath the skin, a sensation that refused to fade.

Lia too felt it.

A soft blush spread across her cheeks, creeping toward her ears, tinting them with a faint warmth as her eyes flickered away for a brief second before returning to him.

"T-That was a mistake!" she said with a cold tone.

Aether nodded slowly, "Yes, so that’s why we need to make sure... if the mistake happens again, we both understand exactly what we’re stepping into."

"It won’t!" Lia yelled, lifting her chin with a proud expression.

Aether shrugged, "What if it happens again... you lose yourself, forcibly kiss me, and throw me out like last time?"

Hearing that, those vulgar, embarrassing memories surged back into Lia’s mind, her teeth clenching as her jaw tightened.

’This Empress would never do that again!’ she vowed to herself, her pride burning hotter than the blush creeping across her face.

After all, she hadn’t expected the overwhelming effect his blood had on her the first time, the way it shattered her control and pulled her into something she couldn’t restrain. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

But now she was prepared. She would never let that happen again... as she had said before, she would rather eat shit than love/kiss this bastard!

Aether, noticing her silence and the storm flickering behind her crimson eyes, continued smoothly,

"So what I need is simple. If a mistake happens... I want you to reassure me that whatever happens, you would never hurt me."

He leaned in slightly, closing the distance between them, his breath brushing faintly against her skin as his voice dropped into a low whisper.

"Whether you made a mistake... or I made a mistake."

A devilish grin slowly curved across his lips.

Lia, of course, wasn’t some naïve girl who would fall for such an obvious scheme, her instincts catching the intent beneath his words instantly.

’Hoh... so you want to play games with me? Hah... I knew this bastard was after my girl’s body!’ she thought, irritation flaring as her eyes narrowed slightly.

Still, after a brief pause, she nodded her head,

"Fine... it’s fair enough."

Then suddenly, her lips curled into a dangerous grin.

"But if you try anything naughty and touch me weirdly... I will make sure to crush you," she said, her fingers curling into a tight fist as she shot a sharp glance toward his crotch.

Aether flinched slightly, ’Hah... this girl would definitely do that, wouldn’t she?’ he thought, a dry amusement passing through his mind.

He knew exactly what kind of girl she was... and yet, that was precisely why he pushed forward.

His plan was working.

With that, he calmly lowered his hand and removed his shirt, exposing his upper body. Lia’s gaze didn’t wander, didn’t even acknowledge anything beyond what she wanted.

Her eyes locked onto his neck, completely fixated, as if the rest of him didn’t even exist, as if he wasn’t worthy of her attention beyond that single point.

There was a faint sting in Aether’s chest at that indifference, a subtle bruise to his pride, but he suppressed it.

He knew this wouldn’t change instantly... He had to take slow, baby steps.

Forcing his emotions into place, Aether steadied himself, his expression turning calm as he closed his eyes, bracing, preparing, ensuring that whatever came next wouldn’t shake him.

Lia inched closer.

The scent of the dark, dried blood on his neck reached her, and her nostrils flared instinctively, her breath deepening as something primal stirred within her.

After so long... she was finally going to have her fill.

’Fuck! I’m getting more thirsty,’ Lia screamed inwardly, her control thinning with every second as she moved closer and closer.

Her shoulder brushed against his, her body leaning into his as she tilted her head slightly. Her hands came up, gripping his shoulders firmly, claiming her position, steadying herself against him.

And then—

Chkk~

"Arhh!"

Aether groaned, the sudden sharp sensation pulling a reaction from him as his hands instinctively moved, gripping her hips tightly.

"Hmmmrrppp~" Lia moaned softly against his neck, the sound muffled as she drank, her lips sealed against his skin as she sucked his blood.

The taste flooded her senses instantly, thick, rich, intoxicating beyond reason... damn, she had missed it so much.

Her body trembled with just that first sip, a shiver running down her spine as her eyes fluttered, rolling back slightly in pure ecstasy.

’Fuccckkk! It’s so good!!’ she groaned inwardly, her grip tightening unconsciously.

It felt like tasting something ancient, like a thousand-year-old wine laced with a fragrance so alluring that any vampire would lose themselves just from its scent alone.

It consumed her, drowned her senses, pulled her deeper with every second.

Aether slowly opened his eyes, his breath uneven, and saw her face. Her cheeks flushed deeply, her lips pressed against his neck, her expression lost in pure, unrestrained ecstasy as she drank from him, completely absorbed, completely taken by the moment.

’Is it... really that good?’ Aether wondered, watching Lia’s face melt into an expression that seemed far too blissful, as if she had drifted somewhere far above reality.

Heat slowly building, spreading through his veins like a slow-burning intoxication, clouding his senses, loosening his restraint.

Using her momentary lapse, lost in that blissful state, Aether’s hand moved carefully, almost hesitantly, gripping her hips and pulling her slightly closer.

The warmth of her body pressed into him as he gently tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, his fingers brushing her skin with a softness that contrasted the chaos building inside him.

His gaze lingered on her as she drank, gentle, almost conflicted.

’If only she remembered everything...’ he thought, a faint ache surfacing in his expression, something quiet and unspoken flickering in his eyes as he continued to watch her.

But his body refused to stay calm.

The heat intensified, rising higher, sharper, until it felt like he was standing on the edge of something overwhelming, something that threatened to snap his control entirely.

His breathing grew heavier, his mind struggling to stay grounded as sensation after sensation crashed into him.

As if he had masturbated 10 times without climaxing!

’I want to fuck her! Arrrh!’ The thought tore through him, his restraint cracking under the pressure.

His body reacted strongly, painfully so, forcing a strained groan from his lips as he tried to hold himself back.

His hands betrayed him first, shifting slightly, inching lower with a dangerous place.

’N-No! She should be the one making a move! Damn it!’ he groaned inwardly, forcing his hands to stop, pulling them back just before crossing a line he knew would trigger her instantly.

Something wasn’t right.

’It didn’t happen before... why?’ he wondered, confusion cutting through the haze.

The first time had overwhelmed him, yes, but not like this.

Not this intense!

With a flushed face, horny face, he glanced at Lia... and froze.

She was looking at him.

Smirking?

A wicked, knowing smirk, her cheeks flushed deeply, her eyes glinting with something playful and cruel.

A shiver ran down his spine!

’This girl...’ Aether realised instantly.

She was doing this on purpose.

’So that’s it... Ah,’ he thought, and slowly, a matching smile crept onto his face, as his gaze shifted to her exposed neck.

Pale, smooth, inviting in a way that stirred something equally dangerous within him.

Lia, on the other hand, was brimming with satisfaction as she continued drinking his blood, every second feeding not just her hunger, but her growing amusement.

’Haha... how is it, bastard? Huh? Getting turned on over this? So pathetic! Your body reacting like that... hah... Pathetic cheating cock! How did those women even fall for you? Don’t they have any taste in men?’ she mocked inwardly, her delight bubbling up as she felt his reactions beneath her hands.

Just a few more seconds.

She could already imagine it.

He would lose control, make a move, and then... she would crush him with his own permission.

The thought thrilled her, sent a spark of anticipation through her veins.

She wanted to see that broken expression on his face... ’What else? You are the one who asked for it... ahahah!!!’ her wicked laugh echoed in her mind.

But still, a certain thought entered her mind,

’What does he even have? Other than a handsome face and an annoying personality? Even my daughter... what the hell does she see in him?’

Then suddenly—

Aether’s hand moved.

It touched her.

His hand gripped her ass tightly!

Lia’s lips curled into a victorious smirk, her body tensing as she prepared to unleash her full wrath, ready to snap at him the moment he crossed the line.

But before she could react—

Chukk~

Aether’s teeth sank into her neck.

For the first time in her life, Lia’s voice broke into a sound she had never made before, something raw and... something completely feminine?

"~~~MMMMAAAAHHHHHIIIII~~~"

A sharp shock ran through her entire body, like a sudden surge of energy that forced her to flinch violently.

Her legs pressed together instinctively, her back arching as her head tilted back, her eyes rolling slightly as the sensation overwhelmed her in an instant.

[+100 AP]

[+100 AP]

[+100 AP]

[+100 AP]